I've always had problems trying to balance an umbrella and shopping bags when storms decide to creep in on me and besides, umbrellas are pretty meagre protection anyway. So attach an umbrella to a hat (much like those clown ones) and then attach a waterproof sheet to the edges of the umbrella so that it acts like a curtain. Maximum protection and completely hands-free! I imagine you'd really have to use a light-weight frame for the umbrella body (titanium?) and yes, it would be bothersome to unroll and pack in again but for me, it would be a small price to pay.
-- nano_mars, Mar 16 2001

well, I do think you can get breathable plastic (sounds a bit off but I think you get the idea... is permeable a better word?) but it is expensive though.
-- nano_mars, Mar 16 2001


the thing with a rain hat is your face is still going to get wet. I wear glasses so rain in my face is more than annoying, it's practically blinding.
-- nano_mars, Mar 16 2001


this is prehalfbaked. i think ive seen it as a piece of chingdogu.
-- gnormal, Mar 16 2001


<sp: "chindogu">
-- absterge, Mar 16 2001


PeterSealy - a wide-brimmed hat would be large and cumbersome. Using the above idea and a close-fitting cap, I imagine the whole thing to be collapsable and then slipped into a backpack.

Which actually brings me to another design. You could incorporate the umbrella into the back of a backpack, thus using the backpack as a base. It would probably be even more stable that way.
-- nano_mars, Mar 17 2001



random, halfbakery