It is worth mentioning though that one needs to be careful comparing Paramo with Gortex. Paramo is a brand with 18 or 19 outer shell garments (just looking at men's) ranging from full coats through lighter smocks to single layer wind proofs. We also use the word "Paramo" to describe the multi layer construction of their water resistant/waterproof garments. Goretex by contrast makes their membrane and laminates it to a wide variety of fabrics in three different arrangements. This is then sold on and used by dozens, if not hundreds of garment brands/manufacturers. I have three coats that use a Gortex membrane, all three use different construction methods and have about as many differences between them as they do with my Paramo coats...and none of them are much like what most people would be thinking of when imagining a Goretex hardshell rain coat.
I have been using Paramo since 2003, starting with their original Alta (a long-ish full coat). I now have a couple of gens of their Velez Light Smock, a Torres Light Smock, a Fuera Windproof Smock, their Velez Light trousers, an old Mountain Vent Pull-on and a button down shirt that is no longer made and whose name I can't recall. I have not worn any of them out and assuming that I remember to clean/proof I have no worries about using them anywhere.
I do agree that the rain-proofs are warm, which is annoying if you want something to shrug off a summer downpour. They can also be a little on the bulky side, depending on the model, since they are all essentially a combination of a very thin fleece and a shell. The lighter versions do indeed have very light shell fabric and I would not want to go bush busting in it if I had a choice, but the standard weight is a lot tougher than it looks at first glance. I have yet to tear any of them. As mentioned, it is also home-repairable, as well as factory mendable. No seam tape to come loose and leak, no membrane to get punctured.
Paramo, apparently in response to people complaining their clothes were not athletic enough, now have at least two ways of tailoring their side-seams, and despite not being fat I don't find the newer, "athletic" stuff fits me properly. Their sizing means that I am hovering at the top end of Medium, so Med Alta fits with loads of room, but medium Velez smock is close while large fits too but is a more roomy than I would like.
The prices of Paramo have gone up a lot since I bought my Alta. It was £199 in 2003 and I picked up my Velez smocks for £100 and £150 on sale around 2011-13. If I didn't have any of their gear right now, I would be straight out and buy one of the coats and a lighter jacket. I might not bother with the windproof since I much prefer full zip jackets over smocks, but the Bentu does not fit me right. As a system where I can layer and switch different components from mid to outer I am very happy.
Edit to note that higher end Goretex have gone up a lot too with some of the really high end being twice the price of Paramo.
If one searches around the internet there are many MANY threads of conversation going back over a decade comparing Paramo with membrane fabrics. Some people complain about leaks under pack straps, many say they have no leaks. Most comment on them being warm. The overwhelming consensus is that in really wet weather, as found in the hills and mountains of Britain, Paramo works very well, generally better than membranes. It also lasts many years longer at the same level of performance. That has all been in line with my experience.
The only failure of Paramo that I have witnessed was because a friend of mine, a habitual pipe smoker, failed to clean his Cascada coat thoroughly. It was wetting out badly on the front, despite Nikwax wash and TX treatment. I took it and scrubbed with a nail brush and near neat detergent in the bath tub, the tar run-off turned the water black. Thorough washing, rinsing and re-proofing and it is back up to a more than acceptable level of water proofness.
Chris
. However, I've skied alpine, and toured both in the alps and Cross Country in my Aspira and Velez Smocks for the past few years and they've performed brilliantly. The Aspira is a bit heavy, but completely bombproof. I got soaked falling through some ice in Sweden a couple of years ago, not to be reeccommended. The Paramo dried me out in less than half an hour.
