ponchos

[nickL]

i just got back from a walk in wilpena pound (south australia) where with a group of freinds we went peak bagging (pompey pillar and the surrounding peaks).

we had an unexpected and unusual full day of rain which was not forecast

i wore my s2s silnylon tarp poncho and it kept me really dry and was comfortable and airy to walk in. however it was a bit long and awkward even though i had it tied around the waist with a cord.

i have used it as a tarp before in all sorts of conditions and it has done a great job at providing shelter. it was the first time using it as rainwear.

so am i thinking more seriously about using a poncho as rainwear and not just as a summer backup

was hoping for suggestions on any better ponchos that could double as a tarp.

has anyone made one?

does anyone have a good design?

any helpful hints on using a poncho?

[juju]

I just returned from an overnight in the Werrikimbe where a friend had a leaky bottom (on her tent) - my poncho made a great footprint. It makes a great vestibule floor for my tent. It also keeps the wind out and is a great picnic blanket. It also makes a great rain coat, provided there's someone there to throw the back over your pack and it's not Tasmania...(howling wind, climbs etc) I've heard that's what they mostly use in France.

[melinda]

We've used ponchos to collect water from drips on clifflines.
I have a friend who is very happy with his.
My experience is they are not so good for walking up steep hills in wet windy conditions.

[Maelgwn]

Roger Caffin has an article on backpackinglight.com about making a integrated poncho/packcover. I am sure it covers the topic in a fair amount of detail. Would cost a few dollars though.

[nickL]

thanks guys

did a BPL search and couldnt find Roger's article but might just PM him - i am a great fan of his pack and tent designs

did find this though which looks interesting

http://www.questoutfitters.com/patterns ... 20Patterns

- a bit heavier than i hoped for but has some good features
- not sure if it works as a tarp

i think this would be a fun project with the kids

[Maelgwn]

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... oncho.html

is the link for it

How can you tell the quest outfitters one is a bit heavy? Surely that depends mainly on the fabric? It shouldn't be too hard to modify to make into a tarp (all you have to do is put a drawstring or similar on the head hole surely?)

Also, obviously the shorter you make the poncho, the less use it is as a tarp ...

[sailfish]

Yep I got a poncho/hoochie from kitbag. It's an army one, quite large and robust so consequently heaver than the S2S and only comes in auscam. Well, I didn't know anything else was available at the time. Anyway, I think ponchos are probably about the single most versatile bit of kit you can have. These ones can zip together to make quite a large common shelter. So you could set up a dry common area between tents or just use it as a personal shelter, bivvy bag ground sheet, something dry to sit on, teepee hail shelter, stretcher cover, fishing blind, fly fishing stripping sheet to prevent line tangling in weeds or launch a snag free arrow cast of up to 10 metres or so. They will generally go over you and your pack, wrap anything in to keep it dry, collect and carry stuff in. The list is endless really. Lets say you find yourself having an unplanned night out. You can use this to collect a very large pile of grass, bracken etc to get you off the cold ground then use it as a shelter or bivvy to keep the wind and rain off. As a bivvy, it's a tight squeeze but it's an emergency so what do you expect.

I also have a thermolite liner (quilted blanket) that can be slit in the middle to pop your head through. It can be used as a blanket to add extra warmth to a sleeping bag so you can use a lighter bag, It can be a warm poncho or very warm double layer tabard or to line in the poncho bivvy. This liner can be rolled up and compressed very small. There 2 items together with a mozzy net in a day pack replace any extra clothing you might carry and gives you a reasonably comfortable forced night out above about +5 deg. Probably looks a bit odd but you will be warm and dry.

Of course, they are not much good to wear scrub bashing but for open country, far less likely to steam up than jacket and overpants.


Regards,
Ken

[juju]

Ahh, so nice and simple.

[Ciaran]

I carry the Aussie disposal plastic poncho. I use it for all the purposes mentioned. A good ground sheet, a footprint for the tent, a water collector in rain for fresh untouched water, a cover to get under if I need to sit out of the rain and eat a lunch and also a shade piece out of the direct sun.

They weigh in at around 250gm and cost aprox. $6. They can be a disposable item though, but for their versability they are great. Probably wouldn't rely on them for walking in though, depending on the terrain.

Ciaran.

[nickL]

the more i think about it the more it makes sense - and the more i think about the walk on the weekend the more i realise how enjoyable it was to walk in the rain in a poncho

maelgwn
the questoutfitters is a kit and comes with all the components requried to sew it together - they give a weight of 7.5oz - its not your normal poncho tarp design as it has a zip at the front and the sides are sewn together

this thread from BPL has some picks of one made in cuben - http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=20000

not sure if it is as versatile design as the S2S poncho tarp

thanks for the link - the desing is very similar to the quest design in that it cant be used as a poncho

the posititves of the s2s poncho are:
- excellent tarp
- multi use
- reasonably light
- keeps me dry lower than a jacket would

the negatives
- buttons on the sides come undone
- is too big generally and bunches up when you tie a cord around your waist
- hood is average
- is too long and there is increased risk of catching and stepping on it when stepping up or on uneven terrain

i am thinking that this would be a great project to just start making prototypes and see where it all goes - better find some time now

nick

[John Sheridan]

Anyone got this Poncho.

Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Waterproof Tarp, Shelter, Rain cover & Poncho

http://www.wildearth.com.au/summit-ultr ... -1226.html

Was wanting a light weight shelter and this seems pretty good and works as a very good raincoat and pack cover all in one, I will use this mossie net to give me bug protection.

Sea to Summit Single Mosquito Net with Permethrin Treatment.

http://www.wildearth.com.au/summit-sing ... p-977.html

With Titanium pegs and light line, I think I can get shelter to be about 600 grams, will carry another light poncho to be used when the BIG poncho is being used as a shelter.


Cheers for any feedback if your using a similar setup.

Thanks.

[Mark F]

It is worth looking at the Six Moons Gatewod Cape (330g) if people are interested in ponchos. While it is not a flat tarp, it provides a fully enclosed hexamid type shelter with adequate room for 1 and functions well as a rain cape. I have used mine in KNP and the Pyrenees with great success.

It is great for lunch on a rainy day; sit down, slide the pack off and sort out lunch under the cape. You can also get a net inner (207g) that fits inside when used as a tent. It needs 6-8 pegs and uses a walking pole.

[ollster]

i just got back from a walk in wilpena pound (south australia) where with a group of freinds we went peak bagging (pompey pillar and the surrounding peaks).

Off topic - is there a SA peak bagging list?

[icemancometh]

I agree, since posting my tarp poncho and not getting any responses I've decided to use it as my trial toy until I upgrade to a lighter material.

Light, airy (I;ve thought about clipping the back together but leaving the front looser for ventilation, making sure it doesn't get in the way for high stepping though. The looseness helps with ventilation...like the Buffalos, Moondog)
No need for pants (WPs that is) and just different.
No need for pack liner as covers pack.
Obviously is the jacket and tarp and groundsheet depending on how you use it.
I don't mind the hood as I would wear a visor cap with it.

I like the length too, but I'm 188cm with long legs.
No problems with the buttons (yet)

but NickL you could check out this
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=53

[jacko1956]

Nick
I used my s2s poncho on my E2E of the Bib Track and I agree with pretty well all you say about it. I'm not intending to use mine as a tarp except as emergency backup but I line my pack with a garbage bag and the poncho is my only pack cover. I don't have a problem with the length but I am 182cm so maybe you're shorter...
My intention following my time with it is to take it to a motor trimmer friend (one of my dad's old apprentices) and have him sew two stronger "patches" and put in two heavy duty press studs between the existing ones. I expect I may add 100gm or so to the weight but that will give me the option of having it on the existing studs for light conditions and for blustery conditions having it much more firmly in place. Overall I found that as a combination rain cover and pack cover it was great. It just lacked that better fastening for wind and for walking through wet understorey. By the way as mentioned under another post about Buff headwear, I found my Buff perfect to avoid a sweat buildup around the neck and to avoid that "noise" you get under any kind of plasticky hood.
Cheers
Jacko