Outdoor canopies: simple, light and comfortable shelters

The holiday season is approaching, and it's time to think about organizing a holiday. The most popular means of such an organization have become all kinds of tents, canopies, as they allow you to hide from the heat and rain, and also create a comfort zone for the city dweller in the middle of a natural landscape.

We will tell you what street canopies are and help you choose the right model.

Shelter for outdoor recreation

Purpose and requirements

Let's start by defining exactly what functions our canopy should perform, as well as its main characteristics.This will help in the future to accurately select the appropriate model and design of the product.

Important! It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that for outdoor recreation - in the forest, by the river, in the mountains - you will need a tourist canopy, that is, a lightweight folding structure with a fabric cover. To relax in a suburban area or cottage, you can use stationary structures, or you can buy a folding canopy and use it.

You can read about stationary models in separate articles on our website, which describe in detail their varieties, characteristics and installation methods. In this article, we will talk about lightweight mobile canopies that can be quickly assembled / disassembled and hidden in the trunk or backpack.

So, the main requirements that apply to such products:

• Modular design. The product should consist of separate modules that can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled. During a trip to the forest, you will hardly have time to build a serious stationary shelter, especially in the absence of a tool;
• Lightweight details. The frame of the gazebo or shelter should be made of hollow aluminum tubes, plastic or other lightweight materials. In this case, the role of the roofing material is played by the fabric for the canopy, which, in turn, should also be as light and thin as possible;
• Anti-vandal treatment of coatings. Any outdoor event is associated with fires, sharp branches, inattentive behavior of picnic participants and other risk factors.Also in nature there is a huge number of insect pests and rodents, which can also harm unprotected material;
• Fire impregnation and treatment. Most of our vacationers cannot imagine a vacation without a fire, and this is fraught with fire of the fabric or frame elements. Impregnation with special flame retardant compounds allows you not to worry about the danger posed by the source of fire.

Important! At this stage, we can say that we need a lightweight fold-out canopy covered with waterproof fabric, covered with a good protective compound and impregnated with fire fighting agents.

Design features

The designs of hiking and tourist models are usually simplified as much as possible without losing the main functions and qualities of the product. As a rule, they consist of two main parts:

1. Assembly frame. Most often, the frame parts are light duralumin tubes, which are connected with plastic tees, locks, and also insert into each other. There are also frames made of carbon fiber, polymers and various alloys;
2. Fabric stretch awning. It is a fabric specially cut for the frame, impregnated with water-repellent compounds. Recently, synthetic fabrics are more often used, which do not allow moisture to pass through and are characterized by high strength and durability.

In addition, there are models such as a canopy tent, where there is no frame as such.The maximum that can be used is special flexible bars made of carbon fiber and polymer resin, which play the role of arched rafters.

Awnings are also widespread, which are simply stretched between trees, pegs and other supports at hand.

Important! A good frame should consist of lightweight parts, and the dimensions of these parts should not exceed 1 - 1.5 meters. This allows you to fold the design into a small hiking bag.

Shelter fabric can be a regular tarp, or it can be made from acrylic, PVC, and other synthetics.

A tarpaulin is a canvas impregnated with flame retardants and hydrophobic compounds, the density of which is 500 - 800 g / m2. This is a rather heavy material, considering that 100% acrylic fabric weighs no more than 300 - 400 g / m2.

Important! There are also insulated fabrics in which a synthetic winterizer or other insulation is located between two layers of tarpaulin. The price of a good insulated fabric for an awning is quite high, so it is mainly used by tourists and other survivalists.

Assembling the tent

Do-it-yourself tent installation is often difficult. To prevent this from happening, we have compiled assembly instructions:

1. We choose a place. It should be a flat area on a hill, but not the highest place. We remove all garbage from it, pine cones, sharp objects, knots, sticks, etc .;

2. We take out the set and lay it out next to the site.We put separately the awning, separately the tubes and fasteners, separately the ropes and puffs. This will help not to step on the parts and not get confused during assembly;

3. Usually, the dome of the tent is assembled on the ground first. To do this, the corresponding parts are connected using fasteners, or the frames are assembled and connected by a cruciform articulation at the upper point, and the lower ends are pulled together with special belts or ropes;

4. Next, vertical racks are inserted into the appropriate fasteners and the frame is installed in the selected place. In the case of using frames with stretch marks, this procedure is not required;

5. An awning is put on the frame, then it is adjusted so that the corners coincide with the corners (ribs of the frame), and the cross at the highest point coincides with the corresponding seam of the fabric. Then the awning is fixed with zippers, Velcro or buckles. In the case of a frame, do not forget to remove the straps that tightened the structure below;

6. If there are additional stretch marks, they are pulled at the very end.

Important! If you are standing in an open area or on the shore of a large body of water, do not neglect anti-storm stretch marks, as a gust of wind can shift the structure, tear the fabric, and even break the frame.

Conclusion

Sheds and shelters are essential structures for a comfortable stay. For outdoor trips, you should choose lightweight modular structures that are quickly installed and also quickly disassembled. The video in this article shows the build process in more detail.

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