Cloak/ shelter thing

[dean4442]

Hi guys, I've been having a good think and keep coming back to the idea. I'm normally nice and warm with my layers on whatever the weather until it rains and then as soon as I put on a waterproof I'm too warm, ponchos are great but I've been drawn to the idea of a cloak made of either waxed cotton or synthetic material. The bonus would be if it could also function as a loue shelter as well, am I barking mad and if so have any of you gone down the same route?
Cheers in advance.

 

[crosslandkelly]

How about a polish lavvu half if you can find one.

 

[John Fenna]

Or a Ventile poncho?

 

[TLM]

Plash Palatka, ugly but somewhat functional.

 

[dean4442]

Plash Palatka, ugly but somewhat functional.

Maybe I've been watching too much lord of the rings but their cloaks look stylish and cooool! Oh dear I think I'm turning into a geek, next thing is I'll be doing D&D!

 

[Erbswurst]

They are cool, because:

Form follows Funktion!

But I think the polish tent half is the better design, isn't it?

Can you also wear the whole tent as cloak, @crosslandkelly ?

 

[crosslandkelly]

They are cool, because:

Form follows Funktion!

But I think the polish tent half is the better design, isn't it?

Can you also wear the whole tent as cloak, @crosslandkelly ?

I suppose you could, but it would be heavy, they are designed as a two man shelter.

 

[dean4442]

I've had a look and I think I missed the chance to get one of the polish shelter halves, everybody seems to have snapped them up as they're obviously very good. Back to the drawing board.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Polish Army Dome tent Lavvu teepee

Get reliable outdoor shelter with a Polish Army Lavvu Tent. Rugged and durable, a go to for any adventure. More Polish Military Lavvu tepee tents for sale at Military Mart. Available online now.

www.militarymart.co.uk

 

[Laurentius]

Over the years I have tried many things as my waterproof outer layer. The Polish Lavuu half is rather heavy and does not roll up small which is a disadvantage compared with something like a DD Poncho. On the other hand your lightweight synthetic material will delaminate over time. It's a seasonal compromise. In summer you want something you can carry easily with no trouble, but in winter you want something more durable.

 

[Bishop]

Possibly one of the most interesting ideas to come out of brainstorming was from Six Moon Designs in 2006 when they pitched the "GreatWood Cape". Where instead of two separate capes joining to form a shelter, the shelter is more asymmetric like a pointed bivi and folds back onto itself to become a poncho. They use some ridiculously thin Sil-nylon that brings the weight down to 310g but pushes the price up to $124 before tax & postage. Great for long distance hikers, less so for for bushcraft. Unless that is somebody could make one using something a little tougher.

 

[Jared]

Exped released a Tarp Poncho not too long ago. Nothing too special about it, just seems a rectangle (260cm x 145cm) with a hood in the middle in 40D ripstop nylon, with weight at 370g.

 

[Jared]

Or a Ventile poncho?

Ah yes, forgot about those.

Ventile Poncho

Our practical and versatile poncho with integral adjustable wired peak hood. Large enough to cover you and your rucksack, the versatile poncho can be fastened around the body, at the side to allow maximum freedom of movement, or hung as a tarp.

hilltrek.co.uk

 

[Erbswurst]

If you don't have a British seller you could order the Gatewood Cape from Germany.

The shop specialises in lightweight and ultra light trekking equipment.

Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape

Vor Wind und Wetter geschützt mit dem Gatewood Cape Tarp-Poncho von Six Moon Designs ✔ Nur 300 Gramm ✔ 2% Skonto Vorkasse ✔ Rechnungskauf

www.trekking-lite-store.com

 

[bearbait]

Jerven Bag. Not cheap, but I think good kit. You can even zip a sleeping bag into it. In the rain it covers me and my pack. Good for sitting in for lunch stops too, on breezy / wet days.

 

[JFW]

The polish poncho is a great bit of kit. There are 3 sizes, size 3 is hard to get, size 2 comes up fairly regularly and size 1 are the least popular as they the smallest. I have a 2 and a 1, both are ideal as ponchos or shelters, but I'm 5' 10" and as a poncho the size 1 is best. I find the 2 a bit long. As a shelter the 2 is best and plenty of room for me and the dog as well as kit. MilitaryMart have them fairly regularly. If you are going lightweight then onetigris do a poncho tent thing. I've no experience with this though, but I think it's about the same size as the polish poncho but about 1/3 the weight. Hope that's some help. Cheers