Montbell Sunblock Umbrella 55

I went online to find that the extended shaft length of that umbrella is 20.9"/53 cm. We used a G4 Free umbrella that has a 19" shaft with the Gossamer hands-free umbrella attachment. It worked fine with the inclusion of a long velcro strip to hold the handle more efficiently and firmly to the backpack.

You did not mention which "hands free application" you'll be using, but with the shaft of the Montbell nearly 2" longer than the G4, you should be fine.

I would HIGHLY recommend that you give your setup a thorough testing before your Camino. I mean in high winds, low winds, up hills, down, etc. so you know how it performs before you go. It was only through the testing that we realized that we really needed the velcro strap to firmly hold the umbrella to the backpack's shoulder strap.

We found that the Gossamer hands-free attachment had a tendency to flip the umbrella back-n-forth due to the shaft attachment being on a section of fabric that acted like a hinge. This got a bit annoying, but another piece of velcro strap fixed that issue.

As a final note, we saw this as an attachment to hold an umbrella the other day. We did not use it, but it looks like a good solution. We have them on order to try out;

360 rotatable tube clamp hose clip fixture for hydration backpack

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Plus one for Gossamer Gear's umbrella holder. A huge negative to specialized "sun" umbrellas. They really aren't necessary and are somewhat of a gimmick. A plain old black umbrella does as good of a job. This is why, I'm bringing the GG holder with me and buying any old (black) umbrella when I am in Spain and feel like I need one. I have no desire to carry one around if I am fine with just my hat.
"According to a U.S. study published in JAMA Dermatology, any fully-functioning handheld umbrella can block more than three-quarters of ultraviolet (UV) light on a sunny day,” says a Reuters report. Standard umbrellas usually block between 77-99% of UV radiation. However, black umbrellas were found to have blocked at least 90 percent of rays."

Wanieta said:

I've been looking at this particular collapsible umbrella but am concerned that it's shorter handle would interfere with a hands-free application. I'd like to hear from people who have experience with this model. Thanks!

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The Gossamer Gear umbrellas worked great for me on the Lana for sun and I tested for wind and rain here in the Pacific Northwest where I live. The upper part of the hands free attachment worked great, I used the elastic “bungee” attached to the handle rather than the extra attachment in the hands free kit. Coolest I’ve ever been on a camino using the umbrella/kit!!

Gossamer Gear Hands Free Umbrella Clamp (click on the text to go to site)




Six Moons Hands Free Fastener system (click on text to go to site)

DTCamino said:

The Gossamer Gear umbrellas worked great for me on the Lana for sun and I tested for wind and rain here in the Pacific Northwest where I live. The upper part of the hands free attachment worked great, I used the elastic “bungee” attached to the handle rather than the extra attachment in the hands free kit. Coolest I’ve ever been on a camino using the umbrella/kit!!
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Works in the PNW? Wow. Cause when we get "real" rain, it is often way too windy to use an umbrella.

TheRealPixie said:

Works in the PNW? Wow. Cause when we get "real" rain, it is often way too windy to use an umbrella.

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Yep, I do a 20k hike/walk every Sunday before breakfast and if there’s any precip I always use it. So much in fact one of the “regulars” on the trail asked me where my umbrella was when it was only misty and I didn’t have it out…

davebugg said:

Gossamer Gear Hands Free Umbrella Clamp (click on the text to go to site)

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Six Moons Hands Free Fastener system (click on text to go to site)
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I use the locking part of the Gossamer Gear hands free kit that attached to your shoulder strap, but I find I keep dropping the bottom piece (thats similar to the SixMoons in the pic) when hooking it up, so the handle has the same kind of cord with a slide lock on it, I just wrap it around the strap then slide it over the handle and cinch it tight. No loose or moving pieces that way. If you look at the handle of my umbrella in one of the above pics, you can see I locked it down in an angle that worked with the sun being behind me.

I use the Zpacks hands free clips, but quickly found I need two in a row for stability. However, since I carry only one trekking pole, and don't use it often, it is just as easy to carry the umbrella and adjust the angle for wind, rain and sun direction. I use the ZpackS ultralite umbrella because it is LIGHT. Paragua/parasol -- I am a huge fan of carrying my own shade. Buen Camino