Lots of opinions on Canopies

Joan - this is very helpful; the picture really helps. I've learned the following from your photo and description:

1) I can now see what you are talking about when you say that you use the "hook" in the tent poles to attach guy lines.

2) I can't wait to try attaching the front door flap in the manner that you describe - this gives you the best of all worlds - "safe passage" between the inside of the 560 to the back without sacrificing valuable space by having roll the entire trailer deeper inside the Northern Breeze.

3) I also really like the idea of the solar lights next to the guy-line stakes.

 

The Northern Breeze is a great product. Good for spring and fall camping. Holds too much heat in summer for me. Have used mine in rain storms, hail, snow, sleet, wind.

Uff Da Inn fits in the NB like a garage. Usually place NB up against the left hand side, so have space to walk around on right side. Have used the front flaps to cover front of teardrop as a wind block.

Yes, I can put up and take down by myself.


Jean

 

Your welcome Rick. I am a visual person so I like pictures.

 

Our NB breeze worked great for Alaska. Although we took 3 tents (side tent, PahaQue, plus the Breeze, we didn't use anything but the NB once we left KY. For overnight stops we didn't use anything but were lucky that we had very few rainy nights. When we had one it was off to McOffice for breakfast! Anticipating a lot of mosquitos, Carol made a screen insert that attaches to the NB and wraps around the Crab Pot (thanks Meribeth for the idea). This worked great but you need to use the rear screen entry since the pass through from outside to the galley is blocked with this insert in place. We had so few mosquito issues that we only needed the insert a couple of time. See the set below for Juneau. It was cold, rainy and a little buggy but with the insert in place, the flaps down and a ceramic heater in the galley, we had a snug and cozy "living room".
Here's the set up for Juneau. The NB was great for cool weather with the flaps down.


Here's the insert Carol made attached to the camper.


This is what it looks likes: BTW, the material came from Quest Outfitters in Sarasota, FL. Let Carol know if you want the dimensions.


Here's our first night on the road at Lake Barkley. After this we didn't use the side tent but the NB set up is pretty standard.

 

so clever!

 

Jenn,

I sewed velcro to a six inch piece of tent fabric, folded it in half and then sewed it to the tent sides and top. The insert then velcros to the strip--this way you can still use the tent side if you wanted to set it up separately. The first one I made didn't work. I made a whole insert and then tried to cut out around the teardrop. Mike suggested I make rectangular pieces and sew them together which worked out great. I had a rectangular that fit across the top. Then one that was the width of the fender and length to the top of the fender and then a panel the width of the opening from the fender panel to the side of the tent. I sewed flaps that were about five inches deep and eight inches wide and overlapped them so that it would keep the bugs out between the screen and the camper--sort of like the bottom of the screen room but i made them overlap so it had more room for error.

I set it up the way I wanted to back the camper in. If you wanted to have it more to one side then make it that way. Mine has more room on the drivers side and I have marked my strap where the tires have to be. That is the strap that I made that is 12 ' so I can make sure the tent is square. I did that because when we set the tent up it just didn't seem right to me and that makes sure that we have the poles in where they belong.

We are working on a hints note that we started as we went so we could share.
The Cabela gear bags that you showed me worked fantastically. I had one for linens, one for Mike's tools, one for all our locks, one for all the accessories for the Paha Que tent and one for the Northern Breeze. They stacked nicely and did not take a lot of room. We had one hard container which I carried my George Foreman Grill, Keurig Coffee Pot and all my collapsibles plus dish cloths. Mike had a large gear bag from Cabelas where we had our antennae for the TV, lanterns and bug lights. I had a bag for all our shoes, a bag for our hiking boots and I carried our extra clothes in LL Bean duffle bags. I would not have survived without the E-bags for the cabinets. They worked fantastically. I also bought three large ones that we carried in the car that I used for our jeans to keep them all together. They also worked well for when we went to the laundry--I used them to get our clean clothes back to their spots.

The only things that we took that we did not use were our side tent and the Paha Que tent. Along with them is the heavy foam rubber that we had purchased to go under the side tent. If we had left those items at home, we would have had a lot of extra space. We also had our lugga loo and did not use that. However, I don't think I would leave that at home--you just never know.

The other thing that we will be able to share is what it cost us to do that trip--pretty accurately because I had discovered this great app that I could use on the PC as well as my I Phone so we posted every cent we spent. I have verified it against my credit card statements and we didn't miss much. Its just interesting--fuel was not the biggest cost as we had thought it would be.

We will try to get that together this week and post.

 

Mike and Carol that is a very neat way to make the insert. We have a NB and a 550 I had thought some day I would try something like this and now it will be much easier with your example. When you did not have the side tent up were you able to get from the inside of the NB to the cabin with out going around the outside?

 

The problem when we have the insert in is that we have to use the back flap to get in and out of the screen room. The only time we used it was when bugs were a real problem like at Lake Barkley and a couple of places in Alaska. It did work great however. I had made a flap that also went under the camper and hooked to both sides. We were really bug free once it was all in place.

 

Jenn,

If you think it's going to rain, roll the sides of the tent "under" instead of the way you have them rolled in the top picture. It's a little harder to do at first but it's worth it. Water will puddle in the rolled up sides and sag. If you roll them under, it will flow right off.

Meribeth

 

Below is an attempt to describe how I fold and foll the Northern Breeze.

Doesn't matter how you drop it. Inside on the ground, top on top.

Goal is to have the NB end roll essentially size storage bag.

1-Square out the corners.
2-Spread the side on top of the roof, unzipped, flapping loose.
3-Fold into thirds: one side to mid-line (location of the four corner pole setter) second side to meet mid-line, then one side onto the other.
4- Poles into pole bag.
5-Roll one end a few times, add pole bag, continue rolling.
6-stuff into sack. Poles should appear to be in center of tent roll.
7-Place tent stakes into stake bag. Place on-top of bagged tent roll.
8-Cover with flap, cinch closed.
9-Store away.

To erect:
1-Remove stake bags, unroll on ground, remove poles.
2-Unfold NB, attempting to keep in a square shape.
3-Remove four corner bag.
4-Assemble poles, place into four corner tent topper.
5-Attach NB roof clips to poles until roof edge.
NB will look like it is risiing off the ground roof first
6-Attach poles to the bottom straight pins
7-Run around in circles getting NB to stand up.
8-When up, then attach side clips to poles.
9-Move into place, or back tear into NB.
10-Place stakes using a rubber mallet.

Jean

 

Jenn,

I love how you put the whole tear drop in the NB. That's gives you lots of privacy,

Meribeth,

We learned that trick on this trip. It makes a huge difference. We got so we always rolled them in because we never knew when rain was going to come.

Carol

 

Jean and Jenn: I always just stuff my tents into the bag without folding. I'm a lifelong backpacker and my backpacking mentors and suppliers always told me that if you fold a tent the same way each time, you will weaken the tent walls in the area of the consistent fold. They always taught me to just randomly "stuff" the tent into its sack. This way you are constantly switching the places that the tent creases as it goes into the bag. Moreover, it is so much quicker and easier to just stuff instead of folding.

But I would be interested in any contrary thoughts here. So often I have followed adages and "rules of thumb" my whole life only to discover they were based on myth or legend.

 

Oh - and this entire thread has been SO helpful! I have picked up so many thoughts and tips from everyone that I can't wait to try.

Jenn - Are you sold on having your own NB? Just curious.

 

We are Northern Breeze "stuffers" too! As Rick, said, it is better for the tent's life, and besides, it is just plain easier that way!

 

Rick- never thought about stuffing. Guess I appreciate the ease of unrolling, and unfolding for ease of setting up. The only time I stuff, is if the tent is wet, roll into a ball, place in car.

Jean

 

Alan here...
Stuffing a tent? I firmly believe in folding as it saves space, and makes set up easier. A far as damaging the fibers with folding all I can say is... Having made 5 combat jumps in Viet Nam I believe in folding, parachutes work because they are folded. Years ago when tents were made of cotton the stuff method was valid, however modern fibers seems to withstand this easily, they are designed to do so. Look at ballistic cloth articles and you will see what I mean. I will fold, and always will, since the material in question is designed and made to do so. Folding properly will also ensure a smaller package, easier to pack and unfurl when needed.

 

Okay. Alan has convinced me that the tent will not be damaged by folding. I will now have to see someone's folded NB to see if it is any smaller than my "stuff and then mash down really hard into the bag" method.

I'm afraid that I must now look deep into my psyche and admit to myself and everyone else that the "fear of fiber damage" argument was probably just a smoke screen to hide the fact that I am just a lazy slob that doesn't feel like carefully folding a tent up when I am trying to leave camp.

 

I would guess that folding does not damage the fibers. I would also guess that folding DOES damage the chemical water-resistance material applied to that fabric.

But stuffing probably does the same.

Maybe less of an issue with an awning than an actual "tent"

As to the size of your "package".....

No, I won't go there.

-Al

 

correction - STUFF the tent

7. How should I fold my tent for storage?
Actually, it is best to roll/stuff/fold your tent a different way each time you put your tent away. This way you will not create permanent creases in the same place of the tent. A good way to store your tent is to fold the body of the tent in thirds length-wise. Drape the rainfly over the folded body so that no part of the rainfly is wider than the folded body. Lay the collapsed poles and the stakes across one end of the folded tent. Roll up the tent from one end to the other, rolling it around the poles and stakes. Insert the rolled tent into the stuff sack.
http://www.sierradesigns.com/t-TentCare.aspx

Tip #10: When packing a tent, avoid folding the tent or rainfly fabric on the same crease lines time after time. Over the years those creases could become permanent and grow brittle. Fold a tent in different places each time you pack it up.
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-tent.html


Maybe this only matters if you are folding 50 times/year. These companies probably give instructions based on extreme use, rather than casual use. I dunno.

-Al