Ponching (217/365)

[white_hart]

A few weeks ago, I bought myself a rain poncho. It is neon blue, long enough to come just below my knees, and wide enough to come to within about an inch of my wrists. It has a hood, poppers down the sides, and it packs away into a bag when I'm not wearing it.

I've never owned a rain poncho before. I used to use umbrellas, and then when I decided it was better to have waterproof clothing instead I had waterproof coats and jackets, and waterproof trousers for really heavy rain (though they always make me so hot and sticky I generally prefer to get wet). But my Seasalt summer mac has stopped being waterproof, and my waterproof jacket only comes to my hips, and as long as I'm driving and parking in Summertown instead of getting the bus I don't have any choice about the walking bit of my commute, and you can get very wet trousers in 1.8 miles. So I bought a poncho, and I love it. It's swooshy and makes me feel a bit like a wizard. It's easy to put on and take off, and because it's so roomy I can add and remove layers underneath without taking it off. I can sling it on over the top of my backpack, which may mean I look like the front half of a neon blue pantomime camel, but it keeps my backpack properly dry in a way that waterproof rucksack covers never do (they all have the fundamental design flaw that they don't cover the bit of the backpack that sits against your back, and therefore all the water running down the back of your raincoat seeps in that way and around the straps). I can open the poppers at the sides for extra ventilation so it doesn't get clammy in the way waterproof jackets do in hot weather. It makes walking in the rain a much more enjoyable experience than I've ever found it before (though I'm not sure it would really do for hillwalking). All in all, it really is the best outdoor garment ever.

Comments

[alithea]

It sounds fab!

I have had success reproofing seasalt waterproofs with that wash-in proofer stuff though - you can get ones that don't need you to tumble dry the jacket to get it to work properly. Made my summer mac like new again!

[white_hart]

I tried that but it didn't stand up to heavy rain :-(

[alithea]

Ah that's a shame. I think it does depend on what fabric they are, my older one didn't reproof as well as is also only really showerproof now.

[angelofthenorth]

Ponchos are awesome

[girlyswot]

I have made a sort of dry robe featuring an old rain poncho and a fleece lining and it is excellent.

[white_hart]

I can see that - this feels a bit like a lighter-weight version of my dryrobe.

[white_hart]

They are!

[jinty]

When cycling in the rain, they are the only sensible option. You can deploy them over the handlebars to keep your hands mostly dry (and the contents of your basket too, if you have one) - only downside is that puddles of water do gather between your body and the handlebars! They disburse water in great gouts periodically but it is mostly in ways that you can avoid being splashed by (for instance you can empty the puddle at the traffic lights when waiting).

[jinty]

NB you can also hide children under it in case of dire parental need.

[kotturinn]

Which make is it please/where did you get it?

[perennialanna]

How do they stand up to wind? This being the very uttermost East, heavy rain tends to come accompanied by gales, and I really don't fancy sail-assisted cycling.

[jinty]

They’re not bad overall tho there can be flapping of course. The poppers on the side make a definite difference. The results aren’t sail-assisted so that’s ok, but the collected water puddles can splash unpredictably I guess. Some ponchos have loops that can go on the handlebars to help hold things steady so that’s another help.

[white_hart]

It's from Mac In A Sac. I've got one of their waterproof jackets which has stood up very well over several years, so they seemed like a good bet for a poncho.

[white_hart]

Yes, mine has wrist straps you could use for cycling.

[perennialanna]

Thank you.

[kotturinn]

Belated thanks.

[sfred]

Sounds appealing.

[white_hart]

It's brilliant!