Trying to pick a canopy tent for camping

C

Campdrifter

Newbie
I’ve been thinking about getting a canopy tent for camping trips, but I’m having a hard time deciding which one to go with.

Most of the time when I camp with friends we spend a lot of time just hanging around the campsite — cooking, sitting at the table, or trying to get out of the sun in the afternoon. On our last trip we didn’t bring any kind of shade shelter and we definitely felt it. A little cover over the camp table would’ve made things a lot more comfortable.

So now I’m looking at pop-up canopy tents, probably around 10x10, something that’s quick to set up and not crazy expensive.

I’ve been reading around a bit and a few brands keep coming up.

Eurmax seems to have a pretty solid reputation. A lot of people mention the frame feels heavier and sturdier than most pop-ups, which sounds nice if you get a bit of wind at the campsite. My only concern is whether it’s a pain to move around.

ABCCANOPY shows up everywhere when people talk about canopy tents. Seems like a lot of campers and even market vendors use them, so I assume they’re fairly dependable and easy enough to set up.

I also ran across GARVEE while browsing. The price is definitely lower than a lot of the others, and on paper the specs look decent, but I just haven’t seen as many camping reviews for them yet.

Just curious if anyone here has actually used any of these while camping. How do they hold up after a few trips, especially if you get a bit of wind or light rain?
 
I’ve not tried those brands… though we have used a lot of different canopies over the years!

ALL of them need to be guyed for wind! I try to guy to trees as much as possible, they are sturdier than stakes and no one trips over them. If possible I run lines above head height where I expect people to walk. My co-camper bought a roll of 1” flagging tape and we use it to mark guy lines… it’s hard enough to keep toddlers and tipsy friends out of the campfire, much less tripping over or getting clotheslined by a guy line. At night. After consuming adult beverages…

Our current picnic table favorite is the Coleman or Core 13x13’ that goes on sale at Costco in the spring, $120-140. The size means that nobody gets an unexpected gust of rain down their backside… without sidewalls. A friend recently discovered replacement fabric on Amazon.

In case of a real PNW downpour far from home they’re big enough to create a dry zone around CI galley and doors.

Do read this epic thread:
Evan

Thread 'Lots of opinions on Canopies'

There is a lot of discussion and opinions on canopies. The following started out as a PM, but then I thought it might be helpful for everyone:

Perhaps it would help to think about shades/canopies as divided into three groups: The mini shade, the pop-up, and complete enclosure.
It seems to me that most everything falls into one of these three categories.

An example of the mini shade is the Tail Gator. It is VERY light and easy to setup but is not going to be weatherproof at all. I own one of these and take it on road trips where we will be staying just one night in each place. The...
 
^^^^this+1
On Seth advice on canopies. Must guy or watch them blow away like tumbleweeds in the desert Santa Annas that blow down canyon in SoCal deserts
Or the haboobs in monsoon season in AZ
Or tornado alley in midwest...say "bye bye" as the squall line rolls thru...look its a plane, no its our canopy!
(Cue the Wizard of Oz soundtrack...)

So, my advice is consider instead going to a sturdy screened shelter you can guy down that's more windproof with sides that make it more like a mountain tent ...wind slides over it, not under canopy.

Like a canopy but better as you can roll up sides get good flow thru screens...still put up over picnic table etc, standalone...

I have the Northern Breeze 12x12 purchased 4 years ago based on the reviews a few years back by actual CI users inc some who custom sewed cutouts in screen door to allow it to slide over the CI, either just over the tail for the galley to offer a dining room in effect, with room for a picnic table...I screenshotted someone elses CI to show NB12x12 with cutout section, attached.

Or snuggled forward just past door to give privacy for potty tent one side and kitchen shelter but only two chairs can sit in tight to galley.

Canopies are awesome in bug free places- see @Randy in Joshua Tree
But IMHO you really really need a bug house to sit in whether snugged up to the CI or stand alone in swampy steamy places like FL in the shoulder seasons, and some others if you are staying more than a day or two...midwest, etc.

Hate those dam bloodsucking yellow swamp flies in FL, or the meat hornets out west in ranch country, skeeters in MN and Dakotas that mate with wild turkeys...
And just ask @dirty6 about the flies in AK...

(Sweeney I have more pics but host server complaining too big...I'm too lazy to resize so do we need to use outside photo sites with links, and whats best these days?)

I setup like Seth: guyed to trees or double guyed to ground. Its withstood some pretty powerful thunderstorms and 30+kts wind, in the trees.
Roof is sturdy, with adjustable screened vents (must have for anything tucked over galley while cooking)

It does not have a rain fly but it does have side walls that tie down over the screens, to keep out rain. Or rolled up for max breeze.

Fwiw I have a Kelty 16x16 light weight sunshade tarp that I can toss over the frame as rain fly for extra protection that doubles as a sunshade in hot desert- read owners manual to keep the spam can cool once you get out West, if you cant tuck the CI under a desert bush or tree boondocking...

Its trad 4 exterior frame four corner with oversized diameter tubes that stand up for years better than chinesium knockoffs at Wallyworld or online good for one season throwaways.

It used to be sold by REI and you could get a deal on member sales, but no longer available. Saw it on Amazon but no more,
Except a smaller one available from store using Amazon platform you could try for less $$$

Hmmm. Looks like Eureka stopped making them:

Might snag one on Ebay...

I'm sure there are others- similar design now.

But if I were REALLY serious about multiple use quality that fits as standalone or slipped over the galley; I'm going to what...

Most new CI owners seem to like - the six sided Gazelle which IS spendy but really good in rain and better in snow, and has a hot weather version too.

(There is another similar and earlier six sided maker I cant recall but you'll see in that thread including references to "Cosmo"(RIP) who did youtubes camping in snow with it on back of his vistabule CI knockoff teardrop...folds up under heavy rain or snow, so no for me...@sweeney has one I think.

The Gazelle is way better, imho. Ask @dustinp ?

If you are looking for a low cost good quality screened tent that can slide over galley, or stand alone-
You can snag the Gazelle early model 5 sided in leftover inventory:

Or on ebay, but caveat emptor.

PS: Canopy is a great start.
You'll get the gear bug if you get out there, so I'm saving you money on your collection...;)
Its cheaper in the long run to...
Jump to the end point!

Either way. Just get out there and send pics!
We who are temporarily land locked live vicarously as you sail off in the land yacht!

Glamp On!
 

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This Kelty Backroads is new to me this year. Easy to put up. Amazing for rain. Won't keep the bugs out. Kind of dark inside. Packs down small.

I own an ABCcanopy. Really heavy. But still easy to put up. I backed into a leg of it. So that's a problem. I know it can be replaced but I won't be doing that.

New to me this year is a kelty flat canopy that will snug over the hatch and needs lots of guying down but looking forward to seeing how it works.

I've used a Northern Breeze but never owned one. I think they are awesome but heavy and take some time to put up and take down.

Also a fan of those pop-up screened canopies. They are always pricy and bulky is so I never did that.
 

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Thanks for the picts of the Backroads Jenn. I have one that I haven't even taken out of the bag yet. Good to see what it is supposed to look like. I don't think that that "rain fly" will be very effective.
 
The fact is, that there are quite a few different types of canopies / tents / & tarps that will work, and you can get a really good idea of what folks like and don't like about most of them by reading through the many pages of "Lots of opinions on Canopies" that Seth provided a link to above.....but in the end, there isn't any one of them that does everything great, in all situations, or the answer to your question would be simple.

By perusing the many comments in that part of the forum sited above, you should gain enough insight to make an informed decision on which one will most likely meet most of your needs most of the time. Purchase that one to start, but like many of us, you will probably find that purchasing another one to fit a different camping scenario you find yourself in, will probably be in your future if you camp enough.

Good luck with your research and decision!;)
 
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