Give me shelter! Under $100 shade setups for SUV camping: SportzCove, tarp, and GeerTop awning
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Y'all, it is HOT out here! Once in a while, it rains too. So I am always looking for solutions for shade and rain protection while camping in my 4Runner. And you know I don't like to spend a lot of money. These are my current go-to's:
The good ol' Napier SportzCove
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A lightweight tarp
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The magnets I use for my tarp
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The tarp poles I have are no longer available, but if I could do it over again, I would get telescoping ones anyway, like these:
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The GEERTOP car awning (without poles)
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(with poles)
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This looks great! And a lot less expensive than most. I love thecpockets and gear line too! Even with the poles included set offered now, it still is a good deal! Thank you!
I’m still stuck on the part that they don’t provide poles. 🤦🏻
They must have heard all the complaining in the reviews, because now they do offer an option with poles. 😄
Nice job. Thanks for posting your various set-ups.
I fancy one of these Geer Tops now 😅 I love my Sportz Cove and use it often. I currently set up a £20 tarp alongside but it’s a hassle to do alone. The magnets are a life saver. I also got some ground stakes for holding beach/patio umbrellas and use those to support the poles for ease. 😂
Side mount would work great for a van
I have been wondering about how you attached that, I saw you using it in a previous video. Very cool! For my 1st camping trip in my 4Runner I am taking a tent and putting the majority of my gear in the tent so I have more room in my car. (I will have shade, and no rain, at the State Park I am going to in Southern NM). But ultimately, I will want a shelter that attaches to the back of the 4Runner. Thank you for doing all of this to show us how a gear top with walls can be used!❤️
However, a tent addresses a shortcoming of these awnings -- you can drive off in your vehicle, and leave your shelter in place. Since I typically stay in place, it hasn't been an issue for me YET. My next trip, I will have to leave and come back to my site, so that's something I'm going to have to figure out.
Enjoy your trip!
@@ShoestringMarthathe trip to southern NM is in October. I will enjoy it!!
around 4 decades ago belonged to the SCA (society for creative anchorism. did middevil style camping with modern gear. what i had for shade at major camps, is a 20 x 12 tarp in poly blue. 6 pole setup. corners an a middle set. the rear had a 8 ft drop over that was stake out for a breeze of closed up to ground level for bad weather. the middle set of poles had a crossbar support in place. (campmoor ) raised to about 12 foot. used a pvc-t joint for rain water run off. could do a small tiny fire under it not reccommended. what i did was my tent went in the back left corner. (4x7) this allowed a full size table on the right rear as kitchen area. with the nearly the full front half for entertaining. have over the years always set up my tents with there rain flys in place. then put a tarp of some size over everything. this has helped with condensation inside. keeping some heat in at night. an most important too me, a dry inside. in doing your set-up i would be running a tarp form the front of the 4runner all the back to the rear, half way to the ground of the geertop, with the poles i have & tie down straps & bunge cords would take care of the front area. these days a 6 to 8 ft by 14 to16 to 20 is about the right size for that job. 6 inches over the front of the truck topper. 6 ft down the length of the topper, 8-10 ft canopy area, the rest as a wall.
Thank you for the information about the adjustable bed legs Amazon has. (I can’t find the original photo where you posted it) so I am thanking you here!!
Glad im not the only one that spends time on the where, when what and why. Like you, i really need a lot of space between me and the next camp site. If I can't find it, boondocking it is!
Great episode. BTW it's super informative when folks mention cook times on what their cooking.
If I wanted to be near people, I’d stay in the city 😀
Since I can’t set a specific temp, cook times vary too much to be informative. I go by country cooking instructions - “cook it til it’s done”. When is it done? When it smells good and looks good 😃
True that!
Thank you, you gave me a lot to think about!❤
No poles?!? Okay that’s strange. Where were you, that is such a pretty place!
I see that now they sell it WITH poles 😃 The place with that shelter was a forest road … I don’t recall the number 🤔 but it’s in the Gunther’s Birthday Campout video.
Too too much fussing. Better one available without wobbly pole issue as poles are integrated into shelter. Has zip screen door and tight fit to vehicle so no gaps up top by vehicle. Backroads shelter is amazing. Or Sideroads Awning. Side or back setup. By Kelty. At Rei
I have seen those - very cool! All these are under $100, but one could spend a little more if one is fuss-averse 😄
I agree. I have the Sideroads Awning. I bought it on sale from REI for a little over $100. You can attach the end that's staked to tekescopic poles to create a view.
Great quality and up in 5 minutes.
Hi, Martha! I love your videos and gear reviews. I have made plans for a destination SUV camp next year with a friend, so I am presently immersed in figuring out ideas and designs to equip my own vehicle-- which is not a 4 Runner. 😋
Question, please. In many of your videos you unlock the vehicle in the morning. Am I correct that you close the hatch for overnight? I presume the hatch can close without removing the Napier cover-- it just sags until morning?
Thanks! If I unlock the doors in the morning, I'm not using the Napier.
If I'm using the Napier, I leave the hatch open all night, and can't lock the doors. 🙂
@@ShoestringMartha Got it-- thanks for clarifying.
Is there a way to just unhook the Napier and close the hatch without it having to be taken down completely?
My shade set-up is tarp/telescoping poles/suction cups. But I just ordered your magnets to see if that works better. Review to follow.
Hope they work out well for you! To protect the paint, I put them on top on the tarp and then clip to the grommets from above.
Is it possible to close the hatch with the Sportscove attached? Do you close it to sleep?
You cannot. I only use it in warm weather, in areas where I feel safe, and leave it open. I have all my interior lights switched off so they don’t drain the battery.
Wow, that must be a 5th Gen thing cause I have a stay but loose in my door too!
Isn't it ANNOYING? Apparently not annoying enough for me to take apart the hatch... yet. 😆
i can see tarmac or packed gravel parking being a touch more difficult.
The Sportzcove doesn’t have to be staked (but it helps). For the others, rocks, logs, or sandbags would work. Or a freestanding popup would be a better choice.
But at 9:20 you have no view :(
I found myself re-arranging / rolling up / removing walls, according to sun, wind, views, and random fits of insecurity 😄
Hi! Looking for camping pals. Interested? My home base is in the middle of NC.
Bit out of my range, but thanks for the invite!
No poles..NO money. I'll buy a shower curtain
Just goes to show, there are solutions for *every* budget!
@@ShoestringMartha I don't have a hatchback so can't use your gear cove but that's cool