poncho tarp as ground sheet? ok or not..

I tried this and it is ugly. First it is easy to tear. Worse, if it is raining out the poncho is wet and if used as a ground cloth your bag gets wet. Nobody likes a wet bag

I think of ground sheets as sacrificial– to be replaced once in a while and the idea is to put the wear and tear on the ground sheet rather than my other gear. Tyvek works, and there are different plastics and fabrics offered– see Gossamer Gear's stuff. The best I have found is tent footprints that I've come across as remainders in hiking stores and REI's gear garage area. Most need to be lightened a bit– straps and hardware removed. I've ended up with a couple one-person tent footprints for $5 each and they are 5-6 ounces after surgery. On the wet side of the Cascades, I'm pitching my tarp on damp ground a good part of the time, so tough and waterproof is good. You could use a space blanket in a pinch, but they don't last long and they are noisy. Painter's drop cloths and other plastics are slippery and if tough enough to last a few nights on rough ground, they are on the heavy side– cheap and easy to find tho.

To answer your question on the poncho– it would destroy pretty quick.

I wouldn't lay on my silnylon poncho tarp, but some might. I think you will experience heavy wear. Most commercially available footprints are more durable with urethane coatings or similar, and thus heavy. Tyvek is common, but a bulky extra item to carry along.

Gossamer Gear sells polycryo (industrial grade cross-linked polyolefin) in sheets that are light (1.5 oz) and cheap (two for $6). Plan for periodic replacement. Yes, it's an extra item, but practically unnoticeable in size and weight.

well, I was hoping for something that could have a second use, you know.
Does everyone use a ground sheet? I tend to be sleeping on wet ground a lot, so something is necessary. I use a bivy, but it is not perfect, and if the ground is truly soaking, help is needed. I haven't used tyvek, but I wonder what else people use. I will check around, I guess. But i hear that I will not use the poncho- I didn't really think so. I just can't stand the idea of another stupid piece of plastic that I only use to sleep on. NOW i remember why I tried so hard to like a hammock…

The best option for me has been the gossamer gear polycro ground cloth. Light, compact, reasonable durable (gotten more than a year of use out of one sheet). The only down side is that it's a bit slippery, though not as bad as some materials.

For around a year I used waterproof bottom / DWR top bivy without a groundsheet. That was fine from a protection from the ground perspective, but the bivy thing didn't do it for me.

I tried experimenting with no ground sheet since I use a full length BA Insulated Air Core pad which would keep me off the wet ground and I could set my pack on top of things to keep it from getting to wet. This sort of worked, but I found I moved a bit to much and the edges of my quilt ended up damp and dirty.

I have used tyvek which worked very well most places, but in really wet conditions I found that if (sigh… when) I kneel down I would end up with a damp knee.

–mark

For years I used my poncho double duty as a groundcloth. It was nylon with a urathane coating similar to the footprints mentioned above and I'd place it with the coating side up. It served me well until time and UV deterioration caused the urathane to start to peel off. Nowdays I use a polycro groundsheet from Gossamer Gear…much lighter but also more slippery. Silnylon wouldn't hold up to the rigors of regular groundcloth use, so I would go with something cheap and easily replaceable like polycro.

You might want to check this out:

http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/0/2079f5c83321cba8c1256f2b0037a182!OpenDocument&Click=

It is by Exped and is multi use, and could double as poncho/ tarp/ raincover/ bivy/ sail/ hammock etc.

cheers, fred

interesting, but not a great coverage as tarp: 7.5 x5 ft.

but, the heavier version (20 oz) might be worth it to double as a ground sheet (as it is reinforced).

Makes me wonder- anybody use a regular poncho/tarp to double as a bivy?

Anybody used a poncho/tarp as as makeshift bivy sac?

just curious =- seems like a possible idea , since i use a tarp anyway – just still trying to find a 2nd use for that poncho.
you know, if only they made a roomier tarp…

Rob, what bivy are you using? I would suggest a bivy with a more robust bottom fabric so that it is your multi use gear. It would be lighter and simpler to have a thicker more coated bottom layer for your bivy, instead of carrying something else to protect it.

Jeff, I dont mean to use the poncho as bivy protection, but as a bivy itself.
Anyone done that? you know, like wrap your sleeping bag in a poncho tarp somehow?

jus wondering.

Hi Rob,

I haven't but I have used a non-breathable bivy before and it was bad news. My bag was soaked with moisture.

What I typically use is a very light poncho tarp as my shelter and a lightweight bivy with a waterproof bottom and a breathable top as my ground shelter. This is a great solution and very light. This way you get the tarp protection as well as the bivy protection, more breathability in the bivy, and the poncho tarp is double duty.

When it's raining, the poncho is always wet on the same side, whether I'm hiking or sleeping.

When I've carried a poncho tarp without using the tarp feature, it's been out of curiosity about ponchos only. Otherwise, I would pick a different shelter and carry standard rain gear, leaving the p/t at home. But that's me.

When it's warm and no bivy is needed, I use a GGear Polycro as well. Good stuff.

Best of luck!

Doug

Bad idea unless your poncho is made of something breathable. Otherwise you will wake up in a few hours soaked in sweat.
I once slept with nothing but a tent fly over me like a blanket. What I got was a vapour barrier that had me wet from head to toe.

breathability.

right.

kinda forgot about that one in this case.

Ok.

back to the drawing board!

– Frogg Toggs pro action poncho
waterproof breathable poncho.
Dont know how big it is but its affordable, saw it here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=140217478875&Category=383&_trksid=p3907.m29

I have no experience or connections with this seller.