*The people at Mountain Hardwear gave us this product in exchange for our honest review. We do not receive any commission should you purchase this item.
KEEP YOU AND YOUR GEAR COOL AND DRY
Whether you are camping in the summer or winter, this canopy has you covered…literally. Winter brings unpredictable weather that can end up keeping you inside your tent, van or car. With the Mountain Hardwear Camp Awn Shelter, you can stay outside enjoying what you came for in the first place. Nature!
In the warmer months people are often scattered around the campsite or in the van, trying to seek shade and stay cool. With this canopy, you have the option of creating shade off the side door of your van, car or setting it up over a table. This way, everyone can stay cool while enjoying each other’s company.
With just those two examples, you can see how this is a piece of equipment you will want with you year round. From heat to rain and even snow, this may just become your new best friend. Let’s look at what we liked about the awning on our last trip.
What We Love About This Canopy / Tent
When we attached it to the van on our first day at camp, we enjoyed the easy set-up and how well it adapted to the contours of the van. For a product that was not specifically designed to be attached to this vehicle, it fit almost seamlessly. It was great at keeping the morning dew off of our chairs and carpet. The fabric is also great at letting light through so it didn’t feel like we were sitting under a dark sky.
In addition to being used as a van awning, when we set it up like a tent, it kept all the extra stuff we packed, covered and dry. After all, who wants to keep all this extra stuff inside the van once you set up camp. Having a protected place to keep our bins, chairs and bikes gave us peace of mind that our items were out of the elements.
We love the versatility it offers and are sure to find more uses for it along the way. We will update this posting when we get a chance to use it in the rain in a few weeks.
The Only Thing We Might Add
Once the canopy is set up in its designed fashion, there are eight white nylon lines securing it to the stakes. These can become a tripping hazard at camp and may benefit from a few small bright velcro attached flags hanging from them. We have some bright tape we will probably attach to the lines. Other than that small suggestion, this is a great addition to any camping adventure from the mountains to the desert.
Features
-
- Perfect for camping shelter and temperature comfort.
-
- 68D PU-coated polyester ripstop with taped seams.
-
- Waterproof and durable.
-
- Hypalon and 210D recycled nylon ripstop corners for added strength and durability.
-
- Six small mesh corner pockets for storage.
-
- Two very sturdy and thick aluminum poles with adjustable height up to 10 feet for space and stability.
-
- Easily covers a standard 6ft picnic table for meals and games.
-
- 10 strong aluminum stakes and additional cording included.
-
- Storage bag with sewn in setup instructions.
-
- Bag can be used as a cross-body sling for day hikes.
-
- Grommets at every corner allow for modular pitching options, such as car, van, tree, and other asymmetrical camping needs.
-
- Free of flame-retardant chemicals, this tent may not adhere to CPAI084.
-
- The Awn Shelter folds quickly, easily and compactly into its log shaped bag.
The Van Configuration
One of the reason we were given this product ,was to see how we could adapt it to the needs of our van camp set-up. Vans generally come with some sort of metal adaptors on the roof for connecting permanent awnings or roof racks.
Each corner of the Mountain Hardwear Camp Awn Shelter has a nylon stake cord loop that easily secured to the roof anchor. Using the built in cord synching device, I pull the canopy right up to the van’s roof.
Once that was secured, I put up the sturdy aluminum poles and staked them securely to the ground using the thick aluminum stakes. The cords are easy to synch up to make the canopy taught and sturdy.
Our Conclusion
After many camping trips without any source of shade or van coverage, the Mountain Hardwear Camp Awn Shelter was a welcome addition to our adventure vanning gear. Because you never know what type of weather might be thrown at you, we have decided to take this super small and compact awning with us on all of our future adventures.
We highly recommend this product for any outdoor activities you might experience where extra coverage from the elements is required. Thank you to the people at Mountain Hardwear for giving us the opportunity to review one of their many high quality outdoor products. See you under the awning! Oh and don’t forget to read our review on the Mountain Hardwear Stretchdown Quilt.
It also makes a great gift for that person in your life with an adventurous four seasons spirit.
When you are done here, head over to our review on the colorful outdoor rug seen in the pictures above.
Sign up for our NEWSLETTER so you never miss out on what’s going on at Get Off The Log. Plus you will be the first to receive our latest campground and product reviews.