Páramo Velez Adventure Smock

People who like Páramo clothing really like it. It’s so unlike anything else. Páramo was founded by Nick Brown, who observed how mammal fur repels water by causing it to be shed before it saturates the skin. He developed a unique ‘pump liner’ – which essentially pushes water out quicker than it can get in – and the Páramo system, named Analogy in reference to its natural equivalent, was born. Quiet, supple and comfy, easy to repair and highly breathable, early devotees marvelled at Analogy’s efficiency, and the somewhat counterintuitive system it employed. How was something this substantial so resistant to overheating? How could something that let water in keep it out? The fact is, the system simply worked. Plus, Páramo’s commitment to environmental friendliness, workforce wellbeing, product repair and recycling means an investment in its products is good for many more reasons than function alone.

The Velez Adventure Smock is the product where it all came together for hillwalkers: design with purpose, namely adventures in the British mountains. It marked Páramo out as particularly special, covering bases sometimes left unguarded by Alpine brands tailoring for less fickle conditions. The smock was close to perfect: weighty enough to be warm, but breathable enough for warmer conditions. Features included an excellent helmet-compatible hood, a roomy front pocket, scooped rear and side venting that offered protection in all the right places, as well as cooling options for milder environments.

There were only two criticisms: the weight, and the fact that a smock design was probably not for everyone. To answer this, in 2007 Páramo brought out the superb Velez Adventure Light with a stripped-down Analogy system; while 2017 sees the launch of the PFC-free Velez Jacket.