Sick of buying $1 ponchos!

[gib4]

I was trying to get ready for our upcoming trip and like to be uber-prepared for any situation without over packing. It's a sickness, I know. Anyway, I picked up some rain ponchos on clearance at Target the other day (78 cents!) but thought that if it rains more than one day they are shot (I have three kids). DH has a lightweight raincoat that we can stuff into any crevice so he is covered. While I was at Old Navy today they have "Jacket in a Packet". It is a lightweight water resistant coat that stuffs itself back into its own pocket! I will be able to roll it up and stuff it in a shoe for the suitcase . Now, they didn't have kid ones yet but if you have a tween it would work since the sleeves roll up and it is long enough to cover your hips, too. Sadly it wasn't on sale but for the convenience of it I was psyched! Thought I would pass it along!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I say those too...but in a Florida downpour I think you would be soaked in a matter of minutes.

 

[worm761]

very cool...how much were they? We ended up buying ponchos at Disney. I still have them and technically could take them back with us. But they are very thick and rather heavy when you have so many. Something like those would work great!

 

[rubato]

I bought some nicer, thicker, better quality ponchos at Cabelas or somewhere and they've lasted for about 5 years. We use them at DW and camping and boating. I think I only paid about $8 each for them. Well worth it.

 

[kohlby]

I have thicker ponchos too. Probably bought at Wal-mart or Academy sports. I've had them for at least 5 years and still holding up. The only issue is that the kids size is huge. So I cut it down to size for my 3 year old.

 

[livndisney]

I was trying to get ready for our upcoming trip and like to be uber-prepared for any situation without over packing. It's a sickness, I know. Anyway, I picked up some rain ponchos on clearance at Target the other day (78 cents!) but thought that if it rains more than one day they are shot (I have three kids). DH has a lightweight raincoat that we can stuff into any crevice so he is covered. While I was at Old Navy today they have "Jacket in a Packet". It is a lightweight water resistant coat that stuffs itself back into its own pocket! I will be able to roll it up and stuff it in a shoe for the suitcase . Now, they didn't have kid ones yet but if you have a tween it would work since the sleeves roll up and it is long enough to cover your hips, too. Sadly it wasn't on sale but for the convenience of it I was psyched! Thought I would pass it along!

We use those jackets all the time. They are awesome!!! Childrens place sells them as well.

 

[ancestry]

I bought some nicer, thicker, better quality ponchos at Cabelas or somewhere and they've lasted for about 5 years. We use them at DW and camping and boating. I think I only paid about $8 each for them. Well worth it.

This is what we did to. I bought a better quality one for each of us which comes in its own plastic sleeve.

 

[dancin Disney style]

I still have the old Disney yellow ones...we bought them at least 9 trips ago. It was funny when I first say the clear ones I felt like I was a stand out and that people probably thought I was cheap for re-using the yellow ones.

Now...the joke is on them we can pick each other out of the crowd.

 

[TAKitty]

Thanks! We hate the waste with the cheap ponchos but sometimes it is nice to just toss them when we are finished. I am going to check out the Old Navy jackets this weekend.

 

[NotUrsula]

Water resistant is NOT waterproof. It will work for a light drizzle, but in a downpour you will still be soaked to the skin. Ripstop nylon loses its ability to block water the moment that it is touched when wet (if you've ever used a canvas tent you'll know why -- it's an issue of air retention in the fibers.)

When we use a stroller I'll bring the heavier ponchos, but when I'm carrying them I go for the disposables. The thicker ones weigh a TON when they are compactly folded.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I don't think I'm going to bother next time.

I am just going to bask in the warm Florida rain.

 

[gib4]

Well, hopefully if it is an all out downpour I will have sought shelter prior to getting soaked to the bone! I was simply trying to point out to some others like myself an alternative that should prove to be easy to pack and might last more than one use. I do have a true water proof rain coat but don't feel like trying to figure out how to get it in the suitcase. And yes, like a PP said, those ponchos for kids are super big!

The Old Navy jacket runs $19.50 for those who were wondering!

 

[livndisney]

We got caught in a downpour in Dec in a poncho-we got soaked. I wished I had my jacket.

 

[everylastbreath]

I think the whole appeal of the $1 poncho (for me anyway) is that you can just throw them away and not have to carry wet poncho's or jackets for the rest of the day, I personally will continue to bring my dozen $1 ponchos...

 

[rubato]

I think the whole appeal of the $1 poncho (for me anyway) is that you can just throw them away and not have to carry wet poncho's or jackets for the rest of the day, I personally will continue to bring my dozen $1 ponchos...

This is the part that is so hard for me. I have a hard time with the "disposable" aspect. Plastic is bad, so reuse, don't rebuy!

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now!

 

[MeLaNie9]

We were in WDW for "monsoon week" last May. DH had his golf rainsuit, my older DS had one of those jackets that folds into its own pocket, I wore the cheap ponchos. We packed a bunch as we always do - I was able to use one for at least 2 days in a row then would open a new one. DH's rainsuit leaked at the seams and the waterproof pocket jacket my DS had didn't work at all - he was soaked through in minutes. We ended up buying one of the Disney kid ponchos for him and it ripped quickly and multiple times - we went to the POFQ front desk nightly to get packing tape to patch it back together. The cheapo ponchos really worked the best!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I actually found Raincoats for the kids for I think $1 a few years ago at Rite Aid. It was in their dollar bins. We still have them and they are awesome. They came in sizes and have a hood and they snap close. The kids wore them during Tropical Storm Faye and we did the MK and they were completely dry. We also have the ponchos but I hate wearing them as I feel like I am being suffocated. We use them to cover the strollers and my dh wears his. I just wear a hooded sweatjacket and get wet.

 

[audrey13]

This is the part that is so hard for me. I have a hard time with the "disposable" aspect. Plastic is bad, so reuse, don't rebuy!

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now!

We love the $1 ponchos because you can toss them when you are done but we do try to "reuse" when possible -- for example if we wear them on Kali River Rapids, on our way off the ride we'll offer them to another family that is about to go on. After seeing how soaked you can get on that ride, some folks in line are happy to have our ponchos even if they are a little wet themselves. Pay it forward!

 

[AirGoofy]

I have a Land's End Rain Jacket that is real light, keeps you dry, and even has zipper pockets at the armpits to keep you cool. But, it is nice to have the throw away ponchos, and, they are smaller (while in their original packaging) to carry in the parks.

 

[DawnM]

I found some Disney rain ponchos at a yard sale for .25 each. I don't know that they were even used more than once.

We take them every trip.