Why Not an Umbrella? Here's Why.

Yesterday's post talked about raincoats & keeping one nearby in the backseat of the vehicle or just handy in general. An umbrella can also do the trick, if you prefer them. I cannot attest to being a member of that "club". Here's a little backstory on why:

I used to work in downtown. It's a busy area. With lots of people. Especially at peak hours of the day. That's a lot of people roaming around town. With their umbrellas open when it's raining. That's a lot of space being taken up by people who aren't really paying attention to the person next to them or the person they're working on passing by. That's a lot of people not considering the benefits of moving their arm up or down a foot or so as they move about in order to not basically be bumping into, well, just about everyone nearby them.

This is one reason for a rain jacket versus an umbrella.

Another reason a similar one. Being out & about & having that umbrella go from being an "innie" to being an "outtie". And therefore getting no protection from any precipitation. A slight breeze could come by, or a bigger wind could blow through. Maybe it's because of a rapid pedestrian pace. No matter, that umbrella isn't going to fold back down anymore. Not without an fight, anyway.

Then there is the runner. Or, the jogger. It seems kind of obvious. An umbrella simply isn't practical. That sporty rain jacket (Amazon link) seems pretty nice right about now though.

The best time for an umbrella is when it's super hot in the summertime & the rain's come through basically as a humidity breaker. It's so hazy, hot, & humid that it's great to be in the rain, to feel the chill from it (though it's likely a warmer rain), yet it's way too hot to wear anything beyond a tank top or bathing suit. Well, at least it's definitely too warm to be comfortable wearing a jacket, even if a sleeved top isn't too much.

If an umbrella is the way to go, then one with an auto open & close feature as well as being compact is handy & most convenient. Another feature, which sometimes is difficult to find with a compact umbrella, is one where the fabric curves down over the edge of the frame, & not just straight out.  Like this one (Amazon link) as well as the image link in the top left corner. This umbrella style seems to make the best case for staying the most dry as the raindrops cannot drip onto the user, rather they fall straight down. If it's a compact umbrella, typically there's not as much to the frame & there'd be less fabric coverage as well, which is what provides its ability to be compact.

At least this has been my experience. That is, when I do use an umbrella. In the case of all those emergencies. Of which there are a few from time to time.