Red Ledge Backpacker Poncho at REI $17

[Dale Wambaugh]

http://m.rei.com/product/822592/red-ledge-storm-backpacker-poncho-mens-special-buy#specsTab

[Delmar O’Donnell]

THink I found it here

http://www.redledge.com/#!9030/c1ybh

Can't find weight, though.

[John S.]

One below is 10.55 oz. The longer length will add an ounce?
http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13238461

This is probably it for 11.6 oz.
http://www.libertymountain.com/products/5201/518575

[Dale Wambaugh]

I would expect 10oz or so. Cheep though.

[Mitchell Ebbott]

Thanks for the tip! I picked one up, I'll report back when it comes in.

[Adam Kramer]

thanks dale. always finding the best bang for the buck…

you, like me, cannot resist good gear under $20 bucks

[Dale Wambaugh]

Hard to lose. Great as summer day hiking what if rain gear, quick and dirty rest shelter or shade, or one size fits all rain gear to keep on the trunk.

This one is a little short for a poncho shelter, but I've sat out a big rain with a poncho under a tree with my pack between my legs, all all dry as a bone.

A few years ago, we were at an outdoors concert at the zoo with beach chairs and ponchos in a downpour. Joan Baez stepped up to the mic, dubbed us all her Beautiful Seattle Rain People. As she started to sing, the rain quit, the clouds parted and we ate our picnic dinner to "Diamonds an Rust" and dry too :)

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I am in the market for a Poncho, but I gotta have it at 5 oz or less.

Gotta. I'm not even to 12 lbs base weight yet.

[Mitchell Ebbott]

Call me crazy, but I'm planning to use this as my primary shelter and rain gear for excursions in Souther California during the dry and hot seasons. I might make a bivy too—probably should, because this thing isn't very wide—but if I can get away with leaving my shelter at home and still stay safe out there, I'm going to try.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Yeah, you should add a bivy. I got a Ti Goat Ptarmigan with the bug screen, so I camp under the stars in good weather and escape the bugs and dew. It adds another layer of protection under my Gatewood.

A 5oz poncho will have to be Cuben. The Golite is close at 7oz and much cheaper. You could use the savings for other lighter gear?

[brian H]

Delmar,
The quickest way to get your base weight To your target Is to post your gear list here on BPL.
Have you done this?

" If you post it they will come"

" Opinions are like backpacks; Everybody has one".

[BlackHatGuy]

"I am in the market for a Poncho, but I gotta have it at 5 oz or less."

Luke's Ultralight makes a pertex poncho that weighs 5.2 oz. Full coverage and taped seams. Surely you can find .2oz savings somewhere else. And it's only $99.

http://lukesultralite.com/pertex-backpacking-poncho

[Dale Wambaugh]

That Lukes poncho is a weak design for backpacking. It is too long in the front and too short in the rear. It should reach a little below the knees in front and be longer in the back to cover a backpack. The classic design is to have a rear section that tucks under with snaps or Velcro so you can use with without a pack. Too long in front and you'll trip on it.

Mountain Laurel Designs has a good Cuben design that is 4.6oz and $165. It can be done if you have the cash.

I would go for a $60 7oz GoLite and look elsewhere to save the 3.4oz with the spare $105 :) Far less angst when you put a hole in it.

Actually, I wouldn't sweat the weight and I'd use the spare cash to get to the trailhead more often.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

My "gotta" comment was probably a bit much.

Somewhat OT for this thread, but: I have my heart set on a MYOG window-shrink-polycryo poncho. (Poncho only, not shelter, unless something really unforeseen happens.) I posted about this in the MYOG section and got nothin' but tumbleweeds blowing through that thread–nobody posted. So I'll just have to "do and fail" a couple of times until I either get it right, or give up and get a "store boughten" poncho. But I'm betting (hoping?) I can make a decent polycryo poncho for 5 oz.

Brian: You are right, of course. Haven't posted yet due to having some embarrassingly heavy gear that I know needs replacing. Just can't seem to let go of that 3-lb 2013 Hubba tent, for one thing…

[Dale Wambaugh]

A 62"x210" window film is 5.6 oz and that should make a couple large ponchos with room to spare, so you should be able to get under 3oz. I don't think it will last long, but it will be waterproof and light. Remember to wear some clothes under it ;)

A Frogg Toggs Emergency poncho is 2.8oz. (see http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/47177/index.html?skip_to_post=403261#403261). You could buy two and tape/glue/sew a chunk from one to the back of the other to extend the back length.

[John S.]

If you are going to rely on a poncho made of polycryo and the like, just don't walk anywhere near bushes or tree limbs. One catch while at walking speed and it will rip significantly.

[Hammock Hanger]

Eastern Mountain Sports has a 9 oz conventional poncho (nylon IIRC) that I like very much. Its currently on sale for $20. Has sie snaps, a very good visored hood, and seams are fully taped. I've been really pleased with mine, and it's kept me pretty dry through some pretty good rains. I don't have the GoLite so I can't compare directly, but you're going to stay pretty dry for 9 oz and $20.
+1 to the suggestion to save some money and save the weight on some other item.
What I've found in my adventures in ultra-lighting is that the Point Of Diminishing Returns on trading up to ever more expensive gear is that it's usually closer than you think. YMMV, and budgets differ, but eventually there's some point at which the next few fractions of an ounce just don't make any further difference to your day out ( and there's always other toys to spend money on).

[Chris Martin]

I don't think they are intended to be used as a tarp. I had a nearly new one, and one of the corner tie-outs ripped out after pitching a couple of times.

[Dale Wambaugh]

EMS shows a 34" back length. That's not a backpacker's poncho and actually short as ponchos go. A typical parka has a 30"-31" back length. That explains the light weight too. I'd say thumbs down.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I went ahead and ordered one and picked it up today. It's a bargain in my opinion. It's a little smaller than a GoLite at 52.5" wide by 90" vs 58" x 102", but it will work. The division is 38" long in front and 52" in the rear, compared to the GoLite at 43.5"/58.5". That's enough for a day or smaller multi-day pack and good for a shorter hiker. It hits me just below the knees (I'm 5'10"( so it is still usable by an average male and would be great for shorter users. It weighs ((((((drum roll)))))) 11.2oz on my scale.

The hood has elastic drawstrings and toggles, a Velcro adjuster on the back and it has a split under the chin with Velcro for easier on and off and a little venting too, which is much more sophisticated than the GoLite. It has taped seams too :) There are one set of snaps to hold the side closed and another set plus a center Velcro tab to fold the tail up for use without a pack.

There are 3/4" webbing loops in the corners to rig it as a shelter. It's too small for a sleep shelter for me, but fine to rig as shade or cook shelter.

It's a screaming deal at $17. If I was a Scoutmaster I would buy a case of them :)

[Mitchell Ebbott]

I picked mine up last night. Mine comes in at 12 oz. Seems sturdy, and I'd be fine using it with a bivy as my main shelter on a trip where I'm not expecting rain. There are still some in stock if you haven't grabbed one yet!

I do have a question: when I'm setting it up as a shelter, what do I do with the hood? Is there some accepted way to deal with this on poncho tarps?

[Dale Wambaugh]

It should be fine as a head end shelter for a fully weatherproof bivy.

You can tie off the hood like the end of a bread sack or tether it out so it's not the low point. Some designers have tried flaps or made it right on the ridgeline seam with Velcro to close it off.

[Adam Kramer]

with coupon SECRET25

[Dale Wambaugh]

Adam, you're more trouble than a Sierra Trading Post email flyer :) I'm putting my hands over my ears and singing LALALALALALALALA!

[DGoggins]

At $12 I definitely bought one.

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