US "Woobie" Poncho Liner, Woodland, Surplus

This US military rain poncho liner is also known as Woobie, because "without one, you woobie cold!" A very nice, lightweight, rather warm, and super cheap blanket & thermal cloak that has more uses than you'd think thanks to the tiestrings everywhere. Use it in the wood, at home, or keep it in your car if you run out of gas or your battery dies.

History

First used in the Vietnam War, the lightweight rain poncho liner was designed as a replacement for the wool blanket. It was tied up with the rain poncho to make a light sleeping bag. In comparison to the wool blanket, it is a lot lighter and a bit warmer. It also dries faster and can be packed into a very small space. Not only praised by the Vietnam War veterans but veterans of more modern conflicts as well - this thing is still very much in use.

If you want to see more praise and interesting tidbits of information, go and read this educational and entertaining Task & Purpose article.

Features

The rain poncho liner is warmer than the US military blanket. Since it is made from synthetic materials, it is also very lightweight, packable, and quick to dry. When compressed with general-purpose straps, the rain poncho & liner combo turns into a bundle that is a bit smaller than a football (the European kind). With a modern compression bag, you can go even smaller. Available in the versatile Woodland camo pattern.

• Measurements: c. 160 x 205 cm (63" x 81")
• Weight: c. 620 g (1.4 lbs)

These are manufactured from lightweight ripstop-Nylon fabric and polyester batting. The materials and overall quality are excellent, as it tends to be in military surplus.

Converts into a sleeping bag

Pretty soon after its introduction, the rain poncho & liner combination became the standard-issue sleeping gear for hot climates or general summer use. It is very easy to turn these two into a sleeping bag:

• Tie the liner to the grommets of the poncho.
• Snap the poncho sides together to make a tube.
• Get in and sleep.

The US Army states that the lowest manageable temperature is about +10°C (50°F). So, it is very much a summer thang.

Note: This woobie is also fully compatible with the British jungle sleeping bag!

The Särmä Rain Poncho is a bit more narrow than the woobie, but it has grommets in the right places if you're fine with a somewhat sloppier coupling.

Also works as a thermal cape and underblanket

The Woobie is essentially a light on-the-go thermal and camouflage cape or an ad-hoc blanket to make the best of situations where you can stop to take a nap. The fact that the contraption is quick and easy to discard in a hairy situation is vital in military use. However, the ease of use definitely helps when hiking and hunting, too. You can also use the Woobie as extra insulation for sleeping bags.

If you're into hammocking, this thing can also work as an underquilt. If the tie strings aren't ideal, it's easy to modify them. You could also get two Woobies and tie them together for extra warmth.

The only thing the Woobie lacks, funnily enough, is a hole in the center for your head, so it can't actually be worn as a poncho with a rain cape. Some adventurous users have made a slit in the center to rectify this. However, remember to hem the cut seams and make a little insulation flap on it. It doesn’t have to be anything more complicated than two hook-n-loop strips.

Condition

US military surplus. These are all used but in perfectly serviceable condition. There are older and newer Woobies in this batch, and in the older ones, the colors can be a bit faded. We sometimes have these in unissued condition, too, in case you don't like used ones.