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As usual, Woodlore delivered the Smock very promptly. Unfortunately I soon discovered a fault in the construction. A few days later, after several email messages and telephone conversations, the replacement was in my hands, and appeared to be faultless. Since then I have taken opportunities to wear it on several walks, including locations in the Scottish Highlands in the second week of October.
The Smock is similar in several respects to the Anorak no.8, also by Fjallraven. The materials are essentially the same, and the hood adjustment is very similar. The hood offers a great deal of room and is very comfortable in use. The difference between the Smock and the Anorak is essentially that the former has many more pockets and is relatively easy to don and to remove.
The Smock has a good quality zip running down the chest. The closure is protected with flaps and buttons. At first the zip was difficult to operate. I cured that problem by rubbing its teeth with a bar of Greenland wax. The
Anorak, of course, has no front opening. Unlike the Anorak, the Smock does not have a crotch strap. It is possible that the Anorak provides better protection from wind and rain in severe conditions. However in warmer conditions the Smock has the advantage of being much easier than the Anorak to ventilate, just by opening the front zip.
The buttons on six of the Smock's pockets are secured with tape instead of thread. This may enable them to stand more opening and closing operations than would otherwise be the case. There are four additional pockets which have zip closure.
Whilst in the Highlands the toughest test for the Smock was, surprisingly enough, a trip to the Highland Wildlife Park. We were there from 10.30am until nearly 5pm, and there were strong winds and persistent rain for most of that time. Some dampness appeared inside the hood, next to the seam in the crown. Despite the fact that my boots were letting water in by the end of the day, the clothing underneath the Smock was still dry, and I was basically warm. I did not need a rucksack as the pockets sufficed for everything I wanted to
carry. I was happy wearing the Smock on all the Highland outings on foot, both with and without a rucksack, and never felt that I should have been wearing the Anorak instead.
Steve Smith
13th October, 2019Rated: 5/5