Buffalo Type tops

Dave P said:

I am looking for a cheaper alternative to a Buffalo top. Are there any other similar products or
would you recommend sticking to the brand?

Several similar ones, I'll leave it to you to decide if they're cheaper and/or as good. Other Usual
Suspects for Pile/Pertex or similar are:

- Mardale (mardale.commardale.comOpen ↗, I have a cycling jacket and a couple of fleece pullovers of
theirs and have been very happy with them)

- Montane (montane.co.ukmontane.co.ukOpen ↗, I have a jacket and a couple of windshirts of theirs and have
been very happy with them)

- Extreme (extremeoutdoorclothing.comextremeoutdoorclothing.comOpen ↗, no personal experience)

- Trax (trax-clothing.co.uktrax-clothing.co.ukOpen ↗, no personal experience though a pal has one and seems
happy with it)

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Dave P said:

I am looking for a cheaper alternative to a Buffalo top. Are there any other similar products or
would you recommend sticking to the brand?

Montane are just as good and slightly less bulky. I saw on Monday that they are on special offer in
the Cotswold on Oxford Road, Manchester.

Dunc

"Duncan Irving" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dave P said:

I am looking for a cheaper alternative to a Buffalo top. Are there any other similar products or
would you recommend sticking to the brand?

Montane are just as good and slightly less bulky. I saw on Monday that

they

Quoted message said:

are on special offer in the Cotswold on Oxford Road, Manchester.

Dunc

Rock and Run currently selling Montane Extreme Smock @ £50.00 (RRP £100). tinyurl.com2vag7Open ↗

Gwyn

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Montane are just as good and slightly less bulky. I saw on Monday that

they

Quoted message said:

are on special offer in the Cotswold on Oxford Road, Manchester.

Dunc

Rock and Run currently selling Montane Extreme Smock @ £50.00 (RRP £100). tinyurl.com2vag7Open ↗

Gwyn

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I have placed an order, appreciate the help
saving money!

Dave

On Fri, 5 Mar 2004 19:53:34 -0000, "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Also try winwood-outdoor.co.ukwinwood-outdoor.co.ukOpen ↗ which had a load of Montane gear. The shop's at Keswick

There's also that one on the A591 (can't remember the name but it's a cheap Shop!) next to the BP
garage. Thye had some Montane the other week.

This afternoon I visited the Manchester Cotswold shop mentioned earlier and can confirm that they
have a large amount of heavily discounted Montane stuff in their bargain corner on the top floor.
Have Montane gone bust, or something?

On Fri, 05 Mar 2004 20:50:15 +0000, Stuart Baldwin <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Have Montane gone bust, or something?

Can confirm that Montane are still very much alive and kicking; was in their
factory shop yesterday :-) I suspect new range(s) coming in are reason for
price reductions currently being seen. All the more reason to grab "a bargain"
just now.. assuming, of course, you're not buying this stuff as a fashion
accessory ;-)

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum; thenmc.org.ukindex.phpOpen ↗

NMC website: thenmc.org.ukthenmc.org.ukOpen ↗

Dave P said:

I am looking for a cheaper alternative to a Buffalo top.
Are there any other similar products or would you
recommend sticking to the brand?

Thanks,

Dave

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

--
Brian

On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 13:47:06 -0000, "Jhimmy" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Re.: Montane factory shop

Quoted message said:

Is this the factory shop at Ashington, Steve? If so are
there any bargains. What's the prices like?

Yes it is in Ashuntun, the prices are pretty good overall
tho' there's no guarantee what stock they'll have; stock at
the mo' is pretty good but I've been in when its been the
opposite. Picked up one of those soopa-doopa almost-weighs-
nothing Pertex jackets on my visit @ 30UKP instead of 50 (I
went for the Lite-Speed the one with the hood... visions of
freezin' me **nads off on a spring-time belay, getting
caught short without a jacket by balmy spring sunshine was
the motivation ;-) The other jacket, no hood, is 25ukp

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
thenmc.org.ukindex.phpOpen ↗

NMC website: thenmc.org.ukthenmc.org.ukOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

Brian said:

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

Light weight.

The list of disadvantages is a good deal longer.

--
Nick Kew

In article <[email hidden]>,
Judith <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Steve Orrell said:

Quoted message said:

Is this the factory shop at Ashington, Steve? If so are
there any bargains. What's the prices like?

Yes it is in Ashuntun

Which county is Ashington in?

Nof'umberlund

montane.co.ukcontact.htmOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

I can find three on Autoroute (and if it's the one in
Somerset then I could pop in on Friday as I'll be within
20 miles).

Unfortunately not.

Quoted message said:

I've had a Montane jacket for about ten years and, apart
from the puller coming off both ends of the zip, it's been
brilliant. I might go for an over-the-head one this
time....... although I do find I can only wear the jacket
in the depths of winter as it's very warm.

Judith

Like Steve I have a Light Speed Pertex jacket which I am
very impressed with. I also have the Featherlight smock
which is great and I just bought a Super Fly waterproof,
breathable, jacket which weighs in at a hefty 233g (medium).
Just need some rain to test it now!

Cotswold Outdoor have a bunch of the Montane gear on special
offer right now but I managed to resist!

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

Bernie Hughes said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

Light weight.

The list of disadvantages is a good deal longer.

Intriguing. Go on then...

Too warm when you exercise. Too cold when you don't. Gets
sweaty very quickly when you exercise - and tends towards
smelliness much more than fleece/goretex. No protection
against serious rain. Or serious anything else.

--
Nick Kew

In article <[email hidden]>,
SteveOrrell@?.?.invalid writes

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bought a Super Fly waterproof, breathable, jacket which
weighs in at a hefty 233g (medium). Just need some rain to
test it now!

No inclination to stand in the shower wearing it? All in
the name of science, of course!

Showaz is fur wusses!

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rifleman said:

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:76k2i1-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

No protection against serious rain.

They aren't designed to be waterproof. They are designed
to keep you warm when wet. They work very well.

My track suit keeps me warm and comfortable when wet. As
does fleece. Either of them have additional advantages,
like staying dry in anything short of heavy rain (the
buffalo gets drenched in sweat regardless) and smelling a
lot better during/after use. The buffalo, by contrast,
makes it very hard to stay warm if you stop exercising, and
even makes a change of clothes problematic due to being
drenched in sweat.

--
Nick Kew

In article <[email hidden]>, Nick Kew
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Rifleman said:

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:76k2i1-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

No protection against serious rain.

They aren't designed to be waterproof. They are designed
to keep you warm when wet. They work very well.

My track suit keeps me warm and comfortable when wet. As
does fleece. Either of them have additional advantages,
like staying dry in anything short of heavy rain (the
buffalo gets drenched in sweat regardless) and smelling a
lot better during/after use. The buffalo, by contrast,
makes it very hard to stay warm if you stop exercising, and
even makes a change of clothes problematic due to being
drenched in sweat.

You are obviously running too hot in the Buffalo. In
appropriate conditions they do not become drenched in sweat
- but appropriate conditions for the original pile / pertex
are a bit cold.

I have been very pleased with mine since I bought it 15
years ago but I only use it when it is appropriately cold.

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>,
Bernie Hughes <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:76k2i1-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <Vrp3c.102$942.88@news-
binary.blueyonder.co.uk>, "Bernie Hughes"

Quoted message said:

> > What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?
>
> Light weight.
>
> The list of disadvantages is a good deal longer.

Intriguing. Go on then...

Too warm when you exercise. Too cold when you don't. Gets
sweaty very quickly when you exercise - and tends towards
smelliness much more than fleece/goretex. No protection
against serious rain. Or serious anything else.

But great in yer average conditions (as long as it is cold
enough that you don't overheat)

Quoted message said:

Very comprehensive! I've never so much as seen a Buffalo
top. Is it like Paramo?

It is a pertex shell (windporoof / showerproof) over a
fibrepile liner. New variants have lighter weight pile or
thin fleece.

buffalosystems.co.ukbuffalosystems.co.ukOpen ↗

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Brian said:

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

They replace 4 layers of clothing (base layer, mid layer,
jacket and shell). The disadvantage, of course, is that they
replace 4 layers of clothing and you can't remove 3 of them.

They're very warm, windproof and they keep out enough rain
that what does get in won't cool you off too much and they
dry out fast. They are, in fact, using the same principle
as the "soft shell" clothing currently being hawked by
everyone as if it's some fantastic new idea! The various
vents mean you've got some options not to overheat, though
in practice I find they're not enough and suffer terribly
from overheating unless I'm standing around doing nothing
on a cold day.

If you don't "run hot" like me they seem to be very good.
Note that the ones with a thick pile will be quite a bit
hotter than the ones with a light fleece inner (but I even
found the similar top from Paramo with a liner like a
microfleece cooked me thoroughly, even with all the vents
open to let in the wind and rain!).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Brian said:

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

Light weight.

The list of disadvantages is a good deal longer.

Intriguing. Go on then...

--

Bernie Get back on the wagon to reply..

"Nick Kew" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
Brian <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted message said:

The list of disadvantages is a good deal longer.

Such as?

Brian said:

What are the advantages of Buffalo type tops?

The real advantage for me, as someone who goes wild
camping, is that I don't need to fill my pack with
layers of clothing I'm not using; I adjust the venting
on the kit rather than having to adjust layers all the
time: stop to get the shell out when it rains, stop to
put the shell back when it stops, and so on.

I've taken to wearing Paramo Viento kit (over a base
layer) in any season except summer, and am a convert.
"Normal" Paramo kit, as Pete rightly said, is very
warm, and the Viento range was designed to be lighter
and for higher temperatures. I too "run hot", but find
I can control the temperature of the Viento about as
well as a layering system, and much more conveniently.
The trousers deserve praise as extremely comfortable,
flexible (they convert to shorts), and waterproof (far
better than any of the overtrousers I've tried).

The only serious disadvantage of the Paramo kit is that
it's expensive, because you're buying one garment that
replaces a shell and warmware, and paying about the
same as you would for both. It's also not *completely*
waterproof; any rain that gets in moves out very fast,
but it won't keep you totally dry. This may, or may
not, be an issue for you.

Just my 2p! Mark
--
Mark Manning [email hidden]