Military Poncho Shelter Configurations using Trekking Poles
I have been issued a lot of field gear during my military career. If you were to ask me what one piece of gear has been the most useful, I would tell you that it is the U.S.G.I poncho. I can't think of one piece of gear that is more multi-purpose than a poncho. Thinking back, the poncho was the only shelter item that I was issued, and for six years, I slept many nights in the field with it.
The U.S.G.I poncho has been made from different materials and configurations over the years. It wasn't until the Vietnam war that the military provided a lightweight poncho to help keep the troops dry during the jungle rains, and help keep them warm at night. The poncho is made from a waterproof lightweight ripstop nylon with grommets and snaps down each side. The hood of the poncho is oversized to fit over the helmet. The U.S.G.I poncho measures 68"x 80" and weighs in at 1-1/2lbs. What the military calls lightweight and what backpackers call lightweight are two different things. …
The U.S.G.I poncho has been made from different materials and configurations over the years. It wasn't until the Vietnam war that the military provided a lightweight poncho to help keep the troops dry during the jungle rains, and help keep them warm at night. The poncho is made from a waterproof lightweight ripstop nylon with grommets and snaps down each side. The hood of the poncho is oversized to fit over the helmet. The U.S.G.I poncho measures 68"x 80" and weighs in at 1-1/2lbs. What the military calls lightweight and what backpackers call lightweight are two different things. …
