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!
Posted: 08/12/2007 at 23:08
