Buffalo Special 6 Shirt

Keeping warm and dry when hiking.

Got mine recently and tested it winter walking. Firstly, trust their advice and wear this as a shirt next to your skin. Believe me, it works brilliantly even if it seems counterintuitive. This keeps you lovely and warm without sweating and without creating chilly perspiration. I liken it to the effect the dog must get from his coat with the inner fur and water repellant outer hairs.

I carry a light Goretex in my rucksack if the weather becomes ferociously wet. The Buffalo shirt can be easily ventilated via its zips. No need for messing about with multiple layers and taking things on and off all the time.

This is really good for the extreme changeability you get hill walking in places like Scotland where you can have driving rain, sleet, sun, severe wind (all seasons in one day) and taking clothes on and off is impractical and can get you wet through. That's it.

I bought mine for half price when a store was closing down nearly fifteen years ago.

A great piece of kit providing you make the leap of faith and wear it with nothing underneath. It works is sub zero conditions, providing you keep moving and moderate rain is no problem. Even in heavy rain you still feel warmish, even though some wet gets through.

The ventilation zips are great and allow huge adjustments to be made so that sweat on the skin can evaporate or you can seal yourself in against the wind and cold. After a long ascent when everyone else is wet with sweat, I just take my Buffalo off, turn it inside out, give it a good shake and almost all of the moisture flies off. Meanwhile my skin has blown completely dry. This only takes a couple of minutes and it has to be SERIOUSLY cold to do you any harm. Once the jacket is back on you warm up in seconds while your friends are still damp.

I have two main gripes:-

1. The hood that you can buy to go with it is almost useless.
2. The zips almost always catch on the Pertex when moved up and down, which is infuriating.

There is no mention on this site of the similar Montane Extreme Smock, which I think is a lot better garment. Easier to operate zips, heavier fibre pile lining, a neater cut and it has a superb bomb proof wired hood, that will keep out almost anything. Perhaps you can't get them in the States?

Cheaper than a Buffalo and a lot better in my opinion. However I still think the Buffalo is a great top, even if you look like Robin Hood in a pantomime!

This is the best piece of kit I carry. This and a snugpak sleeka jacket is all you need, and it has to be cold to use the sleeka, only when you stop for a nosebag.

Very warm but not too warm for comfort. I wear mine close to the skin with nothing else . As long as you keep moving you will be warm. It is surprisingly warm when wet and also surprisingly dry in the rain. Price depends on where you buy.

I got mine from THE CAMP SHOP in Sennybridge for £68.
Little tip.. if you are in the forces get it sent to your B.F.P.O. That way you don't pay tax !!!!! Hence the £68.

Excellent jacket. The fit is superb and though it's not the trendiest piece of kit, it is the most versatile and dependable.

This jacket is best for autumn through to spring use, next to the skin, with a gore-tex in your pack if the weather is seriously wet. It's a bit warm for the summer, though useful for the evenings when it's a bit nippy.

Even though it's not trendy, girlfriends tend to pinch it if they're outside and it's a pain to get back, which is testament to its quality!!!

Must have kit and far better than competitors' efforts.

This thing is the dog's dangly bits.

I was always a big believer in the three-layer system, tried one, got one and will probibly use them for life.

The wicking nature of this jacket is fab. It's very nearly windproof. Many days I have been on the hills in the rain in this jacket and the inside has remained dry (First time this happened I thought it was spoooky).

The pockets are perfect. If you want more ventilation you must be barmy. The little volume adjusting strap on the inside waist pocket is a dream (simple yet effective).

It's not the best looking for the posers but for winter walking on windy cold mountains it is great. You need to wear one layer wick type undergarment. Plus carry a top waterproof, just in case. Over the ten years I have used this jacket most winter weekends it has been few days I needed any other. It has side vents to keep cool if it gets too warm.

A fantastic piece of kit. Keeps you warm in all weathers and has side vents if you need to cool down. Also fantastic in extreme cold conditions when worn underneath another jacket. Wicks away any sweat when active. Very lightweight and folds up pretty small too! SUPERB *******