Frogg Toggs Emergency Poncho

So you're going to wear it under your pack? They are small and won't cover your pack and back side.

They are much lighter stuff than the jackets. I could see using one as a day hike CYA kind of thing, but long term use under a pack suspension– I don't think I would.

I really didn't pay much attention to the size. I figured it was big enough to go over a medium sized pack. Maybe it's too small. I'll have to check it out.

Even their full-size poncho is limited on coverage when you add a pack to the equation, and like the rainsuits, it won't take much wear and tear. Sure beats wearing a rainsuit in warm temps, though.

Can't imagine the lighter one would be anything except less durable, but I'd like a couple for my trunk, daypack, etc.

Just curious Owen is that picture from Savage Gulf by the ranger station?

Yes. I call that pic "The Hunchback of Savage Gulf"…

The emergency poncho is smaller and the fabric is much thinner. I will shred pretty quick I'm afraid.

I played around with some when they first came out, attempting to make a pullover from one. You could buy two and sew or tape a chunk from one to the tail of the other to extend it.

Any true backpacking poncho should be about 14" longer in the back and have some way to fold that long section up when walking without a pack. A short one would be okay around camp or fishing, or backing up a cape shelter.

I'm surprised the full size covers as well as it does. Fine for a summer day if you don't have a following wind.

Hunchback indeed! You could frighten small children in that getup :)

Yep! I like what you said about the extra length in the back for use with a pack. You can see in the pic that I have the snaps offset to compensate for the shortened rear, and was left quite exposed.

That was an experiment. The poncho usually stays in my car as emergency rain gear, but at the TH, I knew I had two options-being alternately soaked with sweat and rain in my Precip(with all the zips open, and just the Velcro tabs holding the front closed), or soaked and chilled from hiking with no jacket at all.
Soaked from mid-thigh down, but my top half stayed mostly dry and comfortable. Clear trails, so the poncho was none the worse for wear except a few holes from branches poking it. If that material could be made a lot(LOT!) more durable with no weight increase or loss of breathability, it'd be fantastic. Those are big "ifs", though…

Just for reference, the full-size DriDucks Action Poncho weighs 9.2 ounces.

I'll take Dale's idea and run with it. I'll get another "E" poncho and cut it up to mod my current one (longer tail). Once I get the size and features down, I'll keep it for my hunting pack and make another from some scrap silnylon that I have for BP'ing.

Bought one of the emergency ponchos to check out today. This will be my summer raingear here in the South, since the temps are high, and it's enough to keep head and torso dry.
Light and compact-weighed in at ~4oz in a 1qt freezer bag.