I've been curious for some time on the usefulness of an Army poncho as a tarp. I bought the poncho this last weekend and, last night, I set my hammock. Lucky for me, it was just before some north Georgia hard rain, so I got a real test out of it. Sorry, no pictures, so close your eyes and visualize... spritz some water on your face to get the full affect.
The poncho is not square, so when hung as a tarp, it hangs asymmetrically. Also note that I'm using a Grand Trunk Ultralight which is actually about 9 feet long with my ridgeline set to about 7 feet. I hung my hammock ridgeline so that it was touching the tarp to get as much protection as possible.
Once I climbed in, I laid diagonally with the long of the tarp. I could easily see where the short side of the tarp was dangerously close to my head. It gave a great view so I could look around, but gave worries with the rain.
The amazing thing is that I did not get wet. The not so amazing thing is that there was no wind. With anything beyond a light breeze, I think my head or my feet would be getting wet. This will definitely be my go to tarp for when I only need protection from the dew or a misting rain. It has much more of a open feeling verses my 8'x10' and has earned a permanent spot in my pack (and it also fits over me and my pack when hiking).
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