Poncho liner uses?

L

lobodelanoche

Joined
Feb 7, 2012
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424
My dad served in Vietnam and he swore by his "woobie". I'm finally getting some time to head out and thought that this sounds like a great piece of kit, but, how do YOU use it, is it worth the cost, and is there any brand that is better than another? Thanks ahead of time.
PS: pics are welcome as always.
 
I have two of them but I'm out touch with who makes what today.

My "better" poncho liner is my old one that was issued to me over 20 years ago. It's very light weight but just warm enough. I haven't seen one like it in many years. Story time...every girlfriend that I remember that has used it has tried to sneak it away from me. I'm married with kids now and I had to stop leaving it out as most recently my daughter thinks it's hers. You would think it has magical qualities or something!

My newer poncho liner is several years old, made by wiggys. It's heavier and thicker but to me it's not as nice as my old one. It's too heavy imo. I use it as a blanket or ground sheet.
 
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I’ve got close to a dozen. They are great additions to your kit and although I’ve been using a Kifaru Woobie recently, I used to always use the issued poncho liner to stuff into my pack to fill up dead space and keep odd-sized gear from rattling around.

I’ve used as a stand-alone blanket. It doesn’t have a ton of insulation and is okay as a wind break, but it’s better than nothing. I’ve used them as a sun shade, bottom insulation under my hammock, used inside light-weight sleeping bags to create additional “loft” and dead-air space. They are good as a ground cover for a picnic or even to offer some protection for your bivi-bag.

For the compactness (of the original) and weight, they are worth adding to your standard kit. As I said, I pretty much use the Kifaru version exclusively, but when it’s colder and I have a more dedicated backpack, I’ll switch to adding one of my older poncho liners. Another viable (but expensive) option is HPG’s Mountain Serape…another version that has incredible insulation plus a tough and versatile design.

ROCK6
 
They can be picked up for under $20 for unissued green -woodland-or multicam. I use mine in my treestand when it's cold. I also copied it with a 2 layered camo fleece version for REALLY cold days in the stand. My kids also love both and try to claim them when deer season has passed. They are super light weight and compress well. I really like the fact that they will dry rather quickly. The tie down string seem to always come in handy!

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I have several, one is a blanket for warmer weather trips. Another I converted to an underquilt for my hammock.
 
Now, I don't quite understand this, but is it true that they are not really for use as a poncho liner because there is no hole for your head??
 
That's not their purpose. You are supposed to tie the poncho liner into a poncho and use the two together like a sleeping bag. I think they use to call it a Ranger Roll. :)
 
Lots of uses you could think up, thank your father for me for his service.

Have used one as a pillow, blanket, butt cushion during overwatch, sloppy scarf to go smoke a cigarette, laundry bag, put on ground for picnic, gear inventory/maintenance, shooting mat for elbows, etc. Could stuff it into a cargo pocket if need to.
 
A poncho liner is always the one piece of snivel gear I always put in my ruck. Well that and some extra socks in a zip-lock:thumbup:
 
I've wondered about using my poncho liner as an underquilt for my hammock. This fall gathering will be my first time using my hammock in sub-50° temps. Is it decent enough for that? My issue poncho liner has been gone for a year or more, finally succumbed to too much use(got out in '05). My newer one was picked up in a surplus store this past spring. It goes everywhere my Jeep goes. I've been tempted by higher end variants, but just haven't pulled the trigger. My 2 yr old is finding out now the great virtues of a woobie and she's latched on to mine.
 
I've been through a couple of them over the years. Each of my daughters has managed to steal one from me. My grand kids all snuggle up on the couch under a poncho liner when it's cold. There's something magical about them, im sure.

I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan as a civilian and brought one with me. My wife made a stuff sack for it out of the leg of an old pair of BDUs. She cut the leg to about 12 inches and stitched it up. The ankle leg ties cinch up the sack perfectly.

My current woobie has been modified a bit. I toss and turn a good bit when I sleep. I used 3.0 nylon sutures to sew the bottom 18-24 inches together like a sleeping bag. I tuck my feet into that section, then wrap up. It works perfectly for me.

You can't go wrong with one.
 
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