poncho vs rain jacket/pants???

bob blob

09/07/2012 at 12:57

i've been using a rain jacket / pants combo for many years but have recently been leaning towards a poncho.

hiking with a heavy backpack and using rain gear generally keeps the rain out BUT also the sweat in so i end up wet either way.

would a poncho be better? it seems a poncho is more 'airy' AND that it would fit over my backpack and keep it dry as well.

would a poncho leak after 3 hours of rain?
does a poncho flap like crazy in high wind?
can a poncho hood be really good?

at the moment i use the HAGLÖFS LIM jacket / pants.

Parky Again

09/07/2012 at 14:33

probably not as it's made from waterproof material

Mine don't but that depends upon a definition of high wind. Come to think of it mine might but things flapping a bit don't bother me

No. My rohan poncho has a foam brim in the hood which is better than nothing. A ponco hood makes me very hot - it's the same as sticking a plastic bag on your head - and i always wear a hat anyway.

I view a poncho as summer wear and is far superior to a jacket. With a bit of practice you can pitch it whilst wearing it to use as a shelter.

Edited: 09/07/2012 at 14:34

bob blob

09/07/2012 at 14:46

thanks!
using a poncho as a shelter is not a real goal of mine, although it does sound interesting.

my main goal is to minimize (or even eliminate) the sweating caused by waterproof gear when carrying a backpack (15-25 kilos) in the rain.

Parky Again

09/07/2012 at 18:31

Shelter as in somewhere out of the rain to eat/rest/cook

You will get warm and damp under a poncho due to it not being the slightest bit breathable and you get the usual condensation but a quick flap can vent all that

S Wright

11/07/2012 at 14:49

They can be pretty heavy and not flap so much (e.g. DD Hammocks http://www.ddhammocks.com/product/poncho ) or lightweight and flap more.

I find that a heavier one keeps the rain out better and, as Parky says, can use it as a shelter. Venting is by flapping it or leaving a couple of poppers open. you can also throw it over your shoulder Clint eastwood style!

Take a punt on a cheap one? £5
http://www.militarymart.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=617

I wouldn't do tricky stuff in it, might obscure feet. And no pockets

S Wright

11/07/2012 at 14:51

and not full sleeves, but close enough (at least with the DD poncho)

b a

13/07/2012 at 10:47

Decathlon sell zip fronted ponchos with separate lower arms (a bit like Packa/Parcho/Roger Caffins mountain poncho).

Or there is the Trekmates Deluxe poncho which seems to have full separate arms.

philip lenaghan

16/07/2012 at 21:24

Ponchos are great if you are french and don't want the baguette for lunch sticking out of your rucksak to get wet. They swear by them. They are on quickly and if you aren't doing anything to technical (very popular on the camino de santiago) and it isn't too windy then they are fine.

Franco Darioli

17/07/2012 at 01:01

This may be obvious but I see many wearing too much when walking, particularly when it starts raining.The usual thing that I see is : folk will put their rain jacket on top of the existing layers therefore they have an extra layer and so they sweat (too much).The idea is to put layers on when you stop. If one habitually takes layers off when resting then that one has too many layers on when walking.As for the poncho, they don't work for me.OK on wide groomed trails, a pain on narrow unkempt ones or off trail and no good in the wind. But that is just me...Franco

Peter Clinch

17/07/2012 at 09:23

Umbrellas are as breathable (from the users point of view, at least) as waterproofs get. If you're using a pack Rohan do a "hands free" model that attaches to one. No idea how well it works.

Not necessarily the greatest in wind, but then that's a bit of a thing with a poncho too.

Pete.

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