by matt_outandabout » Sat May 26, 2018 11:05 pm
I've owned a few hard shells, a few windproofs, a few mid layer softshell things and a paramo, I've issued as staff uniform a mix of ME and Patagonia hard shells and Paramo winter jackets.
I need to try a modern Paramo as the older cut was dreadful - a negative outweighing of the benefits (that are many) of the system. The were too short on the body, flappy sails with dreadful pocket shapes and placements, also in awful colours...But they were super waterproof, cosy on a wet day in the hills and served us well as outdoor instructors on river and Munro for a couple of hundred days a year.
Apart from a Montane Dyno or Montane Krypton, I've not yet found the perfect softshell either. Dyno for warmer or high exertion days (MTb, myself on hills etc) and I wore to death, probably 50% of the time. Krypton when ambling along with groups, cold days, higher winds, on the river, really wet days under a hard shell, maybe 25% of the time. Hard shell in proper rain otherwise. The Krypton genius was not being too warm, having suede like fleecey inner and mesh.
The old wind shirt and fleece combo Dyno/Krypton worked well, and actually pushed me back to my old pertex and separate fleece. I've now a Tog24 running pertex with removeable arms. It's brilliant flexibility means I wear it a lot.
The Montane shirt and fleece should be a good option - I like you am tempted to see if it works, but it's a privey choice considering a £25 Tog24 running pertex and couple of micro fleeces...