I recently had a chance to try out the Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Fiber Poncho Tarp on my attempt at the Colorado Trail unsupported record. Like most of MLD’s products, it’s well built, exhibits superior craftsmanship, and fills a niche that only the cottage industry can fulfill. It is a highly specialized piece of gear to incorporate into your kit, but surprisingly has a lot of flexibility and utility. My reasons for selecting this tarp/poncho combo into my gear list was two-fold. In knowing that I would be carrying all of my food supplies from the beginning for the entire length of the 485mi Colorado Trail, more than ever, every ounce I could cut from my base weight would count. Secondly, in knowing that for most of my time on the trail I would be moving and hence warm, the necessity to stay dry and comfortable came secondary.

    The theory behind a poncho tarp is that is abides to the ultralight ethos of multi-purposing gear and that less is more. If you break it down into it’s individual elements, a poncho tarp incorporated 4 pieces of essential gear into 1 and can save over a pound off your back. The 6.2oz model that I used (including guidelines, mini biners and seam sealing) substitutes these key pieces of gear that nearly every ultra-lighter will carry: a 3-8oz tarp, 4-6oz pair of rain pants, 6-8oz rain jacket and 1-3oz pack liner/cover. The weight savings do not come without drawbacks though. Like Andy Skurka routinely states, ‘knowledge weighs nothing’, the margin of error in using such a specialized piece of gear is small and the extra experience needed to use it correctly and safely is paramount. You can get yourself into trouble rather quickly if trying to use the tarp/poncho outside of conditions and environs it was not intended for. I personally feel this piece of gear is best suited for situations where 1) you will see very little chance of precipitation 2) you will either be on-trail, or doing off trail that does not involve any bushwhacking and 3) trimming every last extraneous ounce from you pack is a priority. Some scenarios that come to mind for the above criteria and situations where I would recommend the use of a poncho tarp would be:

1. -    Summertime in the Sierra, perhaps for a John Muir Trail thru-hike.
   

1. -    In the canyonlands of the Southwest where there are abundant ‘natural shelters’ and it’s predominantly passing showers.
   

1. -    Along the Appalachian Trail where the sweltering humidity voids any breathability in conventional rain gear and you are planning on utilizing the shelters and lean-tos.
   

1. -    For adventure races and peak attempts where carrying ‘emergency gear’ is mandatory, but most likely will not be needed.
   

1. -    Day hikes
   

    Beyond the obvious weight savings, the thing I really like about utilizing a poncho tarp is it’s exceptional breathability. I am a strict skeptic of manufacturers’ claims of any sort of ‘breathability’ in the fabric of their rain gear. You are either going to get wet from sweat or from precipitation. Period. A poncho tarp in inherently non-breathable, but the amount of air flow while wearing the garment keeps condensation low and thus you dry(er). The only area I experienced any sort of dampness was on my shoulders and upper chest, even in down pours. The fabric never really lays directly on your skin while wearing it in poncho mode since it drapes over you and is elevated by your pack, but your perspiration while hiking will rise, cool and condense around the neck area and this is why your upper body will tend to feel slightly damp once you take the poncho off.

    Unlike conventional rain gear, a poncho goes over your entire body and pack, which not only minimizes the wear and tear that you would normally see where your pack’s straps and hipbelt ride on your rain jacket, but also keeps your pack and it’s contents completely dry. For those of us that like to use our packs for the lower half of our sleep systems, it’s always been a challenge on what to do when your pack is completely wet and you are relying on it’s insulation to keep your legs warm at night without soaking your sleeping bag. Not with a poncho! Also it’s much faster to transition into your rain gear with a poncho without having to stop to pull out your rain jacket, possibly remove your shoes to get your rain pants on (if your pants don’t have leg zips) and get your pack cover on (if not using a pack liner). With my poncho stored in the side pocket of my Granite Gear Crown pack, I could slip the poncho on without stopping or breaking stride. Same goes with taking the poncho off when the storm blows over. If any of you are like me, when it’s a constant on again/off again storm cycle, I tend to get impatient and hate to stop each 15 minutes to take my rain gear on and off. I end up getting wetter in the end because of this procrastination cycle. With a poncho, there is much less temptation or excuse to ‘cross the fingers and hope it blows over’.

    The poncho generally comes down to my mid-calf while worn and my arms are exposed from the elbows down. You can still utilize your trekking poles while wearing the poncho and it’s even still possible to get to your external pockets of your pack like you normally would. With some care and skill, you can even stop to urinate without removing the poncho! I never minded not having any rain pants, even when it was cold and pouring, as my legs tend to stay plenty warm as long as I keep moving. When things were really coming down, I would stash my poles on my packs and tuck my arms under the poncho to keep them warm and dry. I found it most effective and comfortable to hold on to my pack’s shoulder straps while hiking in this mode.

    In tarp mode, the poncho/tarp is essentially a flat tarp so there are lots of options to how you can pitch it. The dimensions are sparse so proper campsite selection is of utmost importance in minimizing spray and misting. There is a high chance of blowing rain and splash from dripping to start soaking your bag if care is not taken. The tarp only measures 4.3‘x8.8’, so my strategy to maximizes its dimensions was to use my environment to it’s fullest extent. I will typically try and find a group of tightly clustered pines to sleep under. The canopy of the pines will minimize most of the rain fall and the duff tends to be great at controlling splash and run off (not to mention super comfortable). You’re definitely not going to be camping on any exposed ridges in a deluge with a poncho tarp, but that’s one of the compromises with using such a minimal piece of gear. When you are at this level of trimming weight, so have to compromise on some convenience and substitute it with experience. You may have to spend some extra time at the end of the day to locate an ideal campsite in the event that inclimate weather comes in.

    One thing I hear a lot with poncho tarps is the question of when transitioning from poncho to tarp mode in a storm, how are you going to stay dry? Again, with proper technique it is totally possible to do this transition and stay 95% dry. I highly recommend that people utilize the mini-biners that MLD offers for the tarp, as they greatly speed up the transition from poncho to tarp mode. The last thing you want to be doing when its cold and pouring is fumbling with knots and skinny spectra guidelines when your fingers are cold and not very dexterous. Your guidelines will need to be in a different configuration between poncho and tarp mode, and the use of the mini biners is much more ergonomic and worth the couple gram weight penalty. My trick, again, is to find a stand of pines for camp. While standing under them with the poncho still on, I will then transition all of my guideline into tarp mode. I prefer to set the tarp up in a slanting flat tarp configuration as this yields the highest square footage of coverage. With the longest guidelines connected to the tie-outs at my feet, I will unsnap the poncho, lift up the front of the poncho and tie off the tarp to two trees about waist high. (The trees I’m standing under). Next I’ll take a step back from the trees, which will start to create some coverage with the tarp. Now I can get my pack off and store it under the coverage I just created without getting it wet. Now I just have the two remaining corner tie-outs to stake out once I lift the poncho up and over my head. If you have your stakes handy, this should only take 5-10 seconds, and the canopy of the pines should be minimizing how much you’re getting wet. If you’re really good, you can probably stake out those corners while under the cover of the tarp. By sleeping under the pines with your head right up against the trunk, there are many advantages that maximize the utility of the tiny poncho tarp. The canopy is going to minimize most of the precip coming down, which in turn will help negate most of the splash. You’ll also sleep warmer and more comfortable under the pines, making use of the duff and heat given off. If you’re following my suggestion from above, this situation should be the exception on your trip and not the norm. Again, environments where there are days on end of endless downpours, it’s going to be exponentially more difficult to keep your sleep system dry.

    One thing I will caution folks on is that while wearing the tarp in poncho mode, you will have to be mindful of how much wider you are and what your poncho will be abrading against. Even while strictly on trails, there will be times when you’ll encounter blow downs, low hanging branches and overgrown sections. The loose nature of the poncho makes it easy for it to snag on a sharp branch and potentially rip your soon-to-be shelter. Be sure to carry some repair tape like McNett Tenacious Tape.

    Below are some photos and further tips and tricks for using the poncho tarp is both configurations. I am more than pleased with what MLD is offering and will continue using this piece of gear as conditions dictate. Feel free to contact me for further photos or questions.