contains content that is written like an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . june 2013 learn how and when to remove this template message p ramo directional clothing type private company industry retail headquarters wadhurst united kingdom key people nick brown products outdoor apparel website http www.paramo.co.uk p ramo directional clothing is a british outdoor clothing company . it was founded by nick brown who also started the nikwax waterproofing products company . contents 1 background 1.1 ethics 1.2 other products 2 reception 2.1 positives 2.2 negatives 3 external links 4 references background edit during the 1980s nick brown became convinced that there was a fundamental flaw in the way waterproof fabrics commonly used in outdoor clothing worked . in the humid and cool but not cold environment in britain this is because the fabrics rely on a temperature and humidity gradient in order to breathe . these ideas lead to the development of nikwax analogy fabrics . p ramo directional clothing was founded as a company to make clothing based on the nikwax analogy technologies . ethics edit p ramo utilises a charitable manufacturing facility in bogota colombia to produce all of its technical products . the factory was begun in conjunction with a local foundation and provides skills and jobs for at risk women generally women who would otherwise be involved in prostitution or illegal drug use . in addition to the socially ethical elements of the p ramo business model it has committed to minimising it s environmental impact all of the products are designed to be robust and repairable to last a very long time . to this end there is a policy of not using fabrics like nylon which is not as chemically stable as polyester in the main construction of any waterproof garments . because of the nikwax technologies employed none of the cleaning or treatment products used to produce or maintain p ramo products are environmentally persistent or toxic . p ramo does not use any fluro carbons either as a dwr treatment or as a waterproof barrier . p ramo also works with the world land trust on conservation efforts and carbon offsetting of all aspects of its operations . other products edit p ramo has also added non waterproof elements to its product line including light weight travel clothing and over layering synthetic insulation for use in cold and wet conditions . reception edit positives edit there is a cult following among hill walkers mountaineers particularly in northern england and scotland certain parts of uk armed forces divisions of the metropolitan police and mountain rescue teams for p ramo waterproofs . generally the garment designs are well received from a utility perspective . 1 2 the waterproofs can often be carried instead of separate fleece and shell garments reducing carried load . p ramo provide multiple lengths of leg for most styles of waterproof trousers in the range . the use of wash in water repellant treatments means an easy maintenance and long functional life for the fabrics negatives edit nikwax analogy fabrics by nature of their two layer construction are generally heavier than competing systems which mainly use a monolithic impermeable layer commonly based on polyurethane or eptfe . this is often considered to be a major drawback in both lightweight back packing and certain climbing applications . while effectively waterproof nikwax analogy fabrics are not impermeable meaning that application of enough pressure to counteract the capillary depression effect can cause garments to leak . the requirement to maintain garments i.e. clean and proof them is seen as a down side as it makes the user more responsible for the performance of the item . this also seen as an advantage from some perspectives . many of the designs have been criticised for being old fashioned or unattractive . for many years p ramo only made garments in one or two colours and has had a mixed record in production of colours to appeal to a mainstream market . the nature of the technologies used means that there is no entry level product in the range requiring a significant financial commitment from a customer to try the system in the first place . external links edit official website of paramo references edit outdoors magic velez adventure light review . retrieved 05 12 2011 . check date values in access date help quito jacket review . gearweare . retrieved 05 12 2011 . check date values in access date help retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title p ramo directional clothing & oldid 711729213 categories clothing companies of the united kingdomoutdoor clothing brandshidden categories cs1 errors datesarticles with a promotional tone from june 2013all articles with a promotional tone navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in 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