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DanTaylor
04-08-2017, 11:26
Have been thinking of trying a poncho. Obviously, I could go cheap or go for a good one. What say you - go good or go home? Whats your favorite?

Feral Bill
04-08-2017, 11:46
Have been thinking of trying a poncho. Obviously, I could go cheap or go for a good one. What say you - go good or go home? Whats your favorite?

A basic nylon poncho, with a long back to cover your pack, is fine. Silnylon is lighter. Avoid cheap plastic. https://www.campmor.com/c/campmor-universal-rain-poncho-long or https://www.campmor.com/c/ultralite-extension-poncho-tarp persons not included.

Slo-go'en
04-08-2017, 11:48
Personally, I think ponchos suck. They are nearly impossible to put on while wearing a pack by yourself. They billow in the wind, get snagged on brush and trip you up. They do a poor job of keeping you dry, nothing to keep the rain off your arms and very little to keep you warm.

I made the mistake of trying to use one on my last spring time hike and it did not work out. Thankfully, I meet a guy ending his hike and he gave me his Frogg Togg jacket and that probably saved my life over the next few days of hard, cold rain.

johnspenn
04-08-2017, 11:59
I have seen several positive comments on the "Packa" although I've never seen one or used one personally.

http://www.thepacka.com/

devoidapop
04-08-2017, 12:37
Personally, I think ponchos suck. They are nearly impossible to put on while wearing a pack by yourself. They billow in the wind, get snagged on brush and trip you up. They do a poor job of keeping you dry, nothing to keep the rain off your arms and very little to keep you warm.

I made the mistake of trying to use one on my last spring time hike and it did not work out. Thankfully, I meet a guy ending his hike and he gave me his Frogg Togg jacket and that probably saved my life over the next few days of hard, cold rain.

I agree, they are frustratingly hard to get over your pack by yourself and they are not ideal for cold, windy, rainy hikes.

When it's warmer they vent better than most rain jackets and they keep your pack straps dry. They also give you a space to read a map or light a smoke in driving rain. I don't see the value in a high end poncho but I'm not counting grams either.

All that said, I usually take my rain jacket instead of the poncho

MuddyWaters
04-08-2017, 12:46
Ponchos are perfect....sometimes
Ponchos are good...sometimes
Ponchos are just OK.....sometimes
Ponchos suck....sometimes

all depends on when, where, and what conditions

I think it would likely be correct to say that someone has hiked all 3 long scenic trails with only a $1 el cheapo 1 oz plastic poncho.

the question is....could you?

Feral Bill
04-08-2017, 13:12
I have seen several positive comments on the "Packa" although I've never seen one or used one personally.

http://www.thepacka.com/

A nice item. Mine works well once on, but if its already raining you need to put it on over your pack with some shelter. It takes some planning. Cedar Tree (the maker) is very helpful.

Hoosier70
04-08-2017, 14:58
I used one in the Army for a little bit of everything ie. shelter, sun screen, ect limited to your imagination

Harrison Bergeron
04-08-2017, 17:05
Have been thinking of trying a poncho. Obviously, I could go cheap or go for a good one. What say you - go good or go home? Whats your favorite?

If you ask me, anything but a poncho is wasted space, weight, and money unless you're hiking in extreme cold. Add a couple of waist straps or a bit of rope if the billowing bothers you. Mine's an Outdoor Products packframe poncho, and it's lasted about 10 years now. I think I paid $30 for it at REI. 12 oz. You can go lighter (and costlier) but I don't like the way the silnylon ponchos cling and they're always cut too big for some reason. They also strike me as kind of fragile. The cheap plastic jobs are worthless unless you get caught in the rain at Disneyworld or something.

You can hike in a poncho in the summer without drowning in sweat. You can eat lunch under it when its raining. You can sit on it when the ground is wet. You can sleep under it to keep dry in a driving storm when your tent is misting inside. It saves you from buying a separate $30, five-ounce pack cover (that still doesn't work worth a damn). And a poncho packs smaller than a $150 ultra-light rain parka that weighs 5 ounces more.

I've never understood why a poncho is not everyone's standard go-to rain gear. Personally, I think it's just because people think they look silly.

Slo-go'en
04-08-2017, 18:51
Ponchos are perfect....sometimes

all depends on when, where, and what conditions

I think it would likely be correct to say that someone has hiked all 3 long scenic trails with only a $1 el cheapo 1 oz plastic poncho.

the question is....could you?

Nope, not a chance I could. And if someone ever did, they went through a couple of cases of them.

glenlawson
04-08-2017, 19:00
The right poncho can be great. when I was young, I made one from a Frostline kit. It was made to be long enough that it would go over my Wilderness Experience frame pack. The snaps kept it snug enough to keep most of the rain out and the hood was large enough to be comfortable. It wasn't light, but nothing I had was. It kept me dry enough that I didn't get so cold in the rain. It also ventilated well enough that I didn't sweat faster than it was raining.

I'm not sure anything like that exists anymore. Now I depend on a lightweight rain jacket and things in my pack stored in silnyl bags inside a plastic bag. Straps and packs don't soak up water like they used to so keeping my pack dry isn't as important as it used to be.

I'm just not sure that you could make one out of silnyl that would be sturdy enough to work out.

Rmcpeak
04-08-2017, 20:30
Hot weather: Houdini (get wet but keep chill off). Cool weather: Packa.

Ethesis
04-09-2017, 21:32
Ponchos are perfect....sometimes
Ponchos are good...sometimes
Ponchos are just OK.....sometimes
Ponchos suck....sometimes

all depends on when, where, and what conditions

I think it would likely be correct to say that someone has hiked all 3 long scenic trails with only a $1 el cheapo 1 oz plastic poncho.

the question is....could you?

Nicely said. I've used cheap ponchos and expensive ones.

I currently have a rain jacket.

Nothing wrong with the ultra cheap (and light) poncho.

It just wasn't for me. The same is true of ponchos as it is of shoes.

You need what fits you and your style.

My advice is to buy a cheap plastic poncho and give it a shot during a rainstorm for a hike around the neighborhood.

4-5 miles in the rain will answer a lot of questions for you.

AfterParty
04-10-2017, 10:17
Snugpak patrol poncho has arms and a pocket and like a hoody you can put your hands in behind the pocket.