Same with pitching the poncho as a hammock tarp - the surplus ponchos are just big enough to be adequate in this role, whereas the reproductions are just too small. My old German Military Surplus poncho can comfortably cover me and my pack with some extra length to keep the rain out. That little bit of extra room makes a huge difference. So, why can't anyone just make these things a tad longer AND wider? Oh, not to mention that it covers down to your wrists rather than just to the elbows when used as a poncho! This limits how you can pitch the tarp - that extra 20cm allows you to pitch a much higher shelter with a bit of head room, and the more squarish resulting shape allows you to use pitches such as the plow point a lot easier. Same with an UL Exped poncho that I have - great length, but super narrow. When someone does make a super long version, they make it too narrow: IE, the savotta ponchos, coming in at 250-280cm in length but only 139 in width (!). They are invariably all 210cm x 145, or even all the way down to 200cm x 140cm. Unfortunately, *all* of the reproductions on the market are noticeably smaller, to the extent that using them as a shelter, hammock, or many other things becomes quite a bit more difficult or impossible. Their size is just large enough to be useful as a stand alone shelter, at 220cm x 160cm. I like military ponchos, particularly of the older NATO variety.
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