). I took a poncho and found it adequate. From memory we had about six days of rain, a couple of days around Santo Domingo de la Calzada and then four days in Galicia.
The first time I took a poncho but since then have opted for a jacket. Much prefer the jacket and would not take the poncho ever again.
I walked the Camino Ingles and Camino Finisterre (Santiago to Finisterre to Muxia) in late September 2019. During my planning and packing, I decided on a rain jacket rather than a poncho. We had a heavy rain day on the Camino Ingles and, although the rain jacket was adequate, I got extremely wet. Just to be on the safe side, I bought a very inexpensive poncho in Santiago before I started my walk to Finisterre and Muxia and I had a non-stop rain day on my last walking day from Lires to Muxia. The poncho proved to be a great addition to my gear. My shoes got wet but everything else stayed reasonably dry. The only drawback to a poncho is that the wind will blow it around but it is easy to put on and covers you and your pack.
Haha! Have you got your answer? I am still confused and that is why I intend to keep walking until I have my gear totally refined.
Because either decision will be wrong about half of the time!
Good question! I'll have to walk a few years just to savour the perfect equipment, and then something will break or wear out so I will be on a quest again!... and then what???
Put your feet up?
Pass your “totally refined gear“ on to a daughter?
or ... keep walking?
It's not the colour that is the problem with your Google find. Nor its discount price of US$24.01-33.66.
Can you show us a picture on how it could look like?
This is a really good solution, I would also like to have full zip front. Have someone seen it in a store?
Smart. I have used one that is not so long (I am tall) and that is not optimal. On the other hand, as you wrote, it is not so important in the summer.
I vote poncho - but it must be a good quality one that is long and adequately fits over the backpack and does not ride up at the back, e.g., Altus Poncho. They are obviously more expensive but value for money. The advantage is that it will completely cover your pack as well as yourself. Disadvantage is the poncho is such a good cover you have little air circulation and some condensation can accumulate from your body temperature. This can be alleviated easily by not having excess clothing layers on and undoing studs. The convenience of the front opening cannot be underestimated. ‘Throwing’ the poncho on over yourself and pack is so quick and convenient when rain is about to start. Unlike having to remove backpack add jacket, and do over. I would take this poncho over a raincoat. Lots of advice but it comes down to you in the end. After one camino you will have your ‘true’ answer that suits you - personal experience. Good luck with your decision making.
I you are in Europe the Decathlon is the same idea at 30 EurosThe Packa. Double duty as a pack cover, that quickly deploys sleeves and hood into a poncho. Front zip, pit zips, collapses into its own pocket. Stuffs into the pack cover pouch of my pack, so it doesn't take up extra room. Got one for the wife, too. She wouldn't take it off.
www.aliexpress.com
Whatever you are most comfortable with. I think poncho's are bulky and uncomfortable so I choose a highly packable 6 ounce rain shell which doubled as another layer when needed. Go with the rain shell, more functional, lighter weight and easy to pack
I do not argue personal choices, which are a subjective thing. . . what someone likes is not arguable. Some folks like liver and onions, others hate both. I need to take my backpack off, put on a rain jacket, put the backpack back on. Easiest system to put together is under either of two brands for best value, Regatta and / or Craghoppers. This is the upper body solution. Buy a half zip fleece as a sweater. Then, choose and ultralight rain jacket.
For the lower body, I highly recommend a, "Rain Kilt." There is a lot of time before you go so do a search under,
rain kilt china
Here is one from Aliexpress;
16.64US $ 36% OFF|3f Ul Gear Cycling Camping Hiking Rain Pants Lightweight Waterproof Rain Skirt 65g - Sun Shelter - AliExpress
Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
Choices will come up but they should be in the neighbourhood of $10.00. This one is $13.00 but you can get a $3.00 coupon as a first time Customer so total is, $10.00. Shipping is usually free as it is so small and light.
When the math is done, weight of a poncho is going to be heavier than a jacket / kilt / pack cover which provides the maximum versatility as well. And weight over distance is always the prime consideration.
. So...I met up with my #1 child in SCQ this September, who had sacrificed her poncho on a geological project deep in the heart of British Columbia, Canada (actually to keep a survey drone dry) so I thought I would be doing her a favour with the 'coat style' Altus...nope, poncho it was....the one I had bought for myself at almost DOUBLE the cost. I prefer not to use a poncho...but whatever sez I....
I walked during those same dates in 2016. I carried a rain jacket and rain pants. I had very little rain, just some sprinkles on two days. I used the rainpants to sit on in the woods and I used the rain jacket to stay warm in high altitudes. I'm planning the Portuguese route this summer but I don't plan to change that routine. June is less rain than spring or fall. Buen Camino!
Great answer as always, @davebugg (your thorough and well-thought-out answers have helped me many times). Agree 100% with all your points. I used my poncho just as you describe during my two Caminos. When packing light is your goal, it's great when items have more than one function (e.g., lightweight base layers can double as pajamas). My poncho served as a privacy curtain, a picnic blanket, a seat cushion, and a great way to stay dry without getting sweaty -- and no need for a backpack cover either. Ponchos are awesome!
I will just point out some things that are objective considerations:
Some ponchos are bulky, but not all of them, and certainly not the one's I recommend. The Frogg Toggs, when actually measured, weigh around the 6 ounce mark. They can be had for $10 to $15, so that is a HUGE bargain for a highly functional piece of rain protective gear.
If I use my Zpacks poncho, it weighs just a bit more than 3.5 ounces and is tough as nails. I do like the Frogg Toggs a lot, though.
A poncho is also far more easily deployed. Since I can pull it out of the side pocket of my backpack and slip it on over my backpack, I do not even have to stop. I usually do pause for the ten seconds it takes to put on, though, because I am a bit clumsy
This is a huge factor for me when it rains, as is often the case, off and on during the walk. Periodic sprinkles and showers can eat up a lot of time and energy with a rain jacket IF you take it off and put it on based on the immediate conditions.
With a poncho, I can respond to conditions within seconds. I can 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?" Keeps condensation way down.
A poncho can work equally as well, and even more flexibly, as an outer layer. The same quickness to deploy and remove a poncho works well in trying to avoid unexpected wind chill. And if the morning is cool as I start to walk, but I know I will be warm after a short walk, simply putting the poncho on for a few minutes and then whipping it off works well to avoid overheating.
On the aesthetics side, rain jackets do have the edge. . . depending on if form is a factor with regard to function.
And ponchos are far more multitasking than a rain jacket.
- 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: While a poncho without the liner does not have much insulating qualities, you will be warmer if you wrap up in the poncho in windy weather, this will help protect you from wind chill.
- Privacy -- great emergency privacy screen when needing to do some 'elimination' business and 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 sitting surfaces are damp.
- Mattress cover.
- Can make an emergency backpack or carryall.
- Windshell to add a bit of extra warmth to layers. Great for cool, early mornings when you need something that can be quickly removed after you have warmed up from walking.
- etc
I had a hybrid raincoat/poncho - was big enough to protect my bag but also had sleeves. Bought at Decathalon.
I walked the Portuguese in the fall of 2017 and miraculously only had a few hours of light rain in five weeks so my rain jacket and pack cover were enough. For my French Camino next fall I plan to use your set up exactly as I too am really interested in the shade provided by the umbrella. I remember one day in particular walking 31 km in 31 degree heat, the last 5 km uphill along the side of an unshaded tarmac road. I would have killed for an umbrella!
The Euroschirm umbrella comes with special clips to attach to your shoulder straps, and you attach the base of its extra long handle to your pack's waist belt.
euroschirm.com
Thanks for your efforts to help me, unfortunately my umbrella is a Gossamer Gear and the handle is shorter. Now that I see the Euroschirm I think I like the look of that better. I will have to rig something up, a challenge for a snowy day when I am storm stayed.
You Gossamer Gear umbrella probably weighs half of the handsfree umbrella.
www.gossamergear.com
I took both and will take both again. I don't like getting wet! And, as a matter of course, next time I take two ponchos and one raincoat. You see, my only other layer of warmth is a wool sweater, therefore, the raincoat acts as protection against chilly temperatures as well.
There are a couple of workarounds that can fix a problem.
