Tact Survival Poncho

An emergency survival poncho waterproof pack is one of those gear items that fits in a hip-belt pocket and gets pulled out exactly once in a bad situation — when it matters more than anything else in the pack at that moment. At a size that fits in a pants pocket or clips to a carabiner, there's no practical reason not to have one on any day hike, camping trip, or hunting excursion where the weather is variable.

Emergency Poncho Use Cases Beyond Rain Cover

The rain-cover function is the obvious application, but the survival poncho's reflective exterior doubles as an emergency signaling device visible from aircraft and at distance in search-and-rescue scenarios. Grommeted corner attachment points let you rig it as a lean-to tarp or overhead rain fly using paracord when you need shelter rather than just rain protection. The large cut covers the torso and pack combined — useful when you're trying to keep both yourself and your gear dry during an extended storm while waiting out conditions on an exposed ridgeline.

• Packs into a shirt pocket — no pack space penalty for always carrying one
• Covers torso and pack simultaneously in heavy rain
• Grommeted corner points for rigging as a lean-to or rain fly shelter
• Reflective material works as a signaling device in search-and-rescue scenarios
• Appropriate for hiking day packs, hunting packs, and vehicle emergency kits

Buy several and put one in every pack, vehicle glove box, and emergency kit. At this price and pack size, it's one of the lowest-cost improvements you can make to any outdoor kit's emergency preparedness.