Umbrella addict - advice needed!

[Bad Pilgrim]

Hi everyeone,

Really silly question coming up, but this is not a joke...

I am going to start my next Camino within a week from now. It's actually the Ruta de la Lana and not the VdlPlata, but I post this here anyway since I think more people will see it here...

I will NEVER leave without an umbrella on a Camino! To protect from rain and, above all, from heat. Yes, I like to stroll around in Southern Spain with my umbrella, there it is.

Simple question: what color is best on an umbrella if it's used as a protection from the heat? Black... attracts the heat? My last one was black but I soon came to suspect that in + 42 C it actually made things worse. Should I take a lighter color? But if it's a color, will it give enough shade??

If there is any other umbrella nerd like me out there...

Thanks...

/BP

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Silver umbrella. It reflects the sunlight. According to the maker, Euroschrim, it offers a cooler temp under the umbrella. I love mine.

http://www.euroschirm.com/schirm/te...i?session=rp8tNSMO4BPi7&sprache_land=englisch

 

[Deleted member 29041]

Silver! Definitely silver!

A handsfree telescope in silver is _VERY_ high on my own wishlist.

 

[mspath]

Have you seen this with silver UV protection sold from Casa Ivar by Ivar Rekve the administrator o f this forum.
https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...la/products/swing-handsfree-trekking-umbrella

Have a dry and/or cool Buen camino!

 

[trecile]

Silver umbrella. It reflects the sunlight. According to the maker, Euroschrim, it offers a cooler temp under the umbrella. I love mine.

http://www.euroschirm.com/schirm/te...i?session=rp8tNSMO4BPi7&sprache_land=englisch

I have this umbrella too. It's a little heavy, but worth every ounce!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'm also a Camino umbrella addict, after pooh-poohing it for a few years, and the actually TRYING it.
I was convinced!

I usually just pick up an umbrella in Spain when I arrive. Around 8 euros.
Seems like when I think back about it, black provided a better shade. I don't recall it attracting heat. On the other hand, red colored everything around me, green was a good color.
I've never tried white or silver.
I will choose one of those next time.

 

[Giselleontour]

I love my Euroschirm silver hands free umbrella. This present was my most important survival kit during this year heat.

 

[Harington]

Silver umbrella. It reflects the sunlight. According to the maker, Euroschrim, it offers a cooler temp under the umbrella. I love mine.

http://www.euroschirm.com/schirm/te...i?session=rp8tNSMO4BPi7&sprache_land=englisch

Absolutely - I had one when walking to Rome.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Have you seen this with silver UV protection sold from Casa Ivar by Ivar Rekve the administrator if this forum.
https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...la/products/swing-handsfree-trekking-umbrella

Have a dry and/or cool Buen camino!

Oh, I didn't think about that: the store. Of course I could have ordered one there! Now it is too late I think: I leave on Thursday next week...

/BP

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I'm also a Camino umbrella addict, after pooh-poohing it for a few years, and the actually TRYING it.
I was convinced!

I usually just pick up an umbrella in Spain when I arrive. Around 8 euros.
Seems like when I think back about it, black provided a better shade. I don't recall it attracting heat. On the other hand, red colored everything around me, green was a good color.
I've never tried white or silver.
I will choose one of those next time.

Silver makes me think I will look like a flying saucer :O) But if it works, I don't care what it looks like.

I don't think I will have time to get one of them modern ones before leaving. Perhaps I will keep to a "normal" one. Black it is then! :OD

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I love my Euroschirm silver hands free umbrella. This present was my most important survival kit during this year heat.

Okay I would like to try that: hands-free sounds nice. Have no idea how you are suppose to attach it but ok. Can I walk into any sports store to find them, or are they some special stuff I have to order from like the other side of the planet? :Oo

 

[alipilgrim]

If you Google "attaching an umbrella to a backpack" you'll get lots of hits! ie. http://ladyonarock.com/2015/04/19/hands-free-hiking-with-umbrella/. Also, lots of people have good results using those plastic coated gear ties,

 

[Sheesh]

Montbell has a variety of umbrellas, but not hands free. One has an extended back to cover a backpack. The one they advertise for sun protection (and can be used in rain) has a black interior and silver exterior.

 

[trecile]

Okay I would like to try that: hands-free sounds nice. Have no idea how you are suppose to attach it but ok. Can I walk into any sports store to find them, or are they some special stuff I have to order from like the other side of the planet? :Oo

I don't know where you live, but it's possible that you can purchase on on Amazon and get quick shipping. Euroschirm makes two models of the handsfree umbrella. The one sold on the Camino forum store is a non telescoping umbrella, and its length when closed is 76cm/30". The telescoping hands free umbrella is 40cm/19" when closed.
The thing that makes the hands free umbrellas unique are their long handles. This enables the user to anchor the umbrella at two points - the shoulder strap, where it attaches with special clips, and the hip belt. This two point attachment makes the umbrella especially stable. I barely noticed it move when there was a breeze or light wind.

If you want to rig up a standard (non hands free) umbrella use one with the longest handle you can find

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Oh wow! I'm currently on the Levante in baking temps every day no letup in sight. I couldn't be out after 10am without it. Sorry BP but I'm not much help except to say you'll need one at the moment. And this also won't help you but the best way to make mine hands free is to gently place the handle under my pack chest strap then inside my bra

 

[jo webber]

Two questions.
Can I use the external trekking pole straps to carry while not in use?
If I get one of these great umbrellas, do I need to pack a rain poncho for heavy down pours?

 

[gracethepilgrim]

Two questions.
Can I use the external trekking pole straps to carry while not in use?
If I get one of these great umbrellas, do I need to pack a rain poncho for heavy down pours?

Jo, I experienced a storm in my first couple of days. Driving rain and wind. Sun umbrella was no use. It was poncho time

 

[trecile]

Two questions.
Can I use the external trekking pole straps to carry while not in use?
If I get one of these great umbrellas, do I need to pack a rain poncho for heavy down pours?

I still carried and used my poncho because umbrellas don't handle sideways rain very well.
I just put the folded umbrella in one of my side pockets.

 

[jo webber]

Driving rain and wind. Sun umbrella was no use. It was poncho time

Thanks, I have to be careful of the weight factor.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Silver makes me think I will look like a flying saucer :O) But if it works, I don't care what it looks like.

I don't think I will have time to get one of them modern ones before leaving. Perhaps I will keep to a "normal" one. Black it is then! :OD

One thing for sure, if you get lost taking a short cut, you will be easy to spot from the air! As for making. Black one silver... what about covering the canopy in duct tape?

 

[trecile]

One thing for sure, if you get lost taking a short cut, you will be easy to spot from the air! As for making. Black one silver... what about covering the canopy in duct tape?

I think that some spray paint would weigh less.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I think that some spray paint would weigh less.

Tremclad, so it shines!

 

[alhartman]

Also an umbrella fan. And an even bigger Altus poncho fan. I take a small, cheap, collapsible umbrella as part of my packing list. I use for sun protection and for going out on rainy evenings when I do not want to wrestle the Altus. I just put the handle into my pack's sternum strap and let the canopy portion rest on my backpack. Then I have hands free to use my poles.

 

[Jill81]

Umbrellas are great for heat or downpours and Euroschirm make a very good product, but they are pricy. I wanted a lightweight hands free set up so I bought a Light Trek folding model, which at 260 grams (about 9 ounces) is considerably lighter than their Handsfree model. Combined with a plastic clip that I can attach to the shoulder strap of my pack I can easily attach the umbrella when needed.

These clips were originally designed to hold the hose of a Camelbak or other hydration system. They can be found in large sporting goods stores, on Amazon or EBay and cost next to nothing, and with a bit of ingenuity you can turn any umbrella into a hands free one.

 

[notion900]

I got sunburned through a red umbrella at a festival once. Be careful of ones that do not claim to be UV proof.

 

[VNwalking]

I concur with silver fans. We use these all the time. Silver on TOP.
Hee hee...You could always use aluminium foil to cover a black one....
And no you won't look like a flying saucer. Like my friend in this pic, you will look super cooooolllll, and everyone will envy you.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

Thanks, I have to be careful of the weight factor.

That is not the place to save weight.

I focus heavily on weight myself, but I've gotten to the point, where I'm adding to the weight in stead of subtracting. Like everything else in life, it's a question of balance.

If nothing unforeseen happens, I'll be carrying the additional weight of an Euroshirm hands-free umbrella on my next camino, along with my rain poncho.

 

[Colleen.S]

Have you seen this with silver UV protection sold from Casa Ivar by Ivar Rekve the administrator o f this forum.
https://www.santiagodecompostela.me...la/products/swing-handsfree-trekking-umbrella

Have a dry and/or cool Buen camino!

I am using this umbrella right now on the Via Sanabres. Excellent product!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

One thing for sure, if you get lost taking a short cut, you will be easy to spot from the air! As for making. Black one silver... what about covering the canopy in duct tape?

Too heavy.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Too heavy.

Really?

 

[Jeff Crawley]

"Stunning Shiny Silver Smart S Umbrella from Senz.
The Senz Smart S is wind resistant up to 60 km/h..
All designs are light and easy to hold.
Made from high quality materials and have been tested in extreme weather conditions.
The Senz Smart S is a pocket Umbrella.
Manual open/close.
Regular end caps.
UV 50+ Coating.
Aluminium/Steel rib and steel shaft.
Flat silk strap wrist cord.
Comes with regular sleeve.
Weight 294g.
Canopy size 87 x 87cm.
Folded length 26cm."
About €30

I DO recommend an umbrella but I don't recommend walking the Camino in high heels!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Really?

and sticky - think of all the dust clinging to the gummy edges uck!

 

[Eshowian]

Hi everyeone,

Really silly question coming up, but this is not a joke...

I am going to start my next Camino within a week from now. It's actually the Ruta de la Lana and not the VdlPlata, but I post this here anyway since I think more people will see it here...

I will NEVER leave without an umbrella on a Camino! To protect from rain and, above all, from heat. Yes, I like to stroll around in Southern Spain with my umbrella, there it is.

Simple question: what color is best on an umbrella if it's used as a protection from the heat? Black... attracts the heat? My last one was black but I soon came to suspect that in + 42 C it actually made things worse. Should I take a lighter color? But if it's a color, will it give enough shade??

If there is any other umbrella nerd like me out there...

Thanks...

/BP

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Jeff, what are you going in about?

You are posting about an umbrella weighing nearly 3 kg when you reply to a joke about duct tape saying it's too heavy.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

and sticky - think of all the dust clinging to the gummy edges uck!

It was a joke!

 

[Eshowian]

I walked Frances with an umbrella - a folding one with vents so I could use it in wind. I pushed it between my backpack strap and my chest. It was black, but I found it cool. Made the walk doable for me - I don't think I'd have managed the heat without it. I found a hat too hot. Pushed the handle into my cup which was hooked on the front.
Will use the same setup when I do my next trip in October.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Thanks to all the people who replied... Bottom line is I should have thought about Ivar's store earlier, now it's too late... I leave on Thursday. I just bought a regular black umbrella here in my hometown, better than nothing I suppose!

/BP

 

[kdespot]

Congratulations on simply having the wisdom to cover your dear body from the sun. ¡Buen Camino!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

It was a joke!

Me too

 

[Elizabeth_B]

As others have recommended - a silvered umbrella. I took a euroshrim model on my last camino. It wasn't the hands-free model, but I found a way to put it through my pack straps etcso I could walk comfortably under shelter. It was brilliant for both hot sun and rain. Unfortunately I somehow lost it after my camino, somewhere in Rome . Will definitely get another one for my next camino.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

Are the silvered umbrellas opaque? A white or light-colored umbrella would reflect a lot of light as well, but most non-black umbrellas are translucent and a lot of light gets through.

The ideal would be silver or white on the outside and black on the inside, so as to minimize glare from light that enters the umbrella from below as well, but that would probably require two layers and weigh more.

Another question: are the Euroschirm models readily available in Pamplona? I've always wanted one but they're so expensive in the States and I never saw one in a shop window or department store in Spain.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Are the silvered umbrellas opaque?

The ideal would be silver or white on the outside and black on the inside, so as to minimize glare...

Another question: are the Euroschirm models readily available in Pamplona?

The Euroschrim silver umbrellas are opaque, silver on the outside, black underneath, and no, not readily available anywhere, they are a high end, quality, specialty item. This is one item well worth everyone of its grams.

 

[trecile]

As Anemone said, the Euroschirm umbrella is black inside and has a silver coating on the outside. It's not double layered.

 

[Elizabeth_B]

As per the responses above, yes to opaque. The model I bought the Euroshirm Swing Liteflex (silvered) directly from Euroshirm's web site, it arrived quickly and safely. I suppose it was expensive at 40 euros plus international shipping, but no more so than any other high end umbrella or other piece of hiking equipment here in NZ. It was light (207 grams) yet very strong.