Reddit mentions: The best outdoor canopies

Some things I didn't see are to bring a cover of some kind.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0145R49C8/ref=mh_s9_acsd_top_b3YYH9X_c_x_4_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-3&pf_rd_r=1NFNJH08RD69SV58HS2K&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=fc5b70d5-5693-52d8-9b98-7c0ee60f6b87&pf_rd_i=3258963011

You can find a cheap one at Wal Mart. Get this for your table, chairs, cooler, etc. and get a tarp to drape from the cover over your tent. You are not going to get any shade from the festival and your tent will heat up throughout the day if its not blacked out. Plus, its easier to sleep in (the sun starts to rise at around six or seven am over the summer).

My best advice is PLAN. Plan out the acts you want to see. I usually hung out at camp until three or four o clock before heading to the grounds. It is so hot and so sunny. You can, of course, spend the whole day there, but I had a much less miserable experience when I just waited until the hottest part of the day was over. I also got less of a sunburn.

They don't let you bring aerosols, bottles (unless they're empty), or food into the festival, so bring cream sunscreen and hydrate and eat well before you go in. That's not something they really mention anywhere until you get there. The food is not worth the price, neither is the beer. Its best to eat your own food.

And one last thing, the campsites are TINY. Bring a small tent and a small car and you'll be fine. It's only two of you so you shouldn't need much room but it gets crowded quickly.

Also, make baby powder your friend. You're allowed to bring it in to the festival. Saved mine and my friends lives from some awful chafing.

I hope you have lots of fun! Firefly was the high light of my summer last year! I won't be going this year because I don't really like anyone in the lineup, but definitely one of my favorite experiences. Stay safe, stay hydrated, stay out of the sun when you can, and make friends!

Looks fine, but you can buy two Amazon Basics 10x10 canopies for that price, or a 10x15. Two canopies will take up more room in your car, though. Two 10x10 might be tough to cram into a camp site. Another solution is to drape a tarp from the canopy over your car to give you more shade area. I'd make sure to get good stakes since that wall will catch a lot of wind, but same goes for larger 10x15 canopies.

These (in blue) were on sale for <$70 last year: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Pop-Up-Canopy-Tent-White/dp/B076N6P8HC
Might just put a watch on camelcamelcamel.com for it to go on sale. They're not superb quality but plenty good enough for occasional use. https://camelcamelcamel.com/AmazonBasics-Pop-Up-Canopy-Tent-Blue/product/B076N6P8HC

I just got this 10x15 in as an upgrade after taking the above Amazon Basics 10x10 one last year: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014EE0SJK/
It seems pretty good, actually set it up to see how good it is and am happy with it so far. Its not a ton larger to pack since as it is still only 4-leg design. Doesn't come with carry bag like most others. 10x15 will fit no prob in a camp lot, it looks like that swing wall would be fine, too since the wall looks more like 6-8' long.

The people should be the absolute least of your worries. Like, absolute least. You are going to meet some great people and have a great time.

You need to be prepared to deal with the elements. Its going to be hot, like really, really hot. In addition to that it is going to be incredibly humid meaning. Basically you will sweat...the whole time. But, it won't be too bad.

You need to make sure you have a tent and camping chairs for lounging around the camp site. You may want to invest in an sun shade as you are going to need somewhere to escape from the sun at your campsite. Something like this will more than suffice. You can get cheaper ones at Wal-Mart, so, I'd check out those.

Other must haves are:

• Sunscreen (you can't have enough)
  
• hat (preferably wide brim...again the sun)
  
• Camelbak or water bottles
  
• "5 Day" Cooler (at least one for food...I take 3: 1 for food, 1 for beer, and 1 just packed full of ice and a small block of dry ice)
  
• Toilet Paper
  
• Comfortable walking shoes ( you are going to be on your feet a lot)
  
• Babywipes/something to clean your self/sanitize hands before eating
  
• Water...Can't stress that enough
  
• Snacks...more food if you plan on doing any cooking...personally I just take stuff to make sandwiches
  
  Search back through some of the posts here on /r/bonnaroo there has already been a great deal of discussion/advice. Also, check out Inforoo.com. It is THE source for Bonnaroo info and they are a great community. Here is a thread about what people are bringing. That should give you a good start.
  
  If you have any more questions or need something more specific answered let me know. I am from Tennessee and in addition to being addicted to going to Bonnaroo it gives me a great sense of pride to host all you wonderful people to this beautiful place I call my home. Also, we as a state make a FUCK ton of money of all y'all coming...
  
  EDIT: D'oh! I completely forgot to answer your question about getting there....No, it shouldn't be too hard. I have camped next to people from Canada twice. If you can avoid "riding dirty" do it. No need to take the great risk when you can find goodies inside. If you have a group going just do shift driving. Have someone up to talk to the driver and ensure they are awake.
  
  If you can stay the whole weekend DO IT! I have left on Sunday before and almost fell asleep on the drive home, and my drive was NOWHERE near what yours will be. Just be smart and be safe.

Yeah, I haven't done any tarp camping at all, but there are plenty of pros and cons to consider. One thing to think about, if you just want to try tarp camping, you don't need a full blown awesome tarp from a cottage maker. You can get an 8x10 Urethane coated Equinox tarp from Amazon for like $50. Yes it has grommets instead of tie-outs, but that's not a big deal. The Kelty Noah 9x9 from Amazon is about $60, and has more tie-outs than you can shake a stick at.

You could also get a blue tarp from Home Depot for much cheaper, and just deal with the crinklyness and weight.

Hell, people have even made tarps out of 3mil plastic sheets and duct tape for prototyping and short term use. Not to say it'll last forever, but should be fine for a couple nights in mild to moderate weather and will be useful to see if tarp camping is right for you.

I used to think trekking poles were dumb, and now I don't hike without them. Completely a personal thing, but they help my legs hurt less, and they're useful for so many things on the trail that I'm more than happy to bear the weight/cost.

Good call on the HG; did you see that they have an option for overfill? You could get a Burrow 40 and add an ounce or two of down to get the temp rating down. Not sure how that affects the rating/pricing; best way would be to call or email them and ask. Like I said though, both companies and quilts are great choices; can't go wrong with either.

I do the farmer's market every summer so I needed a really well made canopy and settled on the E-Z Up brand canopy as others have mentioned. It is similar to this one except that I bought it from Sam's Club and it has the options of sides (which I do use depending on the weather!) that you can velcro on quickly. I love it. It goes up easily and is pretty high quality. I'm going on year two with it and so far so good! The only thing I will complain about is the bag. You have to be very careful with taking it out/putting it back in. I went through two bags so far, but luckily the company has been really good about replacing them for me. Wonderful customer service. I also suggest something stronger than the typical weights you buy with canopies. I just use sand bags now. But that's with any canopy. Watch out for the windy days!

I was a virgin last year but went with a well established camp that literally had several pre-burn days devoted to food, camp setup, tent erecting and securing, mooping, clothes, etc. By the time I arrived, I would say that I was as prepared as a vetren burner, which may explain why I spent my entire second day there helping our neighbors salvage their shade canopy that had twisted itself into a dozen smaller pieces. I had to teach them that, no, duct tape won't fix everything, having a basic tool kit was a necessity (hack saw, hammer, pliers), and an additional eight 12 inch stakes with 400lb rated cord were required to keep their canopy from rolling down the street.

While I realize that we never really had any strong winds at the burn last year, I shudder to think how they would have survived if it had been a windy year. They literally had no other structure other than the canopy, they didn't even have a tent. Come to think of it, I bet this year will be crawling with people like my neighbors. Now I wish I had a ticket.

This question makes me think a lot of things.

As a smaller truck, if you find a camper shell with any "features" beyond places to sit and sleep (such as a stove, a sink, a furnace), these will take up so much room inside as to make it a very cramped experience.

Not only that, but I think it would hamper handling, acceleration, and maneuverability in ways you might not like.

If you found one for under $500 at all, it would very likely have been used and worn out well past its serviceable lifespan. Decently livable campers are a fairly hot commodity.

I would recommend something more like this, which gets you off the ground and will sleep one comfortably or two if you like to snuggle. Plus the fact that you'd be buying a new item and not someone else's old stuff, you'll have fewer worries as far as leaks or other failure points are concerned.

I don't know if you prefer to pack light or fill the truck bed with gear (I'm of the latter variety), but one of these would complement that arrangement really nicely. The ones they sell at Wal-Mart are less expensive and exactly the same item.

One of those would give you a place to sit, cook, and enjoy the great outdoors in comfort without bringing a truly unreasonable amount of gear along with.

I recommend borrowing the following two things from friends -

Summer Infant Pop-n-Play
https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Play-Portable-Playard/dp/B00KBGTRAC/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1495664261&sr=8-1&keywords=pop%2Bn%2Bplay&th=1

Canopy - for shade and hanging towels

Something that looks like this (or smaller): https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Pop-Up-Canopy-Tent-10/dp/B0145R49C8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1495664326&sr=8-6&keywords=beach+canopy

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As for getting them to the beach, you can get a beach cart - or borrow/rent a jogging stroller (with giant wheels for getting over the dunes).

Don't forget that you can always back-carry your twins in carriers (Ergo/Tula, etc) - to leave your hands free to carry stuff and set up.

If you've never back-carried before in a carrier, it's awesome. And generally people will think you and your wife (and babies) look super adorable as you walk along. Here's a how to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImBAhltsbRQ

We LOVE our wagon!! We went for a nicer option - similar to this -https://www.amazon.com/WonderFold-Outdoor-Collapsible-Telescoping-Blue/dp/B06WD1TGXV/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1496280940&sr=8-10&keywords=wagon+with+canopy and we get compliments all the time at the zoo. It folds easily, the canopy is awesome, and the kids love it! We use it so much more frequently than our stroller now (18 months).

A good canopy is such a huge asset at Diso. There are 3 properties that you should think about:

1. Size. Don't go huge. 10' x 10' is the largest that I can recommend due to the high winds.
   
2. Weight bags. You can buy these separately, but they're a requirement in my book. There are some that use sand and others that are just bulk weight. Either way, you need these.
   
3. Study construction. If you look at enough online, you'll start to notice that some don't secure the canvas to the frame as well as others and some have frames which aren't as sound. Read the reviews and look for people commenting on use in high winds.
   
   Here's the one we have and I certainly recommend it, but it's a bit expensive: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00DSGGDDQ. However, you'll probably never buy another one. It comes with the weights and 4 walls that zip up, which is awesome if you want to turn it into a changing room.
   
   We move our tent partially under the canopy, with the open end facing away from the direction of sunrise. That way, when the sun rises, it doesn't touch our tent and we stay cool and can sleep in as long as we want.

I've read good things about this Yuedge tarp. It's cheaper than everything else you have listed.

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Even though it's a day hike, lighter is still better. I like the look of that HG product you posted. I haven't heard of them. I'd go with that if it was me. On second thought, looking at it more closely, it looks like there is only tie downs on the corner. I'd want some in the middle to secure the tarp better.

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I like this MSR tarp. Although it is on the pricey side.

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I am a big fan of Dream Hammocks with the HyperD fabric. Super comfortable and light, plus they come with suspension and ridgeline. At 60 inches wide they aren't going to be great for sharing, but as was pointed out elsewhere, sleeping double in a hammock isn't too comfortable for more than a nap. You can get one with or without a bug net and overcover (cold protection, not rain).

As for rain protection, I like the OES MacCat tarps, but you can get a decent silnylon tarp to do the job for less.

A Dream Hammock Freebird plus MacCat Standard tarp would be about $170 (leaving you some extra cash to save for an underquilt).

This isn't about Bonnaroo specifically, but does anybody have any recommendations for tarps? I am trying to find something that I can hang from my canopy (I'd also take recommendations for canopies, this is my first year). I'm considering buying this canopy, and I'd like to buy something I can hang from the east side to prevent the sun from roasting me in the mornings. I guess I also need to buy something that goes on the ground underneath the canopy. I'm completely new to this camping thing so any advice/recommendations are greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Honestly, I would just save up your money and get something that is silnylon or silpoly. 25 oz for a tarp is really heavy. Look into Etowah Outfitters and maybe warbonnet (I think they have one ground tarp). The price will be higher, but if you could get a more packable, lighter tarp for $100-130 it'll be worth it IMO

Edit: here are some good alternatives, keeping price in mind:
Sanctuary SilTarp 10 x 8: https://www.amazon.com/dpB01E6454HOref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_n2-6xbP8MYM51

Same weight, cheaper: Equinox Egret Tarps (8 x 10-Feet) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00205GHZU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_93-6xb309YGQT

Last year we never had to lower our EZ-UP, or our tents the entire weekend.

We used these SECURE
We filled each one with sand/rocks! ✨👌🏾


Happy Chella !!! 🎡

The best investment you can make is a EZ-Up Canopy. They are THE BEST. We ordered several off Amazon and they keep our team cool when detailing in the sun. Plus you can do so much more work in any location. http://amzn.com/B00M3PBA5E

I'm going to suggest something a bit more advanced than a traditional tent. Have you considered going with a flat-tarp and a bivy bag? It is certainly cheaper than a tent and significantly lighter. Take the following for example:

| Item | Weight (g) | Cost (AU$) | Notes |
|:-----------|:------------:|:------------:|:------------|
| Equinox Egret Tarp (8x10ft) | 766g| $49 | Will require either sticks or trekking pole to pitch
| SOL Escape Bivy | 156g (312g total) | $31 ($62 total) | This will actually work as a 10C sleeping bag. There is a bigger version to help accommodate a sleeping bag, if it's more appropriate. Obviously you'll each need one.
|Polycryo Groundsheet (6x8ft) | 104g | $10 | Cheap and lightweight waterproof floor.
|
| Total | 1026g (1184g)| $90 ($121) | Cheap and Light.

You will obviously need to do a little reading on how to pitch it. Here is an article to get you started. You'll probably find a better one if you google it.

After a quick google of "tall tents" There are apparently several companies that have put out what is essentially a tent liner to the super quick up "canopy" tents with metal frames. They essentially clip inside the canopy frames.

EX, Buy a 10'x10' Canopy and then buy the 10'x10' Tent insert for it.

Short of that, just search Amazon for "tall tent" and there are 5K results to choose from..

This is a nice one, Instant up 80" height and 4 person...

After a lot of researching, I got this guy last year and he is awesome. Super sturdy, very well-made, and comes in a bunch of different colors. It is very heavy and pretty big, but I can get it in my VW Rabbit. Strongly suggest ABC Canopy.

Amazon has a deal on a 10' x 10' straight legged canopy for under $70. Pretty good deal and you can never have too much shade

Squeeeeeeeeee: I finally got a canopy tent thing for my craft shows!!!!! It will be so much nicer to be outside, now that myself and my vinyl crafties will be protected from the sun!!!! Hooray!!!

If you're in one place for a decent amount of time, a $100-ish canopy like this is a great investment. However, they are much cheaper at your local hardware store than Amazon from what I've found.

There’s coated 1.9oz nylon tarps (2.7oz/yd2 with coating vs 1.1oz silnylon that’s about 1.3oz with standard sil coating....Paria adds an additional PU coating to their sil to make it heavier and more waterproof but also allows the seams to be factory taped since tape sticks to the PU side).

I originally bought one of the Equinox 1.9oz tarps and is was HUGE and heavy. As huge and heavy as a blue tarp.

Silnylon is so durable that it’s pretty great for even kids/car camping applications. My kids are always tripping over my guylines, and have yet too hurt the tarp at all.

Would not recommend (I returned mine for a Paria): https://www.amazon.com/Equinox-145775-EQUINOX-Egret-10-Feet/dp/B00205GHZU?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

I've been super impressed with the quality of my AmazonBasics 10x10 canopy. It's only $95 and with Prime there's free shipping. It made it through Shambhala last year no problem with a bit of wind and rain.

Yeah my group’s canopies flew away in 2016 because of the crazy wind.

I ended up getting these for last year and they were 100% worth it. Paired with some plastic stakes I was confident it wouldn’t budge. Just got some 50lb bags of sand from Home Depot for a few bucks to fill them up.

That being said I still lowered my canopy each day to be on the safe side.

Ball Bungees to secure tapestries/sheets to the EZ up

I use these clips on the bottom of the sheet and then I use a length of paracord to tie it to a plastic stake which keeps it in place.

Weights filled with sand to keep it all on the ground and out of the next lot

The Amazon Basics one is $90

And here's some lightly used Amazon Basics for 80 or less.

edit: here's another brand with plenty of offerings under 80 bucks and good reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Big-Mozzi-Hammock-Green/dp/B01EJ5CEIC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535765553&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=twisted+root+bugnet

10ft hammock with built-in bugnet. Here is their tarp: https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Cloudburst-Rainfly-Smoke-Grey/dp/B01EJ5CLK8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535765596&sr=8-1&keywords=twisted+root+tarp&dpID=41dtt-TghjL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I would recommend not getting one with a tarp built in. If you are concerned with setup time, get a ridgeline and snakeskins for your tarp, and some sort of adjustable tarp suspension hardware like dutchware offers. Then it's a cinch to set up and take down, but you don't HAVE to set it up if you don't need it for a given evening. I like to attach mine to the tree but leave it in the snakeskins, so if the weather changes directions I can very quickly unroll it and stake it down, but otherwise leave it out of the way

I have this $50, 8x10 silnylon tarp from Equinox, and it’s a great size for two people.

I would recommend buying a tent like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Pop-Canopy-Tent-Feet-White/dp/B01FR81TG8/

There are other models that have 3 walls, different colors, etc.

Have it shipped directly to your hotel. Call and make arrangements in advance so they're expecting it and will hold it for you. They may give you specific instructions of how to address it.

When you're done just give it to a local team.

Is this a good deal? ~$127 for a 12x12, eligible for free 2-day shipping through Amazon Prime, made by E-Z Up. I know it has slanted legs, but it's still the same amount of shade as a 10x10, right?

Dude they make collapsible ones that will easily fit. canopy

Do you have time to sit on it? these umbrella canopies sell really quickly in the summer for between $40 and $60. I bought a ton of them when target liquidated them last year. Buy a few with your gift cards and wait until June or July and you'll double your money after fees and shipping.

It really depends on how much you want to spend. You can go from a commercial type canopy with side walls that even include windows in the walls if you prefer, to something like this. We consider canopies a max of 5 year investment. They just don't last forever.

The only things I have found that would rate one canopy higher than another would be 1) That is has pull tabs (finger loops or handle) to release the lock pins. I say this because those darn nubbies tend to get punched in over time and stuck. With the little pulls or handles, that possibility is nil and they're easier to release.
2) UV blocking material. I always spray the outsides with Nikwax Tent and Solarproof as is, but while they may be called shade tents, they don't all have UV rated blocking material so you could sit under them and get fried in the sun. 3) Sturdiness. We get a lot of wind where I am and while most canopies won't withstand much wind when not staked and guyed out, some are just flimsier than others. I also drop mine if the winds pick up. Another trick is to hang filled, large water bottles from the sides to help weigh it down. 4) A decent storage bag with wheels. The damned feet on these things are the bane of any storage bag. As a rule, I put cheap rubber coated gardening gloves over my legs when I put my canopy in the bag to prevent the bag from getting ripped or worn.

All that being said, I have a canopy that I got from Harbor Freight several years ago and it's still going strong. I bought some slant leg side walls for it, use the gloves on the feet and the flimsy bag is still intact as is the canopy. It's partially a matter of how it's cared for IMO.

The plan was 2 or 3 10 x 10 squares of this style structure. sorry for the miscommunications.

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My friends are guiding me to a pop-up that is apparently heavy-duty made of steel tubing. Specifically: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07M5TVGNL

That seems to be one of the lowest prices (Per CamelCamelCamel).

ETA: It looks like you can get the Envoy model with a blue canopy for $104. It seems to be a slightly less robust model, but it's still Ez-Up and straight legged.

https://www.amazon.com/Ohuhu-Instant-Weights-Outdoor-Shelter/dp/B00NN5LRVK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501174536&sr=8-3&keywords=ezup+weights

Filled with play sand.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Pop-Up-Canopy-Tent-10/dp/B0145R49C8/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1479053941&sr=1-1&keywords=Easy+up+tent

For example:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Pop-Up-Canopy-Tent-10/dp/B0145R49C8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493402800&sr=8-3&keywords=shade+awning+tent%27

equinox egret 10x12, $56, 2.2 lbs. the 8x10 version is 1.6 lbs. you could also make your own.

I personally never heard of having a catered first birthday party at a hall. That sounds ridiculous. Every one we've been to has been at a person's house, and that's how we did ours. We also didn't open presents in front of people, because we asked for no presents (which, of course, nobody listened to).

Invites were basic: location, start time, end time, time at which cake would be cut, and that we'd be providing food (not just snacks) and beverages. Also, as mentioned above, we asked for no gifts and put that on the invites. We invited about 30 people (including children) and about 20 showed up.

It was from 2-5pm (after her 2nd nap) and we said cake would be at 4. We bought a canopy tent thing like this because there was a chance of rain. We kept one table and the kiddie toys under it. We have a patio set that provided seating, too, and had spare folding chairs scattered around our patio. We have a breezeway/two-season room that leads to the back yard and that's where we kept all of the food and drinks. We did her cake smash outside under the awning.

We did it similarly for her second birthday party last weekend - awning (even though it didn't rain, it was good for sun protection), toys, etc. but we did a Facebook Event rather than paper invites. We also didn't serve food - just snacks, drinks, and cupcakes. We invited about 25 and shy of 20 showed up.

For her 3rd birthday next year, I plan on doing it much much smaller.