What would you think of bringing an umbrella to the woods?

I know it doesn't sound bushcrafty or even manly however umbrellas have their uses.
When the sun is blazing and you've got some where you got to get having a shield is a godsend.
Rain storms without too much wind are nicer under something especially if it turns too hail.
While hunting it can hide your shape and camouflage your presents.
It can add to your tent, or other sleeping arrangement.
It can be used as a walking stick (if long enough)
Some umbrella are actually a defensive weapon.
How else might tone be put to practical use in the woods?

 

Does my EDC golf umbrella count?

Cause here it rains and it also 'mists, which is a much bigger PITA. Umbrellas rule, except in heavy brush.

 

it is a thing for some folks

 

Actually it sounds kind of dumb but I see the potential.
It's portable instant shelter that weighs like 2lb.
Main weakness: wind.

 

ive never found a decent umbrella that the wind doesnt kill

 

A Good Tarp would be far more handy to have, and would take up less space in your gear!

 

Ever been hit by a falling pinecone? It hurts like hell! The same goes for walnuts! I'll have to consider taking a umbrella on outings for all of the reasons mentioned.

 

I always keep a good sturdy umbrella in my truck, and I have, on a few occasions, brought it along on a day hike when it looked like it might rain but the trip wasn't enough to justify setting up a tarp. Don't get me wrong, a tarp shelter is great, but often I will do a few miles out, camp fire for some lunch and then a few miles back, not really the kind of trip to spend time to fly a tarp. Just a little something to keep the drizzle off your head while you eat is nice, but I don't use it while walking, just use my poncho (the trails can get thick around here and an umbrella would be unwieldy).

My final takeaway.... If it works for you, then rock it! Don't let anyone tell you what is or isn't Bushcraft, I hate that (and try to not do it myself) If it is useful to you and give you value in the woods then do it.

-JediWoodsman

 

in use for an idea of real size

umbrella as pop-up shelter. I can see this for shade, having baked my azz off at Lake Meade many a day....

BTW - what the difference between a sailboat on lake Meade and a frying pan?

With the fry pan, someone with a spatula turns over what's cooking...

 

I just had to laugh. I've been a secret umbrellaista for years.

An umbrella can shield a fire lay from wind and rain long enough to get it lit. And keep you from getting totally soaked in the process.

You also use less water hiking in the sun if you're hiking in 100% shade, 100% of the time.

It's an instant water collector with enough surface area to be very useful.

It can also be a good wind/snow door in a primitive shelter.

Placed behind you, it's a good heat reflector.

It can be a good portable windbreak in snow country, allowing you to conserve heat.

Properly colored, it can be a signal or a piece of camouflage--or both.

Umbrellas pack super-small, are extremely inexpensive, and very light. What's not to like?

You can even fish with them.

In fact, I once stopped an African lion from charging, using nothing bu my trusty anti-lion umbrella.

I poked him in the tush, and when he roared he dropped his credit card.

That's the the thing about African lions, is what. They got no wallets.

 

I've used them for wind, rain, and sun protection while hiking. I picked up the habit from backpacking in the Himalaya when I was much younger. Used the lightest, cheapest, smallest folded up I could find.

 

I'm Born and Raised OryGunion, we laugh at Umbrellas here! You can always tell the "Foreigners" by the fact they are carrying one!
We get sideways rain, so an umbrella had better be tough or it simply won't last here! If you have never been to the quaint little city of Astoria, it's the wettest place on the whole frickin planet, if it ain't raining, it is getting ready to, and the winds can blow in something fierce and lift you right off the ground! Better to wear good rubbers and mucks!

 

When someone ask me about personal gear, I always ask " Does it work for you?". If it does, screw what anyone says or thinks. I am old an have tried newer gear, but always go back to my custom built, by me, Alice gear and poncho setup. It works for me and has proven itself over the years. So, if you want to use an umbrella and it's a functional piece of kit, more power to you.

 

while i agree, if it works dont fix it. There is merit to having new ideas and new ways to use things we have never thought of before. This is a great thread for innovation. It would never have occured to me to take an umbrella because I dont find them useful. Now i will rethink this strategy.

Now if i could find one that the wind didnt kill

 

its even worse here in Scotland...(really, I lived in Oregon for 10 years) 60mph sidways sleet is “a bit wet out”.... Umbrellas don't have a chance.. we can tell when the Americans are over on holidays... we see dead wee “brolly” carcasses blowing down the road

 

Good sense tells you not to put a sail in the wind unless you plan on flying.
However, though I had never done it I thought it practical in certain conditions I've been in where having an instant shield might be useful, and there are umbrella that are defensive weapons made for the abuse of protection so why not employ that tool in the out doors. These however run about $100.+