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I did a search for ways to make shade and read some threads, but I still have some questions...
People talk about making a canopy with clothesline and tarps...how do you do this? What do you attach the clothesline to? Is this feasible in regular camping as opposed to tent only?
I also read that you can put a tarp or sheet on your shade tent to block out the morning sun. How do you attach it so that it won't fall off? Doesn't it kind of seal in the heat? Is a tarp better than a sheet for this?
Also, do you usually put your tent inside your shade tent, or do you put them side by side? It would be nice to have the shade tent with some folding chairs to decompress during the day but obviously keeping the tent cool. My parents have a big-arse tent (I think its a 4 or 5 man?) - would that fit under a typical shade tent?
use caribeeners to secure the tarps. Tarps are better at keeping the sun out, but they tend to heat stuff up. I'm planning on moving my shade tent at night and in the morning, so that i have shade over the tent in the morning and then a place to chill in the day
Post by macaroniandtuna on Mar 4, 2007 2:24:13 GMT -5
The smallest (and most common) EZ-up canopies are 10 feet x 10 feet, which turns out to be bigger than it sounds (to me, at least). A 5-6 person tent should fit under one just fine, I would imagine. Most people seem to put their tent next to the canopy and set up chairs and whatnot under the canopy for shade during the day.
Tarps create better shade because they're thicker, but that also works against them in that they don't allow air to move through and cool off nearly as well as sheets do. Tarps are also waterproof, which is nice if it rains (and it almost definitely will).
You can attach carabiners to the grommets in tarps and then to tent poles/grommets in the canopy roof fabric. Or you can use clamps (like those found in the tools section of a hardware store) to clamp the tarp directly to the canopy's frame.
I bring a canopy and some tarps. I set the canopy up and put my table, chairs, cooler and things I'll use during the day under it. My tent goes beside the canopy and I use the tarp to cover it, attaching the tarp to the canopy (rope, wire ties, or just tuck it in.) and sometimes my truck. A sheet tucked into the canopy in the morning allows for shade and air flow. I only use my tent at night so if I have to choose, it doesn't get shade. Lots os time I sleep out in my hammock anyway.
If it looks like rains, I sometimes cover important stuff (Tent, food, radio)with a tarp and weight the corners.
Absolutely. The frame comes in 3 easily connected pieces and it is VERY comfortable. I only use the tent when it gets too cold outside, which is rare. It's usually too hot in the tent for me even at night.
Thats an awesome idea. I dont sleep in my tent unles sit is raining at night... So I think the hammock idea is a fatastic one! Way better than the sleeping bag on the grass that I did last year.
Thanks for the karma. You can get cheaper hammocks for $20-$30 on ebay which will hold up to 250 lbs and are fairly comfortable. You can check one out at Walmart or a local camp store before you buy.
The frame I have is metal and cost $100-$150 but I got it for free off Freecycle.org (it's a local site where people give stuff away instead of throwing it away). I just buy nice beach hammocks when they go on sale ($10-$15) and I'm set.
Another thought is one of those folding cots. They are cheap and comfortable and the nylon bed is very cool on hot nights. I have one of those too which I rarely use because it can't match a hammock. During th heat of the afternoon you can wet down the cot and it cools you very well as the water evaporates quickly.
Post by msfelithatsme on Mar 4, 2007 19:33:44 GMT -5
if anyone has pictures of their set-up, that would be awesome as it would help me further convince my friends just *why* we need this sort of tent site. AND how simple it will be!
Okay, its very possible I am just not very smart...but don't you like hammer shade tents into the ground? Wouldn't it be hard to move it from over your tent to beside it every night and every morning? And I am still not really grasping how to attach a tarp to your tent...caribeeners, what? I felt like people put the tarps hanging over the tent rather than directly on them. Do you just put them down the side? How does that really achieve anything? Sorry if I'm mega stupid.
Canopies range from $20 Walmart to $200. The cheaper are less stable and need staking more, though all need staked if a storm comes (not unlikely). I never move mine and rarely worry about shading the tent as I only use it at night, if then.
Caribieners are those spring loaded clips people use for keys and such. Tarps usually have grommets (metal holes) you can tie or clip. You can even shut a tarp in the car door to hold it. I wouldn't drape a tarp directly over a tent because it would hold in all the heat. If it rains hard and you have no other choice you may have to.
It's best to bring tarp, rope, clips whatever and see what works when you get there.
Do NOT skimp on a canopy, if you have any choice what so ever.
The first year I went (2005), we brought a full-scale 10x10' expanding canopy. We decided not to in 2006, because of how bulky it was. Instead, we paid $20 for a cheap one at Wal-mart, figuring we wouldn't need it again until the next 'Roo.
I'd say we spent about 25 - 30% of our time at camp trying to fix the damn thing. The legs were 3 pieces each that just fit together, but didn't clasp- a slight breeze, and a leg would come apart.
Eventually, we just tied it to the stakes in the rear of our tent and ran the canopy over to the X-Terra. Tied that end to the side mirrors. And thus, we had a 4' tall canopy.
Thanks you guys for all the tips... I think we will probably be better off just leaving our shade tent off to the side. We are mostly concerned with being able to sleep in somewhat. We are probably gonna get a tent fan. Do you think if we have a tent fan, plus earplugs and sleeping masks, we will be able to sleep in or will the morning heat still be too intense?
If any of those items would help, in my opinion, it would be the fan.
The light didn't bother me much, and I was so exhausted that there could have been a tribe of Indians trying to slay elephants 8 feet away from my tent and I wouldn't have budged.
Buuut, I woke up every morning covered in sweat, with the tent all muggy. I think something to circulate air would have been a massive improvement.
Thanks for the karma. You can get cheaper hammocks for $20-$30 on ebay which will hold up to 250 lbs and are fairly comfortable. You can check one out at Walmart or a local camp store before you buy.
The frame I have is metal and cost $100-$150 but I got it for free off Freecycle.org (it's a local site where people give stuff away instead of throwing it away). I just buy nice beach hammocks when they go on sale ($10-$15) and I'm set.
Good Luck getting yours. It's the way to go.
Do you ever have problems with your hammock getting wet overnight with dew? That would be my only concern sleeping without a tent.
I've never had a problem with dew (and frankly it's never crossed my mind why not.) I set my hammock up under the canopy so I can lay in it and relax during the day also. I guess the canopy keeps most of the dew off and/or my body heat evaporates the rest. I like being cool so I usually just cover with a sheet but a couple of those cold nights I have used a blanket. But dew has never been a noticeable problem.
Thanks you guys for all the tips... I think we will probably be better off just leaving our shade tent off to the side. We are mostly concerned with being able to sleep in somewhat. We are probably gonna get a tent fan. Do you think if we have a tent fan, plus earplugs and sleeping masks, we will be able to sleep in or will the morning heat still be too intense?
I got a fan for 10-15 (cant remember) bucks last year before Roo at walmart and it worked great. IT took eight D batteries and the batteries didnt start to die until after the festival when using it on another camping trip.
