I never take an umbrella hiking in the Rocky Mountains or elsewhere.  Read the 4 reasons why I don’t take an umbrella hiking when I go exploring the mountains.

I love hiking throughout the entire year, summer, fall, winter, and spring.  Each season is so different than the others, making for a very different hiking experience.  In the summer the heat and sun are challenging.  During the winter you have to worry about snow and keeping warm enough.  During the spring you have to worry a bit about everything, cold, heat, and even rain.  I’ve never taken an umbrella hiking with me and have no plans to do so.

The 4 Reasons I Never Take An Umbrella Hiking

I never take an umbrella hiking.  Instead I prefer to wear a good rain coat and rain pants.

A quick google search of hiking umbrellas revealed that there are quite a few people out there who like to use an umbrella for hiking.  Read my reasons for not using one and check out others reasons to use them and then decide for yourself.

I Want To Keep My Hands Free

Personally, I like to hike with hiking poles.  I know not everyone wants to use hiking poles, but if you’re like me then you want to use them.  Thus, I’m always holding hiking poles in my hands and don’t have a free hand to hold an umbrella.  I especially need them when the trail is muddy and slippery due to rain.

My wife doesn’t use hiking poles, but she likes to have her hands free for other reasons.  She likes to take photos, so wants to be able to easily access her camera.  Or she just wants to be able to pick up or touch something along the trail.

I Don’t Want To Bother Other People

Personally, I find it a bit challenging to walk with an umbrella anywhere there are other people, say a city street.  I like using the umbrella as it keeps me dry, but it presents challenges around others.

When I pass people I end up holding the umbrella high over my head so that it doesn’t hit anyone else walking.  I don’t want to hold it just over my head and then have the spokes hit someone else in the eye as they’re walking.

Besides hitting other people walking on the trail that aren’t in your group you are also obstructing the views of members of your own group.  Anyone walking behind you would be stuck with the great view of your big umbrella and can’t see anything in front of them…super annoying.

Difficult To Walk Because Of Hitting Overhead Obstacles

Hiking along a trail out in the open may not be an issue with an umbrella, but a trail in a forest would be a different story.  A narrow trail with obstacles overhead, beside the trail, and underfoot is hard enough with a small or big backpack.  Adding an umbrella seems to be asking for extra problems.

If you are hiking with an umbrella you would constantly be hitting things that were overhanging the trail, such as vegetation, branches, or rocks.  Hitting vegetation would be super annoying because it would knock your umbrella around, slowing you down, and it would knock more water off onto you.

I’d rather just wear rain gear and be able to see where I’m going than deal with the umbrella hitting stuff.

Parents, check out this great eBook on Hiking with Kids to help you get your kids out hiking with you today:

Strong Winds Destroy Umbrellas

The first few times I walked my kids to school on a stormy day was a bit tough.  I brought an umbrella for the rain, but the wind was so strong that my umbrella was quickly broken.  The wind blew it, flipped it inside out, and broke the arms of the umbrella.  That happened to me twice.  Now I know I can use an umbrella if there is no wind, but I don’t use one if it’s windy.

Strong winds just destroy an umbrella and that is the last thing I want to happen when I’m out hiking.  I don’t want to be relying on an umbrella to keep me dry only to have it break!