Campmor Backpacker Poncho

I was considering buying of these ponchos for an upcoming trip to the Smokies and was wondering if anyone has ever used one of them before. If so, would you recommend them?

I have used one. They work but are not lightweight by today's considerations.
If you are thinking lightweight and packable, look at either Mountain Laurel Designs or Gossamer Gear. Of course, you will pay more.

If it's just a matter of coverage in a passing shower, some of the cheap vinyl disposables in garish colors will also work . . .

I've tried using a normal poncho, but they're too small and leave about a foot of my pack and sleeping pad exposed. I'm wondering how well a piece of a plastic painters drop cloth with a strap to secure it would work.

Look at the Sea To Summit poncho - it seems to be the longest I've used, and the least in need of a cord around the waist. The Integral Designs Silponcho is also very good (probably my favorite poncho), but my not be long enough for you in back.

Having said that, I've pretty well given up on ponchos. I find I prefer a rain jacket and pants, mostly because they can double as wind garments. In the end, the only real solution to rain is to get out of it. I've never stayed completely dry in the rain in either a poncho or a rain suit, but they're a whole lot better than nothing.

I use a nylon backpackers pancho I purchased at a local sporting good store. Its long enough to cover my pack or clip up when its just for me. I also wear my wind shirt which is water resistant underneath if its windy and raining. Works pretty well. Campmor sells a sil nylon verion thats 20$ more but 1/2 a lb lighter. seems like a good price for a sil nylon with webbing sewn in. The sea to summit sil nylon pancho is longer so would cover more but almost double the price.
silnylon pancho

I use a six moon design gatewood cape for my rain/snow protection and as a tarp. As far as the poncho part, i do like but i have only used in snow not rain. As the shelter goes its great!

11oz give or take.

i have used both the coated fabric and silnylon. the coated version is water proof and the silnylon is water resistant. believe me in a heavy downpour i want waterproof. silnylon becomes saturated with water and ends up weighing more than coated.

a poncho is the one item that goes on all my trips. i use it for cook fly and general rain protection. ever tried using a rain suit for cook fly or pack cover? ever pulled out a rain suit to sit on and prepare a meal? ever had to cover over a leaking tent with a rain suit?

now don't get me wrong, i carry a rain suit as well but for an extra layer for cool weather and walking thru wet high grass and course if it's raining or snowing.

I had good luck with the Dri Ducks Poncho. Cheap, light and fairly durable. Since it's breathable it doubles as an extra sleeping layer at night. Last summer I used it in rain every day for 5 straight days. My pack remained bone dry. Just don't use this poncho for bushwhacking.

17 oz is heavy for a poncho, even a full length one. My Golite poncho is about 10 oz or so, and one I bought from Campmor a couple years ago isn't as long but is 2 - 3 oz lighter than that.

I'm not positive all of these are still sold, but if you really want to survey the field, search for specs and prices (and reviews) on some of these too:
- Integral Designs Silponcho
- Sierra Designs Hurricane poncho
- Equinox Terrapin Poncho
- Bozeman Mountain Works SpinPoncho
- Poncho Villa from Antigravity Gear
- Mountain Laurel Designs MLD Pro Poncho
- Stephenson’s Warmlite Poncho
- make your own, for example patterns for Poncho and Parcho at Questoutfitters.com

Here's a link to the shorter version of the poncho to which Cesar posted the link. This one is 8 ounces, $39.95.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___20256

Yup, I have one of those I bought from Campmor 2 - 3 years ago, about the right weight, looks the same. I'm literally carrying it on a trip that I'm leaving for today in fact. All the specs look exactly the same, though it was listed at 7 oz when I bought it, and I weighed it to be 7.7 oz.

The only downside with the one I have is that the snaps are really, really stiff. First time I tried to open one I thought I'd lose a fingernail, and ultimately got a knife blade to force them open. So I think twice or thrice before taking the time and effort to open this up as a tarp, generally just carry it on trips where I only anticipate using it in poncho mode.

I have no idea if this is a problem on models sold today or not.

I don't think what you have is silnylon. A great test to find out(because silnylon "is" waterproof) is take a cup and force enough of the silnylon into the cup so that you can leave a couple of ounces in the portion that you push down into the cup. Leave it over night and if any water drips into the cup at all (through the nylon) you "do not have silnylon" That's what I was told and I did do the test myself on several fabrics and it worked flawlessly on the silnylon...sabre11004..

I agree with the snap comment.

My wife and I bought a couple several years ago. Feels like the fabric might tear before the snaps open if you pull on the fabric only.

I may be wrong but I always thought silnylon is not water proof but pretty darn close. Any small amount of pressure will push water beads through silnyon which is why sometimes in hard rain you get misting under a silnylon tarp. It may not in your test but an oz or two is not enough pressure to go through.

Here is a good article on keeping your gear dry and info on silnylon stuff sacks.
Keeping your Critical Gear Dry

One thing that occurred to me about those too-stiff snaps this trip was that there are little silnylon fabric tabs set kind of annoyingly right where you want the snaps to go, i.e., I typically have to fiddle a bit to push them out of the way to get the snaps closed.

So it just occurred to me (picture bell ringing and light bulb appearing over head) that the little tabs are intended to go between the snaps to make it easier to open them. Kind of weird if so, but I tried with one such tab in a snap and it did close that way --- I was in a hurry at the time and didn't stop to see if it therefore opened more easily, but ... maybe.

Very clever observation.

I tried it and it is much better. Snaps open easily.