Today my waterproof zippers arrived so I sewed them on (and they work a treat!) I also made up the small extra piece which can be used to close the tent up completely. This piece will weigh just less than 30 grams in silnylon on the completed tent bringing its total weight to approx 180 grams or about 240 grams with titanium stakes, guys etc. You have to admit that this is pretty good for a tent which is also a raincoat! With the extra piece sewn in and zipped up the tent would make emergency accommodation for two (lying down) or probably four sitting up, so it could certainly save lives in unexpected bad weather.
Spot helping me measure and cut out the extra door piece:
And here it is with the almost invisible #3 waterproof zips sewn on:
This is how big the extra piece is in Tyvek:
And zipped in:The hood doubles as a waterproof verandah/vent for the tent in this mode:
Della sitting in the tent – to give you some idea of how roomy it is. Two would fit easily sitting up like this (The pole would normally be further forward than this and out of the way – I just could not be bothered guying out):
The tent is plenty big enough for her to sit up with legs stretched out.
I admit I could have pitched it a bit tauter. I may put large ribber bands on each of the tie-outs to facilitate this. My sole concern with a tent actually is that it goes up easily, stays up and keeps you dry. prettiness is not part of my lexicon:
You can stake the door flap out like this to create even more space:
And it works as a raincoat:
It is 8′ long at the widest point, so a large person can sleep in it without touching any of the sides – and you can have a fire out the front to warm it. Dogs love it!
Now to move on to the silnylon version – and complete my <100 gram bathtub-groundsheet-chair to use with it.
See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-poncho-tent/
Hi Steve,
I really enjoyed your write-up and update on the poncho tent—what a clever and practical design! Living in the western U.S., I often find myself caught in that frustrating in-between weather where it’s not quite raining, but just enough to make you consider pulling out the full rain kit. By the time I’ve got on a jacket, pants, and pack cover, the drizzle usually stops—and I’m left hot, sweaty, and annoyed.
On the Pacific Crest Trail, I had great luck with a semi-durable plastic poncho. It was lightweight, breathable, and easy to throw on or off. But in more recent off-trail adventures, especially bushwhacking, it’s proven too fragile—branches tear it up quickly.
That’s what led me to your post. I’d love to make a Tyvek version of my own, and your design looks like exactly what I need. I saw that you offer the pattern for sale on your site, but it looks like the “Add to Cart” function isn’t working at the moment. Is there another way I could purchase the pattern from you? I’d be happy to send the $10 (or whatever you think is fair) via Venmo or PayPal.
Thanks again for sharing your work—hope to hear from you!
Best,
Alex Beutler
Hi Alex, I guess it’s because I have never finished the details of the patter. I have recently developed a new poncho tent which also doubles as a hammock tarp. I hope to put that up over the next couple of months. Sorry I am so busy. Cheers, Steve.
How about a drawing with dimensions and where to put the various zippers.
I am investigating having some of my designs registered and manufactured in Asia at present Ken. If this comes to nothing I will think about making them available to download. Sorry. Cheers, Steve.
Love the idea of the poncho doing double duty. But how does it go from a poncho to a tent? And if I use mine for the tent, can I use the wife’s for the floor? She’s only 5′ 2″ tall and her poncho will have to be smaller. Thanks for the writeup, I enjoyed reading it, as I can see it’s a work in progress. Thanks Roger.
Thanks Roger, It goes very easily to a tent. You just put your hiking pole approximately where the back of your neck would be when you were wearing it, then peg it out. I realise I might have to make a larger/smaller size, but I think wearing it over a pack will make it more of a ‘one size fits all’. As you say, it is a ‘work in progress’. I hope to have a final prototype ready for maybe a manufacturing run sometime in the next year. As I have said before, ‘Watch this space’! Cheers, Steve.