Swing Handsfree Umbrella Silvr

This is a very useful item for those that hike in hot weather and sweat a lot and for those that must protect their skin from the sun. The hands free umbrella comes with two brackets that attach to your right and left shoulder harness allowing you to move the umbrella to many different positions to block the sun. It also allows light breezes to cool your head that would otherwise be blocked by a hat. It is a bit larger than I imagined when I first opened it but once on the trail I quickly saw the benefits, which include shading your neck and shoulders, allowing an accompanying hiker to benefit from the shade (my wife thought it was great) and no more wide brimmed hats hitting your pack. It can also be lowered quickly without removing it from the brackets for hiking through brush and low hanging branches. It can be removed quickly when in dense brush. The silver finish is a necessity if you are using it for hot weather hikes. It does catch the wind but the bottom loop will hold it securely and the tines are strong enough to hold it open. It also comes with a very well made protective cover for storing it on the back of your pack.

I took the umbrella on its trial run today and it worked really well for all purposes. First off, I hike alone in mountain lion territory and have seen a couple, the second today when I was wearing the umbrella This time the cat I saw didn’t even hang around to look at me speculatively the way the other one did. I barely had time to decide he was a cat before he was gone.As to its other uses, I for sure give it 5 stars.Using it for sun, unless the sun is high in the sky you aren’t able to shift it around to block the sun as well if it’s hooked to your belt and shoulder strap and you are changing directions or going up and down hills. So I just hooked it to the clip on the shoulder and shifted the handle around as necessary to block the sun this morning. Later in the day it worked fine in clip and on belt. It was in the 80’s coming down the hill but a nice breeze and out of the sun was actually pleasant. I could feel the sun on my legs though...If you’re in steady breezes it works fine but if it’s gusty, it's a good idea to hang on to the handle. I got caught by one puff that pulled it out of the clip and if I hadn’t been holding on to it it would have been pulling on my belt and there’s occasions where that might not be the best thing to have happen. When it’s in the clip, though, it’s basically weightless in your hand. In the situation of steady rain with little wind you could walk all day with it hooked to you . I was dubious about the hands-free claim but no more.

Nice but too expensive. I bought this before going backpacking in Japan. I liked the idea that it could clip to my backpack straps. Here's my experience. 1. Folded it is too long. That's always an issue. It was always an issue. 2. The harness clips work, but for me they only worked at home in my living room. On the trail, in rain--not at all, not once. It's not that they don't work, it's that they're just too fussy. The clips connect with the two handle pieces on the shaft. If the clips aren't in the exact right spot, they won't hold the umbrella. I anticipated this and set up my clips, practiced with them so I could do it on the trail in the rain. Nope. 3. The handles, those little bump-outs from the shaft. Too small. The top bump is too high to grip, the bottom one is like holding a golf ball-it pivots in your hand. The shaft is too narrow to hold. 4. It's just too expensive for the limited use and the features that don't really work. I experienced torrential rain on Yakushima, This worked just great--good umbrella-in my hand. I couldn't get the clips to work. Other hikes where it rained were exposed and even a well made umbrella wasn't practical or safe.My recommendation: buy local cheap umbrellas as you need them. Keep a mini $4 umbrella if where you are going rains a lot. If you're someplace like Yakushima (and you should go there) buy a $12 big umbrella so under the cedars in torrential rain you and a friend can stay dry. I forgot this at one place and had to go back to get it. I wouldn't have to go back for even a $12 umbrella. For me the outside umbrella parameter is a golf umbrella, really wide, really nice, about $25 and three people can walk under it. I took a chance on this but it turned out more money and fussing than it was worth.

I am very happy with this umbrella. It is sturdy and lightweight. Currently I am training with a backpack to do a trek in Spain on the Camino de Santiago. I live in Dallas, Texas. It is the depth of the summer with temperatures hovering around 100 Fahrenheit. And this umbrella makes all the difference. I would bet a good 10 degrees of difference! It is very nice to walk in the shade, to not have to wear a hat, to have the sun's radiant heat reflected away. This caminante is quite happy.

The absolute Best sun protection. It repels the sun and heat. You can literally feel degrees cooler under it vs regular umbrella.

Amazing backpacking sun/rain umbrella. I use it with an ultralight external frame pack and am extremely happy.

I love the hands free part when backpacking, it is a little heavy at 15 ozs but the hands free part makes up for it

So far, it seems to be sturdy and well made. We even used it at the beach in gusty winds and had no problems. The reflective material provides good shade. Yes, it is a little pricey but if it holds up then it will be well worth the cost.