Review of the Six Moon Designs Base Silver Shadow Ultralight OZ Umbrella

[Michael aka Mac]

I was reading the Trailgroove magazine Gear Mash review of the Six Moon Designs Base Silver Shadow Ultralight Umbrella and wanted to put my own two cents in.  

In order for a hiker or camper to bring an umbrella with them on a trip, it has to be ultralightweight, durable, free of conductible material (Lightning Storms), Windproof, extremely collapsible and packable, and it must reflect the sun.  

These necessities for us campers give Umbrella makers  a hard task, especially when considering being not only ultralight, but durable at the same time.

In my opinion though, the Six Moons Designs manufacturer missed their mark on this Umbrella. First of all, their Umbrella does not have a Windproof design. This missing feature in and of itself makes this Umbrella a no go for campers/hikers.  Not only do they not indicate what wind speeds their Umbrella were tested in, but they even express in writing that one needs to be extra careful with their Umbrellas.

Another problem that I have with this Umbrella is the length of the handle is just too short.  It requires the individual to have their arm higher up causing more energy exertion on the hiker's arms. It would also be a nice added feature for this Umbrella to be able to be mounted to ones backpack to allow hands free use, so that the hiker can use his or her walking Trek poles.

I wanted to point out that all of the windproof Umbrellas that I own come with a Lifetime Replacement Warranty too, unlike Six Moons Designs that do not even list  how long the warranty is for and mentions they do not accept Umbrellas back that have torn, or have normal wear and tear.  They even have mentioned in their warranty that even human hair debris has voided their warranty when it is on the product trying to be returned.

There is a slightly heavier but far more durable, cheaper, and collapsible Windproof Umbrella that could be made even lighter with removal of Handle here.  Reflective Windproof Umbrella

About the author: 

Michael aka Mac, (his Trail name, short for MacGyver), is a Survivalist and outdoor enthusiast with over 40 years of experience in the great outdoors. His background is in engineering & physics and he brings this knowledge into his gear inventions and outdoor experiences.  Now Michael aka Mac, when he is not in the wilderness, spends his free time as a Freelance gear reviewer of outdoor gear & gadgets, an outdoor Blogger,  and teacher of outdoor non combat survival skills.

[Dogwood]

Thx mac. You confirmed some initial observations.