From technical specs for this 7.4 oz, 42sq feet (8.5 x 5? [edit]) poncho:
15 Denier Ripstop Nylon
Silicone/PU 1200mm Waterproof
Fire Retardant Coating
How do these compare to the silNylon, say 1.1, that we know?
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From technical specs for this 7.4 oz, 42sq feet (8.5 x 5? [edit]) poncho:
15 Denier Ripstop Nylon
Silicone/PU 1200mm Waterproof
Fire Retardant Coating
How do these compare to the silNylon, say 1.1, that we know?
Double Edit: Well, I'm an idiot. The correct math for the italicized initial post below should be around 1.3 to 1.5 oz per square yard at finished fabric weight. I did something screwy with square roots that was not needed (and wrong, to boot) when I should just have divided the square footage by nine to find square yardage. Sorry about that.
If my math is right, it comes out to be six feet and change on a side as a square (it's probably 7x6 or 8.5x5 from the photos). That's ~2.16 square yards of material, at an estimated fabric weight of ~3.43 oz/yd^2.
Figure somewhere in the range of 2.5 to 3 oz for real fabric weight per square yard; the fasteners, tie-outs, and such are going to add another ounce to two to the total weight.
Most 1.1 sil sold by cottage manufacturers as "waterproof" is in the 1.3 to 1.5 oz range finished and has an hydro head in the range of 1,000 mm.
It looks like the poncho tarp is roughly two to three times the weight of sil, but you're also getting better hydro head (less water pushed through it when you sit down to take a break on something wet) and spark resistance for when you pitch close to a campfire (which normal sil does not have, at all).
All in all, not too bad considering that GoLite sells 'em on sale for the $45 range. Not sure I'd pay the full $90 MSRP, though.
Edit: Oh, and there's something to be said for a slightly heavier poncho in gusty rain; the ends stay put a little bit better so that you don't have (as someone put it in Raffinuk's kilt thread) "a Marilyn Monroe moment" and get your lower body soaked. In driving wind, on the other hand, a little extra line goes a long way while the weight of the poncho proper isn't as important.
Go-Lite has gone to direct sales for everything.
So $45 is the new price.
Yes, I thought that was high water repelency and rare low flamability, if it is true.
Not pushing this, but on my experience: An 8 by 5, btw, is a sufficiently long and wide tarp for a 9 foot hammock. Not so much a 6 x 7. So, I'll ask.
Will you post the answer? It sounds like good double use gear and a good option.
It's made from 15 denier ripstop. 1.1 oz. ripstop is 30 denier. I don't think the Golite material will be "2.5 to 3 oz"/sy.Quote:
Originally Posted by FLRider
6x6 would be 4 square yards, not 2.16. 7x6 would about 4.7. 8.5x5 about the same. At 1.3 fabric (1.1+coating), you get a little over 5 ounces. Add a hood, some toggles and cord here and there and 7 ounces seems about right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FLRider
Please let us know. Good to hear that their prices are going to continue to be low.Quote:
Originally Posted by DemostiX
Yep, according to the site, it's 15d. However, the finished weight suggests that the triple coating of polyurethane, silicone, and whatever fire retardant treatment they add adds quite a bit to each square yard. Not as much as my initial calculation indicated (see below), but still quite a bit over and above just a silicone treatment.Quote:
Originally Posted by gmcttr
Per their website, it's 42.3 square feet. 42.3 / 9 = 4.7. You're right. Sorry about the bad arithmetic in the first post; I think I did something screwy with square roots instead of just dividing by nine to find square yards. That would mean that the weight per square yard would be about 1.57 oz. Which is a lot closer to the finished weight of 1.1 sil. Figure with fasteners that it's somewhere in the 1.3 to 1.5 range for real fabric weight per square yard. Will update the first post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Curt
I just got this from Go-lite's chat person on their website. I may try one.
"Its dimensions are: 8ft 8in x 4ft 10in"
I just ordered one of these so I will post once I get a chance to give it a test. Eventually I want to use it as a pattern for a DIY version. If I don't see it I can not figure out how to make it :lol:
Well this is interesting - I didn't know this thread was in progress. Here I am today trying what the Sea To Summit Poncho would look on the HH, it clips in well enough to the old tarp hooks with no modification. The stakes are ti and need to be double wrapped - I suggest some reflective tape on them or spray the heads white. The concrete string is a problem... the guys slip so I put an extra bight on the taught line hitch. This is a little more work. For me there is no weight savings - it's simply dual use. So it needs a little more exploring.
Now I am thinking adding a hood to the Asym.
The Go light is a little smaller and the Sea to Summit bearly covered the HH - in fact I have a small gap at the sides.
That is the way I am leaning. Have an Asym in progress and wanted to see how the hood on a poncho is attached so I can make the adjustment to mine, if I go that route. Have you tried pitching your poncho tarp as a diamond? Then you would only need two stakes and should simplify things.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...1/dscn0874.jpg
Wow thank you I had to flip it a couple of times and take out all the guy knots but its more roomy, less work, and less claustrophobic.
This killed 10 ounces of total pack weight.
Looks great! Now I really can't wait to get mine :D
Let me know how it works for you out on the trail.
Interesting. I've got the Sea to Summit and the GoLite arrived this week. Never thought of using them over my hammock. :)
Just got the Dream hammock DangerBird and have a Sea to Summit Tarp Poncho. The weight is DangerBird: 900G/31.70oz--Tarp Poncho:353G/12.45oz. It is a dual purpose set up as the DangerBird has a built in cover. During this summer's outings no tarp should be needed but I have tie-outs with pursic's on the poncho. Under 3lbs for bed and rain protection.
Uh, Dangerbird?
This is a great thread thanks again.
I've been eyeballing that Golite poncho tarp ever since they got them back in stock. This thread is not helping my future with the wife ;)
I found the go lite to small in straight or asym on my weenie micro. Glad it didn't rain.
Bah- just a little too much fun yesterday!Quote:
Originally Posted by old4hats
I have been using the GoLite poncho tarp for years. I purchased the new 2012 version a few months ago and used it on the Appalachian Trail during Trail Days in May. It works great!
I admit your recommendation on another thread clinched my purchase of one. Now where us that delivery guy? :banghead:Quote:
Originally Posted by dejoha
Here's some photos. The top is in Virginia. It rained all night. I stayed dry. My scouts in their tents were soaked. Love it.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...5/img_2160.jpg
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...k-hammocks.jpg
Hey Dejoha, I would like to see some close ups of that set up with the GTUL. This is the set up I have been contemplating for my SUL list but have worried about coverage. How did you attach it to the RL?
A tarp this size will cover a 9' hammock very nicely if done right. One of the right ways is to pitch it tied lower and sloping down toward the foot end, so it is close to that end of the hammock.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkunkApe
You didn't say how long your hammock was. Among the costs of great length is the expense of covering ends that might stow gear, but which in rain will funnel the water nicely to you in middle.
I'll suggest that cheaper, lighter and less expensive than a big tarp would be much smaller triangles of sil -nylon sew or snapped or hooked to both canoe ends of the long hammock.
It IS just 42sq ft, and certainly will NOT provide the coverage of 100sq ft. Also, those who are tall will be more likely to want a larger tarp. Tall really costs if you want to maintain some standing room.
I took the 2012 version of the GoLite Poncho Tarp with me to Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia this year. The hammock pictured is the 11-foot-long BIAS hammock. You'll see there is plenty of coverage (well, "plenty" is my term for "just right").
Also featured in this photo is the HUG bug net. It was wet and buggy and this set up worked great for me. This is along the Appalachian Trail.
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...5/img_1573.jpg
http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...5/img_1574.jpg
In the first images with the blue GoLite tarp, the top image is the Grand Trunk Ultralight, which is 9.5 feet long. The lower image is the Grand Trunk Nano 7, which is 9 feet long.
I'll have to get some photos for you. I'm planning a backpacking trip this weekend, but I'll be hauling the BIAS hammock. It's 11 feet long, but the GTUL works just the same. The GTUL is my usual favorite when I'm not testing gear. Seems like recently I've been testing so much that my GTUL is getting dusty...Quote:
Originally Posted by dman
That was very helpful. I love my GTUL for short fast trips and want a tarp that will work just for those trips. I have also been looking at the equinox 1.1 in extra long, it gives you 104" of length with very little weight penalty over the standard but that is only 2 oz away from a WL Tadpole. Oh the choices are plenty difficult for a gear junkie!
I'll have to measure my ridgline. The tips meet the end of the hammock and that's it. If you asym at all your feet are out of coverage. Of there is anything but a 0 mph breeze, your getting wet. I think you would need almost a foot on each end extra in the asym setup to get coverage. In a-frame, you get better coverage, but its not long enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by dejoha
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...h_22d1f6fd.jpg
I found it just right _ I had to adjust the actual location and flip it a couple of times and it works. I am wondering if going to a Cuben Poncho is a good idea?
Are you using a full length ridge line or just two singles from the corners on your tarp Dejoha?
In these photos I am using end only tie outs with DutchWare Stingers.Quote:
Originally Posted by jnelson871
I was sure there was no way this would provide enough coverage! Looks like I'm dropping some cash.....*sigh*
I'd be worried about ripping this tarp while using it as a poncho
Its pretty tough. I just like more coverage.Quote:
Originally Posted by icedfire477
My rain-jacket weights 10oz at the moment, so I'm finding this pretty enticing. Even if I don't use it as my primary tarp, it would be great for eating lunch under during a rainstorm, or maybe as an undercover for my hammock
I just ordered one of these. I thought it would be easy to rig up as an undercover for my nest. I wondered if it would add any warmth. I've only slept in cool temps a couple of nights w/no moisture to deal with.Quote:
Originally Posted by icedfire477
Thanks for any input. Still low on the learning curve.
Using this as a primary tarp will definitely take a little practice. Things have to be just right to get enough coverage that I would be comfortable in a decent rain storm. But the weight sure is nice. I'm currently using a pad instead of an under quilt so am not as worried about ground splash and a little rain hitting the bottom of my hammock.Quote:
Originally Posted by icedfire477
Your right about not wanting to rip the thing as a poncho though. The material is so light I feel like I am going to rip it just undoing the snaps!
So far so good though. Got two different over night trips with it so far and everything is working out great.
I'd love a tarp that's multi use, but what do you wear in camp if it's raining? I've considered it, and thought about those disposable plastic ponchos that you can buy. These can't weigh much of anything.
Follow up question: I started a poncho tarp project a while ago but never attached the hood to the cape. For those of you that have the golite (or any other commercial poncho tarp) how long is the "neck" part of the hood? I assume it has to be tall enough to be able to seal up the hood in tarp mode, but I don't know how long that should be.
I sent a PM, but here's the short answer: Use the tarp AND a rain jacket.
Ponchos as multi-use tarp + rain wear is tricky. I recommend the dual use only for die-hards (like me) who use it as a system. I have lots of tarp options I can use, depending on conditions, and the poncho is just one of them. If the forecast is predicting a lot of rain, then the poncho may not be the best option because it is difficult to keep completely dry if you're using it as your primary shelter and rain wear.
That said, a good compromise combination would be the poncho (7 oz) plus a light rain top like the North Face Triumph anorak (6 oz) or the DriDucks ultralight top (6 oz). Combined, you're still under 14 oz, which is less than many hex tarps on the market, plus you've got more options and versatility.
Just went to Go Lites web site and it said they are out of stock on the poncho liner at this time. Don't think it would provide enough coverage for my set up as a tarp but I could use it replace my heavier rain coat.
Kelty makes lightweight packable rain shells. I got one at target for not much. Packs to the size of a small paperback book. Same with their ponchos. I carry em in my EDC bag as loaners, backups and the poncho as an expedient tarp. Guy lines stay attached in the pouch for this purpose. Idk if I'd use it as a rain fly for my hanmock, but the shell is a good piece of complimentary gear.Quote:
Originally Posted by lustreking