Keeping cool for the Tenters

[Natty]

If you've ever worked with mylar, you know the stuff is a serious pain. NOTHING sticks to this stuff. Easiest way I've found so far is to take a section of duct tape and fold it over the edge of the mylar. ( The duct tape will NOT stick to the mylar) You then use a push pin, or thumb tack, whatever you've got handy to pierce through all three layers, and connect to whatever you're trying to attach to, if this makes sense. Even if you do all this, you will still have problems. Mylar is hard to rip, but once it gets a tiny hole, or rip, it tears as easy as cellophane. Also, if a good breeze decides to come through your camp, you can say goodbye to it, because no matter how good you duct taped and pushpin'd, it's setting sail. I highly recommend leaving the emergency space blankets at home for waka.
If you plan on going " tarp over tent", I recommend a UV blocker canopy wall. You can get a 10' X 10' for around ten bucks online. These are used to connect to your canopy legs, and completely block one side. There are several types, but swiss alps makes one that's white on one side, and shiny silver on the other. Great for blocking those rays. Hope this helps. Peace

[Battlestarsipenastica]

Marklar? Marklar?

[sharpie]

Duct taping the edges down, so that wind can't travel in between the tarp and mylar, would probably help with the noise. I haven't tried it before so I'll try it before waka to make sure. If not I'll just buy more silver tarps instead of the blue ones. They do sell reflective mesh tarps that stop 70-80% of sun rays, but they cost ALOT more.

We tried it, didnt work.
To weak of a material

[Battlestarsipenastica]

I wonder if 14,000 btu's a mask some ear plugs and an air cleaner is the same thing as a hyperbolic chambaaaaaaahahahahahaha!?!?!! Heeeeheeeeeee! Shamone!

[nellethebanana]

So I'm gonna blow my cover and expose myself as the noob I really am with this question , but how in the heck do you rig a tarp over your tent for shade? I've been reading over this thread, and all over the internet, and had a lot of crazy ideas that I had to put to rest (like covering my tent in foil duct tape...) and I decided that I should get a tarp like this- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001OP...=AT7LX64DTM538 -Because it has the reflective properties on one side, isn't loud and crinkly, and I don't think I'm quite clever enough to get the Mylar blankets to stick to my tent. it has the grommets in it and is about the size of the average tarp. I've seen you crafty festgoers do things with tarps that frankly, baffle the hell out of me. This is kind of embarrassing because I like to do survival camping with my dad.... But we've never assembled anything to cover our tents. I scoured the Internet for solutions, but everything i found involves TREES. I'm staying in riverside so I'm not planning on the luxury of trees.

Well, while I'm here I'd like to share a gadget with you guys; I found a relatively cheap portable ac that I'm hoping will be fabulous to keep the temp in our tent down a bit. Here's a link-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002F8...6442827&sr=8-1
I'm going to do a test run with all of the gear I've acquired, so I'll come back with an update soon and letcha know if it was worth the skrilla or not. i went through all of the reviews, and couldnt find ONE from someone who used it for camping. if anything, it'll at least help circulate some air. also, you can put a few drops of essential oil on the sponge, and voila! instant armoatherapy.

I'm so freakin excited, all I can do is obsess over every detail of the trip. I know I'm not the only one!

[nellethebanana]

Wait.... Wait..... It's clicking in my head... I could just throw reflective tarp over my rainfly and stake the sucker down, maybe use some paracord if I have to? ...? That sounds good to me, but logic isn't always my friend.

I guess that'd be more like a covering than a shade, I suppose. And I worry about it being lopsided or flapping loudly in the wind.

Ah heck I just replied to myself. :/ I tend to talk to myself often.

[Battlestarsipenastica]

You should just show up and ask that question out loud at your campsite. No less than 30 experts will appear out of nowhere, don hardhats and begin diligently forming a tarp plan.

Some of it depends on the size and shape of your tent. Your vehicle may also play a part. Maybe you bring some extra poles and guidelines(tent ropes), and the duct tape even tho you think you won't be able to use it.

You might not need the poles, but if you bring those items, you'll have basically everything you need to adapt to whatever your campsite provides. You could have your tent between 2 suv's and tie your tarp to

the ski racks. Or you could be next to nothing and you drive a bug, in which case you'll have the help around you, but they might not have the extra supplies you need.

[Squale4200]

This is what I have always done at a festi. You will need an ez up type of canopy. They can be 50-200 bucks at your local sporting goods store. After you have one your problem is solved, tie the tarp diagonally to the ground and place your tent under the tarp. Shade for your tent created by the tarp and shade for you and three others to crack beers under. It also helps to tie your tarp to poles that are driven into the ground. This lets you pull the tarp out further and gets it off the groud giving you more room for your tent.

Hope this helps!!

[Clairity]

One thing to add that I haven't seen much of is the importance of ventilation. The thing I love most about my tent is that it's mostly mesh, with doors on both sides. Open the sucker up and you get cross ventilation without having to take off the rain fly and risk getting wet.

On that same note, if you put a tall tent under an EZ up with the intent of shading it, you're not going to do much other than create a second layer of oven. You need space for air to flow between your tent and the EZ up. The only way you can get away with putting a tent directly under your EZ up is if it's a small 1 or 2 man. Anything bigger, and you're better off putting it on the northwest side of the the shade structure and using tapestries or sheets to make "walls" on the south and east sides. Yes, bring a compass to figure this out.

[BlingFree]

Yes, taking the "fly" off your tent is a form of rain dance I believe, works 72% of the time.

Made me cough my lung on that one