Walking and Climbing

It's warm but it does not pack small.

The Paramo concept for this product is mostly in wet conditions you put the Torrest Gillet over the top for added insulation. In this regard it does that job. The item does claim to fold into it's own pocket but is a tight & practised event.

It IS warm, it is easy to add, the collar is tight and the collar won't easily zip over another garment around the neck.

Over a base-layer is adds warmth. Over a waterproof it also adds warmth but competes around the neck.

I took my Paramo Torres Gillet out for a what proved 7 hours of rain and sustained wind. I had a thin base-layer (Berghaus X-static longsleave), Paramo Velez  smock. Temperature about 8degsC. I began walking fine for about 4 hours, and then put my Gillet on for wind-swept lunch, and kept it on waiting for my body to warm-up, but the wind kept-a-blowing and the rain-kept-a-hammering, and I had to traverse c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y a very muddy area hunting out the stones to reduce my boots' sinking which meant I wasn't producing as much heat. As a result the gillet was on for about 2 hours and it added heat. The arms being cool is noticeable. My "venting" option was to unzip the gillet, that seemed to provide enough control. Once I felt sustained warmed I removed the gillet, rolled it into it's own stuff-sac (the front pocket) and continued.

 The over-laying concept has it's merits in that it means you don't have to remove a waterproof outer to add insulation, BUT it means it blocks the waterproof's venting options unless the over-layer is "systemicly" linked to the waterproof.  I think Paramo need to consider side-vents for their Gillet for more flexibility with the Velez, or other vents for their other products.  The gillet doesn't warm the arms, nor the head, and part of the reason I didn't pick the Paramo Torres Smock as I can then independently warm arms and head to suit myself (via arm-warmers or added head covering). If I did have the Torres Smock, for sure, it would have added more warmth, but it has no venting system, so it's even more of a one-time brief overlayer solution.

 So it works, but it could do with more systemic thinking, as how in the real-world you traverse the bounderies of over-layering.

Final-comment, I was not no point over-heating, my base-layer felt dry and when I removed the waterproofs, I was dry underneath (Paramo Cascada trousers) so in that regard the essemble works!

Nigel,

I totally accept that if you buy kit you get to use it how you like. But I'm not sure that the designers of the Torres had that kind of use in mind. I thought it was intended to be used for stops to throw on extra warmth over whatever else was keeping you warm while active. So there would be no expectation to need to vent heat from this garment as you're only going to use it when all else you're wearing isn't enough???

I see that you wisely kept it on until you'd warmed up but if you wanted venting it would imply that you'd overshot the target

John

That's true, Nigel. But unless I've stopped completely, I'd rather feel just slightly cold and avoid sweating where possible. In other words I work on the range of "a bit cold to just right " rather than "just right to too hot".  That way the majority of my insulation stays dry until I really need it.

18-months later....

I used the gilet a lot in New York's winter Dec-March and once temperatures got to around freezing and technique of base+analogy+overlayer gilet leaves the arms too-cold and the gilet's pockets are not insulated so cool arms and cold hands. I did buy in October the Torres sleeves, thinking it would pair with the gilet.

Layering has a weight penalty of more zips, stitching, etc, but the sleeves use a yoke which I predict is neglible weight, so sleeves+gilet would be same weight as a hoodless jacket. The sleeves are so long I can keep the hands inside in lieu of non-insulated gilet pocket. So the sleeves+gilet makes a good pair, not sure if intention or fluke of my sizing.

I did in March try on in the P London store the Torres Jacket but the sleeves shorter than the separate sleeves, which I thought dumb design to have short sleeves for an insulating item.

Whilst the gilet can stuff into its own pocket, it is actually smaller to simply fold and roll it.

So, right now I have the Quito which starts around 54F at its most-vented, in the 40's closed-vents, add the Torres gilet to get me to around 30F and the sleeves then get me to around 20F. 

I do also own a Down hooded jacket and I can't wear it above 25F, simply too warm, and it gets me to about 10F purely by itself and then add mid-layer for 0F.

The challenge I had last winter was just over a 48 hour period temperatures varying 20F-40F and snow/sleet/rain throughout those temperatures.  The Down jacket, whilst very warm and comfortable, compressed to nil insulation around any backpack, the mid-back in particular, and so I concluded not really for walking in, but great "camp wear" and I'm looking for better synthetic multilayer solutions which don't squash-out their insulation like down. I have looked at a simple straight well-insulated hooded jacket, the PHD Kappa seems the best quality when you know it has PL1 133g torso, but when you have temperatures fluctuating so much it could be the large item being carried a lot as its too-warm.

So... my ramblings are stating I've really yet to beat the gilet+sleeves approach, its not got the insulation/weight advantags of down nor the simplicity of a synth jacket, but the flexibility wins when used in anger in winter when its fluctuating below/above freezing and rain.

The gilet is getting a lot of use now, in summer as simple insulation just over a base, somewhat baggy but just-right insulation, California having a cool damp May/June.

Right now, the Torres Gilet is my longest-owned bit of clothing, I've bought/sold most other items.