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Re: [at-l] Umbrellas (was One worry...)

> Michael Connick and others mention the use of umbrellas on the trail.  I am
> not doubting that the users are pleased but I have some questions.
> 
> 1.  To cover a pack and the user I would assume a golf size umbrella is 
> necessary

I'm not concerned about covering my pack. My main compartment is water-proofed 
via a plastic trash bag inside it. I put the plastic trash bag in first, then 
the contents, and seal the bag. Any items going into my pack's pockets that 
need to be protected from water are inside Ziplock bags. My sleeping bag is 
water-proofed by a trash bag inside its stuff sack.

The umbrella I use is a standard 42 inch umbrella. By the way, I would 
recommend against using a "briefcase" style umbrella that has joints in the 
middle of its splines. I don't think they are strong enough to hold up in windy 
conditions and they can't really be partially collapsed (see below) in very 
windy condtions.

> 2.  Does holding out the umbrella make the arm tired? Is there a trick to it?

If the wind isn't strong (which really is most of the time while in woods), the 
umbrella's shaft rests on my shoulder and the top rests on top of my hat. It 
takes virtually no effort to hold. My friend John actually manages to balance 
his in that position completely hands-free. If the wind is strong, the umbrella 
needs to be pointed into the wind, which takes more effort but protects against 
both rain and wind chill. In REALLY strong winds (like what might be found on 
top of ridges above the tree line), the umbrella is slightly collapsed and 
pointed into the wind. This is the most work of all, but is certainly not a big 
physical effort. Holding it pointed into the wind usually doesn't need to be 
done for all that long a time before you're back into woods, so it's really 
never that tiring. Also, if you're really concerned about extreme wind 
conditions during a part of your hike, there's no rule stating that you can't 
bring along some type of emergency backup rain gear for that portion of your 
hike.

> 3.  How does holding the umbrella affect balance? 

It doesn't seem to affect my balance at all. My umbrella weighs only 14 ounces. 
I could modify it and cut it's weight down even further if I was a real 
ultralight fanatic!

> 4.  How do you negotiate the rockier sections (ie: Kittatinnys)?

No problem. This January two friends of mine and I hiked up the AT out of 
Delaware Water Gap in NJ during a freezing rain storm. We all used umbrellas 
AND walking sticks. The walking sticks were mandatory because of ice on the 
trail itself. This section of the trail is really a continuation of the famous 
"Pennsylvania rocks" and none of us had any problems managing the umbrellas and 
walking sticks. We did take some minor spills on the ice, but some of these 
took place even after the rain stopped and we had put away our umbrellas. 
Basically the conditions were so bad we were crazy to be on the trail! The 
umbrellas protected us very well from the very nasty freezing rain, though. 
None of us had to use any other rain gear.

> 5.  Does the umbrella catch on overhanging brush, etc.

It's not really much of a problem. Since it's resting right on the top of my 
head when I'm using it, it's not all that much taller than I am. If I see 
overhanging brush, I just bend down slightly to clear it. If I crash into some, 
I just back up and bend down slightly before continuing. When I'm not using the 
umbrella, it's strapped to the side of my pack and again sticks up only 
slightly over my head. With my current ultralight pack set up, I thnk the top 
of my umbrella is actually lower than the height of my old external frame pack 
with my old tent strapped to its top. So I actually seem to have LESS problems 
with overhanging brush than I used to.

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
Michael Connick
GA->ME on the Appalachian Trail in 98!

E-mail: Michael_Connick@clrmnt.com
Michael's Ultralight Backpacking Page:
    http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mconnick  
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
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