The Backpacking Poncho: An Ultralight Alternative to Rain Jackets

“Standard Sipping (not tracked)” to a US address is free.  Tracked is ~$15.50.

I accidentally became a poncho fan when I worked in Yellowstone park for two summers as a teenager. The $8 one I picked up a couple of days before being shipped off for the summer was the cheapest raingear at the surplus store. Knowing I’d be working outside with shovels, pulaskis, etc., I knew I wouldn’t cry if I tore it, which I did. Even so, I didn’t feel the need to bring anything else. I spent another $8 the next summer.

Like everyone here, I have tried and keep trying wpb jackets that always seem to not quite satisfy, so I keep dragging out the ponchos and making them work.

One advantage that I think doesn’t get mentioned enough is that your whole pack is protected. A pack with wet straps and back-panel is unpleasant and can cause irritation, like carrying a wet toddler on your back.

I’m a little curious that so much emphasis in that article was on how ponchos looked. I tried hard to make a UL poncho work for a few years, and mine still goes in my bag on just-in-case days in the summer or warmer weather. The shock cord belt concept worked for me, sort of, but silnylon is very slippery and I’d spend all my time fidgeting with the material to keep it closed against wind and rain, or adjusting it as my pack or movement shifted it under the cord. Having said that, my prime money-sink in backpacking is raingear. I have yet to find something I really trust, and I’ll most likely snap at the Next Best Thing I see when it comes along.

I think a cagoule is a good marriage of jacket/poncho in terms of ventilation and wearability, but again, only in warmer weather. Ponchos don’t keep much heat in.

A lot of it boils down to how wet you’re willing to get in exchange for convenience, as the article said; a poncho being 100% waterproof doesn’t keep you any drier than a UL jacket if water can find its way into the sides and sleeve areas.

Drew covers most of the good points of ponchos well. Thanks!

I’ve posted about my love of ponchos once or twice before :-)
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/88214/#post-2078777
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/non-breathable-rain-gear/#post-3466610
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/stress-free-rain-gear/#post-3602249
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/converting-groundsheet-into-a-hoodless-poncho/#post-3633177
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/reassessing-my-rain-gear-solutions/#post-3697165

Tried using ponchos as shelters, didn’t work out for me. And after too much Type III fun, I’m sticking to trails, so bushwhacking isn’t an issue, either.

I have an ancient Equinox poncho that’s outlived several backpacks. Tempted by a Packa or a similar Decathlon poncho, but the Equinox just keeps on ticking.

I’m partial to umbrellas too, like my original GoLite ChromeDome.

One, the other, or both works for me. YMMV.

— Rex

I just finished a four day hike to 11,500 feet. I wanted to try the poncho concept without spending too much money, so picked up a cheap model for $22 on AliExpress. It has a belt, snaps, and Velcro on the sides, so did not snag. The inside has a silver colored reflective surface, which made the poncho too hot for me above 15 C despite ventilation. It was a bit cumbersome to put on quickly, but I got a lot of use out of it as an additional groundsheet and emergency shelter. I also planned to wrap it around the sleeping bag at the high camp, as the reflective surface would boost the insulation value of the sleeping bag. However, the temperatures were much higher than forecast, so didn’t have a chance to try it.

The poncho compacts to a tiny size, so I have taken to packing it for a daily walk to the office, as it rains every afternoon in my location and I tend to loose umbrellas. Even though I got much use out of it, I am still unsure whether I should take it on the next climb. Silver foil makes for a lighter groundsheet and putting on the poncho can be cumbersome when alone and while carrying a larger backpack. OTOH it is easy to deploy with a smaller office pack, so perhaps it would work as a part of a truly UL system.

 https://a.aliexpress.com/_mNcamng

^ Made that mistake with an emergency blanket one time. :/

Doubtful.
Ask why most bivy bags have mesh or unproofed tops.

Warm air rises. Warm moist air from you and your SB will rise.
It will still hit the cover and it will still condense if it can.
You need ventilation! This has been a recurrent theme here at BPL for decades.

Cheers

I’m wondering if the MLD SilNylon Pro, with it’s catenary seam, would work well as a hammock tarp.

I’ve been using a HammockGear, cat-cut DCF hex tarp for hiking the Appalachian and Green Mountains in summer & shoulder seasons for years now, and have become one with it.  I carry a Montbell Versalite Jacket in those same seasons, but I don’t generally hike in it.  When it rains, I prefer to get wet with rain water than sweat. When I get to camp I change into my sleep clothes, and the Montbell helps keep them dry.

Of course all that changes with the weather, and the threat of hypothermia. a poncho seams like a solution to getting soaked in sweat.  And if it works well with a hammock, all the better!

I had great success last summer on the JMT with a modified Zpacks groundsheet poncho. Here are some things I found pretty awesome over my SMD gatewood cape

1.) I could use it to cowboy camp on clear nights

2.) I could still setup my pocket tarp in the rain without having to take my raingear off

3.)It has a much tighter fit and is less prone to snags while hiking.

I modified it with some snaps so I could attach a MYOG bug net to turn my setup into a legitimate tent (because S2S pyramid sucks with the pocket tarp). The entire setup with bug net tent is less than 14.5 Oz, which is pretty darn good for a single person tent, excluding the fact it’s also my rain gear!

Con: towards the end of the hike I got pretty tired of having to undo every snap in the morning so I could have my poncho accessible if it rained that day.

I’ve used an MLD Pro Poncho as a diagonal Asym Tarp above my hammock.  I utilize this primarily in warmer weather and when strong wind is not expected.  Keeping it fairly flat for most coverage it has worked well.   Corner to corner length can be excessive in comparison to the ridge line length of the chosen hammock.  Obviously the closer they match the closer the tarp can be to the hammock set up.  In the photo this is only a 9 foot hammock so it is suspended quite a distance away from the poncho tarp.

Umbrella + rain skirt handles the conditions where a poncho might be useful, but in my experience (I have a drawer full of ponchos that I tried), they are superior. I carry an UL “breathable” jacket for when the conditions aren’t favorable for either the umbrella, or a poncho. Use of a small cover like a poncho for shelter may be fine in an area where rain isn’t blowing and heavy and bouncing off the ground. Here on the East Coast, even good tents suffer in the summer rains and t-storms. YMMV, HYOH, et al, but been there, tried that, won’t go back.

I can see the advantages the MLD Pro Poncho has over a traditional rectangular poncho tarp, but I also see how the Equinox (extended version) or the S2S Nano allows for a lot more versatility. Yes the MLD will give you a superior A frame pitch and it increases your coverage, however with cat cuts, a trapezoid shape and being 2″ shorter on long side edges than ridgeline, you can rest assured that the Pro Poncho is pretty much a one-trick pony. MLD website says: it can also be pitched in other configurations depending on your skills.” Maybe that’s true, but you better be good with tarps and patient.

A hiking buddy of mine in Florida carried a Pro Poncho and man that thing looked big when he wore it in raingear mode. It seemed a little beyond what’s optimal size really, however I know many would disagree and I understand.

Below is a quick, crude drawing I did (to scale) comparing the 58″ X 104″ Equinox ands S2S Nano with the 5.5′ X 9′ X 5′ Pro Poncho. As you can see the MLD has 0.6 square yards more surface area (or 13%).

The Flying V or Plow Point is one of the best pitches you can do with a rectangular poncho tarp and that’s because of the way you can use the hood as a panel tieout.

Short 1:09 video

And if you get caught out to where the rain and wind end up being a lot more than what was forecasted, you can also go with the Vietnam Hooch pitch. Hard to enter and leaves little room, but you have 360 degree coverage, which allows you to hunker down and stay dry. Keep in mind that the military poncho in the video below is at least 10″ shorter than the ones I mentioned above, so you’d have more length.