Question on canopy or Tarp over Tent -What do you suggest?

[InstaCamper]

Question on canopy or Tarp over Tent -What do you suggest?
I have a rather large tent, and in the hopes of keeping it COOL Would you suggest a large canopy over it with two silver tarps tied to each end of the canopy to cover the remaining part of the tent?
OR
1 large Silver Tarp over the tent? & no canopy
My fear is a storm could knock over the canopy and damage the tent as well? Plus the canopy is allot more expensive but I figured it would keep the sun off the tent-
BTW- we are putting an AC in the tent- (MID June) The Canopy I was looking at is a coleman 12x12 and my tent is 12x15- so I may need to spread the legs an inch or two?

Thoughts?

 

[englishteacha]

I'd string up a tarp over the tent. Lay it over a rope strung between two trees and tie it off to other trees or anchor it to the ground. If you get a huge thunderstorm (it's June...you will!) this will help keep your tent dry and if you rig it properly won't blow away. If it does blow away, it's just a tarp rather than a $100 canopy.

 

[ynottony99]

I have long been a fan of a tarp over the tent. I have one that is big enough to go over the tent, stake out a few feet from the tent in back, then pull out over the front and go over a screen room or make a 'porch' with a couple of poles and ropes. The tent ends up being wrapped except for the front, which can be covered by dropping the 'porch' to the ground if weather threatens.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Are you permitted to use trees around your site to help hold up your tarps, or is that a no-no?

 

[InstaCamper]

Or anyone else have some pictures? tarps hung over tents / campsites?

I have long been a fan of a tarp over the tent. I have one that is big enough to go over the tent, stake out a few feet from the tent in back, then pull out over the front and go over a screen room or make a 'porch' with a couple of poles and ropes. The tent ends up being wrapped except for the front, which can be covered by dropping the 'porch' to the ground if weather threatens.

 

[2goofycampers]

Are you permitted to use trees around your site to help hold up your tarps, or is that a no-no?

I see tarps and clothes line tied to trees all the time.

 

[InstaCamper]

To cover the size of my tent to keep it cool / and help with the rain a Silver tarp is gong to cost almost as much as a large Canopy by the time I buy the poles etc.
I have been looking at 12x12 Coleman Max canopies at wallmart for $127.00 my tent would stick out a little bit but I could by two small silver tarps for each end and tie them down. This looks pretty heavy duty. If I tied it down and used the spiral dog stakes (they have at the dollar store btw) do you think I would have any problems with it blowing over? I am trying to get a good idea how windy it can get at the fort? Do allot of canopies get destroyed that are secured and tied down?

My tent is 15x12-

 

[2goofycampers]

We peg ours down all four legs, so far so good.

 

[ynottony99]

Or anyone else have some pictures? tarps hung over tents / campsites?

The band of storms that moved through the country last week causing so much trouble in the 'South' came through FW on Tuesday morning. It had been forecast well ahead of time, so we took precautions.

I used a variation on this trip of what I described earlier. Site 1511 is bordered on 3 sides by timbers acting as retaining walls. So I ran the tarp so that it was staked out beyond those timbers, to take the run off away from the site. We had the picnic table on the end of the tent near power and water.

Since the rain was going to only last a few hours, I just wrapped the table to protect the appliances on the table.

 

[InstaCamper]

Tony- Thank you for the pictures! How did your setup work in the rain / Storm- Was it very windy?

 

[InstaCamper]

Also Curious, That is the Hampton coleman tent? What size of tarp was that and where did you get it? Was it silver or white?