The Cioch Glamaig: A Summer-Weight “Paramo Type” Jacket For Winter
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First one of those sidebars that appear at the side of magazine articles:
| Paramo is the name of a clothing company. Their clothing is based on a fabric called Parameta. Parameta is waterproof but it’s a fabric, not a plastic sheet (like eVent or Gore Tex).Its not only waterproof but also because of some clever physics applied to the design will actively move water from one side to another. The important point is that it is a fabric so it breathes like a fabric.It simply doesn’t get “overwhelmed” and have a film of water build up inside it like even eVent can do. If it ever did build up that much moisture, it would just get “pumped” through and dumped on the outside. It’s more than just the ‘usual’ capillary action at work, this is special use of capillary action that “pumps” due to the diameter of the fibres changing from one side to the other across the the material.The one downside is that it can be relatively heavy and warm compared with jackets made in something like eVent or Gore Tex. So not so good for summer when you hope to be carrying it more than wearing it. But ideal for winter use. |
Edit July 2010: I now use the excellent and very light Paramo Quito jacket in summer (it replaces the separate windproof I used to carry) – but still use the Glamaig for winter!
At the moment I don’t have a Paramo jacket but I’ve been bowled over by the Paramo Cascada trousers so I’m getting a jacket based on Parameta for the winter. People on the Gear Forum of OM talk about the “Paramo religion” because “converts” to Paramo are so amazed by what they discover they get very evangelical. It took me ages to pluck up the courage to spend the money on something that, to be honest, looks like it won’t work but I’m very glad that I did. Because it simply does.
Even then I still can’t get away from the feeling that a winter jacket weighing nearly a kilo for a large size is too heavy. But a company called Cioch Outdoor Clothing on the Isle Of Skye seem to have the answer
Cioch make their waterproof clothing out of Parameta, the fabric that Paramo use, since Paramo is owned by Nick Brown who developed Parameta, and Nikwax (Nick Brown – Nikwax – geddit? ;)
Their Glamaig jacket is intended for summer use but since both LB and I are happy with a summer weight eVent jacket in winter for skiing in the French Alps and Norway and wandering about in the Cairngorms I started to wonder why the Glamaig wouldn’t work.
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At an average weight of 510gms its heavier than a lightweight eVent (which are more like 370gms for a similar size) but not by a huge margin considering the potential comfort advantage. Price is about the same and Cioch even make to measure for a very reasonable fee. Which looks to be a service worth having once you measure yourself and try comparing with the off the peg measurements. |
I emailed Cioch and Neil Urquhart (pictured on their site) replied very quickly. We ended up discussing it on the phone and I found that I’m not the first to have thought of this. Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team have also decided that the Glamaig is right for them in winter. They had the Cioch Harta jackets a couple of years ago and when they came to order a new set they decided on the Glamaig instead.
As Neil said in an email to me “A guide friend of mine uses his thru’ the year in the Cuillins and I know of a member of Cairngorm MRT who uses his for ski-mountaineering. If your happy without the extra protection a full mountain jacket affords- why not?”.
But what is that extra protection?
It’s essentially two things. Firstly the Glamiag has no storm flap over the zip but a baffle inside instead. I have no problem with that and Neil says no one’s ever said it leaks.
Secondly the Beechcomber shell fabric used in the Glamaig is lighter than the fabric used in the Harta, the Harta being the equivalent winter jacket, having a storm flap and heavier shell fabric. A lighter fabric could potentially “flap” a bit more, become plastered to you in high winds and cause the infamous “pumping effect” that pushes warm air from inside your layers. That’s a potential issue but I personally feel that the layers I would wear underneath would be resilient enough to prevent that and wouldn’t be greatly helped by a stiffer shell fabric. Besides, having it made to measure will mean that there’s far less spare material to flap about.
Obviously I can’t yet recommend them from personal experience but I have just ordered one each for LB and myself plus some trousers for LB so obviously I’m feeling confident that they’ll work as I expect.
We requested a couple of alterations, fully lined sleeves, higher volume hoods to take helmets and some allowance for wearing more than summer layers underneath.
I would have liked to leave posting something about them until I’d tried them out for a season or more but in the mean time I thought it worth mentioning in case anyone reading is looking for a new winter jacket. Especially if you were considering a Paramo type jacket anyway.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:44
This sounds like a great find. I still haven’t taken the plunge with either Gore-Tex or eVent as neither can really handle condensation as well as Paramo, but Paramo are just too heavy and hot.
You may have the answer here – let us know how it goes!
November 23rd, 2007 at 20:23
Good lad, I’ll look forward to seeing how you find the kit in use.
I’ve looked at the Cioch stuff so many times and been tempted.
It’s a leap into the unknown though.
Furtech’s another possibility, but the hood thing, I don’t know. It’s not that it’s clear, it’s the wavery bentness it has.
Nice one.
December 17th, 2007 at 17:47
I’ll post again once I’ve used them but in the mean time I’ve posted on OM about them:
http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/UTN/19985/dt/4/URN/5/srchdte/0/cp/2/v/1/sp/
And since I don’t trust that they won’t delete some day that I’ll post a cut down version of the above here next…
December 17th, 2007 at 17:50
Preview of a future Blog posting on how these have worked out:
They look good – far better cut than most of the Paramo range (The Cascada jacket – what are Paramo thinking??)
The Glamaigs we had made had a different hood design from the normal summer hood (Neil Urqhart at Cioch will know which if you want to ask him – I doubt he’ll forget me and my questions!). They’re more for the winter, with more face protection and sized for a big helmet for skiing (though they volume-adjust very well).
The arms are waterproof-lined all the way to the cuff instead of the elbow (a standard option).
They have a nice big map pocket but if I was ordering again I’d probably ask to do without this to cut the weight.
One thing to note – the arm length on the site says “B: Measure from top of collar bone to…”. That’s effectively wrong – it needs to be from the base of the neck. See the diagram and tell Neil that’s where you’ve taken the measurement. All the other measurement instructions seem spot on. To be sure though I actually videoed the arm measurement with the phone, uploaded it in Picasa and sent Neil the link. Not sure it was necessary but…
In fact because of this my jacket had arms that were too small. They took it back and made a whole new one very fast
My girlfriend’s hood was very slightly restrictive with a big snow-board style helmet on so they took it back and dropped the joint closer in to the shoulder and put a longer hood on it. That sorted it out nicely. The arms on hers were fine because Neil had spotted they looked wrong and cut them longer – he meant to contact us but was rushed off his feet with a large order and went with his hunch. He was spot on as it happens.
May 16th, 2008 at 18:29
Ok now apparently I am a bit behind in the times when it comes to gear and clothing since I have never heard of Paramo line of clothes.
May 19th, 2008 at 21:16
You’ve missed out. I’m just putting the finishing touches to the follow up to this (should be done tomorrow). In the mean time:
http://www.paramo.co.uk
It can get surprisingly controversial
May 20th, 2008 at 21:48
[...] They are waterproof. They are comfortable across an astonishing temperature range, meaning you don’t carry them in your pack very often so the fact they are heavier than eVent doesn’t matter. We’ve been wearing them the whole winter, since just after I first mentioned them. [...]
June 17th, 2008 at 15:00
I wear Paramo clothing for my hiking treks and it always keeps me dry and is very comfy to wear. I buy my Paramo gear online from this website: http://www.wslackandsons.co.uk
They are very reliable and friendly and specialise in Paramo kit.
July 9th, 2008 at 22:20
Also try Hilltrek in Aboyne http://www.hilltrek.co.uk They also have a licence to use the same fabrics as Paramo and Cioch and are a friendly and accomodating lot. They can produce jackets with reduced features to keep the weight down. Furtec by all accounts use a heavier and earlier version of the Paramo fabric so they are likely to have heaviier garments.
July 10th, 2008 at 21:08
JohnnyG – It’s amazingly comfy! :) I’ve come across W Slack And Sons but I’ve not heard anything about them until now – thanks.
July 10th, 2008 at 21:09
DaveA – I’ve not seen any Hilltrek kit myself but I know Chris Townsend’s a big fan. And if Chris T says it’s good – it’s good.
Can’t comment of Furtec from my own experience either but I’ve read the guy that started it saying that it’s not actually like early Paramo – it’s different…
How exactly it’s different though – I have no idea! :)