Sil Poncho? What do you think?

[Sharp Eye]

Has anyone used a sil poncho?
What do you think of it?
Where is a good place to get one?

 

[jackknife]

I've had one for about 2 years now.

I like that it is so light, and stuffs into a small mesh bag. Very easy to have along on an outing.

But; I've found that the hood is a bit skimpy, and you need a ball cap under it to keep the rain out of your face.

Also it leaked around the neck seam where the hood joined the body and I had to use some seam sealer that was made for sil stuff, that I purchased at an REI store. Since then its been fine.

 

[CDRules]

Yeah, almost all silnylon products will not come factory seam sealed. They dont make a seam tape that will stick to the stuff. If you are havign problems pick up some SilNet and use that to seal your seams.

Or... If you want to try and make some sealer at home try mixing by weight:
1 part GE Silicone II Clear Kitchen and Bath Caulk
1 Part Mineral Spirits (paint thinner)

mix them till they are well mixed and then paint them onto the seams with a smalll seam brush. This mixture usually turns out to look a little nicer as a finished product than the SilNet stuff.

Ok. Back to Silnylon Poncho's they will be very light but not super durable. A good place to get some:

SEA TO SUMMIT

or and even nicer one from

Mountain Laurel Designs

 

[Sharp Eye]

Back to Silnylon Poncho's they will be very light but not super durable.

CDRules,
It sounds like you might use another kind of poncho at least some of the time. What do you prefer?
Does anyone have a poncho that they really like?

 

[CDRules]

Well, I probably should have elaborated on the not super durable part. In browsing this forum I have discovered that many people here enjoy things that are "over durable" things like military backpacks made from heavy materials or heavier types of tarps that have been discussed in the past.

Silnylon however is a very strong material but is also very light so you have to treat it nicely. Most lightweight tarps will be made from 30D or aprox 1.1-1.3 oz per sq yard sil nylon.

Now Silnylon has the distinct feature that the when the silicone is added to the nylon ripstop it actually makes it stronger and penetrates into the fibers instead of sitting on top. Which is why you can have an old Silnylon tarp or tent where all the waterproofing material isnt flaking off.

I dont currently own a poncho I just work with people who are familiar with them and enjoy the light weight and dual purpose aspect of ponchos.

One popular piece of equipment that serves dual purpose as rain gear and shelter is from Six Moon Designs. The cape sets up so it is completly enclosed unlike a poncho which has 2 open ends. That might be another worth looking into.

However I dont currently own any of these products so I cannot make any personal recommendations.

 

[brians]

I've had good lock with a Sea to Summit poncho. I use it as a raincoat/pack-cover, and emergency shelter when paired with their Reactor bag liner and a cabelas XPG Bivy.

All extremely packable for hiking:

http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/6

Adds up to 15 degrees of warmth to a sleeping bag or, used alone, is the ideal warm weather bag.
http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/24

 

[DWK2]

I've got a Campmor model and have had no problems with it.

I really appreciate CDRules' advice on making seam sealer (I'll use it for silnylon tarps/tents). I have used a bit of Silnet sealer and the rest of the tube quickly turns rock hard even if you have the cap off only very briefly. Pretty expensive when you only need a little.

DancesWithKnives

 

[mete]

For do it yourselfers - www.seattlefabrics.com has 1.3 oz siliconized nylon.

 

[HighDesertWalker]

Well, I probably should have elaborated on the not super durable part. In browsing this forum I have discovered that many people here enjoy things that are "over durable" things like military backpacks made from heavy materials or heavier types of tarps that have been discussed in the past.

Silnylon however is a very strong material but is also very light so you have to treat it nicely. Most lightweight tarps will be made from 30D or aprox 1.1-1.3 oz per sq yard sil nylon.

Now Silnylon has the distinct feature that the when the silicone is added to the nylon ripstop it actually makes it stronger and penetrates into the fibers instead of sitting on top. Which is why you can have an old Silnylon tarp or tent where all the waterproofing material isnt flaking off.

I dont currently own a poncho I just work with people who are familiar with them and enjoy the light weight and dual purpose aspect of ponchos.

One popular piece of equipment that serves dual purpose as rain gear and shelter is from Six Moon Designs. The cape sets up so it is completly enclosed unlike a poncho which has 2 open ends. That might be another worth looking into.

However I dont currently own any of these products so I cannot make any personal recommendations.

I have the Six Moon Designs "Gatewood Cape" and recommend it highly. It's a multipurpose design permitting use as a nicely fitted poncho, a pack cover and a very credible shelter. If you use a trekking staff (mine is carbon fiber) it will do double duty as the single pole needed for the shelter. I also carry six Titanium stakes to tie out the edges.

The Gatewood Cape is so light I take it with me everywhere in the outdoors if there is any threat of rain at all. If you wind up having to bivouac unexpectedly, you've got your shelter as well. What's not to like. :thumbup:

P.S. I sealed all the seams before use.