I have a very large ripstop nylon tarp from Campmor that would make a good
overhead canopy. I intend to think about that all next year : ) but first I
am scheming about how to do a self-made bug screen, which I will begin
considering on this weekend when I can scheme and measure.

Something that goes back to front and rests over a central guy line and
stakes out to the sides is what is starting to take shape in my mind for the
overhead fly. I would want something I could deploy in a treeless area.

Jim

On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 11:57 AM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:

> ---- Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> The best way to keep the rig cool is to keep it shady. If
> > you don't, even if the night is cool the camper will be hot, and so will
> > your food and water.
> >
> > I have not wanted the extra weight or complexity of a conventional awning
> > setup, so a year ago I bought a $20 items at Dicks Sporting goods that
> was
> > meant to clip onto the roof rails on a minivan or similar.
>
> (description of Jim's installation cut for brevity)
>
> Jim, I have something similar.  I use a tarp.  To fit the rain gutter, I
> use a piece of pvc electrical conduit and c-clamps.  The end of the awning
> is supported by two extendable tent poles.  The whole things stores in a
> small sack.  Works great.  However, I have not found that it necessarily
> shades the camper itself, since it does not cover the roof.  For that, I
> need a tree.
>
> Last weekend I was at a spring-fed creek in the Oklahoma Ozarks, on private
> property.  I spent much of the day in the water, wade fishing, swimming, or
> snorkling.  That kept me cool in the 97 F heat.  Took a nap in the
> afternoon, in the van, with a nice breeze coming off the water through the
> van.  Night was similar.  But had I not had a shade tree, the camper would
> have heated up, even with the tarp.  You're right, shade is the most
> important contributor to coolness in camp.
>
> David McNeely
>