Sport Brella yes-no?

[geospyder]

Thinking of picking up one of these for a personal shade structure. It would be anchored down with six Playa Staples. I'm wondering with the center air vents and the two zippered windows if it would survive the wind. It would also be sheltered from the wind by my Jeep, my tent or both. Any personal experience with ne of these?

[illy dilly]

I don't have personal experience with them. I've seen them used at the reservoir, but I haven't personally used one.
My first thought, is "Probably not a good idea".
But, really, you can make just about anything work. Some extra guy lines, maybe a pole or two on the back side so that if wind catches it like a sail it is pushing against something.

So, then the question sorta becomes, is the amount of shade it would provide worth the trouble. Or for the same cost and amount of work could you come up with something that provides more shade, and all day.

[VultureChow]

I feel like there are other beach style shelters that might be better. Since you're car camping, you don't need the nifty portability of the umbrella design. And all those umbrella joints are just weak points in the structure.

I've been looking into one for myself mainly to shade my cooler(s). I really like this design: Company is out of Australia though and I see no dealers in the US.

[geospyder]

My tent has an exoskeleton of 1/2 inch PVC and has functioned well the last few burns. My ice chests will be under a table with insulated pads over them. The table will also have insulated pads over it during the day. I'm going solo this year and won't have the luxury of a "camp" shade structure. The Sport Brella would be mainly to provide shade in the afternoon during siesta time. Tent is definitely too hot. Thinking maybe 1/2 inch PVC over the opening with a "T" in the middle to provide another strand of PVC down the back like a spinal cord. Like the tent they would be staked down and zip tied to the umbrella itself.

[VultureChow]

My tent has an exoskeleton of 1/2 inch PVC and has functioned well the last few burns. My ice chests will be under a table with insulated pads over them. The table will also have insulated pads over it during the day. I'm going solo this year and won't have the luxury of a "camp" shade structure. The Sport Brella would be mainly to provide shade in the afternoon during siesta time. Tent is definitely too hot. Thinking maybe 1/2 inch PVC over the opening with a "T" in the middle to provide another strand of PVC down the back like a spinal cord. Like the tent they would be staked down and zip tied to the umbrella itself.

I'm in BDV with excellent communal shade but would still like to have something personal sized for me to nap in. and to keep coolers in.

Someone who wants to remain nameless gifted me a spectacular and simple shade structure last year that I, in turn, gifted to someone else. It consisted of steel chain link fence posts in a basic soccer goal formation and a tarp I brought stretched over and staked directly to the ground in an A-Frame design. I'm thinking about scaling that down for this year. Bring connectors and tarp with me and pick up some fence posts at Home Depot or Lowe's that I order ahead of time. The posts are inexpensive and I can gift them or just recycle. Should be big enough for me to sleep in with the coolers and maybe seat two.

[FIGJAM]

Who wants to remain nameless?

You can do the same thing with 1" EMT and buy the corners.

With the pressure of the tarp pulling down, it's hard for that simple shade to fail.

[mudpuppy000]

I'd be worried about that structure if the wind decided to blow at it from the open side. Looks like it'd be a big parachute.

You could do a monkey hut pretty easy, or just get a couple of tent poles and a tarp and make a shelter connected to your jeep.

[VultureChow]

Who wants to remain nameless?

You can do the same thing with 1" EMT and buy the corners.

With the pressure of the tarp pulling down, it's hard for that simple shade to fail.

Thanks again. It saved three people's burn.

Can you join smaller section of emt? I know they have couplings for just that sort of thing, but would that hold up to th strains we're talking about here? I have a bag that flies with me that I keep my tent pole in. If I could include the shade poles, that would save me a lot of grief.

[FIGJAM]

No connectors!

Get a piece of 1 1/4" EMT 3" long, and use that as a connector for the cross piece.

For the uprights, you would have to drill holes through the uprights and the "splint" for some small bolts or pins so the connector can't slide down.

[Eric]

My tent has an exoskeleton of 1/2 inch PVC and has functioned well the last few burns. My ice chests will be under a table with insulated pads over them. The table will also have insulated pads over it during the day. .

Keep your coolers off the ground - a couple of pieces of wood, a pallet, something. Air is a better insulator than the dirt. Unless you have a large area of the ground thats kept insulated (think Hexa-yurt), the ground under your cooler will get warm(ish), even if it's in the shade.

[trilobyte]

Seems like you'd either not get very good shade coverage, or you'd need to pull and re-pound stakes a couple times a day for it to provide much coverage. Even then, there'd be pieces to bend and fail, you may be better off making something. I've never used one of those, I'm just taking some guesses based on that pic.

[FIGJAM]

https://www.google.com/search?q=inside+out+umbrellas+pics&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1T4PRFB_enUS492US492&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=JCYDUb3oGZLE0AHmtYCYCg&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1360&bih=614

[geospyder]

My tent has an exoskeleton of 1/2 inch PVC and has functioned well the last few burns. My ice chests will be under a table with insulated pads over them. The table will also have insulated pads over it during the day. .

Keep your coolers off the ground - a couple of pieces of wood, a pallet, something. Air is a better insulator than the dirt. Unless you have a large area of the ground thats kept insulated (think Hexa-yurt), the ground under your cooler will get warm(ish), even if it's in the shade.

2x4 under them.

[geospyder]

https://www.google.com/search?q=inside+out+umbrellas+pics&hl=en&tbo=u&rlz=1T4PRFB_enUS492US492&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=JCYDUb3oGZLE0AHmtYCYCg&ved=0CDUQsAQ&biw=1360&bih=614

Thanks for the nightmares

[geospyder]

Seems like you'd either not get very good shade coverage, or you'd need to pull and re-pound stakes a couple times a day for it to provide much coverage. Even then, there'd be pieces to bend and fail, you may be better off making something. I've never used one of those, I'm just taking some guesses based on that pic.

That was one of my concerns. That's why I opted for afternoon shade. Long way to go and probably lots of idea changes. Step one - get ticket nailed down next month.

[illy dilly]

No connectors!

Get a piece of 1 1/4" EMT 3" long, and use that as a connector for the cross piece.

For the uprights, you would have to drill holes through the uprights and the "splint" for some small bolts or pins so the connector can't slide down.

For vertical members holes with bolts/pins would be best.
Though, if you're buying all the material in Reno, and not trying to deal with a drill. You could also, have one person hold the 'sleeve' over the joint and tape the living shit out of it at each end.
The tap isn't structural except to hold the sleeve over the joint.

Another idea, is to get a couple largish zip-ties. Again, have someone hold the sleeve in place, and wrap a zip-tie as tight as possible around the vertical pipe below and above the joint but not on the joint. Zip-ties don't slide easily along PVC, but they do slide pretty easy on EMT.

VultureChow, another option is that I'll have a drill. And if everything over the next months goes to plan, I'll be there and I'll be camping at BDV.

[VultureChow]

No connectors!

Get a piece of 1 1/4" EMT 3" long, and use that as a connector for the cross piece.

For the uprights, you would have to drill holes through the uprights and the "splint" for some small bolts or pins so the connector can't slide down.

For vertical members holes with bolts/pins would be best.
Though, if you're buying all the material in Reno, and not trying to deal with a drill. You could also, have one person hold the 'sleeve' over the joint and tape the living shit out of it at each end.
The tap isn't structural except to hold the sleeve over the joint.

Another idea, is to get a couple largish zip-ties. Again, have someone hold the sleeve in place, and wrap a zip-tie as tight as possible around the vertical pipe below and above the joint but not on the joint. Zip-ties don't slide easily along PVC, but they do slide pretty easy on EMT.

VultureChow, another option is that I'll have a drill. And if everything over the next months goes to plan, I'll be there and I'll be camping at BDV.

Awwwww.... Thanks. I have to measure my tent pole bag. If I can, I will construct here and ship out with all my other supplies. The shade should be relatively small. It's literally just enough to nap/ store coolers under. I need to fully embrace this nap concept this year. I'd like to last past 1am at least one night, and I can't help but wake up with the sun.

[brm15]

Don't use. Bad idea. Waste of money and time. You'll be chasing after it during a whiteout or it would be razed flat and rendered useless.