What about a light weight umbrella??

[melinda]

Hi guys,
More questions, how who a light weight umbrella handle January conditions on the O.T.???
Melinda

[ILUVSWTAS]

Why wouldnt you just take a rain jacket?

[melinda]

Hi ILUVSWTAS,
I will take a goretex jacket and light weight gortex pants. I was just thinking of NZ and how you see people walking with umbrellas there.
If the wind wasn't too bad an umbrella might be sort of nice. You know, a sort of "Singing in the Rain" moment!
What do you think?
Melinda

[ILUVSWTAS]

I think your kinda nuts
I guess it would keep you dry, not to mention be a laugh looking at all the passer by walkers faces. I know if I saw a walker out there with an umbrella it'd be the kind of thing i'd be posting on here...

It'd go something like, HEY YOU"D NEVER BELIEVE WHAT I SAW SOME NUTTER CARRYING ON THE OT RECENTLY......

It's crazy, but the kind of crazy I like

[tomberli]

Well, you wouldn't be the first one!!! I've seen two people before carrying umbrellas on the Overland track. One Japanese and one German. Don't think they are all to effective and a bit of a pain in the forest or in the wind but each to their own... It's not the weirdest thing I have seen people carry either... That would probably be the deckchairs...

[melinda]

ILUVSWTAS,
I'll accept that as a compliment!
And Tomberli I guess deckchairs wouldn't quite fit in with my light weight philosophy! (But maybe Backpackerlight might have something on special!!! )
Guys, you never know until you ask???
Melinda

[ILUVSWTAS]

Good, thats how it was intended.
I have heard of some people carrying hairdryers and heaters expecting the huts to have power on the OT

[Son of a Beach]

I've seen some body carrying an umbrella up Mt Ossa. More for sun than rain that day. It looked rather odd to me, but he seemed happy with it.

I would think a hat and long sleeves would be more practical for sun protection.

For the rain I would think an umbrella would be horrible during the wind that usually accompanies the rain.

You may occasionally get days when it's suitable, but would have to have the other alternative gear anyhow, so personally I wouldn't bother with the extra weight and space.

[melinda]

OK, maybe an umbrella isn't such a good idea!
I'll just have to do my "Singing in the Rain" under Gortex
Melinda

[geoskid]

If the wind wasn't too bad an umbrella might be sort of nice. You know, a sort of "Singing in the Rain" moment!
What do you think?
Melinda

Not a bad idea. If you tire of that song you could sing "Chim Chim Cheree" and "A spoon full of sugar"

[melinda]

Well, we did "Climb every mountain" going up Hannels Spur last week. So you never know what the OT might inspire us to sing
Melinda

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thinking of you The Doors "people are strange" comes to mind....

Thinking of the overland track anything by Crowded House comes to mind

[Nuts]

I think your kinda nuts

...er...hold on...hey!!!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hahaha yeh sorry, forgot that ones taken......
Your boy nuts, Melinda can be girl nuts

[melinda]

Boy nuts, girl nuts, what the heck, kooky nuts is all good!
And Rx crowded house:
First trip to Tassie, you have to start somewhere!!!
(I did also try to get on a 10 day Western and Eastern Arthurs trip but it was cancelled due to lack of interest. My guess is not enough people saw the photos,
because if they did how could they not want to go???? Now, whether I would have survived it is another question, but my motto is 'try everything once!'.
Melinda

[ILUVSWTAS]

Lack of interest?? The most desired and greatest walk inAustralia and there was lack of interest??

Oh well whatever floats their boat I guess.....

[scrub master]

Okay, this may come as a bit of a shock to those who know me, but it's time for me to come out of the closet - personally I'm a great fan of umbrellas on (and off) the track. I don't bother with the small collapsable type, I use a full blown fibreglass shaft Golf umbrella !
Before you fall over laughing, hear me out. In hot sunny conditions, they provide great shelter when there is none other available, in rain when there is little or no wind, they are a much more comfortable alternative to cooking in a GoreTex. They also provide great shelter when stopping for lunch or digging holes for you know what when the conditions are less than favourable. I'm also able to set mine up as an "annex" for my vestible to more than double the space I have available for cooking etc. Also great for photography to keep the gear dry in "atmospheric" conditions. When not used as a brolly, I can also use mine as a walking stick and depth sounder for the mud patches. Obviously, there are times when they are not so practical, such as windy or scrubby conditions but my advice Melinda would be to ignore the strange looks you'll get - I do and invariably it's always me who has the last laugh.
BTW I'm not taking the mickey here, I'm serious as the picture will tell. Don't worry SWTAS, I won't be taking it on the Diamond Pk trip, even I'm not that silly, but it will be with me on the W Arthurs the week before

[ollster]

LOL scrub master - I didn't see an umbrella on Leillateah!!!???

I do admit, I've got one of the little collapsible ones, and have considered chucking it in my pack... only CONSIDERED mind you.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Haha Nice SM Nice!! Love that pic!!
I must confess I really really really wish MJD and I had one going thru the arthur plains in 30+ degree temperatures last week! There was no shade at all and the heat bouncing off the burnt out plains was unbearable!!

[melinda]

That's it, the umbrella is back in the pack!
If nothing else I can use it to fight off tiger snakes!!!
Flying to Tassie tomorrow so I'll let you know about my adventures when I return.
Thanks for all your help guys.
Melinda

[ninjapuppet]

scrub master, that reminds me:

i once had to do number 2 out in the open rain, whilst jungle trekking in Taman Negara (malaysia).

I Dug the hole, did the deed, flipped the toilet paper out, and saw like 10 leeches stuck to my rear side! toilet paper got all wet from the rain, and I panicked from seeing all these leeches no me, so fumbled and toilet paper got all muddy.

Just try to imagine wiping yourself with wet toilet paper and leeches having a all-you-can-eat fest. At that point, i swore i would have an umbrella next time... never got round to it, but i too, might consider it on my next trip.that point about keeping the camera dry sounds like a good idea too ....

on 2nd thoughts, that extra umbrella weight.. i'm not too sure now????

[sthughes]

I occasionally carry a very small S2S umbrella if expecting rain. Just for camp use to save donning the wet weather gear everytime you leave the hut/tent.

[turtle]

The umbrella in the photo doesn't faze me. The purple, blue, maroon combination of leggings, socks and shorts is the tragedy.

[Drifting]

I have a cheap, collapsible umbrella that I often take for covering my camera in rain, and also keeping glare off. Costs nothing, but would not stand up to heavy winds.

[scrub master]

The purple, blue, maroon combination of leggings, socks and shorts is the tragedy.

I'll take that as a compliment - this is actually very toned down from my usual atire on the track

My camp wear of fluffy fuschia pink pants and cornflower blue jacket is a sight to behold

[melinda]

Hi all,
So I took the umbrella on the O.T. but I didn't really need it because we had perfect weather nearly every day.
We got a little bit of rain on the way to Windy Ridge so I thought I'd better use the umbrella then, otherwise I had carried it for nothing.

Umbrella on the way to Windy Ridge Hut.JPG (130.09 KiB) Viewed 19784 times

The walk was extremely beautiful. Great camaraderie on the track.
Thanks Tassie, I'm definitely coming back!
PS Scrubmaster, I think your walking outfit is very becoming, we want photos of the fluffy fuschia pink pants and cornflower blue jacket!
Melinda

[geoskid]

My camp wear of fluffy fuschia pink pants and cornflower blue jacket is a sight to behold

Glad you feel comfortable being yourself out there.......thweetie

[turtle]

I think the fluffy fuschia pink pants is worth a photo.

[under10kg]

I did a post of unbrellas a while back and got zero interest and a bit of laughter.
If there is no wind I love my unbrella up in the mainland.
There is something that is rather confining being in a parka with a hood compared to an umbrella.
It feels so much better in light rain.
Unfortunately I use pacer poles now on harder walks.

[ollster]

Unfortunately I use pacer poles now on harder walks.

TWO UMBRELLAS!!! There has to be a market for poles that are also umbrellas, surely?