[pct-l] Lightweight poncho as rain gear?

CHUCK CHELIN steeleye at wildblue.net
Sun Sep 2 19:04:12 CDT 2012


Good evening, Cat,

My experience with ponchos began in the early 1960’s when many of us little
Boy Scouts got them from WW-II and Korean War surplus stores.  For many of
us they were our only shelter, rain gear, and windbreaker until we could
earn enough kid-money to buy “real” gear.  Now days, I still have – and use
– several modern versions.

Used only as rain gear over a pack, they can be bought, built, or modified
to be reasonably sized for a hiker, and still weigh about 10 oz.  I prefer
they be cut to reach about 10” off the ground, front and back – the back
being measured with one’s pack in place.  Left much longer than 10” there
is risk of stepping on the front hem going uphill and assuming an unplanned
horizontal position on the trail.

The sides are typically straight, but that leaves material to flop around
in the wind.  The extra material can be removed, but then the poncho
becomes sort of a one-trick-pony and it won’t serve well as an emergency
shelter tarp.   When considering narrowing the body I’m sure to allow
whatever material is required to assure I can sit, cross-legged, beneath it.
Several snaps or Velcro patches are used at the sides to manage the
flopping.

For all but the worst rainy weather I use a shelter tarp/poncho combination.
http://royrobinson.homestead.com/PonchoPlans.html  It is larger than a
standard poncho, and it performs OK as a shelter, but it’s rather large to
regularly wear hiking.  It’s better used to sit-out a storm, then take it
off.

Now days I use a thing called a Bigly Parcho
http://www.questoutfitters.com/10JuneParChoSewRedFileSz%20%281%29.pdf with
SilNylon chaps.  http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=265651

Enjoy your hike,

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/


On Sun, Sep 2, 2012 at 8:00 AM, Cat Gunderson <cathi at cathigunderson.com>wrote:

> Can anyone tell me their experience using a lightweight treated-nyon poncho
> instead of rain pants/jacket on the PCT? Does the wind render the poncho
> useless?
> Thank you!
> Cat
>
>
>
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