Paramo Aspira Smock Waterproof Jackets for Women - Product Reviews/Walking Gear Tests
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 Aspira Smock Waterproof Jacket for Women  |
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Vital Statistics:
Guarantee: Life of the Jacket Colours: Fire/Burgandy, Dawn/M Grey Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL SRP: £250 |
Features to Note:
- Fixed hood with volume and frontal adjustment (designed to fit over all climbing helmets), and wired visor for maximum protection and visibility. Rolls conveniently away when not in use.
- Upper arm vents provide adjustable upper body ventilation and temperature control.
- Further ventilation via two-way chest zip with poppered internal storm flap.
- Deep chest zip opens to waist level, allowing access to inner garments, waist drawcord and internal pocket. Also facilitates putting on and taking off the smock.
- Uncluttered front panel – ideal for harness use.
- Extra fabric at shoulders and elbows for durability and protection.
- Articulated arms and shoulders for perfect fit and maximum freedom of movement.
- Wide cuffs with velcro and popper fasteners, provide adjustable ventilation, allowing sleeves to be rolled up.
- Concealed waist and hem drawcords give additional airflow control.
- Scooped tail for maximum protection.
- Drip skirt which directs water away from the wearer’s legs onto the ground.
- Removable foam pads provide an additional air gap within the jacket, which allows air to circulate and moisture to be moved away. Particularly useful when heavy rucksacks are worn.
- All essential controls (drawcords & zip pullers) can be operated with a single gloved hand.
- Reflective piping for increased visibility.
- 1 fast access pocket with velcro closure and attachment loop can be used for protecting and securing essential items, e.g. compass or knife.
- 1 large ‘working’ pocket for instantly required items: map, snack bars etc.
- 2 zipped ‘dry’ handwarming pockets located at chest level.
- 1 internal pocket for secure storage.
- Female specific design. .
In-use Test:
This is the latest version of the Aspira Smock for Women designed for high mountain use and/or relatively extreme conditions.
So far (December 07), I've only had opportunity to use it on cold, wet (but snow-free) days hill-walking in the Derbyshire peaks. Inevitably there are a few of its features that I've not tested - I've concentrated on its performance as a garment for winter walking.
I liked the overall look of the jacket - sleeve length and overall fit was very good. (I'm 5'8'', average build and was wearing a medium size.) I've tried a few short, simple scrambles in it and found the freedom of movement around the shoulder areas to be good.
As with most of the Paramo gear I've used, I tended to wear the Aspira with just a base layer and was perfectly warm enough. For periods of intense activity, there's a great range of ventilation options - I used the upper arm vents most frequently - and these were easily opened and closed while wearing a backpack. The foam pads down the back did certainly help with ventilation around my rucksack. When I needed to warm up slightly, the waist adjustment was easy to use and worked well.
The hood was very good - there's lots of volume which can be easily adjusted to cope potentially with a range of head gear although I've used it only with a woolly hat! Once the hood is up and fully fastened it really is snug and secure. The wired peak plus the face-guard provided great protection even during a Kinder rain-storm.
There's a sturdy two-way zip which opens right down the front - I certainly didn't detect any water leakage around it.
The range of pockets is good. There's two sited conveniently at the side for warming your hands (accessible when wearing a backpack), 2 differently sized pockets also on the outside (one of which is large enough for a folded os map) and another one on the front which was ideal for my compass. There's even means of attaching the compass to the outside of that pocket which I found really quite useful. There's a good size 'dry' pocket on the inside too.
The Paramo Aspira Smock for women does seem to be a well thought-out product. Small details such as the loop for attaching items to one of the front pockets, the drawcords at both waist and hem, the deep, easy to open, two-way chest zip plus the female specific design make it great to wear. As I've come to expect with Paramo gear, the waterproofness and breathability were both excellent.
It's a premium product at a premium price but the discrete reinforcement at shoulders and elbows plus the 'renewabilty' of the Analogy fabric should provide excellent durability. If you want to walk throughout the autumn/winter and be confident of staying comfortable whatever the weather, then this is a super option.
What do you think?
Have you got/bought Paramo Aspira Smock Waterproof Jackets for Women?
We would love to hear what you thought of it - good, bad or indifferent. Perhaps you simply disagree with our verdict - or feel we've neglected an important feature.
Let us know by clicking this link - What I think of Paramo Aspira Smock Waterproof Jackets for Women - so we can publish your important views below.
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