Which poncho is the best of them all?

[lub0]

My cheap US-army style poncho has ripped and so I'm after a new poncho and want something other than those ghastly british army 58 pattern ones.

I hear the US army poncho is amazingly big and durable for it's pack size and weight.
I've heard the dutch army poncho is very good.
I've heard the German army rubberized poncho is also very good.

I really like the sound of the US poncho and was wondering where to get a genuine one in the UK because most if not all the places I've seen clearly state they are US army style, so in other words not the genuine article. Am I right in thinking the black and olive ones are not genuine and the real deal only come in woodland camoflauge?

What do the dutch and german poncho's weigh?

Does the snugpak poncho stand up to abuse, is it well made or one of those ultra-thin jobbies for civilian use? Does it have brass eyelets like the army issue ponchos? Is the DD poncho any good, too?

 

[ReamviThantos]

Snugpack poncho is thin and does not have eyelets. I would imagine it was not designed for abuse. I just pop it on in showers and take it off soon as. It's light and highly packable and a great piece of kit IMHO.

 

[MikeLA]

If you dont like the 58 pattern My other choice would be the US Poncho. Got mine (genuine) a few years ago from Strikeforce Supplies used to sell them, give them a call and see if they can help. German One will probably guessing be similar to bulk of the Brit one.

 

[Jackdaw]

I have a Dutch Army poncho and really like it for the following reasons:

1. It has a very large hood so it feels like being under a basha when you are sat around surveying in the rain.

2. It has pop studs along the sides so you can seal yourself in (not exactly windproof but keeps the worst of it out).

3. It has a drawstring waist cincher to really get it tight it you want to.

4. Has its own stuff sack built into the inside of the poncho.

5. It is pretty light. Definately lighter that the 58 Patter issued monster.

Basically I really like it and you can pick them up on auction sites for about £15 or so.

Jack

 

[Chiseller]

My snugpak one is no good for working in heavy rain

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

 

[santaman2000]

My cheap US-army style poncho has ripped and so I'm after a new poncho and want something other than those ghastly british army 58 pattern ones.

I hear the US army poncho is amazingly big and durable for it's pack size and weight.
I've heard the dutch army poncho is very good.
I've heard the German army rubberized poncho is also very good.

I really like the sound of the US poncho and was wondering where to get a genuine one in the UK because most if not all the places I've seen clearly state they are US army style, so in other words not the genuine article. Am I right in thinking the black and olive ones are not genuine and the real deal only come in woodland camoflauge?

What do the dutch and german poncho's weigh?

Does the snugpak poncho stand up to abuse, is it well made or one of those ultra-thin jobbies for civilian use? Does it have brass eyelets like the army issue ponchos? Is the DD poncho any good, too?

The US ones come in OD also (or at least they DID at one time) I have 2 of them (one rubberized and one ripstop) that I was issued back in the day. Their available on e-bay in the US so you might try googling "ebay USA."

What do you want to do with it? Are you actually going to wear it as aponcho or just use it as a tarp? I ask because if your just going to use it as a tarp then you might try the Marine Corps' ILBE tarp www.currentmilitaria.com/marpat-coyote-tarp-71 It's made of the same waterproofed ripstop material as the poncho and is the exact same size. It's Marpat camo on one side and cotote brown on the other. The Marines are no longer issueing ponchos but rather the ILBE tarp is now it's replacement.

 

[juttle]

I've got two 58 patterns that I use when fishing. They keep my gear dry a well as me and can be rigged in all sorts of different ways to keep the elements at bay, but I guess you already know all this. For me these two are perfect, but I don't have to carry them far and they are used more as a tarp when put together rather than as a poncho. Bombproof - yes. Cheap - yes. Light enough for carrying any distance - NO!

Would I be without them? NO!

 

[mountainm]

My dd one is ok, has eyelets and poppers

 

[ged]

Depends. If I'm walking with the dogs in heavy rain through all kinds of scrub, brush and woodland then the Polish cotton ones (the ones that button together in pairs to make a tent) are my favourite.

They're warmer than the lightweight man-made fibre ones, which would get ripped to shreds in some of the thorny undergrowth that we get around here anyway.

The cotton ones are a bit tight around the shoulders because they're more or less conical, and they're heavy and bulky, so I wouldn't pack one just in case -- I'd pack something a lot lighter and smaller.

 

[spiritwalker]

ill go out on a limb here i like my jack pyke one its in oak camo (great camoflauge) although i did tear an eyelet on it by putting too much tension on a pole. I tend to use it for wildlife watching rather than camping though makes a nice base to hide in with my scope.

heres what it looks like
http://jackpyke.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1610

 

[lub0]

I ended up going for the dutch issue DPM poncho from ebay. I worn it for a couple of hours in the rain today and it did somewhat leak on the shoulder area so I reckon I'll be washing and re proofing it very soon!
First thing I did was weigh it and they are 762 grams which is quite a lot lighter than the british 58 pattern. It drapes a lot better than the 58 patt, too.

I wish the dutch poncho had a cinch cord at the back of the hood because you have zero situational awareness with the hood up which is very annoying!
Then there's the usual problem with ponchos whereby your trousers and boots get soaked from all the drip off from the poncho, so really you need to couple a poncho with waterproof trousers. Additionally if you wear anything but full on leather/rubber footwear, your feet are going to get soaked!

I'd still prefer a poncho that is under 500 grams yet strong enough to rig up as a shelter. What do the US army ponchos weigh? With a 500g pair of waterproof trousers you've got your waterproof shell and shelter in at 1kg.

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

Is it deffo leaking or is it building up condensation? I have one of those and use it infrequently, but seems to remember it got moist on the underside

 

[lub0]

Is it deffo leaking or is it building up condensation? I have one of those and use it infrequently, but seems to remember it got moist on the underside

Definately not condensation as I was only walking at a leisurely pace and didn't feel clammy in the slightest. When I got back I turned the poncho over on the floor, dried my hands thoroughly, then felt around for moisture and there was loads all over the poncho, I could also see whole water droplets! All the seam tapes are in perfect condition.

As it is issued kit I reckon a warm soapy clean followed up with some Nikwax TX proofer should sort it out.

 

[moonvisage]

I have a german army rubberized PVC Poncho.it is not only tough,but completely waterproof.seeing as it is rubberized pvc and completely waterproof,people do tend to sweat buckets in them.

 

[EdS]

none. Its a poncho.

 

[Miniwhisk]

I have an older, slightly heavier version in Dark Blue: -

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rain-cut-poncho-id_8170014.html

Really not bad. I can wear a hat under the hood and sometimes wear it with a lightweight waterproof or windproof jacket underneath. I'll undo the jacket zip to regulate body temperature. Not saying it is the worlds best but offering it up as a suggestion. These used to be hard to find in this country and I paid a lot more for mine. Have a hunt to see if there is a better colour somewhere. Oh, and this also covers a medium sized backpack!

 

[BushrangerCZ]

British one - durable and large, Aussie one - the same, French one (the newest type now used in French Guyana) - large, durable, lightweight - hard to get