A poncho is a piece of clothing that is meant to cover both the person and the persons gear. Many people makes the mistake of choosing a poncho that will one size fit all for all adventures. However, the poncho must be sized corectly.
If the poncho is too small, it will not cover the persons gear. Additionally, if the person is going on a hiking adventure with a backpack, then the backpack will add to the volumes of the persons torso. In this case, a larger poncho size are needed.
How to pick the right poncho size
If the person selects a poncho that is too small for the backpack, the rain will run off the poncho and wet the backpack. This will lead to wet gear within the backpack such as the sleeping bag. To ensure that a poncho fits correctly, a person has to measure more than the persons height.
The person also has to measure the persons shoulder span and chest width. Additionally, the person has to add extra inches to these measurements to allow for the poncho to drape over the persons body. When the poncho is allowed to drape over the person, it allows for the formation of a chimney effect under the poncho.
This effect allows moisture and heat to escape from underneath the poncho. If the poncho is too tight, the moisture from the persons sweat can become trapped within the poncho and lead to the person getting wet from the condensation within the poncho. The material the poncho is made of will play a role in the type of poncho a person should select.
Silnylon is a great material for a poncho as it is lightweight and takes up little room in a persons pack. However, silnylon is slippery and requires manual sealing of the seams to keep moisture out the poncho. Another material for a poncho are ripstop nylon and polyester.
These materials is heavier than silnylon but more durable. Ripstop nylon and polyester will hold their shape in strong mountain winds but will add more weight to the persons load. The waterproof rating of the poncho will determine how well it will protect the person from rain.
The waterproof rating will state how much water pressure the fabric can take before water will pass through the fabric. A low waterproofing rating will protect the wearer from periods of rain but not long duration of rain during a mountain expedition. If the waterproofing rating of a poncho is too low for the environment where the wearer will be, the rain will get through the poncho and wet the wearer.
Another important factor for a poncho is the breathability of the material. Materials such as mylar are not breathable and will keep the wearer dry from the rain but will trap the body heat and moisture in the poncho. Membranes are more breathable than mylar as the membranes allow water vapor from the body to escape the poncho but keep water droplet from the precipitation from entering the poncho.
These membranes is more expensive than non-breathable materials. When selecting a poncho, people must consider the layers of clothing that will be worn underneath the poncho. A poncho that will fit well over a t-shirt may be too small for a person to wear heavy fleece or puffer jacket underneath.
If a person plans to incorporate heavy layers within the outfit, then the poncho must be a larger size to accommodate for the heavy clothing. However, if the dimensions of the poncho are correct, it will protect the wearer and the gear from the elements. Additionally, ensuring that the size of the poncho is correct will provide enough room for the wearer to breathe and enough length to keep the wearers boots dry from geting wet in the elements.
