Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, editor of Outdoors Magic

“Wet weather protection without a membrane and taped seams. Sounds very interesting on paper, right?

“I’ve been testing out the Ostro fleece with Páramo’s Fuera Classic Smock which is designed to work with it in exactly the same way as the Ostro Windproof would. One of the most notable testing occasions was a wet, windy and quite frankly utterly miserable wild camping trip in the Brecon Beacons recently.

“I remember trying to make camp in a damp and windy spot quite late in the evening and being very glad to have the warmth of the fleece. The material got pretty wet while I was trying to put up my tent but I decided to keep it on as I got into my tent as I needed the warmth still. I remember being really impressed at just how quickly it dried up once I had got in. This meant I was actually able to carry on wearing it right through the evening without any discomfort.

“I appreciated how light and packable it was. It was certainly no burden to have in my backpack.”

“The weather the next day was really bad. Not only was the rain atrocious and the terrain challenging, but I seemed to have picked up a stomach virus overnight – probably from my water filter not doing its job. It was certainly a day where I really needed this windproof and fleece combo to come through for me.

“I ended up getting wet, with the rain getting through to my Páramo baselayer t-shirt. However, I wouldn’t say I got saturated and I could really sense the two layers working away to push the moisture out and away from my body. When the rain did eventually ease up, the two layers seemed to dry up in an instant. So the system was impressive in that regard.

“What was also particularly noticeable was that despite the long and steep climb wearing these two layers with a heavy pack, I wasn’t left with that lingering clammy feeling that a waterproof jacket would’ve created, and I was grateful for that, especially considering how dreadful I already felt due to the virus I had!

The crucial thing to note is that the rain eased up for me on this occasion, and this meant the Nikwax treatment could do its quick-drying job. On those days where the rain just doesn’t quit, I reckon you’d end up pretty wet and cold. So with all that in mind, I’d say the Páramo fleece and windproof combo is great for those on-off conditions but it might be problematic in really relentless conditions.

“Aside from the wet weather performance of the Ostro Fleece, I found it a very comfortable item to wear and I appreciated how light and packable it was. It was certainly no burden to have in my backpack.

“Bear in mind that it’s designed to fit quite close and snug – like a baselayer essentially. Performance-wise, this is good, but it does make it look quite technical. If you are thinking about this as a garment to wear casually – down the pub, say – then you might just want to consider sizing up.”