Poncho or Waterproofs

[myotis]

It is non breathable nylon. But I wasn't active and there are obviously lots of venting possibilities with a poncho. Despite these two things it still got wet on the inside

Yes, you would think that the "open" aspect of a poncho would have reduced the condensation, but my expereinces of non-breathable jackets have always made me think they were leaking, given the amount of condensation that seems to instantly build up in them, even when unzipped down the front, and it isn't raining !!

Graham

 

[Big Steve]

I had bought some Goretex in DPM ages ago from Pointnorth which has just sat in my 'potential projects' bag. With my cheapie sewing machine my old ma got me for birthday a coupla years ago (best present ever oddly enough), I made a Goretex poncho-basha using my battered old German example for size, pattern and features. All seams were sealed with Goretex tape I bought at the same time as the material. Corners, popper points and grommets were reinforced with green cordura from a cut up old rucksack. The resulting poncho-basha still needs to be tamed with a belt in windy conditions, still gets wet inside in humid weather, but at least it is waterproof and breathable when the climatic conditions best suit Goretex. I use an old pair of German army Goretex trousers when weather really turns bad, but usually only need a pair of gaiters for full protection. It also cost a fraction of the price of a Goretex jacket and trousers combo from one of the big outdoor clothing names for the sake of a few hours cutting and sewing. If your partner does the sewing in the house, you don't even need to do that yourself!

 

[John Fenna]

When I were a lad......I used a poncho a lot....it was that or heavy rubberised nylon!:aargh4:
They worked fine in most circs but when walking on a steepsided ridge in a high wind ,I found that ponchos make great sails! I was nearly blown over the edge several times in the day.
Mountains - synthetic breathables.
All else - Ventile (althogh I need to shed some weight to get back into my Ventile trousers - they were always snug...)That said I still use one over my Ventile kit in realy horrible weather

The Ventile Poncho sounds good and better than a nylon one for condensation control

 

[John Fenna]

This thing keeps repeating on me!

 

[John Fenna]

"With my cheapie sewing machine my old ma got me for birthday a coupla years ago (best present ever oddly enough), I made..."

Another male sewist - glad to see I am not alone!

 

[ANN]

jacket and trousers are easier to mover aroind in - no flapping sides! - will keep you dryer and protect you from the wind xD

 

[phaserrifle]

started out using a waterproof jacket and trousers.
then I saw ponchos and thought "Great, a waterproof I can use as a tarp"
then I realised just how draughty they where, and how much they got in the way of your arms, if you where trying to do anything involving your arms.
went back to jacket and trousers. (don't like the trousers though, their hot and sticky to wear,

 

[DavidEnoch]

I like a poncho best.
I sweat a lot! I find that with gortex jacket and pants on that I am just as wet from sweat that I might as well not wear the gortex. I get a lot more ventilation with the poncho plus the versatility.

David Enoch

 

[Kerne]

Waterproofs for mountains and a poncho for around camp. However, I always carry the waterproofs even when I have the poncho - just don't seem to trust the thing in horizontally wind-driven rain. And you need waterproof trousers with a poncho as well - unless it's summer showers, then it's a poncho all the way.

 

[fred gordon]

I like ponchos but if the wind gets up they can be tricky.

Absolutely. It all depends on the terrain you are travelling through. Gusting wind in the Cairngorms with a poncho could be a tragedy waiting to happen.

 

[saddle_tramp]

I really hate ponchos, not knocking you lot, just cant be doing with the flapping and noise. Tho my experience with them is limited to the old british army ones, that were never quite big enough to make a useable tarp.

As far as waterproofs go, I dont rate Goretex as being worth the money, the breathability cant seem to cope with much more than gentle ambling, so why bother? My preference is for ventile or proofed wool in all but the worst weather, and then simple no nonsense oilers for when its really lashing it down

 

[rik_uk3]

Absolutely. It all depends on the terrain you are travelling through. Gusting wind in the Cairngorms with a poncho could be a tragedy waiting to happen.

I'd go that, poncho around camp, in my case Gortex everywhere else. I've go some nice yellow plastic trousers which are nice and baggy and the extra room means you don't get bad condensation problems, cost £1 in the local pound shop but won't last long. I'm quite happy with army DPM gortex trousers, they do the job, cost about £8 I think.

 

[Andy2112]

Just out of interest i was talking to a manager in Blacks and he said that E-vent is out selling goretex in the US. One other point worth a note is that he said that goretex works best if its raining and or you are moving !!!! while E-vent works either way if dry or standing still. I've not got goretex so i can't compare.

 

[bothyman]

I have a Poncho which is fine for sitting around in, but if you move around it soaks your legs and flaps around,so most of the time it is just used for shelter.
I find a jacket and pants much more practical.

 

[crazyclimber]

Just out of interest i was talking to a manager in Blacks and he said that E-vent is out selling goretex in the US. One other point worth a note is that he said that goretex works best if its raining and or you are moving !!!! while E-vent works either way if dry or standing still. I've not got goretex so i can't compare.

I've not got a lot of experience with event but from what I understand it's far more breathable than goretex, therefore I would think it's more suitable for active use than goretex? Unless his theory was that air movement over the goretex would increase it's breathability or something (probably true, but can't imagine it making a huuuge difference)?

edit: actually a quick google came up with http://www.climbers-shop.com/Waterproofs.aspx some good info on there regarding the differences between the two

 

[gregorach]

I've been toying with an idea for a slightly different approach - jacket and waterproof kilt. Even my 3/4 zip overtrousers are still a bit of a pain to get into, and I always find that it's really the upper legs that need protection (as much from the dripping off your jacket as anything else). Plus my favourite outdoor trousers have goretex on the front of the lower legs anyway (to avoid wet knees when kneeling), and I frequently wear gaiters. So I reckon a lightweight rain kilt could be an excellent solution - and much more breathable than trousers...

 

[crazydave]

event and then other superlight goretex's dont seem to havve the durability of the old fashioned stuff. the stuff my missus uses is like tissue paper.

ex army though most of the time we got wet and learned to live with it.

 

[ZDP-189]

Waterproofs if windy or light rain. Poncho for the jungle or with pack.

 

[samharber]

I've got a thick (llama?) wool poncho that is a thing of wonder for pottering about camp in. I've also got a goretex DPM poncho to throw over the top of it when watching bands at festivals when it will inevitably pour down.
I've also got a thin fleece poncho for inside the tent. I've yet to try layering all 3 together, but I suspect I'd melt...

 

[BootneckSteve]

A bit of a mix. I normally stick with waterproof jacket and pants, but if I have a big ruck on then I use the waterproof pants and a poncho to keep the pack covered as well + I tend to get a bit hot and sweaty carrying the big pack so the extra ventile afforded by the poncho comes in handy. I have three different waterproof jackets. In my survival webbing kit I have a German army flecktarn goretex jacket and pants. I also have a peter storm interactive jacket that my winter fleece zips into, and the best one I have is a German Navy goretex jacket which has a storm flap around the hem and closing cuffs to stop wind inflating it as well as a high collar and a hood which also covers part of your face. For my waterproof trousers, again three pairs. Fleck goretex in the survival webbing, a lightweight peter storm pair and a pair of Dutch Navy surplus goretex DPM. To be honest the Dutch ones are a bit of a pain in the Khyber to get on and off so I don't really use them much these days but they are 100% effective when worn! as for my poncho, an army surplus one does fine