Rain at camp usually arrives when you’re halfway to the amenities block or cooking dinner. A rain jacket handles most of it, but a small umbrella is handy for exactly those short trips. The Sea to Summit Pocket Umbrella is small enough that you can always have it with you: it packs down to 16 cm. We paid $40 for ours, and it’s always tucked away in the storage of the passenger door, just for emergencies. Luckily we don’t get too much rain on our trips, but it’s a handy small unit to have as a backup.
What You’re Getting
A black folding umbrella with a telescoping shaft, a small knob handle with a wrist strap, and a drawstring pouch to keep it in.
What we like
- Packs down to just 16 cm
- Light: 168 g in its pouch
- Lives in the door pocket of the car
- A handy backup for a sudden shower
- Drawstring pouch included
- Wrist strap on the handle
What we don’t
- Small canopy
- Flips inside out easily in wind
- Slide lock can be a bit stiff
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sea to Summit |
| Weight | 168 gin its pouch |
| Packed length | 16 cm |
| Canopy | 83 cm across |
| Shaft | Four sectionsExtends to 50 cm |
| Included | Drawstring pouch |
Size and weight
This is what you’re paying for. Folded in its pouch the umbrella is about 16 cm long, roughly the height of a camp mug, and it weighed 168 g on our scale. Sea to Summit lists the umbrella itself at 150 g.
At that size it fits in a jacket pocket, the lid of a pack or a glovebox. Ours lives in the storage pocket of the passenger door, where it’s out of the way until we need it. That’s the difference from a full-size umbrella, which stays at home because there’s nowhere to put it.
The pouch closes with a drawstring and a cord lock. Out of the pouch, a velcro strap holds the folded canopy tight around the shaft.
Opening it up
The shaft is made of four telescoping sections and extends to 50 cm. You pull it out and push the canopy open by hand. On a few occasions the sliding and locking mechanism has been a bit stiff, which is slightly frustrating when you want it open quickly. Open, the canopy is 83 cm across, with six panels. For a sense of size: in the photos it sits on our BCF roll up camp table, which is 70 × 70 cm, and the canopy only just hangs over the edges.
The coverage is small. The tiny canopy gives minimal protection: it keeps your head and shoulders dry, but your body or your backpack will remain exposed.
Frame and build
To get this small and light, everything is slim: thin ribs, a narrow shaft and a small plastic hub where the ribs meet. The handle is a simple knob with a wrist strap. It’s a delicate telescopic frame, and it feels fragile compared with a standard umbrella.
The canopy is a thin, tightly woven black fabric, stitched in six panels that meet under a small flat cap on top. Like the frame, it’s kept thin to save weight and bulk.
The trade-off shows in wind. The umbrella struggles and flips inside out easily in moderate to strong winds, so it’s cover for showers and drizzle. In a heavy storm it’s less reliable, and the rain jacket is the better choice.
Conclusion: Sea to Summit Pocket UmbrellaConclusion
The Sea to Summit Pocket Umbrella is a tiny umbrella that you can always have with you. It packs down to 16 cm, weighed 168 g on our scale in its pouch and opens to an 83 cm canopy. The canopy is small, the delicate frame flips inside out easily in wind, and the sliding mechanism can be a bit stiff. I paid $40 for it. We keep ours in the passenger door for emergencies, and as a backup it’s a handy small unit to have. For hikers, travellers and anyone who wants an umbrella in the door pocket for a sudden shower, it’s a good buy.
A pocket-sized umbrella that packs to 16 cm, weighs 168 g in its pouch and opens to an 83 cm canopy.
The canopy is small and it flips inside out easily in wind, so it’s a backup for showers, not for storms. It suits hikers, travellers and the door pocket of the car.
- Hikers
- Travellers
- Everyday carry
Yes, as a backup. It’s pricey for a small umbrella, but the point is that it’s small enough to live in a door pocket or a pack, so it’s there when the rain starts. Prices vary between shops, so compare before you buy.
