From what ive read you can snap 2 together and make an A frame tent, or use it as a lean to.
This would work great in wet/damp enviroments but not so much in the cold.

 

Ponchos are incredibly handy. A must-have in my opinion.

 

Great links, a poncho has so many uses. A rain catch, ground cloth, flotation device, shelter, sling seat, stretcher. The list goes on and on, great purchase.

 

Google search "poncho shealter" or "tarp shealter." you'll get atleast 100 links.

 

Possibly tha best multi use item ever invented -- I carry two

 

- a multitool and 550 paracord, I would probably agree with you

Unfortunatly I only have the cheap dodgy ponchos (2 of them), but I have a few really good rain coats, so I guess it evens out.

 

When I worked at the Central Issue Facility, there were a lot of poncho's rendered inoperable due to a flaking or peeling of the waterproof outerlayer. Watch out for that!

I've never seen an olive green poncho, so maybe they made them different back in the day. Maybe there's no coating to flake off. :thumb:


Edit:

Oh... Right... Scotland!

 

I believe it is US issue, I bought it from a bulk military surplus warehouse. It seems to be made of some sort of ripstop nylon which is light but looks like it should be pretty waterproof.. Not sure which branch of the US military it is from though.

It has 6 eyelets on it, 1 on each corner and one in the middle of two of the sides. It has poppers down each side for closing it to the wind and for attaching it to another poncho. It came with half a dozen bootlaces through all the eyes which I guess are to aid in constructing a shelter with it. It comes in a little pouch about A5 size which it neatly packs away into.

EDIT - I had another look at the website I bought it from and it says it is US-Made and "US-Style" so I guess that means that it is a copy of the current issue rather than genuine surplus. Still, looks good for the money.

 

Poncho's, the other pup tent.

Ya learn something new all the time on this site.

 

Don't forget teh woobie!!!!!!!!


http://www.specopstactical.com/usgi-camo-poncho-liner-p-2728.html

 

I understand that they are good for more than just wearing and that they can be used as shelters and groundsheets etc.
Does anyone know of any guides to rigging these as basic shelters?

Just search this site and you'll get several threads about ponchos.

Google finds stuff like this:

http://www.aircav.com/survival/asch05/asch05p01.html

 

Here is the type of tarp/poncho used by the norwegian army and some of the tentconstructions you can make with it.

The version known and well remembered by all norwegian infantrymen is the 7 tarp version with twisted double top-tarp buttoned up for storm. It was their second home for some 90-120 days a year.

 

Well thanks for the note of caution charlieb. Still no rain so I went for the ultimate acid test - I popped on my wellies and my poncho and stood under the shower for 10 minutes :thumb:. At the end there was a slight dampness getting through to the base of my neck, but other than that I was perfectly dry. It seems to have been getting through the seams on the back of the hood somehow.

Still I was going for 100% waterproofness, so I have ordered a genuine surplus British Army heavy gauge poncho. In the mean time I will dry and treat the ripstop one with waterproofing spray. All in all the "shower test" is quite demanding so I suspect it will keep me plenty dry until my surplus one arrives and will serve as a good backup. Aside from the hood there was no "soaking through" patches anywhere on the poncho - all of the water was beading.

 

While the poncho is a great utilitarian piece of gear, you need to be aware that because it's totally waterproof it collects and condenses moisture on the inside, too. When you wear it during periods of exertion, especially in high humidity, moisture will collect on the inside even without leaks, especially around points of closure, where air movement is stopped such as the neck and shoulders.
The very best ponchos are genuine surplus, the "military style" are cheap knock-offs and built to substandard specs. They may be waterproof, but will not last as long nor be as durable in heavy use.

 

Must get one(hundred) of those.

 

i have a usgi in OD, love it, i use it more as a tent than a rain jacket, many practical uses for it, on;y problem it is noisy, not the best for a hunt,

 

Eveyone seems to overlook the poncho liner. The liner comes with strings that you can attach it to the poncho. When they are tied together they are very warm. I use the liner as a blanket on my bed. Both me and my wife love them. Living in the desert you dont need much warmth in the summertime. I also use it in my sleeping bag. I've used poncho liners since I got out of the Army in the early eighties.

 

My woobie is my best friend in the field when the work is all done. :thumb:

 

Well my properl surplus one has arrived. It's a whole 'nother kettle of fish, made of a heavy duty and quite obviously waterproof material. It was meant to be "British Army" issue but for some reason it has German flag stickers on the sides - go figure. In any case, it is in issued condition so some military somewhere has had the use out of it before me. It's a little weather stained, but looks like it should be completely waterproof. Doesn't smell of Marine so I guess they washed it down before reselling

It was actually a little cheaper than the ripstop one, although this one is used and the ripstop one was new. When I have a moment I will post some photos comparing them both.

It looks the business

 

Google Zelt Bahn if you wanna see where it all started and get some good ideas.

 

dont be fooled by these piece of **** ponchos... they will disintegrate... step 2 for me is to buy a pvc shower curtain and put grommets on it. the ponchos only work for a little while and the layers separate then youll be all wet inside. they simply suck

 

How do you get rid of the musty smell? I have two surplus GI ponchos and they smell awful. It's not BO, they smell like moldy rubber or something.

Thought about soaking them in some simple green diluted w/water but not sure if that will damage the waterproofing. Any suggestions, or preferably any proven methods would be greatly appreciated.
:thumb:

 

How do you get rid of the musty smell? I have two surplus GI ponchos and they smell awful. It's not BO, they smell like moldy rubber or something.

As with all mil surplus, you need to wash and air dry items. Some items need to be aired outside to get rid of smell. Baby soap might help. I just use whatever soap we've got and let stuff sit overnite in bucket. Rinse the next day. Don't think you can just throw into washer either. Good way to find weak spots real fast. Brand new stuff used be thrown into dryer to soften up, I never did it. If you see thread coming loose hit it with fingernail polish or fray check. Plus, there's a mil surplus canvas smell that stays on stuff.
Febreze it.

 

These YouTube setups work equally well for a rectangular tarp or rectangular poncho

Here is a kid setting up a plastic tarp and it is a good way to set up a rectangular tarp.

Here is man setting up a rectangular tarp.

The "Variation on the Half Pyramid" is my favorite pitch for a rectangular tarp or poncho. He discusses the merits of each pitch.

The setup is the same, whether rectangular tarp or poncho.

My favorite ponchos sold are the Integral Designs Sil-Poncho, Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape PonchoTent and the Alpinlite Microburst.

The smaller 5x8 ponchos typically available pitch nicely as this Mountain Laurel Designs Monk Tarp.

DIY?

Looking around thread links, I found this military-type polyurethane-coated ripstop poncho and poncho liners, if not yet satisfied.

 

Making a shelter with a US army rain poncho

 

Treat your poncho as your best friend!
It's also offers a good protection against NBC threats.

Attach a rubber bungee in every corner if you use it as a shelter. It allows the poncho to flex with the wind and the eyelets don't get ripped out.

A towel around you neck will protect against moisture and condensation below the poncho.

Avoid cheap imports from China- they are worthless and wasted money.

 

I have one in my GHB and it is fine for the money I paid for it.

 

There are some ultra light backpacking companies that make mosquito net A frame tents that weigh next to nothing. You set them up using your trekking poles and you can use your poncho/tarp tent over the top of them if the weather gets bad. Some have a tub style floor so you dont have to worry about water coming in from the bottom sides. I'm sure you could make one pretty easily.

 

Here's an example. Pricey but you get the idea.
http://www.golite.com/Product/ProdDetail.aspx?p=SH6123&mc=154&t=&lat=