Poncho Tarps

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Deleted member 36581

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Leading on from a discussion in another thread I thought I'd ask what everyone's prererence is for a poncho tarp. I'm looking for a new one to replace my current cheap one which has a few tiny holes in that cause it to leak.

I was considering the DD superlight poncho if anyone has any feedback but would appreciate other suggestions. I'd like something fairly light but it doesn't have to be super ultralight. A small pack size would be beneficial though and I'm not worried about cost either within reason.

Thoughts and experiences appreciated.

Cheers
 

Billy-o

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Apr 19, 2018
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I'll be glued to this .... :)

I looked at a Mountain Laurel one once ... but would need a new mortgage to get it
 
Apr 8, 2009
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Ashdown Forest
The best poncho i ever had was a genuine US army issue ripstop one, in woodland pattern. Superbly light and compact. I would imagine that they might be a little tricky to get hold of these days. Plenty of fakes about, but the genuine ones beat them hands down - and much better quality than the widely available equivalents at that time - german issue 'rubbarised' one and the british 58pattern poncho.
 
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Tenth wonder do a poncho tarp I believe

They do. I looked at it before but it weighs a whopping 1.2kg! Its pretty long though because its also designed to be used as a hammock. My 3x3 DD tarp is significantly lighter so it's not really suitable for what im after
 

sunndog

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May 23, 2014
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They do. I looked at it before but it weighs a whopping 1.2kg! Its pretty long though because its also designed to be used as a hammock. My 3x3 DD tarp is significantly lighter so it's not really suitable for what im after

Wow, didn't realise it was that sort of weight!!
 

Erbswurst

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The perfect offer I got from "tipik".

Handmade in France. Silnylon or Nylon PU or breathing material.

Silnylon glues to the body. That poncho is a light tarp to dry it on the man.

Nylon PU doesn't glue but doesn't last so long and is most times heavier. That is a Poncho which can be used as a tarp.

Breathing material can be used perfectly as bivi bag. That is the best, but not the lightest option.

All this ponchos do not still exist.
Tipik would make them for me in my dimensions. Or for you, if you want.

The gui is able to read, speak and write in French and English.

The point is unfortunately, that this poncho would cost round about 200 €.

So we can order the perfect poncho for 200 € in our exact size and choose the colour and material and size and equipment.


Old relatively heavy original NATO ponchos have a hole for the head where you can enter with the hood of a military parka. You can wear helmet or thick winter cap under it.
Their dimensions usually had been 210 x 165 cm. The Dutch is about 220 x 165 cm. I think it is the largest.

The weight of original Nato ponchos usually is between round about 700 g and 1000g.

Yes, the original US Poncho Camouflage was the best. The old oliv US Poncho was the heaviest.
The Dutch was like the US Camo Poncho, the other best. :0)

Austrian and German you get in very good conditions. But they aren't sexy.

The quality seen over years is better than Dutch and US Camo.

Austrian and German Ponchos do not die in normal civil use over 30 Years.

Opex produces a lightweight poncho which doesn't blend in northern nature. The french CCE has large bright stripes. That pattern is made for clothing, not for tents.

The Opex poncho isn't given to french soldiers, but allowed to use in several circumstances.
Opex has shops on french military ground.

The hole for the head is well done. The buttons are attached wrong and with 210x150cm it is to small as a bivvy bag, the holes for the lines do not fit for poles.
two points are missing for the A-frame. But this poncho isn't bad. Perhaps 400g I guess. I have it with me, but unfortunately here no balance.

The Opex is an interesting option for use in southern France. That's why I have one.
It isn't original given military equipment but used in the French army.

The Bundeswehr has a relatively heavy original GORETEXPONCHO in Fleckrarn. (80 € new) 210x150 cm. To small as a good bivvy bag.
165cm : 2 = 80,25cm, that is needed for a bivvy and was normal before!
(Snugpack Djungle Bag fits in the Dutch poncho perfectly)

But now we do not find any new ponchos, that have more than 150cm.

ALL NEW PONCHOS ON THE MARKET I KNOW HAVE ONLY 150 cm OR LESS.
THAT IS TO TIGHT AS A BIVVY BAG!

AND THAT DOESN'T GIVE ENOUGH PROTECTION FOR THE ARMS, WHEN USED ON THE WALK!!!!

THE ONLY EXCEPTION ON THE MARKET FOR LIGHT WEIGHT PONCHOS IS THE DEFCON 5 RAIN PONCHO. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL PONCHO OF THE ITALIAN ARMY.
Camouflage Vegetato Italiano, Nato Stock Number. A real military Poncho. 40 € new.
In my opinion expensive enough to get spark holes in it.

It is 200x 165cm. Large enough as a bivvy. But a bit to short as a shelter without bivvy bag. 40 € new.

I do not own this Poncho. May be there is a surprise. But the size fits. And the quality seems to be ok.

165cm are optimal for a person who is between 165 and 170 tall.
If you are 185 like me it works with 165, better would be 180 or something like that.

Ponchos with less than 150cm are useless in cold conditions! They are nice to have for summer hikes, where we do not have to protect the arms.

Most civil ponchos are to small. The holes for the head do not work with a hood of a parka.

MFH or miltec didn't survive very long my care full use. To tight, not really water proof. I recommend to forget them. To tight holes for the head. They loose the tapes who tighten them. Fabric may be not really water proof. I get whet in them after 6 month of use.

Decathlon Solognac(15€) is to small. I bought it and will test it. But that is a summer poncho without any attachments for tarp lines. that may be good and cheap as ground sheet for Tarps if you go with a couple.

Expeed bivvy poncho UL seemes me better than Expeed bivvy poncho.
But for this heavy price I do not buy a poncho which is nicely long, but not wide enough, Sorry! 150 cm isn't wide enough for a person who us taller than 165 cm.

The same problems with all the other civil ponchos! Most times only 145 wide!
That's for children! May be an offer for the boy scouts!

I recommend original Nato ponchos.
20€ (used) or the Austrian or German are fine, I guess French and British are equal.

Who can get an original US Army or Dutch Army Camouflage Poncho in good conditions should buy it. That's the best deal I think.

Who wants it light should buy a DEFCON 5 Vegetato Italiano Camouflage Poncho. 40€. 400g.

That's half the weight from the other Nato Ponchos!

Who doesn't care about money should call "tipik" and buy a french haute couture poncho.
That is the only offer I know, to get a really fitting poncho for a tall person.

180x 240cm I would order there.

That would be for me a poncho which protects perfectly on the walk, perfectly unter it used as tarp. That would be a perfect bivvy bag too, if made from breathing fabric.

But with Snugpack Special Forces Sleeping and Bivvy Bag the Defcon 5 is a very light and good option too.

Sleeping Bag SF1 -- 1000g
Bivvy Bag SF -- 340g
Ortlieb dry sack 7Litres
ultra light around 60g (?)
Defcon 5 Poncho 400g

That's light. That's tough. That's Quality.
That's European production with Nato stock numbers.
Made in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Britain. And not over priced,that all!

I prefere equipment like that.
 

BigMonster

Full Member
Sep 6, 2011
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Manchester
I had cheap ones, I had expensive ones (sea to summit) and I had heavy duty ones.
Sea to summit makes the longest one if you want it to be viable as an actual tarp. But it's very expensive and fragile so only good for ultralight folks.
DD, tenth wonder and british issue one are bombproof but too heavy and bulky. Only good to keep in a car for dirty jobs as a groundsheet.
Don't even go cheap Ebay way. Either too small, too thin, delaminates after a month or all above.

Best price/durability/weight ratio in my experience you will get from Helikon ripstop poncho: https://www.military1st.co.uk/po-mus-po-02-helikon-waterproof-poncho-ripstop-olive.html
A clone of US army poncho. Reasonably priced for the quality at £20, great cut with wide neck, good eylets and poppers, didn't delaminated yet after couple of washes and two years of use. Durable and cheap enough that you don't mind using it as a ground sheet on the beach, roll your muddy boots in it after a rainy hike, or use it to gather leaves for a debris shelter.

Just keep in mind that no poncho will give you an adequate shelter area for a decent and reliable night sleep. I had couple of nights under the Sea to Summit ultrasil poncho (150cm x 265cm) but that was only good for a drizzle in the morning and I wouldn't want to experience a downpour under it. But I used my Helikon poncho plenty of times as a tarp over the stove or over the fire stack to help it catch on.
 
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Erbswurst

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Yes, it's the best to combine it with the Snugpack Special Forces Bivvy Bag or something similar.

If it's to hot you can use the bivvy bag as a ground sheet. But a bivvy bag with a zipper usually works very well.


The Helikon Poncho is only 210x149 cm.

I think the Defcon is better sized.
 
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Deleted member 36581

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Thanks for the feedback thus far folks. Good stuff. Whatever I get will be getting used in conjunction with a snugpak bivi (not the SF one but, I believe, identical other than the fact it's just a drawcord and doesn't have a zip). I picked up the bivi for a fiver last year in a sales bin at a local outdoor shop!
 
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Erbswurst

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I think for british weather that will be fine.

But I recommend the Special Forces Bivvy Bag. It is easier to come in and out, in warm conditions it is better ventilated and in cold it is practical too: It's possible to pee without leaving the bag.

In really cold and whet conditions that is helpfull.

But no question: The other is surely OK as well.
 
May 24, 2009
4
0
Yorkshire
Just got a cheap (£20) Miltec Poncho in Flecktarn that I'm quite impressed by so far. Needs a couple of grommets on the short edge so a reasonably long A frame could be made but in reality I'll just be using it as a day hike shelter for when I stop to brew up etc.so probably won't risk tearing into the fabric just yet. As an emergency waterproof it does the job great and a very good vestibule could be made over the entrance of 1 man tents. I'm quite a fan of poncho tarps, and having watched a good few videos on youtube regarding setups, I think they're a bargain for day trippers.
 

Erbswurst

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Miltec and MFH ponchos aren't water proof. I own both and can't recommend them. They are to small to use them as bivvy bag. The hoods are to small for winter clothing.

Defcon 5 poncho with NATO stock number is the first choice. Large enough to cover the arms on the walk and large enough as a bivvy bag. 400g, The Vegetato Italiano pattern blends in northern vegetation as well as in southern Europe.

OPEX is OK, but every thing else than perfect. To small as a bivvy bag, doesnt cover the arms. Hood is large enough for winter clothing.
French Camouflage Centre Europe doesn't blend in northern nature.
The OPEX Poncho blends in in the nature southern from Lyon.
 

Erbswurst

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The a bit heavier original German and Austrian Army ponchos they throw in good conditions every corner behind you.

20€ and it will last for 10 years of intensive use till it got to many spark holes, or decades if you use it seldom.
 

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