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Euroschirm umbrella

Debra Garcia

The Garcias
Time of past OR future Camino
Plan to walk with my husband June 2018
We are leaving in 3 days and my hands free umbrellas came in today! They weigh over a pound each and are longer than I thought. Worried because there has been so much persistent rain forecast for the Pyrenees yet not sure I want to carry this umbrella for the whole Camino Frances! Oh Dear! Not sure what to do! Need advice from you experts and veterans!
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
We are leaving in 3 days and my hands free umbrellas came in today! They weigh over a pound each and are longer than I thought. Worried because there has been so much persistent rain forecast for the Pyrenees yet not sure I want to carry this umbrella for the whole Camino Frances! Oh Dear! Not sure what to do! Need advice from you experts and veterans!
Over a pound? Mine weighs about 14 ounces. It is the heaviest single item that I carried though. But well worth it, especially for sun on the Meseta!
Which model do you have?
 
The swing, was not sure exactly which one to get but needed something hands free because I need to walk with poles for balance.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The swing, was not sure exactly which one to get but needed something hands free because I need to walk with poles for balance.
Ah, yours is longer than mine. I met three guys last year with your model and they loved theirs. Take it, and if you change your mind send it to Santiago. Or send it to general delivery in Burgos to use for the Meseta.
 
Ah, yours is longer than mine. I met three guys last year with your model and they loved theirs. Take it, and if you change your mind send it to Santiago. Or send it to general delivery in Burgos to use for the Meseta.
Thank you guys so much! So appreciate all of you!
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
I have used mine for years, much more against the sun than the rain. Your whole upper body is in the shade and you do not need a hat, therefore you can enjoy any little breeze which might come your way.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
We bought umbrellas on a special at a camping expo $10. It weighs 270gm long handle, flexible at the end, that usually fits on a camping chair. Ian adjusted it to fit on our belts or packs. We use it both in rain and sun here in Melbourne on all our ‘training’. Fits well at the side when not in use
 

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I have a Euroschirm Umbrella and used it on my last Camino. Yes, it is heavy, but it does provide excellent protection. In using my umbrella, I learned there are THREE ways to mount the umbrella:
  1. Use the clips and bands that came with the umbrella, fasten the umbrella to your rucksack harness as intended. This works, but takes time to do correctly. Also, if you are walking the Frances or any east to west Camino route, the sun, wind, and rain will likely come from over your LEFT shoulder. So you want to mount the umbrella on your LEFT shoulder strap to provide the best coverage
  2. I walked with a Belgian fellow who got a chuckle watching me fussing with my über-technical umbrella. As the rain started, he reached back, drew a standard-sized folding umbrella (@ 18" long), opened it, and stuck the handle under his chest 'sternum' strap where it intersects the shoulder harness. Easy peasy... His worked as well as mine but was MUCH easier to bring into action, just sayin...
  3. The longer handle on the Euroschrim is intended to allow you to attach the wrist lanyard to your rucksack waist belt. With my chunky torso (see avatar), this caused the umbrella to 'bounce" when properly mounted. HOWEVER, I found that if I removed my rucksack, I could extend the umbrella shaft fully and insert it to the LEFT mesh side pocket, UNDER the two side compression straps. This held the umbrella snugly upright and clear of my head, while working just fine. To me, this was the 'best' mounting option. It helps if your pack is full and semi-rigid.
Bottom line, if you DO NOT yet have a Euroschirm trekking umbrella, I advise taking any umbrella you have that is straight handled and maybe 18 inches / 50 cm long when closed. The key is the shaft length above the open canopy. The canopy and supporting 'arms' must clear your head.

Put your loaded rucksack on, stuff it with pillows to obtain the desired shape and consistency. Experiment with the methods discussed above to determine if one of them works for you with a less expensive, perhaps lighter weight umbrella.

When I was at Santiago several weeks ago, I bought a stout folding umbrella for a friend who was about to walk a short Camino, the Ingles if I recall correctly. Knowing the above, I obtained a light / powder blue umbrella with a long-enough shaft to use the sternum stuff method. Although only used a couple of times, it worked fine. This, I think proved my point.

The other advantage to sourcing a "hiking" umbrella locally is that you can use it conventionally afterwards more easily than the well-engineered, but heavy Euroschirm trekking umbrella. I recommend buying a light color, reflective silver is ideal. But absent the silver, white, powder blue, pale green, light yellow, etc are all good colors.

Lighter colors are better at reflecting sunlight. All colors protect equally against rain. But the lighter, brighter colors are more visible in low light or bad visibility conditions. especially if you have to road-walk.

Hope this helps.
 
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We are leaving in 3 days and my hands free umbrellas came in today! They weigh over a pound each and are longer than I thought. Worried because there has been so much persistent rain forecast for the Pyrenees yet not sure I want to carry this umbrella for the whole Camino Frances! Oh Dear! Not sure what to do! Need advice from you experts and veterans!
Hi Debra, so excited for you! We took the same umbrellas and found them essential. Mostly it was for sun but on the odd day it rained we didn’t have to wear rain gear meaning we didn’t overheat. I had the shorter version but my partner had the long one as you describe. It was secured along the long axis of her pack when not on use. You will be glad you brought it!
Buen Camino!
Pete
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Hi Debra - My umbrella saved me last year walking across the Meseta last June in 40+ degrees. The shade it gave me reduced the temperature immediately around my body by several degrees. It's definitely worth the weight.
Buen Camino and take joy in every (shady!) step!
Cheers from Oz - Jenny
 
To offset some of the weight from the umbrella, upper body rain gear can be left out, or replaced by a poncho with thin material that would weigh mere ounces. Since the umbrella would take the brunt of any rainfall, not much other protection is needed. Additionally, any separate pack cover could also be eliminated.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
I found the Euroschirm to be sensitive to stiff gusts of wind, like that of a semi or a bus blowing past you when road walking facing oncoming traffic. But if nearly any gust caught the underside of the umbrella, it flipped inside out. It is easy to correct, but a nuisance, especially when it is happening once per minute.

Has anyone else noticed this? Also, is the Gossamer Gear trekking umbrella susceptible to 'flipping' in a breeze?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I found the Euroschirm to be sensitive to stiff gusts of wind, like that of a semi or a bus blowing past you when road walking facing oncoming traffic. But if nearly any gust caught the underside of the umbrella, it flipped inside out. It is easy to correct, but a nuisance, especially when it is happening once per minute.

Has anyone else noticed this? Also, is the Gossamer Gear trekking umbrella susceptible to 'flipping' in a breeze?

I had that happen once when I used it on the PCT, and that was during a big gust of wind around 35 - 45 MPH, and I had an edge of the umbrella out enough that the gust caught its underside pretty hard. Like you said, it corrected pretty easy.
 
I am using a Helinox small this time, with the fittings that came with the Euroshirm hands free. The Helinox is much lighter. It also does not seem to “flip” so easily. The canopy is not so big, but the upside to that is that it takes up less space attached to my pack on planes. I also wish the Helinox came with a reflective silver coating. I had to modify the Euroshirm fittings using a glue gun - the shaft of the Helinox is thinner.
 
I am using a Helinox small this time, with the fittings that came with the Euroshirm hands free. The Helinox is much lighter. It also does not seem to “flip” so easily. The canopy is not so big, but the upside to that is that it takes up less space attached to my pack on planes. I also wish the Helinox came with a reflective silver coating. I had to modify the Euroshirm fittings using a glue gun - the shaft of the Helinox is thinner.

I've used this on outdoor fabrics before. Perhaps applying this to the outer surface of the umbrella would work.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I use a cheap collapsible umbrella, mostly for sun, but useful in rain when weather too warm for my Altus. I just stuff the handle into my sternum strap and let the inside rest on my head/pack for a second point of support. Wind has always destroyed them, and I just buy another.
For me it is a piece of cheap disposable gear and not part of my permanent kit.
 
I used my Euroschirm Liteflex for the first time last year and found it excellent protection in rain or sun. It stood up to strong winds and driving rain from Orrison to Roncesvalles without problems - I just put the handle down my sternum strap and have an elastic bungee cord which ties to my waist strap so that I can adjust the height and angle according to direction of sun/ wind/ rain. It weighs less than 8 oz - 213 g and is now part of my essential gear.
Lou
 

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3rd Edition. More content, training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
I used my Euroschirm Liteflex for the first time last year and found it excellent protection in rain or sun. It stood up to strong winds and driving rain from Orrison to Roncesvalles without problems - I just put the handle down my sternum strap and have an elastic bungee cord which ties to my waist strap so that I can adjust the height and angle according to direction of sun/ wind/ rain. It weighs less than 8 oz - 213 g and is now part of my essential gear.
Lou
I have done the same thing! We were not able to pack the umbrellas like we thought we were going to be able to do. But I did bring the little clips to put in the straps of my pack. I bought a cheap umbrella at the Biarritz airport and last night figured out how to attach the thing for us to climb up to Orisson this morning. So impressed with St Jean!! They have everything you need including those Altus Ponchos! It was so much fun over the last 4 months gathering everything for our Camino. However we could have just showed up here and gotten EVERYTHING we needed and hiked the next day. Only starting and learning that the Camino truly provides. Our hearts leaped when we saw our first Camino sign!!!!
 

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