Personal shade for tent, what works? (to buy, not build)

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:23 am

I don't wanna guess, so I'm hoping someone can give me a link to an actual product I can buy. Something to save me from waking up fried with a headache. A shade structure I can put up over my tent, which will probably be 6 feet high, but maybe smaller. I'm keeping the 12" tent stakes in mind, what about keeping the shade in place? Should it be a top only, with net sides, or heavy side walls? I bought a structure that was all of the above for a simple camping trip, it saved us from rain, but after a windy night it was bend the next morning. The poles actually bent. I read a few things wile going through the site, but just couldn't relocate the posts. Thanks!

Remark · Post by **Remark** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:11 am

If you're just wanting to sleep in to 9 or 10 and "not wake up fried," park your car on the sunrise side. Ta-da. add shade cloth from car top to tent top, figure another hour of sleep.

The ezups work good if tied down, spend more than $29.99 on them (around $80 going rate in my area.) google can get you the link.

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:33 am

Remark's suggestions are good, I've done both. You can have an ezup staked to the ground and tied to the car. A simple silver/gray side polythelene tarp stretched over the top of your tent and staked down works well too.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:14 am

It's pretty hard to beat the Standard Shade Structure Of Burning Man, the 10x20 Costco carport. They're easy to put up, sturdy, durable, roomy, and under $200. I have a few, including one that has been standing since '00 with no troubles.

I can't find them listed on Costco's web site, and the stores don't carry them all year, so you just gotta go to a store and look.

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:21 am

Yes!

They work great. I believe they're also in the latest costco coupon book? $170. Shades your sleeping room, and lots of room left over.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:07 am

I thought those were white?
You really want to block light=heat.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:08 am

The older ones were white, for the last several years they've been tan.

hollywallydoodle · Post by **hollywallydoodle** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:40 am

so you're saying that if i buy the 10' x 10' one at longs for $25 it's gonna get bent? i thought so looking at it, but the $25 was swaying me strongly the other direction.

sports authority is selling a 10' x 10' canopy for $75 on sale from $100. i shook the crap out of the display trying to see how sturdy it was...people were staring. i thought it would hold up, but then again i've never been to burning man.

what does everyone think about screen rooms such as this? i was thinking something with a bottom might be nice because then you could put your heavy stuff in there to keep it from blowing away.

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:55 am

I searched "carport" & found some pictures to figure out what it is. Found similar things on Wal-Mart, smaller for one tent. I'm still not clear weather I need side walls or not necessarily, carports are pictured with & without. So most of these would work ?

http://www.walmart.com/search/browse-ng ... NavId=4128

Searching by carport on ePlaya I found a thread that made it clear a carport's good if you got the space for it. I'll be traveling alone with no car, which also means I can't attach it to one. How exactly do I "tie down" something like this? Stakes & rope?

I have something like this, if I didn't throw it out:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=8136426

One or more poles is bent bad. If this works, how bout replacing the pole? Anyone know a site with some selection? I'm pretty sure it's got standard quality poles, it's odd that they're used out there when my'n broke out here.

Oh look, I went back to check a suggestion & hollywallydoodle posted something affordable. Look, it's even cheaper now

Says it comes with stakes too. Let's see if someone comments weather it will hold.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it.

Editing to include the link hollywallydoodle posted, it now turned from link to just pic.

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/ ... age=family

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:58 am

Actually the one I posted is complete too, I though it was just the cover. $69, color-coded poles, that's what I had.

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:04 pm

Steven bradford wrote:Remark's suggestions are good, I've done both. You can have an ezup staked to the ground and tied to the car. A simple silver/gray side polythelene tarp stretched over the top of your tent and staked down works well too.

So if I don't get an ezyup, I can just throw a tarp over the tent? I wish it were true, but one of the first things I read around here was leave 2-3 feet between tent & shade structure or it won't do much. True or false?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:19 pm

A gap is ideal but a tarp blocking light will definitely help.
You might be able to put a layer of reflectix or something else under it as an extra insulator.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:59 pm

Screen room tents are absolutely worthless on the playa. The screens are meant to keep bugs out, and there are virtually no bugs out there... but there is a lot of blowing dust and dirt, which will go right through the screens.

FORGET the stakes that come with these things too. Worthless on playa. You need bigger ones. The standard method is 2 or 3 foot pieces of rebar.

The ultra cheapy shade structures are lighter and easier to transport.

falk · Post by **falk** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:09 am

hollywallydoodle wrote:so you're saying that if i buy the 10' x 10' one at longs for $25 it's gonna get bent?

First windstorm to come along would crush it like a wadded up ball of tinfoil.

And as others have pointed out the screen would be worthless against the dust and wind.

Orchid · Post by **Orchid** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:54 am

Can anyone provide a link to the Costco Carport? I'm rummaging through their website and coming up with nothing.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:25 am

Couple bedsheets propped on broomsticks and you're done.

Forget the carport -- buy a knot book. Arrrrr.

Dark Star · Post by **Dark Star** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:39 am

Last year I saw more imploded easy ups than ever before. Don't waste your time with anything that isn't made of commercial top rail or other heavy steel.

When people talk about hurricane force winds on the playa they are not joking. Wind guts can and do reach 70 mph.

For fun cut out a 1 foot x 1 foot square of heavy cardboard. Get in your car and drive 70mph, then stick your hand out the window with the cardboard perpendicular to the wind.

That's the kind of force you can expect but over an even larger area. There are proven designs that use material other than metal but they tend to be more open air designs.

If you want a time tested easy option then go with a carport. You can even cover the floor and with the sides on it you have a pretty decent refuge from the dust storms.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:52 am

If you can't build strong, build flexible.
Bungee cords on tiedowns and so on.
Just make sure everything moves together or you get abrasion.
I bent two pvc loops over my tent in a 180 degree arc.
The tarp moved over them.
The noise drove me insane but it held up.

serendipity · Post by **serendipity** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:43 am

Those screen houses mentioned by Hollywallydoodle are total crap on the playa. They make nice shade, but I had one my first year (newbie mistake # 1) and it crumpled like a piece of paper on the first windy day, not even a big storm. The poles bent almost completely in half, and there was no fixing it.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:44 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:the 10x20 Costco carport

I concur. $200 investment that pays you back forever.

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:59 pm

Yeah but say your flying into Reno, Luggage space is limited and expensive and money isnâ€™t real abundant either. Is there a one use alternative that might hold up, and still be worth donating to interested parties afterwards?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:56 pm

You mean like a Gucci umbrella?

Just use camo netting, shade cloth or bedsheets & learn how to tie a few knots. Nothing off the shelf is designed for the playa, and there's plenty enough people dumping crappy stuff on each other at the end of the week.

hunter S · Post by **hunter S** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 3:25 pm

I know every piece of shade advise i.e. what work & dosn't has been written!

Here's a news flash! Freckle & I live in a carport (at least our out door living roon is), in a desert, in exstreem heat, in exstreem wind!

We have learned the hard way, it's all in the anchor's! A 10x10 pop up shade, a carport, a cheap sun shade has a good chance of survival if you use....steele fence post's! not rebar, not tent stakes ...but fence post's!
They are cheep, found easly, and can be driven with a sledge.
The key on cheaper frames is to take the stress off of the joints! Carports work well because they have strong corner & conecting joints that can handle the constant movement from strong winds. Evan a $100. carport (Kragen auto type 1.5" tubing) will take the wind if you use taller stakes! Trust me on this it works. If you reduce the flex at the joint with taller than normal stakes (rebar is to flexible in most cases) wire fence post's are more ridged, it will amaze you how a e-z up will handle a big blow!
Good duct tape placed well is also important. I have foure carports on the playa and in past years I have used "cement stakes" 36" or beter & drive them into the playa @ min. 20" then duct tape the legs to the post. For weeker structure's or stronger wind, fence stakes after driving into the playa 2" leave you 4' above ground to tape too! IMOP...if you need to go light or cheep on your shade, then put $20. into anchor's and enjoy your burn!

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:33 pm

searched cement stakes:
http://www.capcityequipment.com/cplacement0099.html
Most similar at HomeDepot:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... =100072482

Are any of those it? I'm sorry, but I gotta ask for a link if anbody finds it. A lot of results for "steel fence post" & "cement stakes" came up on google, but most products pictured just don't look related.. Thanks!

redcrow · Post by **redcrow** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:55 pm

I got a 10' X 20' carport at Pep Boy's last year. I think it was $90.00 after a $30.00 rebate. Found 4' rebar at Atwood's, a farm store. Drove rebar into ground about 18" and put carport tubing over those. Used 12" round steel tent stakes to hold the feet down 4 to each foot. Other wise the wind will lift tubing off the rebar.Used more rebar and rope to support the car port on corners and sides. Tied all the joints in the top of the carport together after the first blow. You can buy sides for the carport at Pep's also. I didn't, but had a 8' X 10' tarp that I put on one side with 8"ball type bungee cords to reduce the wind. Vise grips were a great help in getting the rebar out. You would have room for a tent and shade under a 10' X 20'. 2 pound hammer is good for driving rebar

redcrow · Post by **redcrow** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:57 pm

Opps. BTW a 2# hammer is good for driving rebar.

hunter S · Post by **hunter S** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:17 pm

Free2be, Cement stakes are right! but you need steele fence posts. I will try to find a picture for you. It's easy to find them....they are 5' long and most "good hardwearstores have them.

JezebelinHell · Post by **JezebelinHell** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:39 pm

This isn't a shade thing, but the only way I can sleep during the day is with a personal mister. You have to keep it on low so you don't wake up soaked, but it's cheap and easy. You just need a basic mister, preferably something with it's own power source so you don't have to keep waking up to pump it. Hang it from the top of your tent, secure the trigger down with a simple rubber band, and voila! Add small fans pointed in your direction as needed depending on just how mean the weather is being. I discovered this my third year and it saves my ass on hot days.

Free2B · Post by **Free2B** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:52 pm

So that's why Disney World sprayed us at every turn. I thought they were nuts. I think I'll get one, thanks. Didn't find any battery operated, but a few w/pump "lasts for hours"

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 8:53 pm

Can you suggest a powered one?

This really works.
It's like magic to those of us from humid areas.
On a dry year it doesn't matter if you do soak things.
I spilled water once and realized it didn't matter.
I've poured water around the tent in puddles and misted everything when it's hot.
I still can't believe it works.

Personal shade for tent, what works? (to buy, not build)

Personal shade for tent, what works? (to buy, not build)

Screen Houses & Tents