Poncho or raincoat?

[SabsP]

I'm only planning to walk the camino frances next year in april/may but I 'm already buying some gear to make it more easy on my budget.
I'm well aware of the necessity of wearing different layers and a fleece so I'm definetely invest in this.
My question now is : will these layers combined with a poncho be enough for those rainy days or will a raincoat give me something extra?
I noticed that a decent raincoat is quite expensive and I'm wondering if I's not better invest in decent waterproof trousers etc...
So any ideas about ponchos and raincoats would be appreciated.
Cheers, Sabine

 

[Bridget and Peter]

Search for posts about the Altus raincoat/poncho - last March I walked with a light base layer and a fleece and an Altus over the top in rain. I think Peter wore his rainproof trousers as well, but I did not.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I was a HUGE fan of lightweight rainCOAT and pants until I purchased an Altus Poncho from a fellow forum member... and now that's my main form of rain gear.

My problem with a simple poncho is that my hips tend to get really cold, then they ache.
So I want them dry and warm.

Next time, I'll take my Altus for pouring rain AND my lightweight raincoat and pants for drizzle... and for wind... and leave the regular "warm"jacket home. I never wore it once.

 

[gittiharre]

I still battle with this. On my first Camino I had an ex army cape which doubled as groundsheet and was useful in one or two grotty albergues.I had a windstopper jacket too. I only had 1 day of rain and I did get wet under the cape.
When I walked in Austria I took a lightweight gortex jacket. It was warm and humid and I hated the jacket, sent it off and just bought a cheap cape, which was fine. Last year on the Le Puy route I took a knee length gortex jacket, instead of the windstopper I had a lightweight fleece and a thin long sleeved merino top, no waterproof pants. I had a few days of rain, my legs got wet, I wore shorts, no problems with that, but somehow I did not like the rain getting so close to me and the contents of my pack got wet in spite of rain cover and I needed to put things in plastic bags. Had I had a cape I would have felt better, but then again on the very steep rocky bits a cape is dangerous as you can trip over it. So after all that I still don't really know what to do for the best. forever confused on that one I think! Gitti

 

[Tia Valeria]

Welcome Sabine,
We use Rohan ponchos. The popper down the sides and can be opened out to make a sheet or shelter. Fit over backpack well, pack away into their own pocket and reasonably light to carry. Quite expensive but worth it.
If you type 'poncho' into the search box at the top of the page here you will find loads of articles and opinions on waterproofs of all sorts, including an umbrella.
Buen camino
Tia Valeria

 

[Canuck]

Hi!

Don't waste time and money on rain gears.
They are expensive, heavy to carry and serve no purpose as you get soaked anyways from your perspiration.
The trick is to keep warm with the layer system, buy a good rainproof backback cover (use it all the time to keep dust and other elements out of your backpack) and get a 4 euros umbrella from the first chinese bazar you see once you're on the ground (replace it as necessary).
You're good to go all way...

Cheers
Jean-Marc

 

[annakappa]

Last year, when struggling up the Alto del Pardón in a storm, my poncho, which had already been repaired for our walk the previous year, go totally ripped up, we fixed it once again with duct tape and carried on. The rain then let off until we arrived in Leon and instead of buying a new poncho, we decided on a good size umbrella. This worked perfectly. Kept out the rain, the sun and was so useful when wandering around towns in the afternoon. We still have one rather heavy poncho which is, of course very useful and so this year we will walk with one poncho and one umbrella. Personally, I don't think I would like to wear rain gear, because of perspiring too much. Our packs do have a protective rain cover.Anne

 

[Anniesantiago]

Re: Poncho or raincoat? and a question for Canuck

I did not perspire at all in my Altus poncho. There are snaps everywhere to open and let in air, but keep out rain. Getting soaked to the skin and then chilled to the bone may be acceptable to Indiana Jones over there ::grinning at Jean-Marc:::: but not for this weak-hearted soul.

By the way, Canuck, I think you may have passed us on the Via de la Plata this past summer. A guy came into the alburgue in Almaden with a Canadian flag on his pack. We were so excited to have company, but he got water from the fridge and headed out again. Was that you???

 

[Portia1]

Another fan of the Altus poncho. I wore a lightweight tee, fleece and poncho for the days of rain last September. Not only did I use it with the pack, it snaps up so you can use it without a pack as a raincoat. The snaps and full zipper front mean you have lots of flexibility. The only time I got hot and sweaty was ironically when I wasn't hiking--but rather walking around Santiago in the rain!

In misty rain, I kept my arms out and my head and pack covered by using the snaps creatively (I wore my hat under the hood to give me a stiff visor and easier visibility. In addition, I got the RED--which turned out to be life saving (almost literally) when I missed a critical turn on the way to Roncesvalles in the fog and sleet. Someone was able to see me from a distance and to come to my rescue. There were times I hung it around one side of my bunk for privacy or to keep the bathroom light from shining directly in my eyes during the night so it turned out to be multipurpose.

 

[SabsP]

Cheers everyone for your swift and useful information! Next weekend I'll pay another visit to the outdoor shop and have a talk with my new best friend, the salesguy there... :lol: He stays very patient with me when I start asking him the most stupid questions...

 

[Canuck]

Re: Poncho or raincoat? and a question for Canuck

I did not perspire at all in my Altus poncho. There are snaps everywhere to open and let in air, but keep out rain. Getting soaked to the skin and then chilled to the bone may be acceptable to Indiana Jones over there ::grinning at Jean-Marc:::: but not for this weak-hearted soul.

By the way, Canuck, I think you may have passed us on the Via de la Plata this past summer. A guy came into the alburgue in Almaden with a Canadian flag on his pack. We were so excited to have company, but he got water from the fridge and headed out again. Was that you???

Hi Annie,
My wife is sporting An Altus poncho and thinks it's the next best thing after sliced bread. At first, she disliked the regular ponchos and rain gears, complaining that the remedy was worst than the illness.
Now with the Altus, she's on a cloud...
The Canadian you saw in Almaden was not me, although I was there around the same time as you, cerca 25th of August.
But, I think I saw you and your husband in Zafra. I was at a terrasse on the Plaza Grande, at Hotel Los Balcones de Zafra (4 stars), nursing a bad foot for three nights. If your husband had long blond hair and was wearing a pair of forest green shorts with a kaki shirt, while you had short ''salt and pepper'' hair, then it was you. You sat at a table, looked at the menu and took off immediately. I didn't have a chance to stike a conversation.
Next time...
Cheers,
Jean-Marc

 

[SabsP]

Sorry, only saw now that there already is a thread on the poncho/ raincoat debate. Still new with this forum thing so bare with me...

 

[mmonomm]

i had bought a backpack-raicoat , but throw it away.
i walked in may this year, every day rainy day, except the days in santiago.
so i had a rain-gear, but it was soon wet- when i put on my poncho, very long one, design to cover the packpack too, that was more than enough - layered under. low tempratures were around 14-15 Celsius when raining.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/45 ... directlink

this is what i am talking about - layered under

 

[gittiharre]

Hi everyone, I finally purchased an Altus by mailorder from Barrabes, I had it sent to family in Germany as the courier cost to New Zealand would have cost more than the Altus itself. I have used it in the rain here and it is fantastic, that is all I will take for raingear on my next camino.
Gitti

 

[Kialoa3]

Giti,

Have you tried the Altus with your new Liquid Agility pack? I would be interested in knowing how tight it is against the front balance pockets. Any problems there?

John

 

[gittiharre]

The Altus is very roomy, I got a small size and I am kind of buxom and it all works, Gitti