People shopping for a poncho will likely notice a fairly large disparity of price between the throw-away style of poncho made of extremely thin material and (at most) a metal snap or two, and those that cost 20 or 30 times more, but are hand-crafted and made to last forever. I was in the segment that needed something in between. I wanted something lightweight, tightly packed, that would survive a two week hike in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

This RothCo poncho worked adequately for my needs. Folded up, it took very little space. When on me, it kept me dry, and was strong enough not to rip and tear on every branch I came in contact with. It was also strong enough to have some paracord run through it to help along with another poncho and a tarp for a makeshift canopy on our campsite.

After about a week, I did begin to notice some slight fraying and ripping along stress points on the material and around the snap enclosures. This poncho is perfect for a short vacation if you don't want to spend over $50, but don't want to be throwing away a poncho after every single use.