Poncho Altus Atmospheric S3

[AJGuillaume]

Good morning/Good evening,
I am thinking of buying the Altus Atmospheric poncho (as an alternative to The Packa, the subject of another thread, and my existing flapping in the wind poncho) for my upcoming walk on the Caminho Português.
I would love to hear from forum members here who have bought one.
What is your feedback?
My only concern is how much ventilation does it offer?
Thank you for all your suggestions/comments/recommendations!
Buen Camino, Bom Caminho, Bon Chemin!

 

[nidarosa]

There are lots of posts about the Altus here, and I am one of the happy fans. I have had the old ones, weighing near enough half a kilo, but pretty much bomb proof. I now have an 'old' Rainseries one weighing half that and I am very happy with it. My husband has a fairly new Altus, also lightweight, also Rainseries, and the material is different - it has a silicon layer inside and feels a little bit clammier I think, but that could be just me (I was walking up to O Cebreiro at the time). The Altus does have vents on the chest, a big hump for the pack allowing for good airflow, and you can fasten it with the velcro instead of the zip for less dramatic downpours. I think it's worth it for the sleeves, the zip and the closed sides which also protect against the wind.

 

[Veloancien]

I have an Altus and would not be without it.

 

[peregrina2000]

I have a very old Altus, not the atmospheric. I have tried the Ferrino trekker with its metallic lining (a feature to prevent hypothermia, but all it does in temperate weather is increase the sweat output). I also tried Marmot Precip jackets, but decided I prefer the poncho. A couple of years ago in Lisbon, the Decathlon had a 30 euro knock-off of the Altus, which I bought. I think I will probably give it a try this year, since the old Altus may have reached the end of its shelf life (it is now about 18 years old).

I remember way back when that when Altus switched to the new Atmospheric, it got bad reviews. I posted about five years ago that I knew of two good outdoor stores, one in Madrid and one in Santiago, that had discontinued it. Some handwringing here.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[ebrandt]

I love my Altus. It is especially good in warmer weather. at some point anything you use is going to set out. But the Altus is so light and airy, I find it to be much better than a jacket —even a very good one with pit zips, etc. Its also better in the wind than other ponchos I’ve seen. Its not a true poncho as it has large sleeves. This keeps it from billowing in the wind. Finally, it’s very light and parable.

 

[peregrina2000]

I love my Altus. It is especially good in warmer weather. at some point anything you use is going to set out. But the Altus is so light and airy, I find it to be much better than a jacket —even a very good one with pit zips, etc. Its also better in the wind than other ponchos I’ve seen. Its not a true poncho as it has large sleeves. This keeps it from billowing in the wind. Finally, it’s very light and parable.

Liz, do you know if you have an atmospheric or an earlier model?

 

[Jean Ti]

I did walk the Camino Portuguese last November 2019 and face a 10 days in a row of rain...

I was using the Altus rain coat. Very useful but with one drawback the air circulation at the wrists level. At the wrist level they are using wristband that prevents air circulation.

For me it should be corrected in future version. That is my update.

 

[gittiharre]

I have worn out both the old Altus and newer lite version, which no longer seems to be available. I have switched to Sea to Summit poncho. 180 grams. Lightest available. Slightly larger than egg size, when packed. Perfect for summer.

 

[Bernice M]

I have worn out both the old Altus and newer lite version, which no longer seems to be available. I have switched to Sea to Summit poncho. 180 grams. Lightest available. Slightly larger than egg size, when packed. Perfect for summer.

Gitti, where did you buy your Sea to Summit poncho? Here in NZ? I have a clammy Altus, no pockets, poor quality velcro, lightweight zip, which I regard as suitable for the bin. Without underarm zips sweat ponds at the elbows when using poles. Only good for cooler weather.

 

[gittiharre]

Trekkinn, it's the 15 d

 

[ebrandt]

I have an Altus atmospheric. I was able to order it from a sport shop in Spain, I want to say it was something like La Guapa. I just noticed the other comments. It does have what seems to be a flimsy zipper but I’ve used mine on two casinos and around the states with no issues. Mine has Velcro wrist closures so I can adjust for air flow. I personally think I get way better air circulation with the Altus than with a jacket with pit zips.

 

[Bernice M]

Gitti, I took your advice re the Sea to Summit poncho and bought myself a lockdown treat. It took a while to get to NZ. Unused as yet, but its 145g weight already makes it a winner.

 

[2kiwis]

Gitti, where did you buy your Sea to Summit poncho? Here in NZ? I have a clammy Altus, no pockets, poor quality velcro, lightweight zip, which I regard as suitable for the bin. Without underarm zips sweat ponds at the elbows when using poles. Only good for cooler weather.

Hi Bernice ,Do you want to sell your Altus poncho ,we are doing the Everest Base camp trek

 

[gittiharre]

Hi Bernice ,Do you want to sell your Altus poncho ,we are doing the Everest Base camp trek

I bought Sea to Summit poncho on line at Tradeinn