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rei alcove

They work great. I orginaly bought only one but after seeing how well they worked and how easy to put up I went ahead and bought a second wall to add options for blocking wind and privacy.
 
They work great (if you remember to guy). At Tears By the River Gathering, I had my alcove up with 1 windwall (so, 2 sides) up. I did have it guyed down--the Alcove itself on all 4 corners and the walls at the bottom. The neighbors also had their Alcove w/Wind wall--but NOT guyed down. Mine handled a windy morning just fine, they had to scramble a bit to guy theirs down after the wind picked up.

So... yes, it works great in the wind and rain--but make sure you guy it down. If it's not windy and you're really just using it as a sun shade (which is technically what REI says it's for--shade); then you likely don't need to guy it down.
 
Hi,

We just ordered an REI In-Camp 100 shelter and 4 "walls". Does anyone have experience with this shelter? Thanks!
 
We have an In-Camp 100, as well as the REI Alcove. We bought it to use over a picnic table. We have only used it twice, and Jim hates it! We got a decent deal on it, so I don't mind it so much! So, still not sure if we will keep it. We did not get the optional sides.
Con: It will NOT work over the Camp-Inn galley.
Pro: It is quite a bit lighter (weight wise) than the Alcove. (Aluminum vs steel poles)
Con: it is NOT as easy to erect as the Alcove.
Con: It has 4 straps attached to the legs that lie on the ground around the perimeter, which could pose a trip hazard.
Con: You will feel a lot more enclosed than you will in the Alcove.
Pro: It is more suitable as a foul weather shelter, as the domed top will easily shed rain.
Jamie
 
Jim and Jamie,
Thanks for the info on the In-Camp 100. My husband ordered it so we can set it up and see what it is all about. I am pro-Alcove! So we'll see what we end up with in the long run!
 
Came home from work to find the REI In Camp 100 set up in our living room...and our living room isn't much bigger than the shelter! It certainly is a quality tent - like the construction and details. We got it with the 4 panels to close it off for privacy or rain; some openings could allow bugs in, but not too worried about that. It looks like it might work with the galley hatch going over the pointed shelter entrance 'overhang' as the hatch won't fit under. We'll test it out tomorrow with our 4Runner hatch. Will post the results!
 
We set up the REI In-Camp 100 outside today using our SUV's hatch as a substitute for the TD hatch. The hatch will definitely need to go over the tent, but we think this will work out fine with the TD. It is a well-made tent and we like the "walls" that can be put up to prevent wind or rain from coming in. Plus we sat in it for a while and really like how roomy it is; definitely comfy with 4 chairs and a table. We set it up in pretty windy conditions and staked it and it was very stable. With guy lines it would have been even better, but we managed without. Overall, we won't know how it will fare with the TD and hatch until April, but we are pretty pleased with the tent and confident it will work out for us.
 
We just tried to return our defective Alcove, as, once again, it collapsed in the rain.

REI would not take it back as we originally purchased it more than 12 months ago, BUT REI has redesigned the Alcove (they say) and it is now stronger (they say). They offered us a 30% discount on a new purchase, which we accepted.

So, we will see.

No doubt the Alcove needs to be FIRMLY staked if there is a chance of rain. Or just don't leave it up unattended.

(I don't fault REI, really....but it was not a heavy rain that killed the Alcove, so....)

What is the suggestion for staking a leg when the leg is on asphalt??
 
Al and Cathy - are you using bungie cords for roof rafters on the alcove - you need to do that to keep the rain for collecting - and they need to be taught! Also -
If you are on a Pad - bungie cord the alcove frame directly to the stainless fenders - that works great and if you are in a
Real storm - then use the guy rope to stakes away from the Pad -
We have been in really heavy winds on the coast and no problems -
And anchor the walls too
 
Dave_n_Linda said:
Al and Cathy - are you using bungie cords for roof rafters on the alcove - you need to do that to keep the rain for collecting - and they need to be taught! Also -
If you are on a Pad - bungie cord the alcove frame directly to the stainless fenders - that works great and if you are in a
Real storm - then use the guy rope to stakes away from the Pad -
We have been in really heavy winds on the coast and no problems -
And anchor the walls too
Click to expand...

Hi, we ARE using bungie cords, but it's possible they aren't taught enough. We have about 6 of them on each "side" of the center pole. (12 total)

But we have not been using the guy lines, so we need to change that.

I'll analyze using bungies to attach the Alcove legs to the TD bumper. Have not done that, yet.

Seems that the more secure you make the Alcove, the better it's likely to perform. No surprise, really.

-Al
 
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