A previous rain gear thread is approaching the 2 year old mark and with BPJ and I preparing for hikes in the future it seems prudent to start a new discussion with that in mind.

I had originally planned on using my current rain gear, a frogg toggs pant and coat (as recomended by hikermor in the previous thread above) along with the rain cover for the backpack. However, I've seen several mentions of pack rain covers failing and that, combined with the (relative) inconvenience of jacket and pants has led me to consider something like this to cover both me and my pack. Something like this looks like it would be an easy option while backpacking.

Standard disclaimrs apply, no affiliations with companies or products.

I was wondering if there were other maybe better options available? Thanks in advance.

Ponchos are great as long as you are walking in a straightforward manner on a trail. When you have to scramble, etc., a poncho can get to be a tad cumbersome...

Nothing is perfect in the rain, a fact brought home to me as I just now returned from an aborted trip to Santa Rosa Island, a bit drenched and sodden.

The poncho does q pretty good job of keeping your pack dry,but I would still bag critical items in plastic.

It's like we have one mind, Mark!! LOL!

I pulled out my old rain gear last week and discovered that it's time for a new set. I've had them longer than I've had my kids (I'm guessing about 13 or 14 years) and it's still in great shape, but a couple of sizes too big for me now. With my West Coast Trail trip in mind, I'd like to invest in a new set that fits properly, and will work well in Spring in a rainforest.

Made by Viking, my current jacket/shell and rain pants are the "Tempest II" models. They are a little on the heavy side for my liking, and do take up space when packing, but other than that I have no complaints, including the price, which was reasonable as I recall. They have double stitching and heat sealing on all the seams, and they've stayed water proof all these years without any conditioning. They both have thin lining inside, which I suspect might have contributed to their longevity. The jacket has several pockets, pit zips & zipped chest vents, adjustable cuffs, a shock-corded adjustable waist, a good hood and big fleece-lined collar with velcro, snaps, reinforced shoulders/elbows & hip hem, it has zips for a zip-in-fleece and it's 3/4 length so covers my butt.

Would I buy them again? Yes, I would. But.... they don't make them anymore.

Also note that ponchos don't work very well in windy conditions. Go for a hike in sideways rain with your poncho....after that you will probably decide to get rid of your poncho and buy a good jacket and rain pants combo.

I am a fan of ponchos, but they do have their limitations. I have a set from Marmot that is very light and packs small that is always in my bag that is with me. The tops and bottoms are a size larger than I normally wear so they will fit over whatever I am wearing.

I do have a couple of friends who own military surplus stores. As I live in a military town, surplus military gear is plentiful and cheaper than in most places. I know you can find surplus Gore-Tex, woodland camouflage jackets for about $30 (US). The ones I saw were either new or lightly used. I am not sure about the price on the bottoms. Ponchos generally run $20-$25 in excellent condition (sometime new). Both of these friends may be willing to ship. If you do want to deal with them, I can facilitate that. I trust them both very much.

There is a wide variety of equipment available here and plenty of it. I can generally find gear for pennies on the dollar compared to other sources and places. I help my Boy Scout families get camping gear at much less than they could get anywhere else.

Sorry to go out on a tangent.

Most definitely will keep items bagged in the pack. Fire items are kept in a dry box, clothing in plastic storage bags, FAK in a dry bag, have bigger storage bags for larger items like sleeping bags, etc.

From what I understand, the trail we'll be on involves a significant elevation change, from about 750 feet to 2500 feet within the first 3.5 miles, and elevation further increases up to 3000 feet before the 6 mile mark. I'm not sure if that will be good or bad for a poncho. Heck, I'm really hoping we won't have to use it at all, but 3 days on the trail in April it's a good bet we probably will.

Thanks BPJ, I was hoping you'd find the info useful as well. The frogg toggs I have currently are very lightweight, but they don't seem to pack down very small, but maybe that's a relative thing. I'm hoping a poncho might be the optimum mix between keeping dry, being lightweight and packing small (or at least smaller than the current rain gear anyway).

No problem montanero, I may just take you up on that offer, although it may be a little while before I make a final decision. I'm still waiting for the verdict on whether a poncho will be a viable option, or if i should go the pants and jacket combo, or ... Like you said, there's a lot of possibilities, I also have to think about budget as whatever I get DS usually gets also.

I haven't seen Frog Toggs around here but I haven't been looking for them either. I will definitely keep a look out for them.

I use ponchos in my kits, but not as primary rain gear, particularly if hypothermia is a risk.

I've got a few rip-stop GI style ponchos, and one ruberized German army issue poncho, and they are great in a pinch for emergency use. I like their weight and packability, that it will keep my core and my pack dry, and you can make a good shelter out of one or two of them but, as as has been pointed out above, I've never found them dry enough in a serious rain to use them when I really need dedicated rain gear. I find the water runs off and soaks my pants, and I also usually end up with wet sleeves. I go by the old adage that there is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.

On the other hand, as someone pointed out in the WTC trip thread, in serious rain, you might be best to plan to be wet, unless you got a serious rain suit.

Aside from wind, a point that AKSAR correctly makes, another variable that affects the utility of a poncho is the amount of trail side brush you will encounter. A brushy trail makes a poncho rather problematical - not that brush is enjoyable in any kind of rain gear. One of the best things about a poncho is its versatility - ground cloth, shelter, rain gear, etc. I have used them for years and its just that they are better in some situations than in others.