Experience From - Ian Hutcheson, Jim Kirby, Laurie Staton, Doug McKeever, Bill LaDieu, George Beinhorn, Ray Zirblis,
Lynn Newton wrote:
"I need a poncho, or some equivalent rain gear. I'm asking for specific product recommendations here. It rarely rains here in Phoenix, and when it does I don't usually bother to go out in it. I go to the gym. I have a nice Marmot light jacket that seems to be waterproof, but now I'm looking for one of those lightweight things with a hood on it. Or are they so common that it's like asking for recommendations of running shorts? I'm running my first 50K in 10 days, and want to be prepared for all eventualities. I could encounter anything from snow to blazing heat.
"
How about a disposable plastic poncho about the thickness of a garbage bag and the size of a small wallet (when folded up) for ~$1 at department / discount / outdoor stores? the idea came to me from Jim Pomroy, co-R.D. of Elkhorn.
I've always got about a dozen of them. they don't often get used but they're very important when they do get used. even when it's not raining, they can also be used to stop wind and/or reduce evaporative cooling.
Lynn. Let me guess. Your doing The Crown King Scramble. Right? I was there last weekend(crown king) nice snow storm we had for our training run. You missed a fun time. Anyway, forget the poncho thing. To much weight my friend. If you go to the packet pickup on Thursday evening you'll be able to buy clothing items. The thing you want to buy is one of those Tyvek jackets from past CK events. Why? Because they are light,windresistant,and work pretty well in the rain too. Just look for Paul Bonnett-Castillo lovely wife Mima, who works the clothing table.
Hi Lynn, I don't know if you've gotten any responses to your query...but I have a suggestion. It's pretty simple, cheap & very low-tech: plastic.
Got one in my Leadville prerace bag years ago, but more recently I've found 'em in the checkout area of Target for $1.99. I always carry one in my pack.
They generally come in yellow or blue (pretty versatile colors, ya gotta admit...if you're any kind of fashion slave). They're very lightweight to begin with, so they're sort of recyclable...can be semi-refolded to fit in a sandwich ziploc bag. Plus, they have a cool hood.
If you are thinking of running in a poncho, that doesn't work so well, because on any kind of uphill, the loose fitting poncho tends to obscure one's vision. The ventilation is nice, though. But coming from the land of perpetual rain as I do, I'd recommend sticking to your light rain jacket.
The lightweight poncho works. If you want to prevent it from flopping around fasten your bottle pack over top the poncho.
I've tried Tyvek in the rain, and...if Lynn's looking for a
My solution has always been a light rain shell. Sure, you sweat, but you'd sweat anyway, and it's better to be warm and wet.
In regard to poncho hood visibility, a cord, elastic, or large rubberband worn over the poncho hood in headband position allows for exact adjustment for keeping it out of one's eyes.
I am also a recent convert to those biking raincoats made of clear plastic with mesh sides. Campmor sells them for about 15-20 dollars. No hood, and one still gets wet from the combination of sweat, rain, and splash, but better than a full jacket and, like the poncho, provides for faster drying. The main thing is that it cuts the cold wind on the front part of the body and the extended biking tail in back is helpful.
Ray Zirblis