That $12 rain poncho from the gas station saved my hike on Mount Moosilauke last weekend

I always thought those cheap ponchos were a joke and packed my fancy gore-tex jacket instead, but halfway up the Gorge Brook Trail a sudden downpour caught me off guard. My jacket leaked at the zippers and I was soaked by the time I hit the treeline, but a guy I passed let me borrow his spare gas station poncho and it kept me bone dry for the summit push. Has anyone else had a random cheap piece of gear actually beat the expensive stuff in a pinch?

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1 Comment

hugo_nelson6h ago

Are we really acting like a trash bag of a poncho is somehow better than a proper jacket now? lol. I mean, yeah, in a freak storm where you forgot to seam seal your zippers, anything plastic will keep water off. But let's be real, that poncho would have shredded the second you brushed against a branch or tried to scramble over any rocks. I've seen those things turn into a flapping mess in a moderate breeze. My buddy used one on a windy ridge and it sounded like a whole parade of trash bags the whole time. So sure, it worked for that one afternoon, but it's not exactly a win for the cheap stuff, it's just a lucky break.