A poncho (; ; ; "blanket", "woolen fabric") (2026). 956828799X, Editorial Centro Gráfico Ltda.. 956828799X
[Los Indios precolombinos de Nicaragua y Costa Rica en los siglos XV y XVI, 2009 - Bolaños, Enrique][Historia de la Gran Nicoya en el sur de Mesoamérica, Jiménez-Santana 1997] in places now under the territory of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, and have also become familiar in parts of the United States A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain.
Types
In its simplest form, the poncho is essentially a single large sheet of fabric with an opening in the center for the head. It often has an extra piece of fabric serving as a hood. Rainproof ponchos are normally fitted with fasteners to close the sides once the poncho is draped over the body, with openings provided for the arms. Many ponchos have hoods attached to ward off wind and rain.
Alternative ponchos are now designed as fashion items.
Traditional ponchos
The poncho was one of the typical clothes of many South American and Mexican cultures. Although investigations have concluded that its origins could be Mexico, Ecuador or Peru, it is not known where the first ponchos
[ Photo Gallery of the Paracas Clothes - A Poncho of 200 B.C. ] were made. The poncho is now commonly associated with the
Americas. As traditional clothing, the local names and variants are:
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Ruana, in cold regions of Colombia and Venezuela.
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Poncho, most Spanish-speaking countries and worldwide.
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In Brazil, the use of ponchos has been reported since the 16th century, starting in São Paulo;
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Chamanto, only in Central Chile, poncho in the north and south.
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Jorongo, usually larger or full-length, and often used for special occasions or horse-back riding in Mexico
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Gabán, typical in Michoacán, Mexico.
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Quechquemitl in many Mexico regions
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Poncho chilote, a heavy woolen poncho of Chiloé Archipelago.
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In Argentina, every province has a traditional design of poncho (material, color and design), being the most famous the "Poncho salteño" of the Salta Province which is even included as a part of the province's flag.
Military ponchos
The poncho was first used on a regular basis in the 1850s for irregular U.S. military forces operating on the U.S.
Great Plains.
[Marcy, Randolph B. (Capt), The Prairie Traveler, U.S. War Department (1859), reprinted by Applewood Books (1988)] These early military ponchos were made of
gutta percha muslin, a
latex-coated, waterproof cloth.
[Kearny, Cresson H., Jungle Snafus...And Remedies, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (1996), pp. 231-236] Ponchos made of gutta-percha or
Natural rubber coated cloth were officially adopted during the American Civil War, both as rain clothing and as a ground sheet for sleeping. While originally intended for
cavalry forces, they were widely used by
infantry as well;
Major General Sherman's Union troops, lightly equipped and living off procurement demand from the local populace, wore ponchos during wet weather encountered during the march through Confederate Georgia to the sea.
The U.S. Army again issued ponchos of waterproof rubberized canvas to its forces during the Spanish–American War of 1898.[ Spanish American War Poncho, Oshkosh Public Museum, http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit4/e40126a.htm] Two years later, both the Army and the Marines were forced to issue waterproof rubberized cloth ponchos with high neck collars during the Philippine–American War in 1900.[Keene, Jennifer D., World War I, Greenwood Publishing Group (2006), , , p. 130]
Just prior to World War II, ponchos were significantly improved during testing with the U.S. Army Jungle Experimental Platoon in the jungles of Panama, incorporating new, lighter materials and a drawcord hood that could be closed off to form a rain fly or ground sheet.[George, John B. (Lt. Col.), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 459] During the 1950s, new lightweight coated nylon and other synthetic materials were developed for military ponchos. The poncho has remained in service ever since as a standard piece of U.S. military field equipment.
During World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) issued the Zeltbahn (see Shelter half), a poncho that could be combined to form Poncho tent. A typical four-man tent used four Zeltbahnen.
Hikers and soldiers may use military ponchos for improvised tents, sleeping mats, and other purposes besides clothing.[The Handbook Of The SAS And Elite Forces. How The Professionals Fight And Win. Edited by Jon E. Lewis. p.414-Tactics And Techniques, Survival. Robinson Publishing Ltd 1997. ISBN 1-85487-675-9] Soldiers tend to use ponchos as a substitute for a tent because it is portable and easy to install. Poncho Hooch, Poncho Lean-to, Poncho Litter, and "Australian" Poncho Raft
Ponchos in Chile
In the late 18th century, Basque navigator José de Moraleda wrote that the ponchos of the
Huilliche people of Osorno were less colorful than those of Chiloé Archipelago.
The Huilliche are the principal indigenous population of Chile from Toltén River to Chiloé Archipelago.
[Villalobos et al. 1974, p. 49.] Mapuche textiles were once highly valued; in the 19th century a poncho could be traded for several horses or up to seventy kilos of
yerba mate.
19th-century Mapuche ponchos were clearly superior to non-indigenous Chilean textiles and of good quality when compared to contemporary European wool textiles.
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Film
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Clint Eastwood famously wore a poncho as the lead character in each of the films he starred in for Sergio Leone ( A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). This gave him a distinct look in comparison to other cowboy characters in Western films, who usually wore dusters. It also inspired one worn by the Cybertronian Bounty hunter Lockdown on , one worn by the Spirit of the West on Rango, and one by Wildwheel on .
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Sylvester Stallone improvised an ad-hoc poncho from discarded industrial grade canvas as John Rambo on the set of the 1982 movie First Blood. Behind the scenes when filming, Stallone found the leftover canvas underneath an abandoned truck and used his signature survival knife to make a hole in the top fold and turned it into the poncho worn by the Rambo character and describes it having saved him from the freezing cold bitter rain of Northern Canada.
See also
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Aguayo, a typical Andean piece of cloth.
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Baja Jacket
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Bisht
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Belted plaid, a garment that could also double as a blanket or groundsheet.
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Cape
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Chasuble, a poncho-like Christian liturgical vestment.
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Cloak
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Kaftan
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Ruana
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Rebozo, a longer scarf like shawl without hole, tied around shoulder and can be used to carry a baby.
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Sarape, a poncho-like garment traditional to the Mexican state of Coahuila.
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