Paramo Fuera Smocks

[Batfink]

Does anybody know what the Paramo Fuera Smocks are like? Altberg have them on special offer at the moment (£35 rather than the traditional £50) - and I'm quite tempted, but wanted a heads up first! At the moment I've got an Arktis Windshirt - which looks like it does the same thing, but only cost me £10 - it is, however, wearing through very quickly!

[Klenchblaize]

Their kit is good – particularly the mid-layer stuff. I bought one of these (http://www.aspirafund.co.uk/MountainVentPullon.htm) at their pre-Xmas sale down in Wadhurst and can’t speak highly enough of it. The higher neck this model has, over the standard “Mountain Vent Pull-On”, is something Paramo should make standard.

The smock you mention, with hood, should be a nice piece of kit and at that price a real bargain.

Cheers!

[TallMikeM]

I've recently got one, only worn it a few times but overall impressions are good. It's not perfect, but they're mostly little things: the zip can catch under the chin when zipped right up; the pocket is pretty useless and uncomfortable if you have anything heavyish (even a compass) in it. But these are minor quibbles as on the whoile it is a great bit of kit. It is very breathable, very windproof and incrediably lightweight. I have yet to see how it handles rain, but other users say it's good at shedding the wet stuff.
I got mine off ebay for £37 incl P&P.

[tigermoth2000]

Hi, so this’ll be my 'once in a blue moon' post,
I got a Fuera smock for Xmas and used it last week in the Peak District, walking and a little bit of bushcraft (Using my new GB – Small forest axe – Its wicked! – I have a bald patch on my leg it’s so sharp! Oh and it cuts trees down kinda good too) any-who... The first thing I did when I got mine was to use ‘Nikwax – TX direct’ to add a DWR, It was tipping down on the first morning and it held up perfectly to the driving rain on ‘the lords seat’ (nr Mam Tor). But, as this is not ‘water proof’, the next day once my pack had soaked through it pressed some (damp) water though the smock where my shoulder straps are! As a wind shirt it is fantastic, and if there is no pressure on the surface if works perfectly as a water proof, (I have used it since on a afternoon walk with no pack with about half an hour full-on rain and I was “bone dry” underneath. I like the front pocket but it’s in an odd place, I think this is to avoid clashing with your pack belt?

Hope this helps, Joe.

PS – I’m still going to use it the same as its fine for the most part, it’s a trade off between weight, pack size, cost, and effectiveness, if I could afford it I’d go eVent.

PPS – Thanks to all for an awesome information and reference source – I check in most days! I just wish I could contribute more.