UKH

Hi all,

Following a disastrous Ben Macdui munro attempt; during which I found the waterproof clothing I had was not waterproof in 30mph wind and rain 😞 (soaked through very quickly and had to turn back).

I am looking for guidance on best autumn munro clothing brands. Trousers, boots and coat etc.

Current (nffp) kit was Fjern top coat, 15000 hydrostatic trousers, sealskin gloves and scarpa boots.  All served me well on snowdon, glyders, Scarfell Pike etc. Obviously not up to freezing rain and wind on to of Munro's.

So many mixed reviews on line (true, or false? ). Need some guidance on reliable brands that will stand up to Scottish wind, rain and temperature.

Hi.  For general hill shenanigans Paramo will keep you relatively warm and dry and will last a really long time if looked after.  Decent weight gore tex (60 - 80 denier for the jacket) will keep you dryer, be better (less flappy) in the wind, need more layers but not last as long (one of the Mountain Equipment gore tex pro jackets).  If you're buying gore tex trousers for autumn hill walking I really rate the Berghaus gore tex pac lite trousers with a set of decent gaiters.

Now there'll be loads of people pile in and argue back and forth about paramo vs goretex.  For what its worth I work full time in the outdoors as an instructor and guide, have done for 20 plus years and have finished the munros (usually in poor conditions as I go climbing when its dry). 

Good luck in your hunt.  If you find the perfect waterproof let me know!

Well, I have been working in the outdoors the same amount of time, have also done many, many munros (just finishing third round, and have done many of then many, many times, and I would have replied almost exactly the same thing. My go-to is a ME Tupilak and Berghaus Paclite trousers.

In fact 'arose', I would have used the same words!

I think expectation is an issue - In our climate, even the very best materials, (and I was a gear tester for Goretex for some years), you will get condensation, leading to damp, even wet feeling base layers. BUT, they will not be as wet as if you had substandard gear, or nothing at all. In Paramo, you will be initially more comfortable, but on a longer day of torrential rain, considerably less-so in my experience.

Warm and damp = Okay

Cold and damp = Not okay

Best of luck searching for Holy Grail

Agree with this. There's not much information in the OP about exactly what they're using, but the Fjern waterproofs I can see online look fairly legit, waterproof kecks tend to be much of a muchness IME and not many people are going to find serious faults with Scarpa or Sealskinz as brands to start out with. I wouldn't bet that spending hundreds of pounds on kit from different brands will suddenly keep you bone dry. The main things I'd consider are fit and how well you do things up (eg wrist velcro and storm flaps, trousers tucked into socks to keep them away from the ends of the overtrousers, no gaps between jacket and trousers etc), base and midlayers (ie making sure you're wearing stuff that can handle a bit of sweat or rain) and yeah, expectations - staying fully dry while going uphill in properly wet and windy weather is really pushing the limits of waterproofs.

The last time I was out in particularly wild conditions I had the usual base layer/ mid layer/ shell jacket combination on and still found myself getting cold and wet. I reached for the emergency shell layer in my bag and put that on over everything else and it was brilliant. Double-gore tex for the win :-D I'm now much happier that the range of layers I carry will be flexible enough for almost all conditions.

Which fjern jacket, orkan, forsvar? 

If one of the lighter soft shell type jackets, then you'll get wet in real rain. 

I'd just stick with one pair of trousers and leave the other 14,999 at home.

Ultimately in driving peeing rain you will get wet, spending money will prolong the amount of time you are dry/comfortable, but not stop the inevitable.

If your old kit is definitely failed / past its best then new kit makes sense.

Personally I go with a ME goretex jacket and whatever flavour of insulation you like under it, and if wet and above freezing power stretch leggings with waterproof trousers; Goretex if you can afford, but note waterproof trousers fail far quicker than jackets. If below freezing I go with Paramo salopettes which have lasted a decade or more (albeit with the reinforced seat and crampon patches replaced for £40!).

Indeed. I don't stay dry going uphill when it isn't raining, let alone when it is.

Mountain Equipment Ibex Trousers

Berghaus Deluge Waterproof Trousers

Pretty much any Mountain Equipment Goretex jacket

Scarpa SL Active boots

Good luck 

By God I think we've broken the paramo/ goretex debate there! 

(not really, I'm sure it will rumble on!) 

And another thumbs up here. I have been using the Scarpa SLs in their various guises for as long as I have been able to afford them, and they are by a country mile the most reliable, waterproof (if cleaned and dubbed) boot I own. Perfect for typical Scottish terrain

One can only dream of such fame and success.....

Ronhills on legs, will not keep you dry but will keep you warm

Buffallo mountain shirt with hood

Leather boots and wooly socks

A pair of dachstein mitts if your hands get cold

Keep moving, you will stay warm, even with a slight buffeting from any wind.

Enjoy your trip 

I've been experimenting with paramo with a non breathable waterproof over the top for when it's properly wet. There's no 'breathing' going on in the rain anyway. I find that the perfect waterproof for really minging weather is a pub though.

Sounds kind of hot?

No difffent to wearing a fleece under a goretex?

I've never been one of the 'Paramo' s too hot for me ' people.

Jeepers.  Hope you get your time machine fixed to get back to the 1980's!  ; )

Do you really not carry waterproofs?  

If talking about holding a pace uphill in bad, cold conditions, in the mindset of getting x kilometres in before dark, therefore not inclined to hold back... (faster than winter climbing walk ins), my experience is that you end up feeling pretty rank inside, especially with Goretex on top. What counts is that the sweat is, at least, warm, and a good base layer will get that away from the skin once you've finished the uphills.