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?
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?
Last edited by DemostiX; 06-06-2012 at 18:16. Reason: Stupid arithmetic or bad typing
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.
Last edited by FLRider; 06-06-2012 at 18:19.
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.
Please let us know. Good to hear that their prices are going to continue to be low.
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.
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.
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
Ground=Cold+Hard+Wet
Solution!!!! Sleep in a TREE
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.
Last edited by Wise Old Owl; 06-17-2012 at 13:15.
There was an Old Man with a owl,
Who continued to bother and howl;
He sat on a rail, And imbibed bitter ale,
Which refreshed that Old Man and his owl.WOO
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