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!

Assynt Cotton Analogy Jacket

If you are an Amazon fan you now can buy both the Braemar Ventile Smock and the Assynt Cotton Analogy Jacket alongside an array of Paramo Clothing and other outdoor stuff in the Hilltrek store.

See www.amazon.co.uk and search for Hilltrek.

Braemar Ventile Smock in the Alps

Interesting how some major outdoor retailers seem to be overcome with hype of new fabrics and forget that fabrics such as Ventile are still being used in mountaineering -because they work.  

I walked into the local outdoor store of a major Scottish headquartered outdoor retailer several weeks ago to find two models prominently positioned in the entrance, one was displaying ‘mountaineering 50 years ago’ and the other ‘mountaineering now’.

Today’s mountaineer was a female dummy clad in a brightly coloured and contoured Goretex jacket and matching trousers  – she looked very attractive -whereas the ‘50 years ago ago mountaineer’ was wearing a frayed Ventile jacket with a hemp climbing rope over his shoulder and well worn triconni nailed boots stuck on his feet.

The young shop manager was rather startled when I suggested that Ventile was very much alive in mountaineering and that a small Scottish company called Hilltrek Outdoor Clothing still made Ventile Technical clothing which was widely used across the world for mountaineering. In fact I told him that I was one of a loyal band of Ventile users.

I didn’t get a reply just a blank look which suggested that this was the first time he had heard the word Ventile. One of his older colleagues had to explain that this was the fabric used in the display dummy and which climbers wore in the olden days.

The founder of this outdoor retail chain was a well known Edinburgh based climber -perhaps his old climbing gear had been dug up in the loft?

I left them to reach their Gortex jacket sales targets and possibly the young manager will do a google search on ventile and mountaineering – or am I hoping for too much?

The founders successors seem to have lost their way.

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.

Mike in Braemar Ventile Smock

Customer Mike Wilkins recently sent us a photograph  of a recent trip in the Franch Alps wearing a Braemar Smock. He writes:

‘I enclose a picture from this years Alpine trip to Chamonix with one of your single olive ventile smocks on the summit of the Tete Blanche 3429m above Les Tours in Chamonix. It was a bitter wind of -10 with wind chill and with just a base layer and thin microfleece I was toasty under the smock’

We will be at the Scottish Outdoor Show at the SECC in Glasgow on Saturady October 15th to Sunday October 16th.

You can find us on stand 55, near the entrance, where we will have a range of our own Ventile, Cotton Analogy and Nikwax Analogy Clothing and Páramo Directional Waterproof Clothing.

We will also have Teko socks, Superfeet, Anatom boots and much more.

The Páramo Portal will be on the stand to give access to all Páramo’s stock and great deals on Páramo Clothing.

See you there.

Courtesy of Wild Reviews

For more info see www.wildreviews.co.uk

We rested at a mountain lodge at 3400m for a few hours of sleep, during which time the Braemardried out completely.　

I ordered a Braemar windshirt from your company in early August (Order Number: MA085110001170) , as a component of my gear for a planned climb up Japan’s highest mountain, Mt.Fuji. (August 26th) Initially I was told there would be a delay due to stock shortages, but after informing you that my order was urgent, delivery time was reduced and the Braemar arrived in good time. 

At around 2:30am we continued on to the summit in still damp weather.　 We reached the summit (3700m) just in time for a lovely sunrise (5:10am) and triumph.　 Descent of the mountain was slow and steady, and we were greeted at the lower levels by a continuous downpour which really tested the smock. Again no problems, just some stiffening of the fabric but no leakage or noticeable wetness inside the smock.

Wherever the next hike/climb will be, the Braemar’s the first thing in (and out of!) my rucksack!

All in all I was extremely impressed with the performance of your product, which proved it’s worth from start to finish and now I have my sights set on a more ‘bespoke’ version made just for me!

 Musaab Aljanabi

Mt Fuji Crater

All the best

Musaab on Mt Fuji

So, many thanks for responding to my needs – I really appreciate it.　 Nowadays I find such communication between retailer and customer to be quite rare and it’s frustrating!

I was also invited to share my photos of the climb, so here’s a brief (and I hope not too boring) account of the climb and smock performance notes, plus photos attached.

We started the climb in earnest at about 2,300m (7550ft) to fair weather.　 After about an hour or so however, things changed and the tone was set for the rest of the climb (in total abut 12 hours) with fine misty rain and light wind.　 Conditions persisted, with rain getting heavier the higher we went, with only occasional breaks and gaps in the cloud. 　 Throughout this time, the Braemar smock dealt with the situation perfectly.　 Rain beaded and rolled off the fabric all over, apart from the hood, which stiffened (the famous ventile ‘cardboard’ effect) but remained effective.

Another point to note, and a key reason for my choosing ventile, was temperature regulation.　 Due to the fact that the climb was in summer, temperatures were wide ranging (from 20 to 4 degrees c, low to highest elevation) and as a result many people – especially those wearing more ‘modern’ garments – were sweating profusely in the early stages, so were just as wet inside as out.　 Not me however, the breathability of the fabric was great and I had no trouble maintaining a comfortable body temperature (btw, inner and mid layers were merino wool – merino long sleeve undershirt and Ullfrotte gilet).

View from Mt Fuji

 See us next weekend at the 10th Galloway Country Fair in the stunning surroundings of Drumlanrig Castle near Dumfries.

Our stand will feature Naturally Paramo and Hilltrek Ventile and Cotton Analogy ranges as well as Tilley Hats, Teko socks, Anatom boots and much more.

We will have great deals over the weekend. See you there.

www.gallowaycountryfair.co.uk