Hi there, quick question about this jacket, I'm going Costa Rica this year during the rainy season and doing some hiking in the rainforest, so pretty much 100% humidity with lots of rain, is this jacket right for this or do you have others in your range which would be better suited ?
Hi Oliver - sorry for the late reply. You would likely find the Alta III a bit too warm for the rainforest. Instead of worrying about getting cold from the build up of condensation in the jacket, you'll likely be more concerned with something breathable, water-resistant and quick-drying. For that, we'd recommend one of our windproofs - check out the Ostro, Bentu or Enduro (or the poncho, if you're feeling adventurous) to see which features you think would be most useful. The Bentu, for example has pump liner in the hood and shoulders, making those zones more water-resistant, while the Enduro has more pockets and ventilation.
I am still on the Holy Grail trek for a water proof jacket - and probably concluded there isn't such a thing. Hardshell membrane type jackets I do believe are more waterproof than Paramo in the truest sense of the word but will under no circumstances (despite manufactures claims of over a million bla bla mm breathability and 72 pit zips) are they able to cope with the amount of sweat that your body creates - especially when pulling uphilll or moving fast ... you just get soaking wet from the inside (think of boil in the bag). Additionlly the outer fabric will wet out no matter how good the DWR coating is. Funnily enough this is the layer that most people make a judgment about the jackets waterproofing, when water has stopped beading off. The jacket however is still most likely to be completely waterproof as the membrane is usually working fine - the jacket has at this stage just lost all breathability so its like wearing a dustbin bag with 100% condensation on the inside and the wearer will often start to feel much colder in this situation. Paramo has no membrane and in my experience does a fantastic job on breathability but also the pump liner helps move water/sweat away from the skin and out to the surface - the material design makes this an actual mechanical process and property of the jacket. Combined with a water resistant/DWR coated outer fabric it really does keep you dryer in a wide set of conditions. However, it is heavier and warmer than your conventional hardshell. Additionally in my experience there are situations where the Paramo concept doesn't work well. In heavy and prolonged rain I have found the jacket can become overwhelmed relatively quickly with the amount of water it is having to cope with and will eventually become very very wet ... essentially it just can't deflect and pump fast enough. It can also be very hard to dry the jacket when wild camping in these circumstances - despite the jacket keeping you warm even when wet. I also often find that Paramo jackets get much wetter/fast around my rucksack straps and waist belt areas, despite double layer pump liners. I once tested a jacket in the shower with no rucksack v's a light drizzle with a lightly loaded rucksack - amazing difference. At the end of the day there is no perfect jacket and if you are outdoors a lot you need a flexible system to use for different times of the year and forecast weather conditions. Think carefully in what conditions you will actually use a jacket. One area I believe that Paramo excels in is the winter months and tougher the conditions the better. Although I was very much the odd one out when exploring high passes in the Everest area I truly evidenced how superior the Paramo system was when compared to others. Despite having a heart attack last year and having a big impact on what I do in the outdoors I will certainly be looking at a new Alta III or Enduro for Scotland this year and think it can even make a lighter wild camp load setup. What did you do to the Enduro colour scheme this year!! Looks horrible on website - hope in real life it is more flattering. How does the Alta III hood compare to the Enduro (which I like (seems more of a 3 point)) as I've not been much of a fan of Paramo hoods on my previous jackets? Back to the holy grail ... Membrane Outer - No outer face fabric .... hmm, have to try one of those also :)
As long as you take care of it, it's guaranteed to take care of you, jamiefly. We recommend that Páramo wearers - indeed anyone who has waterproof clothing - keep their jackets clean by washing in Nikwax Tech Wash when they see any wetting through, with an added cycle in TX.Direct about every third or fourth wash. This will keep your kit going for decades. If you have a jacket you believe to be faulty, please contact customer services through our website.
I'm getting bored of buying expensive jackets that tell me it's waterproof with a DWR coating. They are, for about 5 wears. So, I wash it, and it's not waterproof, it just wets after a few hours. Why don't they just sell the DWR in a bottle! I have to say tho, I have tried Nikwax wash in and spray on, I've washed it carefully with the Tech wash, going by the instructions and it doesn't make it as good as new. What can these jackets offer me?
Hi Chuck Norris. The great thing about these jackets is that the fabric they use has selected both for breathability and the ability to hold Nikwax TX.Direct wash-in waterproofing. In fact, the coating they arrive with is simply PFC-free Nikwax waterproofing, NOT a DWR. After about every third or fourth wash in Tech Wash, you can run it through an additional cycle with TX.Direct, and it will revive fully. If you keep them clean and reproof when they need it, Páramo jackets will keep going for decades.
Páramo Directional Clothing OK that's great! What about when the jacket has a 3 layer system like the Enduro? Surely, I don't want the whole jacket submerged in TX.Direct as the other layers will be impregnated with TX.Direct ?
The Enduro is actually a two-layer construction, just with slightly tougher fabric on the outside and a lightweight honeycomb pump liner in the inside. If the pump liner were the same material as a typical soft wicking liner - like you might find on a softshell - then using TX.Direct would indeed inhibit its function (which is why Nikwax Softshell Proof is spray-on). Instead, it's a special material that actually becomes more effective at drawing moisture away from you when it's treated with TX.Direct. You'd have to talk to the Nikwax lab guys to get the specifics, but it has a lot to do with the two very different faces on either side of the liner. The side worn against the body is silky smooth, while the other is very soft and nubbly.
Páramo Directional Clothing OK. after much deliberation (about 10 seconds actually) I took the plunge on one of the 'newer' Enduros. It's absolutely fantastic! Worn it in warm and cold temperatures, wet and windy and is working so much better than the expensive plastic bags. 1 thing I have noticed so far is that the side and arm vent zips tend to clash or rub when zipped up as they are close under the armpit. I can see Paramo has tried to stop this by having one zip higer than the other, but will it be better to have alternated the zips so, when zipped up, they are at opposite ends? Or does that make it harder to undo or something to do with packs?
I'm glad it's worked out, Chuck. I'm sure there's a reason the zips are arranged that way, but I'll pass your comments on to the design team just in case. Enjoy your Enduro adventures, and just let us know if you have any further questions.
Hi there, quick question about this jacket, I'm going Costa Rica this year during the rainy season and doing some hiking in the rainforest, so pretty much 100% humidity with lots of rain, is this jacket right for this or do you have others in your range which would be better suited ?
Hi Oliver - sorry for the late reply. You would likely find the Alta III a bit too warm for the rainforest. Instead of worrying about getting cold from the build up of condensation in the jacket, you'll likely be more concerned with something breathable, water-resistant and quick-drying. For that, we'd recommend one of our windproofs - check out the Ostro, Bentu or Enduro (or the poncho, if you're feeling adventurous) to see which features you think would be most useful. The Bentu, for example has pump liner in the hood and shoulders, making those zones more water-resistant, while the Enduro has more pockets and ventilation.
I am still on the Holy Grail trek for a water proof jacket - and probably concluded there isn't such a thing. Hardshell membrane type jackets I do believe are more waterproof than Paramo in the truest sense of the word but will under no circumstances (despite manufactures claims of over a million bla bla mm breathability and 72 pit zips) are they able to cope with the amount of sweat that your body creates - especially when pulling uphilll or moving fast ... you just get soaking wet from the inside (think of boil in the bag). Additionlly the outer fabric will wet out no matter how good the DWR coating is. Funnily enough this is the layer that most people make a judgment about the jackets waterproofing, when water has stopped beading off. The jacket however is still most likely to be completely waterproof as the membrane is usually working fine - the jacket has at this stage just lost all breathability so its like wearing a dustbin bag with 100% condensation on the inside and the wearer will often start to feel much colder in this situation.
Paramo has no membrane and in my experience does a fantastic job on breathability but also the pump liner helps move water/sweat away from the skin and out to the surface - the material design makes this an actual mechanical process and property of the jacket. Combined with a water resistant/DWR coated outer fabric it really does keep you dryer in a wide set of conditions. However, it is heavier and warmer than your conventional hardshell. Additionally in my experience there are situations where the Paramo concept doesn't work well. In heavy and prolonged rain I have found the jacket can become overwhelmed relatively quickly with the amount of water it is having to cope with and will eventually become very very wet ... essentially it just can't deflect and pump fast enough. It can also be very hard to dry the jacket when wild camping in these circumstances - despite the jacket keeping you warm even when wet. I also often find that Paramo jackets get much wetter/fast around my rucksack straps and waist belt areas, despite double layer pump liners. I once tested a jacket in the shower with no rucksack v's a light drizzle with a lightly loaded rucksack - amazing difference.
At the end of the day there is no perfect jacket and if you are outdoors a lot you need a flexible system to use for different times of the year and forecast weather conditions. Think carefully in what conditions you will actually use a jacket. One area I believe that Paramo excels in is the winter months and tougher the conditions the better. Although I was very much the odd one out when exploring high passes in the Everest area I truly evidenced how superior the Paramo system was when compared to others. Despite having a heart attack last year and having a big impact on what I do in the outdoors I will certainly be looking at a new Alta III or Enduro for Scotland this year and think it can even make a lighter wild camp load setup. What did you do to the Enduro colour scheme this year!! Looks horrible on website - hope in real life it is more flattering. How does the Alta III hood compare to the Enduro (which I like (seems more of a 3 point)) as I've not been much of a fan of Paramo hoods on my previous jackets?
Back to the holy grail ... Membrane Outer - No outer face fabric .... hmm, have to try one of those also :)
is it really water repellent .. my experience suggests it won't be.. !!
As long as you take care of it, it's guaranteed to take care of you, jamiefly. We recommend that Páramo wearers - indeed anyone who has waterproof clothing - keep their jackets clean by washing in Nikwax Tech Wash when they see any wetting through, with an added cycle in TX.Direct about every third or fourth wash. This will keep your kit going for decades. If you have a jacket you believe to be faulty, please contact customer services through our website.
I'm getting bored of buying expensive jackets that tell me it's waterproof with a DWR coating. They are, for about 5 wears. So, I wash it, and it's not waterproof, it just wets after a few hours. Why don't they just sell the DWR in a bottle! I have to say tho, I have tried Nikwax wash in and spray on, I've washed it carefully with the Tech wash, going by the instructions and it doesn't make it as good as new. What can these jackets offer me?
Hi Chuck Norris. The great thing about these jackets is that the fabric they use has selected both for breathability and the ability to hold Nikwax TX.Direct wash-in waterproofing. In fact, the coating they arrive with is simply PFC-free Nikwax waterproofing, NOT a DWR. After about every third or fourth wash in Tech Wash, you can run it through an additional cycle with TX.Direct, and it will revive fully. If you keep them clean and reproof when they need it, Páramo jackets will keep going for decades.
Páramo Directional Clothing OK that's great! What about when the jacket has a 3 layer system like the Enduro? Surely, I don't want the whole jacket submerged in TX.Direct as the other layers will be impregnated with TX.Direct ?
The Enduro is actually a two-layer construction, just with slightly tougher fabric on the outside and a lightweight honeycomb pump liner in the inside. If the pump liner were the same material as a typical soft wicking liner - like you might find on a softshell - then using TX.Direct would indeed inhibit its function (which is why Nikwax Softshell Proof is spray-on). Instead, it's a special material that actually becomes more effective at drawing moisture away from you when it's treated with TX.Direct. You'd have to talk to the Nikwax lab guys to get the specifics, but it has a lot to do with the two very different faces on either side of the liner. The side worn against the body is silky smooth, while the other is very soft and nubbly.
Páramo Directional Clothing OK. after much deliberation (about 10 seconds actually) I took the plunge on one of the 'newer' Enduros. It's absolutely fantastic! Worn it in warm and cold temperatures, wet and windy and is working so much better than the expensive plastic bags. 1 thing I have noticed so far is that the side and arm vent zips tend to clash or rub when zipped up as they are close under the armpit. I can see Paramo has tried to stop this by having one zip higer than the other, but will it be better to have alternated the zips so, when zipped up, they are at opposite ends? Or does that make it harder to undo or something to do with packs?
I'm glad it's worked out, Chuck. I'm sure there's a reason the zips are arranged that way, but I'll pass your comments on to the design team just in case.
Enjoy your Enduro adventures, and just let us know if you have any further questions.