My Take on the Rain Jacket vs Poncho Debate

[kfw]

From the Camino Francis 2023.

The verdict is still out!

 

[C clearly]

I am not sure what question those answers apply to!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I am not sure what question those answers apply to!

Not sure if there was a question but the response (as of 13:33 GMT 16/12) was 100% in favour of personal comfort!
Reminds me of the old tag "He uses statistics like a drunk uses a lamp column - for support rather than enlightenment".

 

[falcon269]

If you need to take off your pack to don rain gear, you have chosen equipment poorly! There is a reason that the Altus poncho is so popular.

 

[CTLawGal]

If you need to take off your pack to don rain gear, you have chosen equipment poorly! There is a reason that the Altus poncho is so popular.

That's why I bought one!

 

[Telelama]

If you need to take off your pack to don rain gear, you have chosen equipment poorly!

Oh, I don't know about that statement.

For all the times that I have witnessed people struggling to put their poncho on, particularly when it is windy, with it getting caught on their head and backpack and they need someone else to help them pull it down so it covers their backpack and help them to secure the sides.

And for all the times I've witnessed people with ponchos on struggle to get them off, arms swinging wildly in a bar as they struggle, with one person we saw almost panicked like they were stuck in a dark, scary space with it half on/half off (we had to get up and help them remove it before they really got panicked!), and the sweat that I've seen people dripping from being stuck inside that poncho, I'm not convinced it's the right solution.

I'll keep using my jacket as rain protection as I have for nearly 60 years. It's worked very well for me and has been very convenient to put on, open pit zips to cool, and easily to remove.

Besides, don't you have to take off your pack to get to the poncho stored within in order to put it on?

 

[isiw]

Oh, I don't know about that statement.

For all the times that I have witnessed people struggling to put their poncho on, particularly when it is windy, with it getting caught on their head and backpack and they need someone else to help them pull it down so it covers their backpack and help them to secure the sides.

And for all the times I've witnessed people with ponchos on struggle to get them off, arms swinging wildly in a bar as they struggle, with one person we saw almost panicked like they were stuck in a dark, scary space with it half on/half off (we had to get up and help them remove it before they really got panicked!), and the sweat that I've seen people dripping from being stuck inside that poncho, I'm not convinced it's the right solution.

I'll keep using my jacket as rain protection as I have for nearly 60 years. It's worked very well for me and has been very convenient to put on, open pit zips to cool, and easily to remove.

Besides, don't you have to take off your pack to get to the poncho stored within in order to put it on?

I like all this … but I’m in the poncho brigade. Mine has a zip/velcro open front — no over-the-head shenanigans — and I store it in a side water bottle pocket I can get to without taking anything off. And it breathes — no sweat. On the other hand I carry a (very) waterproof jacket & tight bag cover. Great for the days when I’m only expecting occasional spatters of rain, very light, and great for the evenings when a poncho in a bar is just annoying. So it’s not either or for me, it’s and.

 

[Tincatinker]

I use an umbrella

 

[Philtration]

Oh, I don't know about that statement.

For all the times that I have witnessed people struggling to put their poncho on, particularly when it is windy, with it getting caught on their head and backpack and they need someone else to help them pull it down so it covers their backpack and help them to secure the sides.

And for all the times I've witnessed people with ponchos on struggle to get them off, arms swinging wildly in a bar as they struggle, with one person we saw almost panicked like they were stuck in a dark, scary space with it half on/half off (we had to get up and help them remove it before they really got panicked!), and the sweat that I've seen people dripping from being stuck inside that poncho, I'm not convinced it's the right solution.

I'll keep using my jacket as rain protection as I have for nearly 60 years. It's worked very well for me and has been very convenient to put on, open pit zips to cool, and easily to remove.

Besides, don't you have to take off your pack to get to the poncho stored within in order to put it on?

For classic ponchos I agree, they can be awkward to put on and take off. The Altus "poncho", however, is really not a poncho because it opens in front and is put on like the rain jacket it is. So I guess I fall in the camp of rain jacket people... as long as it's a rain jacket that also covers your pack.

 

[mattythedog]

I use an umbrella

Trekking del Norte on the edge of a hurricane a couple months ago, an umbrella would have turned me into Mary Poppins….but the frogtoggs large coat went on just fine over pack and me. $12 and 5.5 oz fits budget and pocket.

 

[drgalvin]

When I was backpacking in the Sierras with my wife, we both had ponchos. We snapped them together for a lean-to and didn't need a tent.
Since then, I've worn breathable rain jacket and had pack cover. You can wear the rain jacket around town on the way to dinner in the rain; poncho not so handy.

 

[Robo]

We are firmly in the rain pants / jacket camp.
In rain we remain bone dry. No condensation either.
I think it comes down to the quality of the gear.

And we stop to put the gear on 'before' it rains.

Though our rain gear gets used more as an extra warmth layer or wind protection than for rain.

I used ponchos for years in the Military and never liked them.
Wet things flaying around in the wind.
Though they were good for makeshift shelters.

So far we have been very lucky in avoiding long periods of rain.
I think last year I got about 8 hours of rain in 60 days.....
But we have walked in 2-3 days of constant rain without any problems.

But both the poncho and rain pants/jackets camps have their fans.
Whatever works for you.
And one will never convince the other.......

 

[MonicaMcL]

If you need to take off your pack to don rain gear, you have chosen equipment poorly! There is a reason that the Altus poncho is so popular.

Don't you have to take off your pack to get your Altus poncho out of it?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I can't resist a "to Poncho or not to Poncho" thread.

I only know I despise ponchos because...

1) If it is blowing too, not just misting, they are sooo loud and unwieldy.
2) They are difficult to put on.
3) For sure don't get one with snaps, because if it is really windy those snaps come apart.
4) I sweat like a fountain underneath a poncho.
5) You just look like a goof wearing one if you "go into town".

As @Robo said there is no convincing.

I started by wearing ponchos, and now wear rain pants and shells. It just took me a while to figure out.

 

[davebugg]

From a previous post that I wrote

I try not argue personal choices, which are a subjective thing. . . what someone likes is not arguable. Some folks like dark chocolate, while others prefer the taste of milk chocolate. Some small faction may hate chocolate altogether.

For about the last decade I find that I choose a poncho for wet-weather walking. There are certain usability characteristics I love about ponchos that I miss when using a rain jacket. That said, I will point out some things that I believe are objective considerations about poncho use. Just remember that there is no wrong choice of rain gear (as long as it performs its main job). Personal taste and preferences about what type or style of rain gear is chosen is based around a huge number of variables; every person has unique need and wants..

Altus and other similar rain jackets, while not ponchos, can also share some of the benefits of poncho use, but are generally heavier and bulkier, if that is an issue.

Ponchos that I would recommend are pretty lightweight. As an example, The Frogg Toggs when actually scaled, weighs around the 6 ounce mark. They can be had for $15.00 to $35.00, so that is a HUGE bargain for a highly functional piece of rain protective gear.

If I use my Zpacks poncho which is made from Dyneema (Cuben Fiber), it weighs just a bit more than 2.5 ounces and is tough as nails. I have used it for hundreds of wet-weather backpacking miles. Nowadays, I gravitate to the Frogg Toggs as my first choice. Although a bit heavier and less resilient than my Zpacks, it is far, far less expensive, does a terrific job, and can be found for purchase at brick and mortar stores as well as online.t.

I find that a poncho is easier to deploy than is a rain jacket. I can pull my poncho out of my backpack's side pocket then slip it on and over my backpack. What's more, after a short learning curve I found that I could do it without even needing to stop walking. I usually do pause for the 15 to 20 seconds it takes to put on, because I am now a bit clumsy and prone to tipping over Regardless, I love not needing to take my backpack off in order to put on a rain jacket, then having to hoist up and put the backpack back on. Plus, with a poncho, there is no fiddling with or carry a backpack rain cover, or deal with soggy shoulder straps.

Wearing any rain covering while walking will cause some level of sweat-producing condensation. Even a poncho with it's superior air-flow, will suffer this issue to some extent. So I try to avoid wearing rain gear whenever the rain ceases. Especially in conditions where sprinkles and showers keep coming and going, I would eat up a lot of time and energy with a rain jacket by taking it off then putting it back on as immediate conditions change. When I have used a rain jacket, I am likely to keep wearing it even when not needed 'just in case' it starts raining again.

With a poncho, I respond to weather conditions within seconds. I whip off the poncho as soon as the rain has slowed or stopped, and not question "should I wait to see if it starts back up?" This helps decrease the amount of condensation from sweating.

Air circulation and ventilation reduce condensation moisture build up, and this is helped along because of the poncho sitting over the backpack, creating air space between itself and the body. With a rain jacket, the backpack is sitting directly ON the rain coat, blocking the escape of water vapor from a breathable fabric.

A poncho works well and is flexible as an outer layer. The same quickness to deploy and remove a poncho for rain showers also works well to avoid unexpected wind chill. And if I wake up and find the morning is a bit too cool for my liking, I also know that as soon as I begin walking with my backpack I will quickly begin warming up. My solution is to wear my poncho for the first 5 to 10 minutes as an immediate outer-layer over my regular clothing. As soon as my exercise-induced warming-up comfort level is reached, I can quickly remove the poncho and avoid overheating.

On my poncho, I spend about 15 minutes after I purchase it and add a slight modification with cordage that controls flappiness and billowing during windy, stormy conditions.

The hood on a poncho can be floppy, but is designed in a way to be able to use a baseball-style cap underneath to keep the hood perfectly sitting on one's head.

On the aesthetics side, rain jackets admittedly do have the edge; but that is solely dependent on what value 'form' is favored as it compares with 'function'.

And ponchos are great multitaskers:

• A shelter lean-to. A bit of cord and trekking poles make it even more independent in setting up.
• A sun shelter, it can be rigged up to provide you shade in hot climates.
• Ground cloth: Under a tent, or a survival shelter, a poncho can protect you from the damp ground. If you are in a cold damp climate, this can help you stay warm.
• Wind Break: A poncho without a liner will not have much insulation. However, as an outer shell, it can add an additional 10 to 20 degrees of warmth to whatever insulating layer you are wearing. You will stay warmer wearing the poncho in windy weather, helping to protect you from wind chill.
• Privacy: A great makeshift, emergency privacy screen when needing a Nature Break where a natural coverage of bushes or tall grass is scarce. It also works when needing to change pants or shorts.
• Sit pad. When taking a break and the ground and benches and flat rocks and logs, etc. are damp.
• Mattress cover.
• An emergency backpack or carryall when you do not have a small daypack.
• A windshell to add a bit of extra warmth to clothing layers. It is great for those cool, early mornings when you need something that can be quickly removed after you have warmed up from walking.

 

[trecile]

Don't you have to take off your pack to get your Altus poncho out of it?

Not if you have stashed it in a side pocket. Or even better, you can drape the Altus over your backpack and tie the sleeves around your waist. Then you are all set to put your arms in the sleeves, pull on the hood and zip it up when it starts to rain.

 

[NerdGjerd]

Almost seems like it’s a rain jacket vs Altus-style-jacket-poncho-thingy vs poncho debate. 3 different things. Many of the anti-poncho descriptions seem to relate to classic poncho. Altus and similar designs have the best of both worlds (or the worst depending on your preference)

 

[Philtration]

Almost seems like it’s a rain jacket vs Altus-style-jacket-poncho-thingy vs poncho debate. 3 different things. Many of the anti-poncho descriptions seem to relate to classic poncho. Altus and similar designs have the best of both worlds (or the worst depending on your preference)

It's confusing, because Altus is called a poncho by the manufacturer, but it's really just a rain jacket that can expand to cover a backpack. Without a backpack, you can wear it unexpanded around town, though admittedly it's not high fashion. But for convenience it is hard to beat. While walking, I put mine on and off easily without breaking stride. When the sun comes out, I pull my arms out of the sleeves and leave it hanging from my backpack. If I'm cold, I zip it up. If I get sweaty in the rain, I unzip and use the snap closures to allow more ventilation. It's really a pretty cool and flexible design.

 

[Blister Bill]

Wouldn't be without my Jacket and wet weather trousers. Have yet to be caught out. IF rain forecast or looking iffy, just put at the top of the pack for quick change if needed with zips up. I've yet to need to deploy a sudo-tent for a comfort stop etc on any camino but accept a poncho could have secondary uses eg parachute. The flexibility of a jacket and trousers wins every time for me. I don't have to take my wet weather gear off to drop pack. Most importantly the trousers stop rain tickling into the top of my boots saving the need for puttees. Always a personal preference but given the nature of the garments they are IMHO not really a direct comparison. A poncho is comparable to a rain coat - not coat and pants - unless very vertically challenged !

 

[Glenshiro]

I slice off the top of my boiled egg at the big end. Can't imagine why anyone would choose the small end.

 

[henrythedog]

I slice off the top of my boiled egg at the big end. Can't imagine why anyone would choose the small end.

You are, of course - correct. It’s personal choice and nothing more.

I had walked/hiked/climbed extensively in the UK, Scandinavia and bits of northern Europe for 30 or more years before my first Camino. Until then I had never seen anyone wearing a poncho, other than as a ‘fashion’ item or at a music festival.

I’ve bought a couple - including an Altus - and given them away. Each to their own.

 

[Paul-CH]

I have my rain jacket and normal hiking pants, once the rain will stop they will be dry in less than a half hours. When it looks like it could be raining, I cover my backpack in the morning and kept the rain jacket ready on the backpack straps. I do not have to stop, when I put on my jacket I am still able to walk on.
After many Caminos and thousands hiking kilometres no problem anymore.
The reason why I do not carry an umbrella, is when it rains 50% of my camino means the otter 50% I am carrying a weight I do not really need.

 

[dougfitz]

The reason why I do not carry an umbrella, is when it rains 50% of my camino means the otter 50% I am carrying a weight I do not really need.

An interesting perspective. I used an umbrella last year on two caminos, and it saw just as much use as a parasol as it did a paraguas.

 

[VNwalking]

For all the times that I have witnessed people struggling to put their poncho on, particularly when it is windy, with it getting caught on their head and backpack and they need someone else to help them pull it down so it covers their backpack and help them to secure the sides.

They just don't know how to easily put it on.

And this is all the reasons I love my Altus:

But for convenience it is hard to beat. While walking, I put mine on and off easily without breaking stride. When the sun comes out, I pull my arms out of the sleeves and leave it hanging from my backpack. If I'm cold, I zip it up. If I get sweaty in the rain, I unzip and use the snap closures to allow more ventilation. It's really a pretty cool and flexible design.

(And I was a hard-core rainpants and jacket person, who used those in my line of work for almost 20 years as a field biologist in very wet places. I'd never use that set-up on a camino, though.)

Don't you have to take off your pack to get your Altus poncho out of it?

No, because you can hang it off your pack and tie the arms around your waist if the day looks to be off-and-on rain.

 

[Philtration]

Just to address a personal pet peeve, the Altus poncho IS NOT A PONCHO! It is a knee length rain jacket that can be expanded to contain a backpack. It opens in the front, you don't have to pull it over your head, you put it on like the rain jacket it is. The poncho designation is strictly a marketing designation. Whew, glad I got that out!

 

[Paul-CH]

use as a parasol

That depends on the season you walk. You will not see me on camino below 0°C and above 30°C.
I do not carry a headlamp, as I like to see my environment in daylight, because I will not do the same Camino again. There is a huge selection of which I can choose

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Paul, your temperatures to walk are quite a good range. My preferred walking temps are 45-65° F wearing my backpack, although Mother Nature doesn't always listen to me.

 

[falcon269]

Besides, don't you have to take off your pack to get to the poncho stored within in order to put it on?

No. The Altus hangs effortlessly over my pack. When the rain starts, I put in my arms and zip the front. My hat brim keeps my glasses dry, but the hood on the Altus is there if needed. When the rain stops, I slip out of the Altus and it continues to hang effortlessly.

I spent several treks with a Frogg Toggs rain suit. As soon as the rain stopped, I had to get out of it or risk heat exhaustion. A friend had a pullover poncho, and needed assistance to get it on over his head and pack.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I spent several treks with a Frogg Toggs rain suit. As soon as the rain stopped, I had to get out of it or risk heat exhaustion. A friend had a pullover poncho, and needed assistance to get it on over his head and pack.

I was so glad to be wearing my fashionable Hazmat Frogg Togg rain suit on this chilly, rainy day this year. I never get really sweaty because I wear only one layer underneath. If it's a warm rainy day, I don't wear the pants.
I've experienced the most rain on any of my Caminos in 2024 on the Sanabres and Invierno.

 

[Paul-CH]

45-65° F

My body works best in your range. But in Spring and Autumn it’s sometimes below or little above depending on the height. So I have to accept it.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My body works best in your range. But in Spring and Autumn it’s sometimes below or little above depending on the height. So I have to accept it.

Yes, we always experience a few exceptions. The best option is to eliminate summer and winter, yet I know many love those months.

 

[Paul-CH]

Yes, we always experience a few exceptions. The best option is to eliminate summer and winter, yet I know many love those months.

I love winter, but not for hiking on camino. We do winter hiking in Switzerland.

 

[stewinyvr]

I have my rain jacket and normal hiking pants, once the rain will stop they will be dry in less than a half hours. When it looks like it could be raining, I cover my backpack in the morning and kept the rain jacket ready on the backpack straps. I do not have to stop, when I put on my jacket I am still able to walk on.
After many Caminos and thousands hiking kilometres no problem anymore.
The reason why I do not carry an umbrella, is when it rains 50% of my camino means the otter 50% I am carrying a weight I do not really need.

I took a micro umbrella from decathlon, hardly weighs anything and was really convenient for showers. For the Hurricane Kirk day on the other hand my poncho turned me into a human kite…but at least my pack was dry.

 

[Karl Oz]

I use a jacket and deploy the supplied cover for my Osprey pack. However, I have a question: other than a poncho, how do I prevent water coming down between my neck and the pack and making its contents damp? (Just to clarify, the cover does not reach the part of the pack adjacent to my back.)

 

[Paul-CH]

I also only have a rain jacket and pack my things in waterproof bags in my rucksack. This keeps them dry, even if the back of the rucksack gets wet.

 

[Blister Bill]

I use a jacket and deploy the supplied cover for my Osprey pack. However, I have a question: other than a poncho, how do I prevent water coming down between my neck and the pack and making its contents damp? (Just to clarify, the cover does not reach the part of the pack adjacent to my back.)

My pack is waterproof. Still put a cover over it. To stop water going down my neck I put the hood over my head !

 

[Karl Oz]

My pack is waterproof. Still put a cover over it. To stop water going down my neck I put the hood over my head !

Actually I meant the pack contents rather than myself! My jacket has a hood. I wasn't clear in my post!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Actually I meant the pack contents rather than myself! My jacket has a hood. I wasn't clear in my post!

I use a sturdy white trash "compactor" bag to line my pack. I only need a couple of small mesh laundry bags inside and I've never had a drop of water, so compression dry bags are not needed. I personally find them to be more a nuisance and unnecessary.

 

[Blister Bill]

I use a sturdy white trash "compactor" bag to line my pack. I only need a couple of small mesh laundry bags inside and I've never had a drop of water, so compression dry bags are not needed. I personally find them to be more a nuisance and unnecessary.

Yeah kind of tramping/hiking 101. Please tell me though you use nice crunchy plastic bags to maximise the albergue early morning impact

Actually I meant the pack contents rather than myself! My jacket has a hood. I wasn't clear in my post!

lol I got it - couldn't resist a trans-Tasman jab!!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yeah kind of tramping/hiking 101. Please tell me though you use nice crunchy plastic bags to maximise the albergue early morning impact

No, Bill, I don't use any noisy plastic bags. My sturdy white pack liner bag makes barely any noise, and my small mesh laundry bags are totally silent.

 

[dougfitz]

No, Bill, I don't use any noisy plastic bags. My sturdy white pack liner bag makes barely any noise, and my small mesh laundry bags are totally silent.

@Camino Chrissy, why would you want to get in the middle of what I thought was a personal exchange between an Ozzie and a Kiwi. Now they will both turn on you in defence of each other, even of one, the other or both might secretly agree with you!!