[pct-l] umbrellas and gnats

[stewjohns at comcast.net]

Dr Bob writes:
Let's see. 1) sun shade, 2) rain, 3) propped as additional windbreak for
stove, now possibly 4) gnats.  What else?   Ah, yes.  5) Bear deterrent!  I
read a story in a (questionable) survival book years ago about a man in the
Michigan woods who had a black bear charge him.  He had nothing but a closed
umbrella with him, but at the last second he snapped his umbrella open in
the bear's face and it took off, startled.  I don't want to try it, but you
can.  Please let me know how it works.

 

Dr Bob
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Well, I had a similiar experiance on the River to River trail in Souther Illinois with
a dog. The owners of the dog were on houseback, and they were letting the dog
lead.  When the dog saw me approaching it charged me with a kill look in its eyes, 
and barking madly.  I was scared it was gonna bite me, but at the last second I opened
up my Golite Crome Dome umbrella, and the dog stopped dead in it's tracks.  By than
the horse riders yelled at the dog and he turned back towards the riders.  I know if I hadn't
opened up that umbrella, the dog would have attacked me... He just had that look in his eyes.

As far as Gnats go, I found that the shade seems to actually attract them rather than repel them, 
but I can just wave the umbrella back and forth a little bit and create a fan effect which blows them
away.  Also an umbrella makes a great tool for clearing away spider webs that cross the trail.  

Doc Holiday
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