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Snugpak Enhanced Patrol Poncho and Insulated Poncho Liner

A poncho provides good additional protection in cold, damp exposed environments [©MG]

For that added weather protection the Snugpak Enhanced Patrol Poncho and Insulated Poncho Liner are great investments, writes Mike Gormley.

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As I sit here writing this and the cold February rain batters down outside you can easily understand why I reckon these two garments from Snugpak are great items of kit to have in your inventory for when you have to be out in it. The poncho concept is perhaps man’s original form of protective garment, so this is not new, but as the name suggests the latest Patrol Poncho is an ‘enhanced’ variant of a simple design.

Sitting and waiting can be a cold and wet experience so at such times the added protection of a Snugpak Enhanced Patrol Poncho can be most welcome ~ note also Snugpak Rocket Pack [©MG]

Made from DWR-treated waterproof ripstop nylon, with tape sealed seams and drawcord-adjustable hood, the Enhanced Patrol Poncho will do a lot to keep the rain on the outside. The sleeves have thumb loops at the cuff to help keep it all in place on a windy day and it comes with a pouch pocket on the chest to keep essentials to hand. The poncho packs down to a very small size in its own stuff bag and at just 360 grammes is easy enough to ‘take with’ for those times when you may need that bit of additional weather protection.

When static and doing camp admin the Insulated Poncho Liner offers real benefits [©MG]

Talking of additional protection, you can either add the Insulated Poncho Liner underneath for extra warmth or use it as a stand-alone over-garment if conditions are dry. Very similar in design to the Enhanced Patrol Poncho, this has the addition of Snugpak’s Travelsoft ultra lightweight insulation. Highly compressible but with a good loft, even if damp, it will give you that much needed additional warmth when in a static position. This version is naturally more bulky and a bit heavier, at 950 grammes, than the Enhanced Poncho… but with significant added benefits as the polyester fabrics are antibacterial on the inner Paratex layer. Intended primarily as an inner layer, this garment does not have the zip-up neck or the front pouch pocket of the Enhanced Patrol Poncho.

In behind the Enhanced Patrol Poncho chest pocket is a hidden space to give your hands a bit of protection [©MG]
Thumb loops are provided to keep the arms covered and hold everything in place on a windy day [©MG]
The chest pouch on the Enhanced Patrol Poncho is a handy place to securely keep essential items [©MG]

Ponchos are those handy and capacious items of gear that can accommodate a pack when worn or simply be used to sit inside or cast over oneself to give that added extra protection layer. Ideal when on ‘stag’ or just sitting around at camp or even when just admiring the views on a chill day or evening. We opted for Olive Green, but Black versions are also available direct from Snugpak.com or from select specialist outdoor gear suppliers.

The Snugpak Enhanced Patrol Poncho packs down conveniently small to around 20x10cm [©MG]
The Snugpak Insulated Poncho Liner has a more bulky pack size and is supplied with its own stuff sack [©MG]
Either Poncho type will cover much of the legs when standing up [©MG]

[images © Mike Gormley]

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