Who uses/hates the umbrella?

I live in rainy Wales. I often carry a sturdy umbrella for day-hikes and overnights in spring or summer; but I wouldn’t rely on it for more than that.

– umbrellas are best in summer, when there is little or no wind and the rain comes straight down. You wear less clothing and stay cooler.

– in winter, in gusty rain it won’t keep your body or your shoes dry. Also, my fingers freeze from holding it.

– In towns umbrellas work because the buildings block out most of the wind. In open country you get the full force in a windy region.

– an umbrella keeps my specs dry. But I also have a cap with a big peak for that.

– You can hunch down under it, to eat, or take a rest, study a map, etc. Leafy trees are better, but umbrellas are handy too ;)

Steve

I, like many others here, have a Golite umbrella and I’ve found it to be pretty useful overall. I’ve used it while hiking and for cooking in the rain. That can be kinda tricky though as you have to handle the umbrella and cook at the same time. I wedge the handle under my strap making it easier to keep stable and my hands free while cooking.

However, where an umbrella really shines is while hiking in the sun! I’ve done the Outer Mountain Loop in Big Bend twice and both times the umbrella was great for blocking the sun during the day particularly on the Dodson Trail section. The sun can be pretty intense in the desert and there’s not much shade. I would pass others on the trail and the look in their eyes was always, “Hey, I wish I had one of those”! It really did the trick.

While I hike with it most of the time, overall I probably don’t use it with any real regularity. But it’s sure nice to have when you find you need it so I don’t mind the weight penalty at 9 oz.

I saw this in a store recentlly, but didn’t open it. The packed sized was really small. Eagle Creek usually makes good quality items, though less known among ultra-lighters. 5 oz.
http://www.eaglecreek.com/40262.html

I’ve used one since way before Jardine, starting on the AT ~ 1973 or so. They allow you to hike w/o a hat, and keep enough rain off your clothes or raingear to make a real difference in warmth.

If you’re not sure, try taking a small foldable on all your hikes.

I just got a little ShedRain “Flat Featherweight Sport” that is 6.9oz. without the bag (7.4oz. with), 11″ long and about 2-1/2″ wide stowed, so it’s easy to stash in a coat pocket or backpack. It has a loop so it could be stashed on the outside of a pack too. It has a good fat handle with molded finger grips.

Comparing it to my GoLite model, the canopy is a couple inches larger than the GoLite but not as deep, and has 6 ribs vs. the GoLite’s 8. It is much more mechanically complex than the GoLite too and I would expect it to be less durable in wind. The shaft and ribs are mostly aluminum with the final 8″ of the ribs using solid round fiberglass whips. The use of fiberglass is clever and looks durable. It was $12.80 on sale at Ebags.com, normally $16.

I expect that I will use the ShedRain for commuting and day hiking and the GoLite more for multi-day trips.

All-in-all, an umbrella is a handy, cheap and easy peice of equipment that can be taken or left as your needs dictate.

I use a BirdiePal (www.birdiepal.com) umbrella — the “Junior” I think. It’s evolved into this: http://www.euroschirm.com/usa/index.cgi
The umbrella is fiberglass (no concerns with attracting lightning), extremely well engineered (if you blow it inside out, just snap it back and it’s fine) and has a loop at the top AND bottom of the shaft. I’ve actually tied the top loop to an overhanging branch, staked out the bottom with a bit of line and a stake, and used it as a mini-shelter for cooking in the rain.

If I’m looking at the probability of several days of rain, the umbrella has to go along — even if I’m wearing rain jacket and pants, it seems I’m always getting rain right in the face. The umbrella takes care of that. It’s certainly not a substitute for rain gear, but it’s a lot easier sitting around camp under an umbrella *with* rain gear than without the umbrella.

The NEW version of this umbrella is available with a silver metallic coating, which is PERFECT for hiking in the desert — reflects heat without your having to fuss with a hunk of mylar, etc. And the price ($26) ain’t bad…

For me an umbrella has many uses beyond rain protection, in particular it makes my somewhat shortponcho tarp much more rainworthy. I place it at one end of an A-Frame pitch and use it as a door. I also attach my mesquito netting to it so it stays off my face while I sleep, you could also do that during the day I suppose. I would like a larger, sturdier umbrella, however. I think the best option would be some sort of hybrid trekking pole umbrella. Does anyone know of something like this?

>> I think the best option would be some sort of hybrid trekking pole umbrella. Does anyone know of something like this?

Komperdell makes one.

Scroll down until you come to the umbrella pic.

Nice!

What a great idea integrating an umbrella on to a trekking pole.

Thanks for sharing

REI had them for $30 (normal $80) earlier this year and I bought one. Weight for one pole is 482g (more than advertized). It is well made but heavy.

Craig Shelley

That’s over a pound! After a season of lifting that up and down, you would look like a hermit crab :)

It needs to be modular, so you can disconnect the umbrella. An umbrella with a removable handle and a mating hollow in one trekking pole handle and a quick-release would do the trick.

Once you had that quick release handle in the trekking pole, you could make a drop-in camera mount, compass, fishing reel seat, or mate two poles together for avalance probe, extra tall tent pole, or hanging bear bags.

Hiking poles are such a fun thing to play with. I’ve tried quite a few of the uses you mention. The umbrella thing is by far the easiest implementation of them all. I broke the umbrella handle by accident and that was all the building required. I now insert what’s left of the handle in the upper section of the pole (after removing the two lower sections) and join both with a marchard knot and a minicarabiner

I hiked the OR/WA sections of the PCT several years ago, early season, and spent several days between the Sisters and Mt. Hood hiking accross the snow, in cold, Pacific Northwest “liquid sunshine.” I didn’t really believe Jardine until this. I can say now that the umbrella was worth every ounce.

A story should suffice. After it had been raining solid for two days, my buddy and I ascended up to Jefferson Park. We were plugging along uphill in shirt sleeves and running shorts, under our umbrellas, quite dry (above the waist), and we met a dad with two teenage kids. They were bedecked in WPB gear from head to toe, but had all zippers wide open to keep from getting totally soaked from condensation. This funneled the rain into their skin, of course. They looked happy to have survived an ordeal, but otherwise the looked quite bedraggled. They were quite jealous of our domes.

I can’t speak to umbrellas in sun, as I’ve never desert hiked, but I’m sure they would work well. I do know that they also make great wind-blocks while crossing fog-blown, snow-covered Northwest meadows.

Bottom line: if you think you may have to hike a for _several days_ in cold rain, and really want to stay dry and happy, carry an umbrella. Its always a trade-off, of course, between comfort and weight (discomfort), but after this experience, I’ll be taking an umbrella on any long trip where rain is expected.

Andrew Wilson (Muskrat)

I’ve used a cheap, whittled down 10 oz. umbrella for long sections of the CDT and found it a very useful psychological boost when launching out on continuous downpour days. It keeps your face dry and creates the cocoon sanctuary/space mentioned previously by others. Also very useful directionally in wind-driven, heavy snow. It doubles as a tent awning support and stove windscreen. Overall I vote yes.