Gear

No Trevor,

I have no idea of the climate in SA, so I don't really know how useful this item would be in that country, although I could hazard a guess.

I thought the intial post was directed specifically at the UK market, in which case I stand by all that I typed!

Hi Guys,

Your observations are extremely interesting and I am now more determined than ever to produce something that will work in your climate, for the professionals. The more you talk though, it is obvious to me that there are two distinct markets in your area. the more sophisticated hikers who is well aware of the dangers and who are prepared to pay for an item if is the right thing and the other market which caters for the novice who treats hiking like a day out and who doesn't necessarily want to spend great amounts of money. This market is probably bigger than the first one. After all you have said, what stops them from carrying both the SB and the SP.

I also think the runners and marathoners is a natural direction.

Hi Trevor,

I am going to try and make a believer of you yet!!!!

Been following this thread with some (cynical) interest.

Got to say, I just dont see it.  I used to run a lot (up to marathon level) and always found the blanket at the end a pain in the butt - I took to carrying a bin bag, rip a head hole in the closed end and arm holes in the sides, pop it over the head....and an instant bin-bag gilet/smock.

As a group leader, I have used the same  technique on several occaisions where unexpected waits for minibuses etc have happened. It is surprisingly effective - even if only as a windshirt!

So...hillwalking...no.  Dont see it...even for group leaders (cost of 20 bin bags at £1 or £2)....marathon/sports...possible if the price is right, given they will only use it till they get to the car and changed....

And I stand to be corrected

Thanks Alex....

But now I am usually snuggly and dry in my Paramo....and its the kids who get the bin bag treatment!

Even at that, it is pretty rare that I have to do use them - part of the pre-exped parents briefing night is a picture show of previous events and there is usually one in there of a bin-bagged group (as part of the emergency procedures/unforseen circumstances bit)

 The parents think its funny - the kids get the message...dont "forget" your waterproofs!

And if you dont need your emergency shelters....they can be turned into kit bags, muddy boot bags, wet gear bags, rucksack liners, waterproof covers for seats........and bin bags!

Emergency Space poncho is very good idea. No one selling poncho, there's only space blanket with hood on side. Space blanket(mylar) is more durable, warmer than thin PE poncho (which is selling very good). In windy conditions just use thin elastic waist belt like http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/images/specponcho.jpg  If sides of poncho aren't bonded, you could use it as a space blanket.

Tomas,

welcome to the forum

if anyone is offering a cuben poncho for £1 then I think I'll have a few...

I basically agree with you that - as I understand things - this is a low cost, low weight upgrade to the basic space blanket & basic PE poncho. It may not perform as well as some of the more costly specialist options, but if it can do a better job of insulating than the standard space blanket and as good a job as the standard PE poncho at keeping the worst of the rain off you, then it sounds like a good thing to me.

I used one of those PE ponchos to wait around at the start of a rainy marathon. Worn over the top of some old cotton clothes that I intended to leave behind at the start, I was warm, dry & comfortable. A lot of fellow racers were not! They don't last that long, but for a backup or emergency option I think they are great. And having a hood and being long in the body makes them a step up from the bin liner approach (which is also pretty good as Simon has pointed out).

John

Opinion on this of OM'S Richard Gear!

Well, after all, he was asked!

Above post reported to Mod as potential spam (although it is on topic I suppose)......and I still wont be buying one.....wrong product...wrong market...wrong climate....

Alex was kind enough to send me a sample of the Space Poncho to have a look for myself. Here are my first impressions, based on close inspection in the comfort of my own home! Obviously I can't give a full review of how effective it would be in an emergency situation, but I can say that it is a massive improvement on the basic space blanket design that many of us have been scathing about on OM.

First impressions :

Packaged:

 Weighed on kitchen scales: 101g in packaging. (The gold space blanket was 69g).Packed volume: marginally more than the standard space blankets on the market but would still fit in a wind-shirt pocket with ease.

Opened up:

 Immediately felt more robust than the space blankets I’ve used in the past. I didn’t have to tease the layers apart as they had some spring in them from the folding. Opened out into a large rectangular shape with hood.   Getting in was pretty easy. The layers had to be shaken apart slightly to make them open out but I didn’t feel that it was going to tear on my so I wriggling in wasn’t a problem. The neck was just wide enough to go over my head without difficulty and the collar rose high up my face. The Hood folded over leaving just a narrow gap across my eyes, but was somewhat flappy at the sides. The arm holes were somewhat larger than they needed to be for my purposes but at the same time the shoulders were sufficiently wide to give a surprising amount of coverage, sticking out beyond my arms.  

Function:

Once I was in the space poncho, I started to warm up fast. Admittedly I was in a warm living room in summer! But was surprised how hot I became and was red in the face and looking forward to taking off at least the hood within a couple of minutes. The instant effect came from reflected radiant heat in my opinion, but this alone doesn’t account for the warming. Most of the perceived warmth came from the fact that it stopped local air movement and acted as a vapour barrier. I could feel the humid heat you experience from non-breathable or VB clothing. I noticed that there was a lot of empty space around my body as the poncho is cut wide for access & to accommodate different body shapes. I popped a day-sack over the top and used the chest and waist straps to secure the poncho closer to my body. It immediately felt very protective and I would expect to stay reasonably dry inside in wet weather. Water could enter via the wide arm openings and in gaps around the face… but again a big improvement on the space blanket which requires at least one hand to hold it around your body.  The hood did stay nicely in place but there was no wind to speak of. I stood in front of a household fan at full speed and it flapped a bit but did not come off. I think it had adhered to my skin that was becoming quite sticky underneath. In cold outdoor conditions, however, I would expect to need additional means of keeping the hood secure as it had no draw cord or elasticity.

Movement was no problem; both hands were free and the diameter of the opening around the legs was ample for a full stride. In my case, at 5’10” and long in the body, the poncho came down around my thighs but not as far as my knees. Less so when cinched in around me by the rucksack straps.

I started to imagine what position I’d want to be in if in real strife. Most likely would be seated, huddled up into a ball as much as possible, leaning on a rucksack against a rock or similar. At this point I discovered the usefulness of all that extra space around the body. I was able to sit, pull in my knees and pull the poncho down around me over my legs and all the way to the floor. I could then get my arms in through the holes to hold my knees inside the poncho. This did leave two large openings where the arms had been… but I felt pretty well protected in all other regards. 

Durability:

 One of the key problems with space blankets is their ability to disintegrate with age and in windy weather. I can’t tell what age would do to this laminate but it’s certainly tougher than the basic space blanket that is widely available. In those blankets, tears propagate right across the material with minimal force. There was a small tear in the poncho under the arm holes after I’d put it on & taken it off several times. I could see that it would be fairly easy to tear but applying a little force the tear didn’t run as it does in flimsier materials. I wouldn’t call the space poncho robust but it does seem to have a lot more inherent strength than any space blanket I’ve used. Moreover, the seams are bonded with a decent width of contact and show no signs of failing. I suspect the poncho would start to tear beneath the arms long before these seams gave way.   

Suggestions (passed on to Alex for his consideration):

The poncho worked best either worn under a pack with the straps used to secure the excess material or seated in a huddled position. I would expect it to fend off the worst of rain but wind would be able to get in through the arm holes & probably blow the hood off. If I was packing this poncho as an emergency item (which I intend to) I’d take along a length of duct tape to make repairs and reduce the size of the arm holes (or seal completely if necessary). The poncho packaging could include a few patches of self-adhesive tape ready to do this.

 The collar was surprisingly good, remaining high up my face even when the hood was thrown back over my head. However, the hood also needs additional means of fastening. Tape would do it; as would adding a hat over the top if you had one. Even a loop of elastic would help. Ideally the hood should have a pre-threaded draw cord or tape… as I have seen in the standard poly ponchos given as promotional items on fairground rides and boat trips. If this was to be included, then spare tape or string to tie as a belt would render the poncho much more usable in the event that the user didn’t have a pack to wear over the top.