Mongrel rain protection, but best of breed - Exped Pack Poncho UL

I recently purchased this "poncho" assuming that it was just that, a light weight poncho. After opening the package it was evident that the "poncho" was as much a cagoule as it was a poncho. The sides of the poncho are actually sewn together most of the way up and the arm openings have almost a sleeve like construction. This is not a bad thing since it should make wearing it in the wind less of a hassle. It does come in sizes which is a plus for me and the "sleeves" cover my arms completely, eliminating the need of another garment to keep my arms dry. The arm openings are also large enough to let in air for cooling and the zippered back opening does cover my pack. The four star rating is because I haven't actually used it while backpacking. If it works as well as I think it will I would give it a five star rating. It's apparent that a lot of thought went into designing the garment and the fact that it comes in three different sizes is also a plus.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.