Arcturus Rain Poncho

I have used so many ponchos in my life ranging from the one dollar cheapos to 15 dollar thick plastic ones that can still rip. They all are junk compared to this poncho. I was iffy about paying 21 bucks for this poncho at first. When I saw they had a real tree one for 27 I thought, "What the heck, I'll give it a try". I'm glad I did. This thing is not plastic or rubber. It's basically the same stuff that a tent is made out of, maybe even better. It is extremely light weight and doesn't get hot like rubber or plastic ponchos. I tried to rip it in an inconspicuous place and it is truly rip stop. Maybe if I put in some hard-core effort I could rip it, a knife would definitely rip it to shreds but thats pretty much expected. It even takes up less room than rubber ponchos. I actually rolled it up differently than it originally came and reduced it's height in the storage bag by about 25%. I like it so much I have ordered 3 more in different colors to keep in all our cars. I'll definitely be taking this thing with me to all outdoor activities from now on. I haven't used it in the rain yet but I'm pretty sure it will work just as good if not better than all the cheapo ones. It is the perfect size for me. I'm 6-2 195 and if fits great. I haven't tried it with a backpack but it has enough room to cover a very large pack. I highly recommend it.Pros:- Rip stop material- Light weight- Not hot- Doesn't stink like rubber ones- Draw string on hood- Small storage size- Multiple uses for survival- Great color (real tree version)- Not as expensive as others- Nice storage bagCons:- A little bit more than the cheap junk ones but that's expected- Was a bit difficult to unfold the first time, it was stuck to itself- The real tree one costs more, but camo anything always does. I guess it's because of the rights to the pattern.- Should offer in smaller kids sizesUpdate:I received my other ponchos it the mail. In this order I bought 3 different colors. The OD green, Gray, and the woodland camo. All the colors are very nice. The woodland camo one looks very nice too. Still hasn't rained here yet to try them out.Final update:After 3 years they are still holding up fine. We've worn them in the rain already on numerous occasions ranging from soccer games to hunting. They always keep me dry. They can be a pain to stuff in the bag after use when wet and in the middle of a parking lot. We just toss them in the car and hang them to dry in the garage before rolling them up and storing in the bag again.

Read reviews and this poncho met and exceeded expectations. I needed a light but good poncho for archery hunting in the monsoons in northern arizona. This poncho is not very loud, very pliable, held up great in heavy rain with no leaks through the fabric, very light to carry for the just in case storm. What I like best is the size. I am 5'10", 170lbs, and during down poor poncho covered me with a small to med size day pack on my back, and bow at side while reaching down to ankles. Legs stayed dry. When I sat, everything including feet were covered. Bow stayed dry. The best coverage I have ever had in a poncho. Not too big either. Just right. As far as the reviews concerning only three buttons per side this is typical of any ponch and no more or less an issue with this one. If you have an issue just use sticky velcro as liberal as you want to close up the caps. I did, and worked great in wind and rain. Although the material is lightweight it is sturdy due to ripstop nylon and double coat of poly. Buy it. You won't regret it. Camo pattern also was surprisingly very good. My buddy said it blended in well. Probably going to buy another for back up as usually when i find something this good at a great price they sell out and become not available.

This is a really nice poncho, big enough to comfortably cover a hiker, even with a light backpack. I'm 6"1" / 215 lbs, and the poncho came to about half way down my shins. I tested it on a 20 minute walk in a steady, medium-hard rain, driven by 30+ mph winds, and it kept me dry (except obviously my ankles and feet). It would afford nice protection while seated viewing a sports event or outdoor concert. My arms below the elbow got wet when I stuck them through the 10-inch space between the top of the poncho and the first of set of snaps (as shown in the Amazon product photo). I got complete protection by retracting my arms and keeping them inside the poncho; this also allowed my hands to grasp the inside of the poncho (while naturally swinging my arms while walking) to keep the stiff wind from raising or catching the poncho.Aside from its big size, two other features stand out. First, it's lightweight and can easily be put in a fanny pack or day pack "just in case," which will be my primary use; tightly rolled and stuffed into its bag, it's about 8" long and 3" in diameter. Second, the hood is deep enough to protect the face by projecting far to the sides and top. The depth interfered slightly with peripheral vision, but my face was well protected, so it was a great trade-off. The head opening is a good size, big enough to get my head through it but snug enough to keep water off my neck, especially with the easily-adjusted drawstring snugged up.Three minor gripes, for which I deducted a star. The carrying bag is nice (made of the the same material as the poncho and includes a drawstring), but it needs to be slightly bigger; as it is, the poncho has to be folded just so and very tightly rolled to get it back into the bag. Second, I would have liked to see another snap on each side of the poncho to reduce the 12 inches between the three sets of snaps. Finally, I would have liked a visor on the hood. Fortunately, the hood was deep enough to cover much of the visor of my baseball cap, so my face remained protected, but I wouldn't want to use the poncho without a hat that had a visor. And although the big size was a major feature for me as a taller man, smaller people may find that it's just too much poncho.Overall, I'm very happy with this poncho for my purposes (didn't test it as a shelter or ground cloth/tarp). It's just what I wanted - at a reasonable price.