They work great, and they are only a mild pain in the PITA. Less of a pain than being cold and wet all day and having your slick tricks rust.The umbrellasaved my hunt in Illinois last year. Our guide required you to sit all day on stand rain or shine. We had a steady rain from dawn until about 2 pm. The umbrella took a few minutes to get set up in the dark,but it was SOOOO worth it. I stayed dry and comfortable all day, and my bow, arrows, and all my gear stayed dry as well. The guide required everybody to bring an umbrella, and alot of guys were complaining about it before the trip. But after that rainy day, every person was glad they had it and said it was a lifesaver.

I had deer near me and they paid no attention to the umbrella. I even shot a coyote that day.

I used an Ameristep umbrella that hangs from a screw in hook above your head and has two straps going around the tree. This makes it withstand the wind much better than some of the cheap ones I've seen. It folds up real small to pack too.