Hi Neil, I'm just weighing up which jacket to get, and the Helki seems to fit much better than the others I've tried. I too would like venting though, and this seems like a good way forward. Do you have any photos you'd be willing to share?
Also any feedback on the jacket itself? My usage would be quite diverse; mostly hill walking but I've climbed a lot before and would quite like to get back into scrambling/easier climbing, in winter as well as summer. Not sure the hood would be big enough over a helmet though?
Thanks a lot,
Ian
Hopefully gives you some idea. The vent is on the upper arm not all the way around the armput like it is on my other jackets and as such, not as effective.
I think the hood is helmet friendly but Paramo would be the people to confirm that with.
The jacket is OK. I only use it for backpacking and hillwalking. No climbing. So not sure I'm qualified to say how suitable it is. For walking it works . Has kept me dry and it vents a bit at the front if popped up but not zipper up. Sleeves can be pushed up to expose forarms. Has useful pockets. Excellent hood as always with Paramo. Warm and dry - too warm for Spring and Summer for me but my preferred Winter jacket. I have to wear thin baselayers when walking uphill or I get too hot above zero. I usually wear a simple polyester t-shirt from Lidl or Decathlon.
I only got the Helki because it was going new but super cheap on ebay and later realised it needed the vents. If money was no object then I wouldn't buy it again but would get something with more venting built in. Looks like the Enduro is their mountain jacket for climbing etc but it ain't cheap.
Fit-wise, I was under the impression that the Helki is the same fit as most of the newer versions of their jacket but I've not tried them all on.
I'm not 100% sold on Paramo. Seems like a bit too much of a compromise: it's overly warm and heavy but in the right conditions makes a good all-day jacket. I find myself wearing my shell jacket and/or windproof just as much as that's a more flexible system across the year. But then I really do get hot and sweaty during exercise in general. The other downside for me is their use in multiday trips - getting into a tent with a soaking wet Paramo results in putting on a soaking wet Paramo the next morning as they tend to hold onto the water in the face-fabric middle layer, whereas a Goretex dries off fast if shaken dry and even if it doesn't, is only wet on the surface. I do like the trousers in colder months.