Umbrella Water Collector

Most folks use an umbrella to ward off the rain, but I wondered if one could be used to collect rain for the purpose of obtaining potable water. The parabolic shape of an open umbrella acts as a bowl when inverted (handle pointing upward) and could be used to collect rain but would have to be monitored in order to empty portions of rainwater into a vessel. The umbrella could be tilted to the side and stabilized for drainage but the angle would reduce it’s collectable surface area.

After pondering various approaches of collection I decided that I could modify the umbrella to make a funnel, thus eliminating the need to monitor the collection process while at the same time maximizing the surface area. The umbrella could be placed over a vessel and left unattended. Because rainy weather is often also windy, a tripod could be used to stabilize the umbrella as illustrated in the photo.

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