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Spring 2000 Webzine
In this issue: Baglady Boarding Pass | Gadget Review | ITLA 2000 | LL Bean TRAVELER | Summer Sneak Peek
Gadget Review
The Gustbuster Umbrellas
by Innovention Enterprises, Ltd.
The Travelite FAQ recommends minimal rain gear. That means a big plastic
bag with arm and neck holes over a fancy rain coat. It also means a small,
compact umbrella over a big long umbrella.
Having said that, I have personally gone through three small folding umbrellas in the last year and half after relocating to the Bay Area in California. What happens? One of them, a teeny tiny compact umbrella the size of a can of soda, flipped and inverted the very first time I used it. The gusts on Market Street in San Francisco happened to be a little strong that day, although it was nowhere near tornado level.
The other two umbrellas got adopted by others after I'd forgotten them somewhere.
Suffice it to say, I needed an umbrella that stayed with me even when I was without a daypack, that also refused to invert and crack its ribs at the slightest breeze.
I found just such an umbrella, when I was walking past a booth at the 2000 International Travelgoods and Leather Accessories expo last month.
A woman was standing in front of a wind machine, desperately clinging to an open umbrella as 55-mile-an-hour winds exploded into the back of her head. What was amazing was that she was pointing the umbrella away from the wind, but the umbrella was refusing to budge or invert!
The umbrella she was holding turned out to be the showcase product for Innovention Enterprises, makers of the Gustbuster line of umbrellas.
What makes a Gustbuster umbrella different? Instead of one thin layer of fabric, all Gustbusters uses a patented double-layer format that creates a vent from where the wind can blow through.
The pre-treated vented canopy is augmented by a number of other features such as rust-proof ribs, as well as elastic stays on the outer canopy, which allows the fabric to remain taut and adjust to the varying weather conditions.
The particular model I reviewed has a cover that includes cinch straps that can be worn as a daypack, you won't worry about placing it somewhere and forgetting it. And you can take it to the windiest of locations will no concerns of inverting.
Conclusion: Although this is not the smallest or lightest collapsible umbrella you will find on the market, its features will probably make this one your last. Definitely travel-friendly, this product gets the Travelite nod of approval.
Pros:
- Does not invert, even with 55mph gusts
- Recipient "Breakthrough Product of the Year" award by the International Network of Golf
- Available in most golf shops as well as golf Web sites
- Some of the newer Fashion Series models come with straps that allow the umbrellas to be worn on the back like a daypack
Cons:
- Gustbuster Web site does not sell umbrellas directly at this time
- Folding umbrella not as compact as the smallest travel umbrellas
Note: The author of this article was provided with a free Gustbuster folding umbrella for review purposes.
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