Search the Community

I've been hunting for a rain poncho/cover for my bag setup for a while now and finally settled on the PS606 Rain Poncho. This review covers my initial thoughts upon receiving the PS606 only (no field use yet). First, it comes in a very handsome mesh and nylon storage bag. This is very useful for an item that requires containment after it's used, and even if only temporarily, the mesh should allow the product to breath a bit if it's still wet after use. Hopefully this will prevent mildew if you forget to dry it out. The front plastic covering the bag is very pliable and fully transparent. It appears to be of very high quality, however I'm not sure of how this will hold up if it's humid out. I can easily see this becoming fogged on the interior since your body heat will be warming the humid air between you and the poncho, but then some anti-fog spray should take care of that if it becomes an issue. I'll have to give it a shot and see. Also note how large the viewing area is. You could potentially have a very large bag under this and still see everything. The hood has tension cords to keep tight on your head, which should be very useful in high winds. The hood is also plenty large enough for headphones, so it should be fairly comfortable, as well as allow you to see properly when the hood is synched down. The throat portion of the hood has a zipper allowing the top of the poncho to open widely, so putting the poncho on and taking it off should be made much easier with this. It also has a rain cover over the zipper to keep you dry. The back of the poncho is vented very well. I lifted the vent holes to show you the ventilation. There is side access to BOTH sides of your bag on this poncho, and they are extremely easy to access. No odd fiddling of your hand to get it in the holes. You just lift slightly on the rain cover over the hole with the same hand you wish to enter that side, and you're in. The arms of the poncho are very roomy, but also have elastic bands on the wrists to keep the sleeves properly in place. And last but not least, the seams are taped! This is a very good thing, as anyone who has ever purchased quality rain or snow gear knows that seams without taping leak after just a short time of water exposure. This should keep the user nice and dry while using the cover. It might be hard to see, but look to the right of the stitching and you should be able to follow the tape line. That tape covers the stitching to about 1/4" over (to the left) of the double black stitches you see in the photo. Overall this appears to be a very well designed rain poncho that is extremely lightweight, very roomy and has plenty of ventilation. And at less than $100 including delivery, you can't go wrong for protecting your gear in the rain. I'm looking forward to using this and posting an update. I hope this is of help to someone searching for a rain cover.