It goes something like this: You’ve set up camp on a northern lake in the shadow of a nearby mountain with a fire-scarred summit. You’d like to climb up and check out the view. Maybe you’ll shoot some scenic panoramas, but what you really want to do is knock off a quick watercolor and make a few pencil sketches for your journal. Still, you hesitate. The weather’s looking decidedly threatening. Clouds are moving in fast, and it’s a safe bet that rain is in the offing. You don’t mind getting soaked all that much, but it’s no fun trying to sketch or paint in a rainstorm. So what’s it going to be? Should you hunker down under your tarp in camp? Or take a chance and make a dash for the summit? Well, I’ve got some good news. You don’t have to choose. You can head out on the climb in confidence. Just make certain you have all Ten Essentials in your pack—and be sure that these include a poncho.

Outfitters’ shelves overflow with brightly colored rainwear and meticulously engineered gear. So it’s easy to overlook the utility of a dowdy castoff from Uncle Sam’s bargain basement. That’s a mistake. I’ve been sheltering my assets under a military surplus poncho for a mighty long time, and I’m still discovering new uses for my old friend. You can, too. With just a poncho and a few lengths of cord, you can create a rough-and-ready refuge in minutes, and it goes up quickly using my “Five-Step Strategy”… Read more…

 

 
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