A Pretty Good UL Raincoat

[Jonathan Marshall]

The ideal raincoat would be truly waterproof, highly breathable, ultralight, durable, packable, and affordable. It doesn’t exist, but I recently discovered an unusual contender.

It’s the BP TRENDZ Rain Poncho on Amazon. (Other venders sell very similar models). It’s undeniably affordable – 2 for $10. At 5 oz. it satisfies my definition of ultralight, particularly since it covers below my knees, thus making rain pants unnecessary. Made of EVA plastic, it’s more waterproof than many laminates and much tougher, say, than a Frogg Toggs rain jacket. It also packs down very small.

The only thing it’s not is breathable. However, because it’s open at the bottom and uses snaps rather than a zipper, it allows a great deal of air circulation through the front and bottom, just not the sleeves and upper back. That may disqualify it for many people but I think it’s worth consideration.

[Ian]

I love ponchos and I think they’re great for trips where I’m not expecting rain as I’ll use them as my shelter as well.

My experience has been that I don’t like wearing them in a wind storm.  There are things you can do to mitigate the flapping like wearing some cord as a belt, but I discovered quickly that whatever weight penalty comes with a hard shell was worth it in those scenarios.

The other issue I’ve found is that I wear hard shells for warmth more than rain.  Ponchos help but they aren’t perfect and don’t do a great job of trapping warm air.

Understanding those limitations, for trips where temps will likely remain above freezing and it’s not likely to rain, my beloved ponchos are a great way to keep things light but still have some insurance on the chance the forecast changes after we start our trip.

[Rex Sanders]

Agree that the perfect raincoat doesn’t exist. That’s why I usually carry an umbrella plus windshirt, or a real poncho.

This product is more of a long raincoat, not a “poncho” by conventional definition (mostly a big flat piece of fabric with head hole, armless, open sides). But the seller claims it’s big enough to wear over a backpack of undefined size.

EVA is a kind of plastic. No fabric involved here. The URL calls it “Disposable” despite claiming “Reusable” in the descriptions. “… with material thickness of 0.15mm” or about twice the thickness of human hair (yes, lots of hair variability).

What will be the longevity in backpacking applications?

ReviewMeta and Fakespot both say the 4.3 star review rating is in good shape. Still, only 12 reviews with comments.

Reviewers say it might not fit people over 6 feet tall, nor work well with bulky clothing underneath, nor survive encounters with sharp things.

And that shade of pink should blend right into many backcountry environments. I think ;-) Maybe clear or black would be better choices.

Still at 5 ounces (lighter than my poncho or umbrella) with an incredibly low price, might be worth checking out.

— Rex

[John S.]

and its reusable.

[Jonathan Marshall]

For those who are disinclined to wear pink, rest assured that it comes in black and clear as well. I’ve tried it and like it far more than a poncho. It’s fine with bulky clothing but would not fit comfortably over most packs. It would fit people over 6 feet, but wouldn’t extend below the knees.

[Monte Masterson]

I’ve had good results with the Frogg Toggs Ultra Lite Poncho. Great SUL item for warmer weather. $4.97 USD. Weighs 3.2 oz and is made with a non woven polypropylene that FT claims is breathable. I don’t totally believe it, but it does feel better and stronger than plastic emergency ponchos. I modified one by cutting 12″ off an extra one and taping it onto the back with clear Scotch packaging tape. Hood is in the center so that allows coverage for a 25 L pack. Adds about 0.3 oz. I also applied stick-on velcro on the long sides to keep poncho secure (does not come with snaps). And lastly I taped plastic washers to 4 corners with duct tape to provide tieouts for a mini tarp. Adds another 0.2 oz.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Frogg-Toggs-Ultra-Lite-Poncho-Green-One-Size/35736507

[HkNewman]

The ideal raincoat…doesn’t exist

What some well known hiking books called the “Holy Grail” but maybe your term of “pretty good“ may be more suitable.  Ponchos can be decent if need be, but still think hikers want a jacket approach (should be more a parka actually).

The good thing about ponchos is also covering the pack.  Wonder if anyone will make a serious poncho with some sort of front ventilation system when things get steamy inside? (zip or velcro)

[Michael B]

Wonder if anyone will make a serious poncho with some sort of front ventilation system when things get steamy inside?

 

Gatewood Cape, has a zipper, doesn’t that cover it?

[Jonathan Marshall]

I’ve become a fan of front snaps like the ones on this rain jacket because they allow much more ventilation than a zipper (unless you unzip and lose all protection from the rain).

[Roger Caffin]

Wonder if anyone will make a serious poncho with some sort of front ventilation system when things get steamy inside? (zip or velcro)
I don’t think either zips or full-length Velcro qualify as good ventilation. I make our own ponchos (WP silnylon) and these have snaps or press-studs down the front. I often have just the two middle snaps done up, even in serious rain. Or we might even have the front open.

Details of the MYOG bit at
https://backpackinglight.com/myog_mntn_poncho/

There is Velcro on the storm flap over the snaps, but I rarely use the flap. Oh well: if I am dealing with strong wind and rain, I will use the lot! Then it is hooray for fully WP silnylon.

If it is cold I keep my arms inside the poncho rather than in the sleeves. That keeps them and my body warm. As the poncho goes over the pack, we get good ventilation when we need it as well. But my design does have sleeves, which can be needed at times.

Better add the comment that if it is very cold and wet, there will (inevitably) be condensation on the inside of any WP jacket or poncho. At least, with a loose flappy poncho I don’t get as wet as I would with something tight.

The surprising thing is just how warm we can be inside a poncho: a sort of warm fug develops despite the elements outside.

Cheers

[John S.]

Monte is describing the emergency poncho but linking to the ultra-lite2 poncho (or walmart image is ultralite at emergency price).

https://www.froggtoggs.com/frogg-toggsr-emergency-poncho-4734

https://www.froggtoggs.com/frogg-toggsr-ultra-lite2a-poncho

[Monte Masterson]

You are correct John, it’s the Emergency Poncho I was referring to. I attached he wrong link, my bad. Something’s not right with the Walmart price though. Confusing. Anyway, the Ultra Lite is considerably heavier than the Emergency Poncho. but it does have a draw string hood and snaps.

[Robert Spencer]

Monte, is your FT poncho really half the weight of the 6 oz. listed on their website? If so, seems like a nice back up option as long as the wind doesn’t howl.

[Monte Masterson]

The 6 oz weight that’s listed for the Frogg Toggs Adult Emergency Poncho includes the VERY thick plastic (reusable) package it comes in. If you look a the writing on the far bottom right you can see the weight of the poncho (by itself) is 3.2 oz. Like I said earlier, it’s infinitely better than plastic emergency ponchos and is easily repaired with tape in case you happen to rip it on thorns or something. Great for an XUL or SUL warm weather kit.

[Jonathan Marshall]

A key advantage of a long rain jacket like the BP TRENDZ is it doesn’t flap around in the wind nearly as much as a poncho. It’s not quite as well ventilated, but the open bottom and snaps do a pretty good job on that score.

[Roger Caffin]

We didn’t notice a lot of flapping in the wind with our ponchos.

Cheers

[Kyler B]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I’ve never tried it but the packa in 15D silnylon looks good. Used a big over the pack plastic parka in Indonesia and it worked good for heavy rain especially after my expensive goretex jacket wetted out.</p>

[Cameron M]

Even the cheapest, most minimal poncho can make a heavy storm way more pleasant. Hard to argue with 3.2 oz.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I made a DCF poncho groundsheet. I tested it in town when there was a rain storm (with hail, too!) It worked pretty well. I only had a small backpack on. I will still need a rain skirt for full coverage. I was warm but not hot (Santa Barbara isn’t super cold even in a storm) and was able to walk 2 miles without getting too hot. DCF, like silnylon, feels wet when it’s wet though. By that I mean, the fabric sort of feels cold and wet even though you aren’t getting wet.

Zpacks sells a DCF poncho groundsheet. It’s certainly not as cheap as an emergency poncho, but unlike a poncho tarp shelter, it’s not gigantic to wear, but still provides you a dual-use item. Theirs has zippers on the sides to hold it close to the body. Mine just has mittenhooks. Being small and close to the body I don’t think it will flap around as much as a regular poncho.

[Roger Caffin]

Flapping: nothing that a bit of string or bungee cord can’t fix.
Cheers

[d k]

I made a longish version of Roger’s poncho but with a zipper, kinda below the knees, working off a Parcho pattern.  It’s about 7oz. So far I like it a lot.

[Roger Caffin]

Photo!

[d k]

Okay, Roger…here’s my Barney (big purple dinosaur) poncho.  I love the loops for attaching it to pack straps, and the options for either zipper or snaps down the front. Looking back, I think I didn’t use your hood scheme, which I’ll probably try if I do another one.

I basically incorporated most of the features from both yours and the Parcho, but made it longer, figuring I could make it shorter later on if desired, or cut of the excess sleeve “hand covers”, which I also like.

Since the length means it doesn’t vent as well, I might leave the seams open at the armpits next time too.

 

[Ian]

DK,

I’m not saying that you should use that as a wingsuit, but if you ever get outed as a spy and are being chased by the KGB, you could in a pinch.

Nicely done.

[Roger Caffin]

Great!
I like the colour too. All that grey and camo stuff leaves me cold.

Cheers

[Author]

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