“Bring an umbrella.” my father told me.
“An umbrella? That wouldn’t look cool.” I thought to myself. I was a foolish fifteen-year-old and the president of my high school hiking club, a club my older brother had founded. I thought I was a pretty solid outdoorsman.
My dad and I were talking about hiking in the extreme heat for a trip the next day. Our club was going to trek up to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines, a volcano that had erupted some years back. Mt. Pinatubo had an awe-inspiring lake in the crater in its center where just a few years ago magma from the bowels of the earth and superheated gases and ash shot forth and darkened the skies for days. There would be no shade for miles around as the land around the volcano would still be covered in meters of rock and volcanic ash.
I tried to dissuade him from making bring an umbrella. I already had a hat and my clothes were pretty light, I reasoned. He persisted and I finally acquiesced, mumbling about how I would probably bring it out if it rained. I grudgingly chucked a small folding umbrella into the side pocket of my backpack and forgot about it.
The next day, we set out early in the morning and arrived at the nearest town. Then, we rode as far as our hired jeeps could take us given the rocky terrain, before taking off on foot. It was a wasteland for miles around the volcano. For the the thirty or so teens and the teachers with us, it was a gruelling hike.
We could have been trekking on a hot, lifeless planet. There were no trees or greenery anywhere in sight. The along the trail etched in endless field of bare rocks were boulders the size cars. Our guide asked us to be wary of deadly pits of quick sand created by volcanic ash mixed with water. It was the hottest time of the year and the sun was beating down mercilessly.
About an hour into the trek, I was starting to feel a bit woozy from the heat, Then, I remembered. The umbrella. I pulled it out from the side of my backpack. And there came the shade, the glorious shade.
The closer to the center of the volcano we got, the larger the boulders were and the more alien the terrain looked. Near the center of the volcano, some of the boulders were as large as buildings. My other buddies were just trying not to pass out from the heat, I was just happily marching along.
Our group got to the campsite late in the afternoon. While everyone arrived sapped by the heat, I was still going strong.
Since that hike, I always bring an umbrella whenever I go hiking. It almost feels as if I’m cheating whenever I whip out my umbrella on a hot day. Nothing can beat the heat like an umbrella, and I’ve had my share of hot weather hikes.
The humble umbrella. It can be a your best friend not just for rainy days, but sunny days as well. When hiking out in the open in hot climates, bring an umbrella. Nothing can help beat off the sun like an umbrella. It won’t be your military hat. It won’t be your fancy dry-fit clothes. It’s going to be a plain old umbrella that will keep you cool the best.
Preppers or survivalists who are preparing to head out in the desert, savannah, or outback should bring an umbrella. Even urban preppers should not underestimate how hot it can get in the concrete jungle. The best designed hot weather hat in the world cannot match an umbrella.
You might even consider it in your BOB. You would have had much better chances surviving a long trek in the desert if they had an umbrella with you.
Of course, nothing will help you keep as dry on a rainy day as well. Your raincoat or poncho can do a good job, but not as much as the good old umbrella. In the outdoors, as you well know, keeping dry is the difference between thriving and surviving. Perhaps it can even spell the difference between even surviving and not surviving.
Speaking of rain, if ever you get lost without clean drinking wateryou can line an upside down umbrella with plastic and let it collect rain for a nice clean drink.
I consider an umbrella is a must-have tool for outdoorsmen, preppers and survivalists. I prefer a folding umbrella, like the one pictured below. Anything nice and cheap would do. I would get a brightly-colored one if you’re preparing for a situation where you are concerned you might get lost, such as on a hike or a long trip in the out back. For those preppers or survivalists who are oriented towards a post collapse scenario, you might consider getting a black, or drab-colored umbrella, or even a camouflage one, as not to call too much attention to the holder.
Given how much it can help protect you from the elements in spite of its small size, it wouldn’t be a hard choice to get one for your survival gear.
Choosing your umbrella
If you are anything like me, I take pleasure in picking out stuff for my BOB or survival kit. Picking out an umbrella is no different. The first consideration is the length of the umbrella. If I have to choose one for my BOB or survival kit, I’d go for one that has a retractable handle that you can stuff into the side pocket of your backpack, or even at the back pocket of your pants. This way, you can whip it out every time you get out in the sun, or you get a bit of rain. A long-handled umbrellas is a bit unwieldy and you might end up abandoning it in the end.
The color is the next big consideration. Standard black is always a good default. Nothing fancy, just good old black. Something like this would do the job:
If you are more prepper or survivalist-oriented you might want to get something that won’t visually stick out in a field or in the woods.
If you’re more concerned with search-and-rescue in case you get lost or in the aftermath of a calamity, you might want to get a neon umbrella for maximum visibility:
I leave it up to you which umbrella will suit your needs as a prepper or survivalist.