Originally designed and tested in the Andes, Paramo are a brand you probably haven’t heard of. This is one of their lighter garments aimed at multi-activity sports.
The jacket is a pull-over, smock style and features a fixed roll-away hood with mouldable wire insert. The cut is close fitting; short at the front with a dropped back.
Our favourite bits are the high collar which you can fully tuck yourself into when the elements get nasty, and the large front-zippered pocket which is big enough for trail maps and food, sitting perfectly below any pack’s chest strap. There’s also an inner zippered chest pocket for small storage and hand warming.
The smock uses the Nikwax Analogy waterproof system, which in layman’s terms is a fabric system that repels rain, wicks moisture away from the body and is windproof, all in one.
The fabric is rustle-free, the liner is really soft next to the skin and it is so comfy that it has become one of our favourite jackets.
Granted it’s a mite unconventional – remember, form follows function – but we like that aspect of it and it may well be a fabric to give Gore-Tex a run for its money.