Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Rain Ponchos w/pack?

I've seen a couple of ponchos that fit over a rucksac or daypack, but am interested in one the fits over a expedition pack or external frame. Has anyone else looked for these ?
Kifaru had such a thing on their website once upon a time, but its gone and they never did produce one.

golite silnylon poncho gives good coverage, but leaves your arms exposed like most ponchos

1AK, you can use that poncho for a tarp also? If you have a link could you post it. I have looked on the REI, and Campmor site and have not found it. Thanks!!

Wearing a poncho over ones pack is one of those ideas that seems good on the glossy pages of a catalog (or the internet) but isn't something that works well in practice... at all.

Get yourself a coated pack cover, and wear whatever rain gear your heart desires. It won't break the bank I swear.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GWYE_enUS255US255&q=Go%2dlite+poncho.

I have one. But Brad is right. Thought I'd use it to cover the pack and all but it's turned into a emergency shelter. I use carry treking poles and it also converts into a great glassin shelter. Around here the harder it rains the more likely the big boys are gonna drop!! I seem to get more quality hours glassin in heavy rain.

This isn't light weight, but it doesn what you're asking:

http://wiggys.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=150&CFID=1316895&CFTOKEN=92692671

They used to have a better picture on their web site that showed it on a person with an external frame pack on. It's cut to fit over a pack and still leave your arms protected.

agree with Brad,

while my poncho will do what was asked I carry a pack cover always, either nylon or silnylon.

I use mine more for a shelter in a pinch than anything, though will say for rain protection rain gear and then poncho over it you will stay dry

If it is windy ponchos are purt near worthless IMO. Good rain gear and a good pack cover, yup.

A good pack cover still leaves some areas to get wet, and the shoulder straps wet.... Was miserable in wet straps a few years ago.

After this thread, I'd bought ponchos.... they've worked extremely well in high winds in rifle matches with gear etc.... I probably will carry the pack covers to help out in case of weather. But will try the poncho types for top cover with good rain pants for grins till it bites me.. Money isn't really the issue, just the fact that pack covers and a top didn't do what I wanted it to last time....

Jeff

Like most gear there are situations where something else works better, for the weight and bulk I get a lot of mileage out of my sil/nylon poncho. Quick on and off for fast changing conditions, I sometimes slip it on if I have to travel through a 100 ft. border of reprod. and come out the other side dry rather than completely soaked through. They don't work great on steep ground but for a long on trail climb they provide a lot better air circulation "less condensation" than any rain gear I've tried.
Even wearing a fully gasketed g-tex drysuit and good layers underneath it's surprising how much warmer it is to wrap up in the poncho during a long cold wait and mine often is utilized to make a large vestibule area once camp is setup.

In more humid/wet conditions the poncho remains my favorite piece of rain gear (for backpacking) for the reasons you mention. Any rain gear will keep one wet from the inside out because of condensation, but I've found that a poncho somehow (for me and my metabolism) strikes the best balance between ventilation and waterproofness. Were I heading off to hike the AT tomorrow I'd be packing a poncho. Here in dry MT I'll stick with my little Paclite Marmot jacket.

I just bought another poncho. This one a super light model that doubles as a tarp, etc. They make a longer version to cover a backpack. See www.campmor.com.
What I'm planning to do is use a Patagonia Houndini as a wind and light rain shell, and the poncho as hard rain protection. If I'm going ultralight back packing, I'll roll up in it and use it as a bivy.
Let you know how that works out. E

My thoughts are for a multy use also. The straps and body-side panel are continually soaked and tend to freeze up. Pack covers are ok, for a pack laid out on the ground.
Something in Sil-nylon could be carried instead of a plain tarp.
Raingear, bivy, tarp, ground sheet, blind, all in one.
Now, if it was strong enough to use as a hammock.........

BTDT, and it worked pretty well! I didn't realize it at the time, but the rain was putting out a forest fire that was perilously close, yet downwind of my campsite! Sniff, sniff......do you smell smoke?.....nah, couldn't be!