Our crew motto for gear at Philmont was to try and have everything serve
two purposes. ("Cargo straps make good tourniquets after the mountain
lion rips your leg off.") A rainsuit serves many roles: Rain
protection, wind barrier, outer layer of warming clothing, long pants. A
poncho serves only one. It does not retain heat very efficiently, it
doesn't block the wind and it doesn't act as a second set of long pants.
As a guy who debated for almost 6 months whether I needed to upgrade to
a good GTX rain suit or go with a BP poncho, I've been down this road of
"rationalization", i.e. why I could get by with a poncho. Ultimately, I
chose to get a good GTX for my son and me. I agree with Rob exactly:
I'm glad, no, ecstatic, that I chose to buy my Marmot Precip rainsuit.
It rained on our crew 11 out of 11 days, and I'm not talking a "passing
shower". Well a few days were brief, but most days it was a sustained
2-3 hour rain. NO WAY would I want to have been using a poncho. I met
a lot of hardy souls out there who might have done just fine with a
poncho, but I'm not one of them.
My GTX came to be like my "woobie"/poncho liner was in my military days:
It was my security blanket. When I put it on I just felt better.
> I am going to play devil's advocate here as I do not understand one of
the
> issues.
>
> I have a poncho that covers the pack. I like it as I do not have to
always
> take the pack off to put the poncho on. If I have enough warning and
we
> expect heavy rain, I will take the pack off, put the poncho on in is
normal
> mode, to keep myself dryer then put my pack cover on my pack.
>
> In camp if it raining, I put the poncho in myself and the pack cover
on my
> pack. So what "choice" are you talking about. Does anyone put the
poncho
> on the pack and the pack cover on themselves?
>
> Yes, I know you are talking about some less bright backpacker who
thinks
> that if your poncho covers your pack you do not need a pack cover. It
is
> just I have never met one of them.
>
Like everyone has heard... Try it out on the trail, if it works for
you,
do it.
So if you don't mind sweating under your poncho (I've yet to see a
breathable
poncho) or the bottom blowing up when the wind gusts up, or getting your
legs
and feet wet because you don't have rain pants, and you're always
careful
enough to see that you don't snag a bush with your poncho and tear it
(I've
yet to see lightweight durable ponchos) or any of the other "issues"
that
others have mentioned, then it looks like ponchos work for you and you
should
use them.
as for me, I'll stick with my Marmot Precip rainsuit..
-- Rob ------------------------------------------------------- Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/ Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp ------------------------------------------------------- Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com ------------------------------------------------------- As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. -------------------------------------------------------Received on Mon Sep 13 08:30:30 2004
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