Funky McGroovy Duct Tape Survival Umbrella

From my many experiances of camping in the spring, summer, fall, and winter, I have experianced first hand the misery of having clothes that are damp, wet, or soaked makes the trip really suck. I have learned that the human body can survive without food for 4 to 6 weeks and without water up to 6 days, but quite frankly being wet and trying to survive makes everything a lot harder than it really should be.
The survival umbrella is made out of materials that I found out in the woods one day and so I constructed this to tick off the camping gods.
With the survival umbrella you can finally show the camping gods who is on top.

Step 1: Things You'll Need

1- large stick                                         go for taller, thicker sticks
3- medium sized sticks                       thin and semi-arched if possible. Straight ones will work too
2- rolls of Duct Tape 
1- nail
1- rock                                                    to use as a hammer....very tough
1- (optional) saw

Things you will get
1- set of sore shoulders from constantly hitting sticks with a rock
1- group of people looking at you funny while you hit sticks with a rock
1- awesome contraption that will keep you dry
100,000,000,000,000- people that will respect you for used something as awesome as Duct Tape to do this project

Step 2: "Let's Do This!"

Take you rock and hammer it through the 1st stick

Step 3: "Oh Man, Another One?"

Hammer the nail through the next stick

Step 4: "Why Me?!"

hammer it through the last stick 

Step 5: "Are You Kidding Me?!"

Nail all three to the base. 

Step 6: (Optional) "I'm Gonna Straighten You Out"

With a saw, cut off the tiny branches of the sticks you are using. This step will make taping it a ton easier to do.

Step 7: "Tape It Up!"

Tape the spokes of the frame together. I started from the outside and worked my way to the middle, but I don't think it's manditory to tape it a certain way.

Step 8: "WAZAM!" You Got a Dry Set of Clothes Tonight

You win! You get an amazing umbrella that will never break, tear, or soak through.


The one I made is to show a survival model. I used this model to be able to show that it can be made out in the wilderness for a survival situation if necessary, but you could make a nicer looking recreational one that can fold down if you please.