Emergency Poncho?

It is probably waterproof. However, if it is that old, it may be rather brittle. That means that it may tear and crack easily. So, it may be good for a day of use, and then fall apart.

I don't think that it is the best choice for rainwear along the JMT. A poncho like that works if the rain is coming straight down vertically, but it doesn't do much for keeping your body heat. If the rain is blowing horizontally, a poncho like that is bad. A decent rain jacket with hood will seal in a lot of body heat.

There are lighter weight rain jackets with hood for less money than OR.

–B.G.–

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Hmmm, probably right. Especially since I'm trying to leave my fleece jacket at home and just bring my MH puffy. What waterproof shell is lighter than the OR Helium II? I'm pretty sure the medium comes in at 5 ounces. Thanks!

My hooded rain shell from Anti Gravity Gear weighs about 4.6 ounces.

Correction: 4.45 ounces.

–B.G.–

It is possible that you have a high metabolism and you stay warm easily. I have to use several different layers for warmth, and this gets very true with cold, rain, and wind.

I would be taking a synthetic t-shirt, a mostly synthetic long sleeve shirt, a fleece zip-up shirt/sweater, a down inner jacket, and then the hooded rain shell jacket. That gives me a lot of versatility, and it allows me to wear something practical while I am rinsing out one of the layers.

The emergency poncho would help if you had a person injured away from camp and couldn't move enough to stay warm. In other words, it is better than absolutely nothing in a storm, but it isn't nearly as effective as proper layers. A good quality poncho is a little better, since it typically has snaps on the sides, and it can be snapped together to partly seal in your body heat. The emergency poncho would just kind of flap around.

–B.G.–