Performance Technology

FEEL GOOD PERFORMANCE

The unique approach of Páramo® to performance technology.

  • Páramo’s goal is to produce clothing that keeps you as comfortable as possible while outdoors.
  • Páramo designs focus on functional excellence while having the minimum impact upon the environment.
  • Páramo combines ingenious, rigorously field-tested designs with innovative textile systems which are specified and tested by Nikwax.
  • Páramo is a specialist in the use of directionality. Páramo clothing directs condensation, sweat and rain to where you need it to be, which is usually away from you.
Analogy Diagram

DIRECTIONALITY®

What benefits does directionality® bring?

Directionality is all about comfort.

We all know that we sweat, and we sweat to cool down. Evaporation of sweat, or the transition of liquid water to moisture vapor, absorbs a very large amount of energy and keeps us cool.

So, sweating is good, until we sweat too much, and end up wet. Being wet is problematic because it feels uncomfortable, but even more problematic because it stops our clothing from being able to insulate us. Why? The classic problem in the outdoors is to first be too hot, then sweat, and soon after become much too cold. The reason is quite simple, liquid water, that is, sweat or condensation, transmits heat 20 times more effectively than still air. So, if we replace the air in our clothing with sweat, condensation, or rainwater, we lose 95 per cent of our insulation.

Therefore, the challenge in the outdoors, especially in cool conditions, is to maintain plenty of still, dry air around our bodies, and to avoid it being replaced with water.

One answer to the water problem is to try to use body heat to evaporate any excess water in our clothing systems. But that quickly cools us down too much. A far better answer is for our clothing to move the water to where we need it, which in cooler conditions, is always away from us, thereby protecting our insulation. DIRECTIONAL fabrics are designed to move liquid water to where we need it to be.

Nikwax has created directional fabric systems which are highly efficient at moving liquid water. Páramo has ingeniously made use of these systems to produce high performance outdoor clothing.

Páramo directional clothing systems are better at keeping you cool when you need to be, and better at keeping you warm in cool conditions. It is that simple. Fabric breathability on its own is not enough – directionality is essential to avoid a buildup of moisture in your clothing as too much moisture will lead to sudden and rapid cooling when you stop and rest.