REVIEW // BE-X FronTier One Poncho Liner [ENGLISH]

BE-X FRONTIER ONE – PONCHO LINER

Remember those cold nights, you spent outdoors without a camp fire? For one reason or another, there are situations where you just can’t build a fire to keep yourself warm at temperatures below 0. Be it the location, concealment, weather, etc. It’s in these situations that your gear needs to do the work. For most people this means shivering yourself awake and warming up afterwards.

Well those times are over, because a German company has created a perfect product.

We presents to you, the BE-X FronTier One Poncho Liner from BEGADI.

Weighing in at a shy kilogram, this marvel is as versatile as it is tough. It combines high quality materials like 30D ripstop nylon with 100 g/sqm PRIMALOFT filling and YKK zippers and zipper pulls. Designed to be a poncho liner, this item is capable of so much more. It’s 220cm long and when unzipped, 142cm wide. It comes in a compression bag with high quality buckles.

Also included is a simple belt type strap with the same buckle to enable fixing the liner around your waist. Since the buckles are the same, this strap can also be used as a shoulder strap when connecting it to one of the compression straps.

There are many uses for this item thanks to its clever design. It can be a poncho liner, a coat, a quilt, a blanket, hammock insulation and more. In our tests, we used it as hammock insulation and coat.

On each end, there is a draw string with two stopper tabs. These can be used to further seal your thermal insulation. These are essential, since they fit the liner to whatever you are using while helping to hide the inner side. Can be replaced with some shock cord.

Also attached on both ends, there are two loops for fixation of the liner to other gear. These are perfect for stopping the liner from sliding out of position when used as hammock insulation. With these you can also fix the liner to the ground when using it as a marker.

There are also loops on the back (when wearing as a poncho) to keep the coat belt in place. The craftsmanship on the seams is very good and solid. Even after some abuse the seams held up nicely, excluding one at the opening for the draw string.

Nothing catastrophic and we’re sure this is not a serial flaw. Also it can be fixed in 2 minutes.

The hood can be zipped shut when using as a blanket or open for ventilation when using as hammock insulation. It’s lightly insulated and does not interfere with your hearing when wearing. It also has an elastic cord with two stopper tabs and a mandarin style collar for a tight fit around your face.

The nylon is super smooth and very comfortable on your skin and due to its “ripstop” weave it can withstand some abuse like dragging over branches when you pack up in a hurry. It’s water resistant up to a point. During our tests we had some minor snow fall and the nylon held up great on exposed areas.

But the part that stands out is hidden between layers. It’s the 100 g/sqm PRIMALOFT filling. According to the manufacturer, this is a “silver” level of insulation. This means a high warmth to weight ratio (no need for bulk to stay warm), medium water resistance to absorb less moisture to keep you dryer and warmer longer, high breathability to keep moisture away from your body and more efficient drying, it packs to a small size for easy storage and layering, it’s lightweight and with superior softness.

Some might be familiar with down linings which are great, until you get them wet. The PRIMALOFT filling retains up to 95% of its insulation capabilities when wet.

When used as hammock insulation we spent nights at -5 degrees Celsius in combination with a +5 degrees Celsius comfort level sleeping bag without a tent. The ventilation hole needed to be open at first, but later at night it had to be zipped shut. After that, the temperature inside was perfect for sleeping. Because the liner wraps around the whole hammock, there is no need for extra insulation on the bottom (sleeping mat). When zipped shut, the liner offered limited but satisfactory movement inside the hammock. All sleeping positions could be achieved (185cm and 95kg body). A slimmer person was even more comfortable.

Solid and big zipper pulls allow you to use them with gloves on without the need to add paracord. The two way zipper can be opened from each side, but unfortunately only comes apart when both zipper pulls are at the primaloft tab.

When standing still the liner offered superior protection against wind and cold. When on the move it was removed after an uphill climb. Simply too warm.

The color scheme of the liner is yet another addition to its use. The outer layer color is Olive Drab and the inner color is safety orange. This doubles the use of the liner. Just turn it inside out in an emergency situation and you are sure to be spotted.

When moving to a safer location or just marking your position this is a must have emergency item. This is also extremely useful for those winter airsoft events. You know how hard it is to spot those 25x25cm death rags on the chest? Well, when waiting on a respawn or moving to your mash, just turn the liner inside out and you are a 190cm tall traffic cone. This will surely help those trigger happy players make sure you are out and keep you warm at the same time. The grayish olive color blends nicely with the surroundings, just make sure you tuck in those orange bits on the ends.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion I would put this liner at the very top of must have survival/outdoor items list. It’s a lightweight, versatile, tough, little life saver. After messing around with it, we found it to be an exemplary item in its category. Indeed it’s very hard to show its value, but everyone can get stuck in a car during winter and everyone can sprain an ankle while hiking in the great outdoors. And since the weather is not always nice, this item will maximize your chances or just keep you comfortable on that long trip.

It’s available at any respectable outdoor shop or at www.begadishop.com