TENTSFORMER

I spend a night out in the pouring rain the day after I got this poncho shelter (which I bought with my own money). I had a lightweight 30-degree sleeping bag, a heavy-duty space blanket, a 6-mil rectangular plastic groundsheet, and my camera monopod. I spread out the groundsheet and pegged out the back side of the poncho, supporting the hood pocket on top of the adjustable monopod, which I guyed out on the front side. Then I staked out the two remaining corners and tied the armhole vents out to nearby trees with the included guy lines. The poncho had good build quality and performed admirably as a minimalist shelter; it was quick to set up and included everything needed for a basic pitch. I used the space blanket under me and wrapped over me on the front side to fend off rain spatter from the hard ground, and this kept my sleeping bag almost completely dry during several hours of downpour. The armhole vents are an excellent design and did not leak at all. My only want—besides a second poncho to act as the other shelter half—was another two stakes (8 instead of 6) to guy out the armholes when there are no trees handy. When worn as a poncho, it was well made and practical; I like the coyote color, and (of course) it was completely waterproof. The full-zip front and dedicated armholes were nice to have. I’m 6’2”, and the poncho is a great fit with or without a backpack. It was easy to vent while hiking. The hood adjustments allowed for a dialed-in fit over a baseball or watch cap. The poncho is recommended for users 5’8” and up, so anyone shorter might need a bungee or a web strap as a belt to keep it from dragging on the ground. I will definitely buy a second one of these to complete the teepee shelter. I’m quite satisfied with my purchase, and I consider this poncho to be money well spent.

I got this more for its poncho characteristics. I do not plan on using this as a primary shelter. I have way better hiking tents. The reason I got it was because I saw reviews showing it did well covering someone wearing a hiking pack. I find that claim to be accurate myself and that’s why I like it. Now the negative first. The material is such that wind driven rain or hard rain could seep through. I would say anything above moderate rain in a moderate breeze would compromise the poncho. My solution was 3M waterproofing spray. That should help with additional rain resistance. Also I’m 5’8”. If I wear this with no pack, it’s too long. I would have to use a rope or belt of some kind. Just something to consider. For the positives, it’s light enough for hiking. It’s big enough to cover a pack and still keep me dry. The zipper is nice and I like the roominess. As far as its function as a shelter … no clue. I leave that to others.

I picked this up for camping/hiking -and days like today where it looks great out now and 15 minutes ago it was pouring out- this is light weight, fits loose around my neck, and has a nice hood. The poncho can be used as a tent and comes with tent stakes (aluminum) and I'm not carrying them around. When I'm out hiking I usually carry my hydration pack, this poncho, some TP, snacks and a little ham radio because those baofengs can tune in FM local stations- or if your a ham like I am you can talk to people. win/win. so good news is if you need this one or two times it's worth having and it's light enough that you will forgot your carrying it. Thanks for reading my review and have a good day!

Could do worse for the money

Pretty functional in all aspects to their design. Of note though is that there seems to be a slight manufacturing or quality difference between manufacture dates of item as I have several of these.

It works as a poncho and tent. I’ve used as a poncho. I’m 5’10” and would recommend only using with a backpack or if you are taller than me because without a backpack the poncho can drag on the ground. The tent set up has saved me during temporary rain storms while hunting.

I have to admit, I'm becoming a onetigris super fan. And I'm kinda embarrassed to admit it. This poncho is amazing. It is a little big, but that comes in handy when you use it like I do. It fits nicely over your backpack so you don't have to remove your pack and put rain cover on it, and yourself. Just one and done. And having a quick tarp to hunker down under in a prolonged rain event is a game changer during long hikes.

Great design with low quality materials. The fabric is thin and is not ripstop in any way. I expect it to be easy to rip if it get's caught on a stick or rock, and that it will just wear through quickly. It''s also very loud and crinkly sounding, a lot like a plastic bag. It's large and easily fits someone who is 6 foot tall going to the lower calves, or a bit higher if it's worn over a backpack. The shape is not the typical rectangle, but more like a very large raincoat with only quarter sleeves. It's more wind and water resistant as rain can't be blown in through the sides. Great for heavy storms, but the tradeoff is that it doesn't vent as well in warmer weather or if you're sweating a lot. It is very lightweight, but that comes from the very thin material that I don't feel will last. The ability to use as a half teepee tent is nice, and the ability to zip two together to make a larger, fully enclosed tent is also very nice. The flap over the zipper is not very large so in a heavy downpour or monsoon water will get through, but in any lighter rain it should be fine. Especially if you can position them so the flaps face down as much as possible. The fabric gets caught in the zipper very easily, and this will cause faster wear too. It's a light duty zipper, but that fits the theme.