Frankly this is the weirdest garment we've ever seen and believe
me, we've seen some strange things. Paramo's 3rd Element is quite
bonkers. It's also pleasantly innovative.
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First - just a normal Paramo
jacket
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What is it? Uh, er, well, first of all it's a normal, close-fitting,
waterproof jacket. If you're familiar with the Paramo range, you'll
spot a certain resemblance to the recent, lighter weight tops like
the Velez, complete with effective wired hood and the formidably
condensation free directional waterproof system, but with what feels
like a whopping great vent at the back.
So, it's a jacket. Then, however, you can undo four press-studs
and the hood, shoulder, sleeves and upper back lift off in one piece
leaving you with a waterproof Paramo travel gilet - that's waistcoat
in English - complete with big pockets and a scooped back and short
front for climbing and running. Whether a waterproof gilet is
actuallyuseful or not is a pretty relevant point, but given the foot
and mouth situation, we can't tell you what we think just
yet.
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Second - a waterproof /
windproof
gilet with big pockets
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It's when the going gets weird though, that the weird turn pro, in
the words of Hunter S Thompson, and the ace up the 3rd Element's
sleeve, or more accurately, the sleeves themselves, is the sleeve,
hood and shoulder segement that's left after the waistcoat
conversion.
Yes, you can wear them on their own and yes, the ensemble looks
terrifyingly weird, like some sort of mutant bolero or a jacket
you've nicked off someone with very long arms and a very short trunk.
Which begs the question 'why?'
Paramo say it's because the head and arms lose most heat, so being
able to cover them up rapidly at rest stops is a major advantage,
plus they can be put on while you're still wearing a rucsack, saving
time and hassle when you're moving quick. The logic is impeccable and
you can't really fault it. Forearms lose heat - hence MHW's new
sleeve vents - as does the head, so cover it up and stay warm.
But logic never stopped anyone from looking daft and the terrible
truth is that you do look a bit odd with half a jacket festooned
across your head and shoulders.
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Third - it's er, what exactly is
it?
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We'd love to be able to tell you whether it works or not, but
we've not had a chance to try it for real yet, so all we can say is,
yes, it's weird and yes, it's real and yes, if you're heading off to
somewhere with a wide temperature range - trekking from low to high
level for example - it's definitely worth a look. Price is
£180.
More information when we've had a chance to try it in proper
outdoor conditions rather than Tescos car park.
Paramo web
site
