View Full Version : Umbrella yes or no?
freightliner
09-24-2014, 19:44
I never hike without my umbrella and I just wanted to know if anybody else is going to take one. Most people start by laughing at me and after a while they usually say I wish I had one.
Do you use hiking poles, and if so, how do you handle the umbrella? I ask because umbrellas have caught my eye and am considering using one.
Sailing_Faith
09-24-2014, 20:23
Do you use hiking poles, and if so, how do you handle the umbrella? I ask because umbrellas have caught my eye and am considering using one.
I have hiked with someone who uses one, they have a clip (two clips actually) that attach the umbrella to the back strap. With the umbrella clipped in, both hands are free to use the poles.
i was skeptical, but it seems to work well. I plan to get one, useful for both rain protection and for some mobile shade...
freightliner
09-24-2014, 20:26
I use the Montbell umbrella and i stick it under my sternum strap and let it sit on top of my head and does pretty good because I can keep my jacket open not sweat so much. It's really good with the big drops that come off the trees that usually go right through most raincoats. The worst thing is when you think you can get between two trees and we'll nope. It will keep 90 to 80% of the water off you so you're not so wet at the end of the day.
Chair-man
09-24-2014, 20:42
Do you use hiking poles, and if so, how do you handle the umbrella?
I've tie wrapped mine to my shoulder strap and it works really well. You can get releasable/reusable tie wraps.
I've been shopping for a new umbrella and I believe these are the best choices.
Go Lite
Snow Peak
Montbell
And then you have this one from Birdiepal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3oyTyWq9_I). They say it's almost unbreakable.
sparky2000
09-24-2014, 20:58
It is also useful as an aditional extension of the tent entrance - straped to the front pole.
Also look into the Lite Flex Swing.
When two trees are close together just collapse the umbrella alittle, walk between, then lock back into place. It should collapse to shoulder width without having to detach it from under the sternum strap and other tie off spots.
squeezebox
09-24-2014, 21:23
What's the weight?
8 oz on my scale. It replaced my heavily used golite.
hikehunter
09-25-2014, 00:50
I have been thinking of the umbrella question.... is it going to cover what is needed.......is it worth the weight........
I will be starting in mid Feb. and I feel that it will be something that I would "ditch" after about 3 to 5 days. I have a hood on the rain jacket and I have a pack cover....an umbrella is not going to do much good for the feet and legs.... that is the place where I think....good boots and maybe some "leggings" (can't think what they are called at this moment). ( Capt. Morgan has me thinking of lazy things ...)
when it rains it rains....things will get wet.... I had a Scout Mstr. that said ...." bag the bags if you fear the water"
daddytwosticks
09-25-2014, 07:13
What about one of those umbrella hats or a big Mexican Sombrero. Seriously. :)
I was thinking about this the other day after I saw the article on the Appalachiantrials blog. It seems like a good idea if it lets me ditch the rain jacket/pants, although I'm not sure that it totally would in the early days since the rain jacket and pants might be just a good extra layer to block cold wind. Once it gets a little warmer I think an umbrella would be great.
I thought about the umbrella hats too but in my mind they were too small to be really useful. Most of the hiking umbrellas are big enough to cover both you and a fair amount of your pack. The hat umbrellas would just make water drain onto your pack.
jjozgrunt
09-25-2014, 08:42
Can you all get a really big one and I'll walk with you and keep you company.
Hot Flash
09-25-2014, 09:30
I never hike without my umbrella and I just wanted to know if anybody else is going to take one. Most people start by laughing at me and after a while they usually say I wish I had one.
I get the same reaction to the chair I carry. Then when I'm comfortably esconced near the fire with my butt off the muddy wet ground, and a nice backrest to lean back on, I often get some envious looks. Yes, I know I'm carrying an "extra" pound and a half by taking this small luxury with me, but so what? I'm the one carrying it and I've decided that it's worth it to have a dry ass and a comfortable place to sit.
Bottom line is, carry whatever you like and if anyone gives you ***** for it, laugh it off.
JohnnySnook
09-30-2014, 16:25
I think I may carry one. It seems like a good option.
Wired - used Go Lite on her thru hike and seemed to love. From her blog we won't have a full gear review till November or December.
Here's the link to her gear for the AT and in her blog somewhere she posts a video of how to attach it to your pack for hands free use.
http://www.walkingwithwired.com/2014/03/26-days-til-start-dategear-update.html
Lot of great info on her site also. Can't go wrong taking advice from the triple crown queen.
I also where glasses so anything that helps me keep them dry is worth it in my mind.
My wife and I carry the Raines skinny mini (5 oz). We prefer umbrellas to getting drenched from the inside while wearing raingear. The skinny mini has worked well even in hard downpours. We do carry a full rain suit if it comes to that, but only rarely has it been necessary to resort to that. Most of the time the rain is temporary and the 'brolly "works a trick" as they say in the UK.
Check out these things called Gear Ties.
http://www.niteize.com/product/Gear-Tie-6.asp
I feel like you could get a couple of those and attach your umbrella on various spots on your pack while you're walking.
They're really light weight and inexpensive about 2 bucks per Tie. I have used them before and they are quite strong.
Traveler
10-02-2014, 09:38
I was thinking about this the other day after I saw the article on the Appalachiantrials blog. It seems like a good idea if it lets me ditch the rain jacket/pants, although I'm not sure that it totally would in the early days since the rain jacket and pants might be just a good extra layer to block cold wind. Once it gets a little warmer I think an umbrella would be great.
I thought about the umbrella hats too but in my mind they were too small to be really useful. Most of the hiking umbrellas are big enough to cover both you and a fair amount of your pack. The hat umbrellas would just make water drain onto your pack.
Rain gear (Jacket and pants) protects you more from the effects of hypothermia than rain itself, though they do a fair job of that. I would not go on any hike with foul weather in the forecast or long distance one without considering bringing one or both of those. Wide brimmed hats do provide a surprising amount of protection for a short time in what I call "nuisance rain" and rain showers. I have found my boots/shoes, front of my pants/legs, and torso stay more dry when I have a wide brim hat on that is reasonably water resistant. Umbrella hats I have seen numerous times without good results, usually they blow off or tree snagged and eventually are ruined.
Good info. I actually wore an older Columbia rain jacket yesterday on my walk to the bus stop instead of using an umbrella. I got maybe .1 miles before I could tell I was starting to sweat inside the jacket and wished I had brought an umbrella instead :)
For my thru I'm thinking I'll start with both an umbrella and a rain suit (Dri Ducks) and can send back what I don't use. The umbrella would be more for actual rain but if I find I'm not using it I'll send it home. The rain suit would be an extra layer to block wind/rain and I'm thinking at least the pants can be sent home after the Smokies until maybe the Whites. Although then what would I wear on my legs while I do laundry? :)
Like all pieces of gear, it depends.
If you are sticking to trails that are well maintained (no brush in the way or clambering under/over logs), why not?
I do enough off-trail hiking, scrambling and bushwhacking where an umbrella would be a hindrance for me and poles almost a necessity
Does not have to be either/or. Take it depending on the trip.
Starchild
10-02-2014, 13:23
Umbrella hiking is awesome if it rains. Depending on your set up you may need to stow one trekking pole.
But OTHO the Umbrella Game is cruel and evil and has made me cry.
An umbrella is always part of my rain gear. Using an umbrella and a bicycle sack allows you to skip the tent. Hiking in the rain I mostly don't use rain gear, unless it's a short distance to camp. Most rain gear will leave you wet from sweat, water but an umbrella gives you a decent chance of staying dry. But a really good storm, such as Hurricane Irene, will leave you completely soaked, but that's why your clothing should all be drip dry. Never have found a perfect method to strap the umbrella to my pack, so I usually use just one pole when I'm using the umbrella. Poles are an important part of hiking in the rain since the trail can become slippery. So I find it's a choice between getting wet or attempting to stay dry. If it's miles to go and not especially cold I'll just get wet and let the body heat keep me warm. If it's very cold then I'll slow down and use the umbrella or rain gear, or both. But don't forget the hat as it'll keep the rain out of your eyes.
Bivy sack, but not bicycle sack, damm you auto correct.
I am entertaining the thought of using my golf umbrella. At 1 pound, it provides a 60" canopy. I can sit it on my head walking in to work and it literally comes halfway down my torso. Positioned correctly against the rain it will keep everything but the lower part of your legs dry. My guess is if the wind is strong enough to mess with your umbrella a smaller canopy won't do much better. It's tall enough to be used as a trekking pole in a pinch and would provide some serious shade for napping on those grassy balds. Might be totally unrealistic but I'm going to test it out. 28558
I was thinking that two of these would be a good way to go hands free with an umbrella http://gossamergear.com/trekking/trekking-accessories/lightrek-trekking-pole-bungee-clamp.html
Umbrellas are nice for shade and blocking wind too.
And... if you ever tried to use a smart phone in the rain you know it's not possible. With an umbrella you can get out of the rain and dry your hands off enough to work the screen on the phone. I guess you can laugh at who would use a phone in the rain but I lost the PCT in a burn area and was wandering around in a storm looking for it - I got under my umbrella and dried my hands enough to work the phone - problem solved.
JohnnySnook
10-06-2014, 22:37
Here is the video of how to attach your umbrellas for hands free use.
http://ramblinghemlock.blogspot.com/2014/03/umbrella-rigging.html
Wired actually did her AT gear report early. Here's her link. I think I will probably use one. Again I wear glasses so for me its an easy decision.
http://www.walkingwithwired.com
the crome was just on sale for $29.99 on the GoLite site but its sold out already.
SouthMark
10-06-2014, 22:51
I carried one in Maine the June that it rained for 26 days. It was a blessing.
GirlfromOZ
10-07-2014, 05:59
I plan to carry one for my at thru, but it will be a luxury item so I'm leaving it's purchase till late, if I use up my gear budget I'll go without! :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
swisscross
10-07-2014, 09:50
I bought a Golite chrome dome for cycle touring but have not carried it for hiking, YET.
Cycling with a little extra weight is no biggie compared to hoofing it.
Love being able to pull off the shoulder of the road and pop it open for instant shade.
twistwrist
10-07-2014, 20:44
It appears a lot of the hiking umbrellas I'm finding online aren't rated very highly. I looked up those mentioned on page 1. Can anyone recommend some other brands that you have used successfully on long hikes? Thanks!
Sandy of PA
10-07-2014, 21:51
I have 1800 miles on a Montbell Ultra-Lite Trekking umbrella. I attach it to my shoulder strap with 2 peices of round elastic with toggles. Love it at 5.6 ozs.
JohnnySnook
10-08-2014, 00:25
It appears a lot of the hiking umbrellas I'm finding online aren't rated very highly. I looked up those mentioned on page 1. Can anyone recommend some other brands that you have used successfully on long hikes? Thanks!
Really Twist? Did you click on the link I posted for walking with wired? She only completed the triple crown in 4 years. I believe if you add up the miles that over 7,000 miles walked in 4 years.
Well here's her review on the GoLIte.
GoLite Chrome Dome Umbrella (http://www.golite.com/Chrome-Dome-Trekking-Umbrella-P928.aspx) (8oz)
Pros: Oh man, I can't believe it took me this long to get an umbrella! My favorite new piece of gear for sure and I don't know that I'll ever hike a long trail again without it. It especially enhanced the enjoyment on the AT as it poured many times while the top of me stayed dry and I didn't have to put away my electronics and could take pictures as I pleased. I found a way to strap it to pack so it can be used hands free (http://ramblinghemlock.blogspot.com/2014/03/umbrella-rigging.html) and loved it! Many ask how it worked in the brush and I found it to not be a problem as I am shorter, but I've also known taller hikers who also did just fine. Even if it was 3wks between rains, it was worth carrying for what it did for my moral in a day of rain. A couple bonus uses are for protection from strong sun, added protection in my tent vestibule, somewhere to throw ditty bags when packing up on a wet ground morning, and a nice hitching sign when written on with permanent marker, ha! It was not used in place of rain gear and I also used a light rain jacket when in cold rain.
Cons: On a more exposed trail I could see it being less effective in a gusting wind, but for someone like me that gets cold easily when wet, it's better than no umbrella at all. It is technically a luxury item, but well worth it. They sell out often so if you want one, you should get on the GoLite site and reserve one for when they do restock (http://www.golite.com/Chrome-Dome-Trekking-Umbrella-P928.aspx).
Just sayin….
Tipi Walter
10-08-2014, 10:05
Rain gear (Jacket and pants) protects you more from the effects of hypothermia than rain itself, though they do a fair job of that. I would not go on any hike with foul weather in the forecast or long distance one without considering bringing one or both of those. Wide brimmed hats do provide a surprising amount of protection for a short time in what I call "nuisance rain" and rain showers. I have found my boots/shoes, front of my pants/legs, and torso stay more dry when I have a wide brim hat on that is reasonably water resistant. Umbrella hats I have seen numerous times without good results, usually they blow off or tree snagged and eventually are ruined.
This discussion only comes up on the Appalachian Trail (or other long trails) because the trails I backpack in the Southeast are Hell Zones and Nut Eaters---they would shred an umbrella in a day. It's not called a Green Tunnel for nothing. And an umbrella does nothing for hypothermia, as AT Traveler says.
Like all pieces of gear, it depends.
If you are sticking to trails that are well maintained (no brush in the way or clambering under/over logs), why not?
I do enough off-trail hiking, scrambling and bushwhacking where an umbrella would be a hindrance for me and poles almost a necessity
Does not have to be either/or. Take it depending on the trip.
Agree with Mags on this and mirrors my above point. "No brush in the way . . ."
I am entertaining the thought of using my golf umbrella. At 1 pound, it provides a 60" canopy. I can sit it on my head walking in to work and it literally comes halfway down my torso. Positioned correctly against the rain it will keep everything but the lower part of your legs dry. My guess is if the wind is strong enough to mess with your umbrella a smaller canopy won't do much better. It's tall enough to be used as a trekking pole in a pinch and would provide some serious shade for napping on those grassy balds. Might be totally unrealistic but I'm going to test it out. 28558
A 60 inch umbrella might work well on the sidewalks of Gatlinburg but it's lunacy on any trail I know about in the Southeast. Then again, you're whole hiking trip could be the effort spent in getting this contraption thru the woods. And wait---it won't even work in Gatlinburg as the sidewalks are full of thousands of lurching zombies with high heads so we gotta rethink this.
Here's my buddy Patman in the Big Frog wilderness with his umbrella---
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Cohutta/i-fM2J2xw/0/M/TRIP%20142%20458-M.jpg
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Cohutta/i-RnJHh6W/0/M/TRIP%20142%20460-M.jpg
http://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2013-1/18-Days-in-the-Cohutta/i-gHqPkTJ/0/M/TRIP%20142%20461-M.jpg
All pics in Low Gap in the Big Frog.
Woof Shaven
10-08-2014, 20:02
I am a trekking noob with just one five day outing under my belt. I hear umbrellas are popular or fashionable on the PCT trail and those West Coaster seem to be more technical than us. Or at least I am in awe of the PCT bloggers any way. Of course being a noob I wouldn't really know who was cooler us or them but they sure write kewl anyways.
I plan to take an umbrella wit me on my Springer to Hot Springs trek next year. I will be using a small collapse-able GustBuster I bought a long time ago. It has flaps like a parachute that deploy in big winds to prevent those winds from destroying your umbrella. Works so well sometimes its hard to hold onto in wind because it doesn't invert or at least not to date. Its about five years old and still going.
marjirob
10-08-2014, 21:22
We thru-hiked the AT with umbrella this year and they were great. We don't regret carrying them and would take them on future hikes.
Cotton Terry
02-23-2015, 17:07
Euroschirm made the trekking umbrellas for GoLite. They have an interesting dclip system for hands free use.
http://www.euroschirm.com/schirm/Swing_handsfree/info.cgi?session=1caVuOESzgNrs&sprache_land=usa
Euroschirm made the trekking umbrellas for GoLite. They have an interesting dclip system for hands free use.
http://www.euroschirm.com/schirm/Swing_handsfree/info.cgi?session=1caVuOESzgNrs&sprache_land=usa
I have one of these in my umbrella collection. It's a little bigger & heavier than some other options, but that extra coverage is helpful in spring/fall cooler weather. In warmer weather, I'll take a smaller, lighter umbrella. Point is, I always carry one. If you're under an umbrella, your cheap frog togs will breathe super and you will be dry and comfy. YMMV, try it out, not a big investment to carry a cheap brolly on a day hike or two.
I have not ever used one or seen one used on the AT before.............ran into Eric D a few years ago on his thru, he is a well known PCT hiker. He actually left it behind where we took a break, Trek saw it but did not pick it up............
On the PCT or in the desert sections of the CDT, I will consider it when I get out that way. Not a lot of trees
AT - prefer putting on a good rain jacket and hike through it all.
squeezebox
02-23-2015, 23:50
My pack list is already too heavy. I don't need another 8 oz. but on the other hand to get out of the hot summer sun, or help with drenching rain would be good. I'm leaning 80% towards No.
Old Hiker
02-24-2015, 07:55
For what it’s worth: based on this thread and other blogs “out there”, I bought a Euroschirm from CampMor to try it out. I could NOT get it to cover me squarely. It was either leaning to one side or the other or my head was not centered in the coverage zone. I ended up sending it back.
I did; however, end up learning about shock cord and barrel locks to attach stuff to my shoulder straps.
I didn't read the entire thread but after using an umbrella hiking the PCT I now consider it an essential, even on the AT.
1. I now tarp 50% of the time - an umbrella is a great wind-break to put above my head.
2. It's a great way to get out of the rain to eat a snack.
3. If you hit a road walk in the rain it can be very nice.
4. There's just something about standing in the pouring down rain getting rained on that is demoralizing.
I've been on the fence with this for a long time.
10-K, you've convinced me to try it.
squeezebox
02-24-2015, 09:58
Anyone try using one as a windscreen for your stove? That would be a step towards getting one.
I might get one for my gear closet, use it for wet weekends, maintenance weekends and such. Not on the AT though. Kind of more of a car camping piece.
I'd never hit the trail without my trusty, battered ChromeDome. So many uses. It helps to have a small, light backpack though, as being able to pull it down tight on top of you really helps. If you're lugging around a pack that stands a foot above your head, an umbrella might not be the best option.
On the PCT for sure on the AT probably not.
dangerdave
02-25-2015, 20:34
I'm six feet tall, and mine fits perfectly over me and my 60L pack. It's a ChromeDome. I hope to get more practice with it this April---in the rain. It is secured to my pack strap. I started with the shock cord attachment points, but I didn't like the "sloppy" feeling while walking. I replaced the shock cords with strips of heavy duty Velcro. The Velcro is much wider and holds the umbrella snuggle if you use a small piece of pipe insulation foam around the mast. I'll try to get a few pics tomorrow.
I'm thinking it will be my favorite!
There are definitely places on the AT where an umbrella isn't practical but there are a *lot* of place where they are. As I posted above, since I returned from the PCT my umbrella goes with me on every hike.
A few weeks ago when I was thru hiking the Sheltowee Trace Trail again I got the urge for a cup of coffee but it was pouring down rain. No problem - just pulled out my umbrella and brewed a cup of coffee sitting under it. It was quite pleasant, sitting there in the rain sipping on a cup of coffee under my umbrella. :)
They're very useful in a number of ways, particularly if you tarp but even if you don't (I didn't tarp on the PCT).
Treehugger
02-28-2015, 11:28
check out this website. great info on using umbrellas while on the trail.
http://francistapon.com/Travels/Advice/10-Reasons-to-Go-Hiking-and-Backpacking-with-an-Umbrella