I have mixed feelings about this poncho. There's pros and cons, and it truly depends on who is purchasing this poncho and what for! I purchased this poncho for our Disney Trip. I have heard great things about Frogg Toggs, including the long life and great coverage, so I figured this purchase would be perfect for all the Disney Trips we take throughout the years! And if I liked it, then I would purchase another for my husband. I received it 2 days before our trip. Thankful I opened it because the smell of a burnt forest is not what I'd be able to walk around smelling like throughout my trip. The smell was HORRIFIC! Not sure why or how it gets this smell, but it is definitely not even close to being wearable unless it is washed first. When I opened it up completely, there was a tear in the front of it. It was small, but it was mixing that whole waterproofed layer of material, and no doubt if we were in heavy rain, it would go through. I contacted the company immediately, and they sent out a new one overnight!!! VERY PLEASED with the Customer Service! With that being said, I did have to wait till it arrived in order to wash it because of the smell. But it arrived, I put it in a laundry bag for protection, added it with a few other items and washed it on gentle cycle. It came out great, stink free, put it in the dryer for 2 minutes to get the excess water off before I hung it to dry, and it was dry to take on my trip the next morning. Now.. onto the size and coverage. This thing is HUGE! I am 5' 3, and although I wish I can say I was super skinny, I can't :-(. But... I'm not really big either. I wore maybe a size 8 at that time. Comes down really low. Hey.. Can't complain about the coverage now, right? It's not to the point of it tripping me, but it is extremely long! Not a biggy.. It's light weight, does not feel bulky and heavy, and I'll get great coverage obviously. I also wanted this one because of the hood. I can tighten it so it doesn't fly off when it's really windy. But the hood ended up being a problem. It was SO BIG, that it not only covered my whole head, but my entire face too!!! Not even an exaggeration! I tried to stop it at my forehead and tighten the toggle to keep it from going over my face, but it didn't work. So it is very hard to walk around the parks in this, as I can't see where I'm going! I wore it on splash mountain, and we had the best laugh at the action shot of the log flume going down. Who is that faceless person?!?!? All you saw next to my little 5 year old, was a giant blue cape! It really was funny! So... I gave it 4 because it does have great coverage and the durability is obvious. Will last for many years to come. But, it has been passed over to my husband because the hood is just way too big. For him as well, But he can deal with it better. And as far as the smell is concerned.. easy fix by washing it gently in a netted garment/washer bag if you don't have front loads, to prevent it from getting torn in the wash. Just make sure you order it to arrive several days before you will need it and you'll be fine. Overall... This poncho is of great quality and will have a very long life if you take care of it and store it properly. Perfect for a man or tall woman. And the hood? Not too horrific if you're not as picky as me or have an issue if it flies off your head.
