Recent jackets from Paramo have sought to cast off their reputation for a baggy, boxy fit, but none have achieved it quite as well as the new Enduro Jacket. It represents a top-of-the-range mountain jacket that isn’t perfect, but is getting pretty close. Páramo Enduro Jacket Price: £350 Weight: 849g (size large) fabric, fit, venting, hood, pockets length   Fabric The Enduro uses Nikwax Analogy, which consists of a ‘pump liner’ next to the skin, with a “directional microfibre outer” layer which is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating to repel, well, water… The pump liner mimics animal…

New for this season, I was keen to try Mountain Equipment’s synthetic insulation as I’ve long been a fan of their down jackets. I also had a cooling experience with a badly-designed Primaloft jacket many years ago in its early days, so I wanted to see if this insulation could now cut the mustard. Mountain Equipment Compressor Hooded Womens Jacket Price £140 Weight 305g (Size 10) Packability, water resistance, lightweight, cost Short length, slight fill leakage at quilting stitching in areas of wear Insulation The insulation comes in the form of synthetic PrimaLoft One with 60g weight in the body…

New for this autumn, the Arc’teryx Cerium LT represents the Canadian brand’s first foray into down insulation and it’s already won a few awards. Is it worth the cash? Here’s the lowdown: Arc’teryx Cerium LT Jacket Price: £240 Weight: 261g (L) lightweight; high warmth-to-weight; packable expensive; colour (more subdued colours are available…); no hood   It’s hard to believe that Arc’teryx don’t have down insulation in their range, so the introduction of the Cerium LT, plus the heavier Thorium AR, comes as no real surprise. I’ve had an early sample of the Cerium LT for a few months now (yes,…

We’re changing the way that we do gear reviews at Walkhighlands – there’s a comprehensive back catalogue of comparative reviews here but we reckon it’s time for a change. This autumn and winter we’ll be looking at an eclectic selection of the very latest releases in a bit more detail than we could before. So – first up are two synthetic insulated hooded jackets from Rab – ideal for Scottish winter. They may look remarkably similar, and externally they are, but it’s the insulation that divides them into two very distinct categories. The Xenon X (pictured on the right) uses…

As discussed in previous reviews I operate a five item approach to layering for most of the year: baselayer, 100 weight fleece, waterproof shell, synthetic insulated jacket and windproof. These five layers can be worn independantly or together (so the sizing needs to be considered) to cope with most weather conditions. The garment that I wear most – but I’ve rarely seen on the hills – is the windproof shell. Just a simple single layer of breathable weather-resistant (not waterproof) fabric like Pertex, it’s lightweight, packable and thanks to a renewable DWR treatment can shrug off light showers and wind…

The title ‘Winter Waterproofs’ is a little misleading; perhaps ‘Mountain Waterproofs’ or ‘Hardcore Hardshells’ would be more appropriate? In this review, and the companion women’s winter waterproofs review from Helen, we seek to distinguish between the lightweight, ‘just in case’ waterproof jackets of summer and something more substantial that can cope with the worst Scottish mountain weather. No waterproof-breathable (WPB) hardshell jacket is fully waterproof to the extent of a plastic bag or pane of glass – like a tent flysheet they will leak under enough water pressure (hence the hydrostatic head rating). However, in real-life situations a WPB jacket…

This review is really a companion piece to my previous Trousers for Winter review, and much of the characteristics that make softshell an ideal material for winter trousers is relevant to jackets. Modern softshell jackets generally consist of a windproof, water-resistant outer and a fleece or brushed inner lining. There are endless combinations of fabric weights and construction, with the thinnest comparable in warmth to a 100 weight microfleece under a simple Pertex windshirt. This combination is nice and breathable compared to a waterproof hardshell jacket, but relies on the durable water repellent coating on the outer face to keep…

I’m never going to advocate leaving your waterproof jacket at home when heading into the hills, but if you’re pretty sure it’s going to spend most of the day in your rucksack there’s no need for a heavy winter-spec mountain waterproof. Thankfully modern designs and outdoor fabrics have led to some very well-featured lightweight jackets that add little to your packweight but may not have the durability and breathability of heavier fabrics. The breathability of waterproofs is a source of major consternation and pub arguments, so rather than writing an essay on unrealistic consumer expectations and the joy of windshirts, this article…