Sunday, 4 July 2010

Rain Gear - rain poncho, rainwear


Great poncho! Withstood the rigors of traipsing around England in showers and a torrential downpour in Cornwall. I'm a big, beautiful woman, regularly wear a 3X, and it fit just fine. My only complaint is that I ordered it in one color (black), then got an email saying that color wasn't available, so had to go with another color (navy blue), but it did arrive quickly once I changed the order. Pacific Poncho, Unisex (Black)

Pacific Poncho, Unisex (Royal)



In general, I love this Poncho, which I have worn quite often at work (I work as a tourguide outdoors). It's lightweight and sturdy and I 've had many compliments on the way it looks. I use the little storage pouch for protecting my paperwork against the weather. The only drawback is the lack of a "half-brim" on the hood, which would offer better protection for my face (thus the one-star detraction), but otherwise it's a good buy.

Poncho feels great inside and out! Has great elasticity on the outside to prevent damage from brush when moving thru foliage (not stiff so reduces noise too). Inside has by far the best feel that I have experienced from a poncho over the past 30-something years (ex-military). Drawstring on hood is top quality. Snaps halfway down sides have water resistant pull tabs for easy use and to prevent tearing. Great breathability and excellent wet weather protection.

When I read some of the reviews of items I am often reminded of the line in the Mason Williams' song, "how hopeless it all becomes when you seek all the answers in one". I have 3 different ponchos I use for three different purposes. I have a large military surplus poncho that I have been using for the past four decades and it provides 100% coverage of me and my back pack or camera bag. It is too bulky for general travel and is used 100% of the time for day trips originating from my home.



I have a second excellent poncho that provides 75% as much coverage as the military issue one but is compact enough to take along for use while traveling. I used it on a recent trip to Costa Rica and it was perfect. It kept me mostly dry and provided enough air circulation that I did not get wet from my own perspiration - which is where ponchos excel.



I bought this Pacific poncho in a "forest green" and it is 1/3 the size of my other "travel" poncho. It is small enough to carry in the pocket of a jacket or in a small purse and have it ready for immediate use. No it does not provide full coverage anymore than a small collapsible umbrella provides the same coverage as a large golfing type of umbrella, but that should not come as a surprise. The forest green color is a good deal darker than anything I have seen before and looks in tungsten light like it is actually a dark navy blue. Nice color and I prefer it to the color that is shown in the picture provided by this merchant.



You cannot have it all, lightweight, compact size, and full coverage of all bodies, big and small, and inexpensive. If you are big then get a full size poncho if you cannot afford to get your shins or shirt cuffs wet. If you want 100% coverage then forget about compact size and better yet get waterproof pants and a waterproof jacket and take an umbrella.



Ponchos are perfect for photographers regardless of any other consideration. I can have my camera bag and my camera outside of the bag instantly accessible and yet protected from the rain. I can even shoot through the hood and use a tripod and keep myself mostly dry while shooting from my portable "blind". The small size and very compact nature of the Pacific poncho makes it something one can easily put in pocket of the camera bag and have it immediately ready if needed.

I like the color of this poncho - it's a true Forest Green and seems well made. Granted, it is very light but the Polyurethane is bonded to a very thin layer of stretch knit fabric. This helps prevent the poncho from ripping at the first tree snag you come in contact with.

There are very nice sewn hems along the entire edge of the poncho and it comes in it's own carrying case as well for easy out of sight storage.



I do wish however they had put one more snap at the sides as they tend to blow open if it's windy and let rain in.



The hood has a stretchy drawstring so you can really cover up your head - something the $3.99 ponchos never have. This poncho is attractive enough for sure and would be useful on most occasions.

Love this poncho. Very light yet effective. You almost feel naked wearing this. Excellent construction, snaps in the right places, sheds water well and dries quickly afterward. And did I mention it is so light? I think I will get another for guests.

I'm completely thrilled with this poncho as the material is exactly what I hoped for. I bought the Stormtech poncho too and have compared them. I like both and will keep and use both, but this one is the best because of the fabric. It will be nice to have one handy for farm chores and one I can carry in the car for emergencies. This one though is definitely my favorite. While both are about the same size and style, this one seems to be a bit better made, with better hood ties and grommets for fastening at the neck. The Stormtech poncho is a finely woven nylon fabric that I'm sure will be nicely rain resistant, but the fabric on this one is rain proof. I had a raincoat that I loved made out of this same material. It served me well for many, many years before the fabric finally gave out. The company no longer makes that sort of coat and I've been looking ever since. Most raincoats are ridiculously expensive or poor quality or too heavy or styled for work or dress wear. I wanted a raincoat with a hood that would keep the rain off when I would not normally be wearing any sort of coat--like in the summer when it's very hot here. Both the Stormtech and this poncho are very lightweight and will serve that purpose just fine, but I know from experience that this material, a light polyurethane over a thin fabric backing, is completely waterproof while also being smooth and flexible and surprisingly durable. One thing I liked about my beloved raincoat was that it was so generously cut that I could even put my purse or a bag under it for protection. Obviously I can do the same with a poncho. I wish the 'sleeves' were longer, but otherwise the coverage and length are good. On me, at 5'4", it comes below my knees but only 2/3s down my arms. A poncho is not ideal when it's windy since the open sides would flap and allow you to get wet, but until I find a coat made of this stuff, it will have to do.I highly recommend this poncho as quick and effective rain protection when it's too hot for a coat. It comes in a nice carrying bag that is not too small to get the poncho back in after use. - Rainwear - Rain Gear - Womens - Rain Poncho'


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