REVIEWED: Fulton Ultralite-1 compact travel umbrella
Weighing just 189g and firm in windy conditions, this brolly is perfect for a backpack’s side-pocket for all kinds of travel
Never travel without an umbrella. this in the last 12 months I visited two hot countries where most people would not expect to wet. Vietnam? Hard and constant rain for 10 days straight. Oman – one of the world’s driest countries? downpours for three days, culminating in floods and dangerous driving conditions. And one soaked travel journalist.
Easy to stow
But who really wants to carry an umbrella on their trips? Cue the Fulton Ultralite-1 umbrella, a super-light option that can be stowed in a backpack. Weighing 189g and measuring 24cm long, it’s perfectly sized for putting i the side of a back[pack. However, in our tests it also fitted easily into the pocket of a winter jacket.
Open season
When the Fulton Ultralite-1 is open it’s surprisingly big – certainly big enough for one person – and it coped well with blustery, wintry conditions in the UK for a few weeks. It uses fibreglass in its wind resistant frame, and that shows.
Dries quickly
It also seems to repel water better than our last ‘hiking brolly’, and left in the corner of a country pub for an hour or so after a downpour left it bone-dry. That’s good to know if you have to stow it suddenly for a long journey, though we would also advise having some kind of plastic bag in your travel bag just in case. However, meet the Fulton Ultralite-1 takes an immediate and well-deserved spot in our travel gear Hall of Fame!