Umbrella suggestions…

GG Chrome is the same as my Chrome dome of old….works great, I  have used the same one for three thru hikes now and it’s still going strong. 8 oz. The Snow peak is lighter, 4.6 oz but folks say it is a bear to close up quickly, and more delicate, I don’t have one. I think the durability is worth the extra 3.4 ounces.

• The Snow Peak and Montbell are smaller at 32-33” canopy diameters. The Chrome Dome is 39.4″. That extra coverage makes a difference.
• The smaller umbrellas fold to “pocket size”, which means the ribs are hinged in the middle, which at a minimum makes them fiddly and at worse is a weak point / failure point.
• The aluminized coating on the Chrome Dome has been shown to reflect more heat away and keep you cooler in direct sun.

The Chrome Dome is the same as the SwingTrek Liteflex, which you can get on Amazon right now for $38.50 with free shipping (not as good as the $29.99 price they had a few months ago but still cheaper than GG).

Thanks for the info. This one is the one your saying is the same as the one on Gossamer Gear right now?

I ordered an umbrella from Six Moon Designs, its the old GoLite rebranded. At this point you might as well pick the brand name you want showing as they’re all the same thing.

I carried the GG flavor across the state of california, still in near new condition, a bit of silver worn off where it rubbed on the pack.  Occasional pokes from branches did zero damage.

I saw maybe 25 others along the way and nobody had a bad word to say (a broken umbrella would have been a conversation starter)

Its a bit heavy and expensive, but in this case heavy = quality = reliability = shade all day.

Any piece of gear that makes it thru 1000+ rough miles and is still completely functional I will praise every chance I get.

This one is the one your saying is the same as the one on Gossamer Gear right now?

Yep. That’s the same thing as the GG, which is same as the SMD, which is same as the GoLite Chrome Dome. Just this one comes without a logo.

I have often been interested in an umbrella but tell me please, how do you do an umbrella and trekking poles? Grow a third hand?
And… doesn’t your hand/arm get tired holding the umbrella up all day?

billy

Larkshead some cord and cord locks onto shoulder strap loops to create a couple of anchor points for holding the umbrella shaft, there are various approaches to doing it.

You definitely don’t want to grow a third arm — too much weight.

Billy,

Here is a link to Erin Saver’s solution to using an umbrella and trekking poles. I have tried it and it seems to work, but my own trial is still only short term. I think this link is where she got the idea.

http://ramblinghemlock.blogspot.com/2014/03/umbrella-rigging.html

BJ

I don’t use trek poles so I can’t answer that part.  I found a way to get it to stay pretty well, with the handle tucked into my shoulder strap (the wrist strap helping to hold it) and the top of the umbrella resting on my pack.  That is unless its breezy.

If you hold it, you are holding it with your elbow on your hip and the umbrella resting on top of your pack, moving around to follow the sun, and switching arms.  It seems like your arm would get tired but it works fine.  In a desert environment it saves its weight in water lost, and adds a bit of comfort/good will to an otherwise uncomfortable situation.

It’s pretty easy to rig your umbrella so that you don’t have to hold it at all.  I put the handle down through the haul loop on my backpack and then attach the handle strap to my hip belt using a small piece of bungie cord.  The umbrella then covers my head and the top of my pack, leaving my hands free for my trekking poles.

Someone had a YouTube video a couple of years ago showing how he did it but I couldn’t find it when I just looked.

Love my Chrome Dome!  I’ve had it for three years and use it hiking and general around town use.  The ‘silver’ color is going away, but that doesn’t stop it from shedding the rain.  I’ll probably order another soon as a spare or to let a friend borrow while we hike on a rainy day.

I use the Erin Saver method to connect it to my GG Mariposa pack.  I actually don’t need the lower connect, because the Mariposa has a loop that I can utilize.  It works great.

I also own the Mont-Bell umbrella….don’t care for it.  I t doesn’t feel as strong and to many parts cam fail.

When I hike with my umbrella (Golite Chrome of old) I hold my two trekking poles in one hand and my umbrella in the other. This gives me the ability to move the umbrella around for maximum sun/rain coverage. I frequently, even usually, hike with two trekking poles in one hand anyway so it’s no bother. I much prefer to have control over the umbrella than to fix it to my pack. When fixed to my pack I end up having it resting on my head, which is annoying.

I have used the umbrella in high winds. Sometimes it will flip but if you hold the edge of the fabric it won’t flip. Even if it flips, the spines are made of plastic so it doesn’t break. It just flips back.

In the rain it doesn’t cover the pack enough so I also use a pack cover. It also doesn’t protect the legs that much.

Thanks everyone, I don’t use trekking poles so no need for the third arm :)

How about one of these: http://www.james-smith.co.uk/products/solid-stick-umbrellas

Can be used as a walking aid, but also good for fending off mashers.

I also see one of these Chrome umbrellas on Amazon that has a telescoping shaft that can extend longer… they seem to indicate this on is better for attaching to pack. Any one try one of these? Experience? Worth the extra money?

We bought the telescoping ones first and ended up exchanging them for the lighter models. YMMV but I don’t think they are worth it.

Any reason not to cut off the wrist strap on the Chrome Dome umbrella? I can’t think of a use for it.

billy

It can be useful for binding the umbrella to your pack, depending on your pack and how you mount the thing.  I’ve done that before but at this point am leaning towards cutting it off.

Since my question I did think of this use for the wrist strap…
in high winds or unexpected gusts might be useful as a retainer if the wind blew it out of your hands… in some situations it could blow down a slope or over a cliff and not be retrievable.

But would love to hear other reasons to not cut the wrist strap off.
(of course, just after I cut it off someone will come up with THE best reason not to… oh well, inevitable I suppose :)

billy