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[pct-l] poncho - tarp - combo



I have used a poncho/tarp as raingear/packcover/shelter on a number of
trips.  I always used more than a pad below me because just the pad doesn't
provide enough cover to prevent my sleeping bag or quilt from getting dirty.
Over time I have tried using a ground cloth made from thin plastic (2mil I
think), an emergency blanket, and tyvek.  Recently I tried using a bivy with
a waterproof sil-nylon bottom / and DWR quantum top rather than a ground
cloth.

I think there are two issues with doing a poncho/tarp.  The first is whether
you are happy using a poncho as rain gear.  Some people love poncho and talk
a lot about good ventilation, the luxury of keeping they pack dry, etc.
While I will often use a poncho/tarp to save weight, I am not a big poncho
fan.   It seems that all the time I face a serious rain, and am also
confronted with extremely windy conditions where I have to tie the poncho to
myself.  This results in my chest being soaked in sweat because the poncho
doesn't breath and if I let it ventilate enough the poncho would flap too
much. Also, I seem unusually skilled at snaring the poncho on brush, and it
really gets in the way when I need to do serious scrambling over rocks.

The second issue using a poncho/tarp is that tarp isn't that big.  You
really need to be a skilled tarp user not to get wet in a rain storm,
especially if there is side-blown rain.  A couple of weeks ago I found that
the quantum top bivy was barely adequate additional protecting in a really
nasty storm (and yes, I was in a the most protected location avail).  If I
was going to be on an extended trip I think I would want something a bit
more water-resistant than quantum like EPIC.

There was are some nice articles about using a poncho/tarp at:

http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles.asp?subcat=3&cid=80
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00150.html

--mark