Easy Tent Shade Structure

[MetalMichelle]

HI!

This is my third year and really need to be able to sleep from 6a-2p. I baked in my tent last year

I'm on my own and need an easy shade structure that will allow me to keep my tent cool(er) and sleep during the day. I was going to bring my EZ UP but I'm hearing that isn't the best idea. Any suggestion for easy shade set up over my tent (no car)?

Thank you in advance!! Michelle

[xdwingdx]

I think an EZ Up over the tent works just fine. the key is to lower half of it during sunrise to avoid the early light. and the shade it provides during high noon is priceless. During the day, I usually put a "clean" bed sheet over all of my regular night bedding in order to avoid sweating all over my blankets..

there's a reason my playa name is Puddles...

[Captain Goddammit]

Search on here, there are pages and pages and pages and pages about tent shade structures.
Also read FIGJAM's Cooling Your Tent Or Van thread.

[Dr. Pyro]

Normally in circumstances like this I'd recommend the back of my RV.

[MetalMichelle]

I did some searches, but there is soooooooooooo much stuff and could find something easy enough for me to do. I like the idea of lowering my EZUP. do I need more than rebar to stake it down?

[Ano]

FIGJAM swamp cooler.

It looks hard, but its actually really easy, and the results... insanity. I couldn't believe how well a tiny bucket could cool an area. Especially in a dry climate, which is what the swamp cooler excels at, they are an amazing investment.

If you want to go the shade route, I'd look into a Monkey Hut.

Although, if you're looking to sleep from 6am-2pm, some of the hottest hours of the day, you're going to need to do some serious work. Last year I had a big carport over a tent, and the latest I could do was 10 AMish. I'm thinking that with my swamp cooler, we can stretch that out to maybe 1pm... but by 2, the entire playa is cooking. I personally feel like you'd need an RV or trailer to sleep through the morning hours and into the noon.

[Lonesomebri]

Have you tried lining your tent with tinfoil? Anyway, it sounds like you are confined by what you can bring, in that you have no car. That is going to limit you. Build a monkey hut, but I'm guessing you don't have the ability due to travel constraints. But yeah, there are lots and lots of ideas found on here if you look. That pop up has to be secured at the legs and over the top, and the legs will fail if the wind has it's way. The top is often attached with flimsy velcro that can peal away, etc. I've done it with rope tossed over the top, guy lines off the metal at the top, and stakes at the feet, all secured with fence posts pounded in a foot. If the wind hits at 9pm, you will not have time to get up and secure anything then. I always wondered about setting up a huge staked tent and then setting up a small free standing, no stakes needed tent, inside the larger well secured tent. Have the outer tent provide shade for the inner tent... Either that or the back of the RV....

[MetalMichelle]

Unfortunately, the swamp cooler is outside my skill level

[MetalMichelle]

I could put one of my tents inside my bigger tent! Is there a way to cover my big tent with something? Some sort of UV tarp or fabric? I just don't have a lot of McGuyver resource skills . . .

[skippy3k]

I just don't have a lot of McGuyver resource skills . . .

Uh oh.

[theCryptofishist]

That pop up has to be secured at the legs and over the top, and the legs will fail if the wind has it's way. The top is often attached with flimsy velcro that can peal away, etc.

It will ring like a bell? Cool!

[danibel]

I second the monkey hut instead of the ez-up. I have seen many ez-ups in broken tangles of mess.

You could try putting your tent right next to your car and then secure a tarp in a lean to type of fashion over the tent to the ground and staked with rebar. I have seen that before. You really just want a some shade and airflow. I have a BRC hardware shade structure that I park my van under - but it's 8 feet tall and the longest poles are 10 feet. I am lucky to have my van to transport them in. I wouldn't be able to do that in a car.

[Captain Goddammit]

Anyone can build a FIGJAM cooler. If you say you can't, the translation to English is "you won't."
If you expect cool comfort in a tent in Black Rock City during mid-day, I'd rethink the "can't do" attitude!

[bluemiragemi]

You can do an EZ-Up at half mast, but you have to secure it down like crazy and yes to the rebar and yes to the ratchet straps. Lean-to style one tarp, one side of tent shade is something people have posted. Maybe you can also tent near something like a big RV, and use it to help shade? Failing that, get up, go sleep in some common area shade The bucket cooler is outside of my skill level this year, but here's hoping for next year. You could also buy something like that if you wanted to. Oh, and you can buy desert shade structures that hold up fairly well - thing is, you have to stake it all down firm!

[MetalMichelle]

I have zero tools and zero storage. Thanks for the kindness Captain

[MetalMichelle]

Thanks, Em!! I've been searching shade structures, but overwhelmed by the choices. I've never put up anything but an EZUP, so it's hard to know what to get. I will definitely look for an RV!!

[Ano]

If you want a big easy structure, Costco Carports are big, and with plenty of staking (and I really mean PLENTY), they won't fly away. Costco's around the states should have these in stock right now. I've seen people be very successful with them, I've been succesful with them, and I know that at least on person tips them on their side and it works well for shade. AntiM on this board, I think?

An EZ-up is an option, but YMMV with those. I've seen them fail quite often, but I've also seen them last the whole week when taken care of - this means extra staking, extra staking, and extra staking, and a dash of good luck. If the wind wants to, it will tear an EZ-up into an EZ-down!

Doing the Tent-within-a-tent works better than it should, actually, but again, you aren't going to last much longer than 11am.

A monkey hut will work far better than an ez-up. I loved mine while I had it. They are very easy to put together and work wonders!

I'm gonna re-say the Bucket Cooler, because I, too, thought it was going to be difficult. It doesn't require any tools, actually! A circle saw makes things easier, but you can do it without one and just use a knife to cut the holes open on the bucket. I guess a caulk gun with silicone caulk counts, but you can just get silicone caulk out of the tube I believe? The hardest part of the whole shebang is merely ordering the parts from amazon, and one singular part (the pump) from a separate website. I built mine very easily in the span of a weekend, only a few hours, and now I'm making things complicated by setting up a solar set-up with a mechanical switch... but really, that can be skipped. Bucket, fan, air duct, cooler pad, and 12v battery can be sourced from Amazon, and the pump should be sourced from elsewhere. There's a big thread on this very forum filled with tips and tricks!

[FIGJAM]

If you already have 2 tents, then the tent in a tent is your best bet.

Add a battery operated fan.

Leave the outside tent as open as possible for air flow and that IS your shade structure!!!

[Lonesomebri]

I could put one of my tents inside my bigger tent! Is there a way to cover my big tent with something? Some sort of UV tarp or fabric? I just don't have a lot of McGuyver resource skills . . .

The point here is that the outer tent, serving as the shade shelter in place of a monkey hut, is covering the inner tent where you would sleep. The sun would hit the outer tent/shade and slow down the heating of your inner tent. You could cover the outer tent, then cover that cover etc etc. forever. I was trying to come up with an easy to transport simple solution for you, but it seems like what you really want is the back of the RV

[StevenGoodman]

You can also use an EZUp and camo netting. Camo netting doesn't catch the wind like the standard top of an EZUp does. Camo netting can be done with other techniques, but an EZUp for a frame is easy.

Martini Steve

[caffeineslinger]

I second the EZUP with camo netting. I used one for years successfully.

[Fidget]

Tent inception seems to be your best option.
Get a couple battery powered fans and you could rig up an airflow through the outer tent, which would help keep the inner tent cooler. It will still get warm, since well, you're in the desert, but it would be better than having direct sun bake you in your little sauna.
Invest in a handful of battery powered fans - if you wake up in blistering heat you can just grab a lil fan, position it by your face and enjoy the brief reprieve.

Lastly, hit up the hammock camp near center camp - we saw people snoozing in the shade there all the time. I'm sure they would be happy to help you out when you just need to nap off some of the hotter parts of the day!

[tummler]

This thread--Simple Morning Shade for Small Backpacking Tent: viewtopic.php?f=277&t=40542

[Elorrum]

[Lo_80]

this is what I'll be doing too! I found a tan shade cloth (instead of black) on eBay. poles from rei. testing it out this weekend!