Our new  Liathach Cotton Analogy Extreme Smock has now been approved by Nikwax.

The Liathach is our top end Cotton Analogy Smock combining an outer of Ventile® with a Nikwax Analogy® Pump Liner

It is based on our popular Foinaven Cotton Analogy Smock with several new features:

• Reinforced  back of the arms & elbows and shoulder areas for increased wear resistance
• Wider cuff with velco adjustment to enable cuffs to slip over large gloves and mittens
• Side vent zippers for ventilation adjustment and easy removal(optional on Foinaven)
• Two inches longer length than the Foinaven Cotton Analogy Smock
• Pocket insulation to give additional handwarmth

The Liathach Smock is priced £325 in standard sizes and £365 made to measure. It is available in L24 Ventile and optionally in heavier L19 Ventile for an additional £40. 

For the history of the smock read the story of its development  and earlier trial smock in the Arctic. 

The Modified Foinaven Smock is featured on 3D photography company Outsphere’s website.  Look for the image of the orange jacket.

We have started to take delivery of a new baselayer from Paramo. The next to skin garment is manufactured from Parameta G, a Directional polyester fabric. The G in its name comes from its Grid appearance, with air channels “cut” into the face of the fabric. This construction allows air to move across its surface, and allow rapid evaporation of perspiration. Worn under an outer layer, the fabric still directs moisture away from the skin, but the pattern in the fabric traps a layer of air to keep you warm.

More details can be found on our website

We have listened to your feedback and redesigned the hood on the Braemar Ventile Smock.

There has been much buzz on outdoor and bushcraft blogs about the size of the hood on the Braemar Smock which spurred us on to do a little redesign. Some found the hood too small for larger heads and also for wearing climbing or cycling helmets.

The new hood,  modelled here by John,  is large enough to take a helmet and the volume can be reduced by a volume adjuster for non-helmet usage. 

A  visor gives additional protection from the weather and the three piece construction allows for ease of head movement.

We hope you like it!

Our new Liathach Cotton Analogy Smock is on its way to Leeds University Centre of Technical Textiles for Rain Room Testing.

The Liathach will be our top end Cotton Analogy Smock combining an outer of Ventile with a Nikwax Analogy® Pump Liner.

When passed each garment will have a Nikwax Analogy® Waterproof badge as proof of its waterproof capabilities.

The Leeds University Test Centre was set up by Nikwax to test the Páramo brand. The test process is rigourous and consists of:

• Mannequins are clothed in fleece cotton tracksuits and balaclavas.
  These are absorbent but do not wick easily, which aids detection of water movement.
• The Liathach Smock will be placed over the top.
• The clothed mannequin is positioned under the shower tester with one arm pointing forward and the other slightly downward to mimic a walking position. The mannequin revolves six times per minute, for up to four hours.
• Heavy rain is simulated – with a range of drop diameters at an intensity of 28-32mm per hour some 10 times the intensity of normal heavy rain in the UK).

See Leeds University Test Centre for more info.