UKH

I'm looking to get a windproof smock for year round use. I'd use it in the alps this summer as a shell but year round with various layering. The two that i've narrowed it down to are the Paramo Fuera and the Bergans Microlight. Does anyone have any experience using either and is the Bergans worth the extra £40? I'm looking for total windproof, with some water resistance so i can use it in light showers, do the hoods fit over helmets and how do they fare on gritstone or granite chimneys for durability?
Any and all opinions will be useful
Thanks

In reply to WhipperSnapper:

Why have you ruled out are Vapour Rise? That is my choice for what you describe.

In reply to WhipperSnapper:

I started a thread about this earlier - I have the paramo, and its very windproof, and durable - I use mine for thrutching up grit chimneys and it's still fine. However the fit is poor, it keeps ballooning out over the gear loops. I can't find anything that is windproof *and* stays put.

In reply to WhipperSnapper:
I have both a Fuera smock and a Fuera jacket. The smock, well my one anyway, is not helmet compatable but the jacket is. Wind proof, but depends on what you mean by light showers. Light short showers fine as long as you have kept the DWR topped up, but not anything sustained or heavy.

Remember it is basically the same material as the outer of all the paramo waterproof jackets and it is the combination of outer and inner fabrics that gives them their waterproofing. The windproofs by themselves are not designed to withstand that much water and certainly do not. Of course if you wear it over one of Paramo's mid layers, it essentially works like their waterproof jackets, but not quite as good.

I have never climbed in my paramo windproofs and so can't comment on durability for climbing chimneys. That said I have used many times a Paramo Aspira smock in the Cuillin, Skye, including chimneys and it survived all such experiences except for minor surface scrape marks, if that is any help as a comparison.

BTW if you decide you want the Fuera, my smock in black, large, is for available as surplus to my needs!

In reply to WhipperSnapper:

Agree, the fit of the Fuera is not great.

In reply to WhipperSnapper:

Positively voluminous fit. Size down and it's a decent enough piece of kit. Could be more breathable but I guess that speaks for it's wind proofing.
Don't think I've ever scrambled in it though, but its always seemed tough enough. (Generally choose a Rab Alpine smock which is more breathable, but much more fragile Pertex Equilibrium)