Backpacking and Hiking with an Umbrella

[Addie Bedford]

Companion forum thread to:

Backpacking and Hiking with an Umbrella

[Ceph Lotus]

When your trekking poles also serves double duty as tent poles, which is very common these days with most ultralight tents, it kind of hard to abandon them.

[Diplomatic Mike]

The rain i mostly have to deal with is horizontal, so an umbrella doesn't appeal to me.
If i was getting one though, i would look closely at the Senz stormproof line. Check out some of the videos on their site, HERE

[David Ure]

Can't stand umbrellas – they don't do squat in driving sideways rain except attempt to take you airborne.

[Marc Penansky]

The inventor of the StickPic, Rod Java, is developing a retractable sun/rain shade that he is calling the "SierraShade" which attaches to your pack. I saw a prototype at last year's ADZPCTKO and it was pretty neat. He clearly has some issues to work out as to how to attach it to the myriad of pack types,shapes, and sizes but I thought it had some real merit. Probably not workable on the AT because of the amount of vegetation cover but much more useful on the West Coast. The obvious advantage is the "no hands" utility so that you can still use trekking poles, etc.

[Darren Bagnall]

I want to carry one but I can't ditch my poles. Maybe I will carry both; there are so many uses for the umbrella.

I'll add one use: for the reflective umbrella – it's an emergency signal. No one will miss that thing.

[Geoffrey Lehmann]

"I guess you guys have never backpacked in the Southeast or in the mountains of TN/NC or VA. Using an umbrella here would be pointless due to the overhanging rhododendron and brush."

Pretty over generalized—I’ve happily used an umbrella in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. I’m a heavy sweater, so the ventilation aspect is key for me, but I also really appreciate the mini-shelter when taking a quick break or performing any sort of trailside chore.

Previously I only used a hiking staff and had no problems, but I’ve just begun using trekking poles so this will be something I’ll have to work out.

geoff

[Nick Gatel]

I have never used an umbrella even in the city. But they do look like a viable piece of gear. In sun they provide lots of shade and ample ventilation. I see people using them in desert cities in the summer just walking around town.

One of those pieces of gear that fits a niche, but not every situation. Not for me, but they do work well for some folks.

[Piotr Z.]

When I was mountain climbing during the 80's in Poland, I was taking an umbrella with me on the climbs. I remember a couple of times using it in the wall to wait out a rain, and walking on the trails in the rain as well. It worked well, especially in warm summer rains. I still have this umbrella with me, but the likelihood of summer rain in the Sierra is so low I did not use it.

[Scott White]

"I guess you guys have never backpacked in the Southeast or in the mountains of TN/NC or VA. Using an umbrella here would be pointless due to the overhanging rhododendron and brush."

"Yup. Try moving through the Linville Gorge with an umbrella."

I have done quite a few summer trips in GSMNP with an umbrella and no rain jacket. Since you are usually under a tree canopy most of the rain is falling/dripping from straight overhead. Windblown rain is not usually a problem. The warm and humid summers there can make a rain jacket feel very hot and stuffy. I've rarely encountered thick brush that was problematic.

If you're backpacking in the summer months in the southeast I highly recommend giving an umbrella a shot.

[Francis Tapon]

Casey/John: I used a GoLite windshirt that they no longer make: the Wisp.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/2005_golite_wisp_wind_shirt_spotlite_review.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=7262&cat=Clothing%20-%20Wind%20%26%20Soft%20Shell&cid=49

I still have a new one that I treasure. :)

[Francis Tapon]

Christopher Yi: No, I don't use trekking poles. I address the issue in the article. Thx!

[Christopher Yi]

"I use both, each depending on the circumstances. I don't 'have' to use either one. I prefer using the trekking poles on steeper ups and downs, not so much otherwise. The umbrella gets used when it's raining or in the middle of a hot sunny day. "

I use trekking poles 99% of the time if there's any elevation gain, as it keeps my hands busy and prevents sausage fingers. I like the overall idea and it'd be additional protection with the tarp, but it seems like it'd be a hassle swapping back and forth, especially with my twist lock poles. Can't knock it till I try it. Not sure it would be worth it in the Sierras in the summer though.

[Francis Tapon]

Brett: The windier the conditions, the harder it is to protect your legs from getting wet with an umbrella. Then again, a rain jacket NEVER protects your legs or feet from getting wet!

Since you'll tall, you'll get a bit wetter than someone a foot shorter, and if that bugs you, then get lightweight rain pants or chaps.

There's practically no way from preventing your feet from getting wet when it's raining hard (except for rain boots). ;)

[Kevin Wallis]

Get 2 pieces of elastic cord, each about 6" long with 2 cord locks and use these to secure the umbrella to the shoulder straps of the pack. Wrap them around the strap and the shaft of the umbrella about 6" apart and cinch it down with the cord lock. I use a compact type umbrella made by Snowpeak. When I am not using it, I collapse it and keep it strapped on. If no rain in the forecast, I can easily loosen the cords and remove it. No hands needed, adjustable, and just as effective as holding it with your hands.

[Francis Tapon]

WV Hiker: I address the bushwhacking and tree canopy issues in the article. I've thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and hiked extensively in the Olympic National Park in Washington State – the only place that has a temperate rain forest in the USA. There's also lots of tree canopies in the jungles of Costa Rica, where I've backpacked. Bottom line: an umbrella works well (for me).

However, as I mention in the article, for truly heavy prolonged rain (4+ days), having double protection may be best.

Lastly, the last photo was not "staged." That photo is taken when Maiu and I were thru-hiking the PCT. As you can see from the photo, the sun was directly overhead, so the trees provided minimal shade.

More importantly, no thru-hiker in his/her right mind will walk "a short distance" to get shade while his/her partner is consulting a map or taking a pee break. You have to save every ounce of energy. ;)

[Inaki Diaz de Etura]

Regarding poles, I guess most people here have already tried a pack under 10 kg and most surely all of us have tried hiking without poles sometime so it's most likely that both conditions met and we already know what it is before deciding to use the poles.

I use umbrellas and usually take one for the long trips but i make a more limited use than what's presented in the article. I actually don't like using the umbrella, I don't like the complexity it adds but I appreciate some of the advantages already commented and I particularly like the psychological benefit of being out of the rain as well as the physical part about having a dry environment for chores like checking a map or taking a picture.

The one thing I don't agree is about the need for a rainproof top. The windshirt+umbrella thing is not enough for me in anything other than mild, windless rain and even then my arms usually get uncomfortably wet (Golite Dome at play). I always take a waterproof top but still the umbrella lets me use a very simple one, even a non-breathable one that's as light as a windshirt and it's a good match to the umbrella.

[Harald Hope]

I can totally see an umbrella for sun, that would be a no brainer. If it's flat, or rollling terrain. Or climbing mountains in the sun, for sure, I'd stick a trekking pole in the backpack for that, I hate getting heat stroke, plagues me.

I would definitely use an umbrella in the desert or high heat situations on more or less flat surfaces, but can't see using one in any other circumstance, though it would be fun to try just to see. But my experience with umbrellas has been that my pants and shoes get more wet than if I hadn't been using it, due to the streams of water coming off it.

However, blanket statements like, you don't need trekking poles if pack weighs < 10kg/22 pounds have precisely ZERO value, since there is no law or rule that dictates such things, it all comes down to weight on knees, condition of knees, age, and a variety of other factors, all of which vary individual to individual. When writing such an article, I suggest avoiding such fictional rules, which are literally made up out of thin air, and stick to facts and experience, which are interesting and informative to read. I can assure you that my knees let me know with zero pounds on my back plus descent, and have for years, but I don't make the error of assuming all knees will let people know this, although my suspicion is that many, if following the fictional rule of < 10kg on back, will find as they age that they really wish had avoided such behaviors. I have to be honest, and say I held off quite a while becoming a member here precisely because of such tendencies to just invent things and then state them as true.

However, more interesting, is rain gear.

I always scratch my head when I read about people's rain gear wetting out. I spent the worst winter in terms of rain in the early 80s being a bike messenger, using the old style heavy rain coats/rain pants, the canvas backed rubberized stuff, very airy, not tight or light, this was all day rain, every day, for weeks and weeks on end, rain so hard anything in your hand like a package would be soaked inside of a few seconds. I never wetted out, and I never got more than a bit damp, despite riding through the rain, in the rain, all day, each day.

So clearly there's something more along the lines of a rain gear fail going on with such rain coats/pants than an intrinsic problem with wearing raingear per se. And that is not hard to pin down, given this is backpacking light. This thread has made me accept the weight of my 12 oz rain coat, and I'll just happily continue to be a light, not ultralight, backpacker.

[Bradley Danyluk]

Cool article, thank you! I think I might give one a shot.

Just a couple little nit-picks:

– "An umbrella helps regulate your temperature because it lets the heat that your body generates while hiking evaporate quickly."

No :) It lets the sweat evaporate quickly. Heat doesn't 'evaporate,' and sweat can be any temperature.

– "I have put thermometers under an umbrella with reflective material alongside one with black material. My tests were not scientific, but I was disappointed with the results. Yes, the reflective umbrella is cooler than the black one, but the difference is small, just a couple of degrees. Perhaps it's just psychological, but it sure feels cooler under a reflective canopy."

I suspect this is precisely because you were using a thermometer, measuring air temperature. The purpose of the reflective canopy is mostly to block IR radiation, which has little effect on air temperature, but will heat up your body quite a lot once it hits you. I think the effect is more than psychological, you just didn't test the right thing :)
Incidentally, this same reflective property also means you will be a lot *warmer* underneath it when camping out in an open area at night.

Curious why you ended up ditching the solar panel. Purely a weight/usefulness consideration, or did it not work as expected?

[Francis Tapon]

Harold:

1. You're right that in windy conditions an umbrella may redirect water that would have hit your upper body and make it fall on your legs. If that bothers you, I suggest rain pants. In my experience, an umbrella provides superior lower body protection than a rain jacket.

2. Who made such a "blanket statement" that got you so excited?

I'll quote the article: "If you lighten your total pack weight to under 10 kg (22 pounds), then you MAY discover that trekking poles are no longer necessary."

The word "may" indicates that it's not an absolute truth and that your mileage may vary. So relax and enjoy being a member. ;)

3. I agree with you about rain jacket thickness and weight making a huge performance difference. I wrote: "There have been a few times where I've been in four days of nonstop rain. In such conditions, it's practically impossible to stay dry unless you're wearing one of those thick yellow fisherman's outfits."

It sounds like your bike messenger outfit was something similar to those thick yellow fisherman's outfits. As the article says: "To get a good rain jacket that will keep you dry in a sustained downpour, you'll need something that weighs closer to 12 to 16 ounces (340 to 454 g)."

So keep your 12oz rain coat. ;)

[Harald Hope]

Sorry, missed the 'may', but I would avoid such rules anyway, even qualified. The weights are largely meaningless, many posters I see here (based on their pics) carry already 10kg, or more, extra on their bodies, for example, which would mean that they are at that limit point with 0k on their backs, just as an example. So such numbers are largely meaningless in any context, length of legs, all kinds of stuff comes into play, it's just an abstraction which really has no value or meaning.

But I was interested to see that there really appears to be a functional difference in rain gear based on the weight, I'd really been wondering about that, apparently there is a point of not only diminishing returns re rain gear, and other gear, but actual failure of functionality (ie, a rain jacket that wets out in real rain), which to me is the precise point where I decide to avoid the ultralight technique and use the light one. (similarly, my tarp will never have a hole that needs covering with an umbrella because I use a tent). I went back to weigh my old and almost unused northface (back when they were still good) goretex climblite raincoat, 22 oz, but I would guess works better than my new 12 oz stuff. Maybe that's why I've resisted selling it even though I never use it.

Yes, it was those old yellow ones, which sadly they have not sold for decades, the new cheap stuff is that really junky vinyl like stuff, which doesn't work nearly as well.

The stuff I used didn't have zippers if I remember right, which I may not, but I think it didn't.

the point however re trekking poles is that you can't use an umbrella if you are using trekking poles efficiently or correctly. I'd definitely give using one pole with an umbrella a shot though in summer especially, if in open terrain, though I'm not sure how the motions of one arm vs the other would work out, I don't care about the weight, 10oz is nothing compared to the extra water you save carrying and drinking if you're in the shade a lot more). And an umbrella does not replace a trekking pole, so it's either extra weight to carry (totally worth it in high heat/sun in my opinion) or something you don't use.

But thanks for the article, it's nice thinking about stuff and tools for the future, sun and extreme heat have been one of the banes of my backpacking life re heat stroke etc.

[Francis Tapon]

Harold,

1. Perhaps instead of 10kg, I should have just said "ultralight." But some find that term vague, so I put a number of it, despite the shortcomings of doing that (as you point out).

2. I agree that if you're only going to bring a rain jacket (i.e., no umbrella) AND you expect a decent amount of rain on your trip, then you should probably get a rain jacket that weighs at least 12oz. Those that weigh less tend to get soaked after sustained rain.

3. "re trekking poles is that you can't use an umbrella if you are using trekking poles efficiently or correctly." I agree, although some BPL readers would reject such a blanket statement. ;)

[Francis Tapon]

Bradley Danyluk: Excellent nit-picks. I agree with you.

I didn't debug/test the solar panel enough before going (it was a last second thing). It broke on the first day. Instead of asking my sponsor (Brunton) for a new one, I got rid of the solar panel and the gadget that it was supposed to recharge (a GPS/Smartphone). It shaved off over a pound. My gear list is on my website.

I'd reconsider using a solar panel for a future trip, although there is great benefit to being disconnected and free of electronics.

[todd]

Great article! I've wondered about using one, now I have to just jump in and try it!

[Harald Hope]

Francis, agreed re blanket statement, let me restate it: can someone show if trekking poles and an umbrella can be used efficiently together while not breaking trekking pole efficiency.

I'd always thought the umbrella stuck in the pack was the solution, but some posters here said they found that to be useless and a headache.

I find the idea of an umbrella appealing in many circumstances, not all though, and most certainly so in summer. For rain though I think I'd rather just carry good rain gear that works, although some things you have to try before stating anything about it, but I have never had issues with good rain gear wetting out or failing so I suspect that it's what you say, people have just found the point of too light to be useful and passed it. In that situation though I totally see using an umbrella as an option, but personally I'd rather just go with better gear in the first place. That's the Norwegian in me, we like to use gear that works.

[Author]

Posts