Does anyone have a specific collapsible canopy they would reccomend, both for sun and rain? I had one, but the x-bracing broke almost immediately.
I’d be using it for over the chop saw in rain, or maybe sun protection over exterior concrete work. The blue tarp over 2x’s is less elegant than what I’d like.
Camping stores? Army surplus? Anything?
thanks, k
Replies
i've got an ezup ww.ezup.com
not cheap but a proper steel frame and water proof.
i got it after 3 cheap ones fell to bits in less than a year.
really good and still going strong 5 years later
Is it reasonably easy to put up and take down?
k
my one is 10' by 10' and i can put it up on my own in less than a minute
I did art fairs for a living for 23 years and the EZ-up (Costco sells them for $200 - crafters used to pay upwards of $700 for them!) was the fastest and easiest to erect with no extra parts to keep track of. There are sturdier canopies such as Light Domes, but they're real easy to put together wrong or to lose parts. An EZ-UP will pop open if you grab two adjacent corners and jiggle/walk it out, then get underneath and push up the center. The top just folds up inside it, so you don't have to attach or pack it separately. I can carry the whole business in one armload.
Get four screw-in dog stakes for each corner or, alternatively, fill four 5 gal. buckets with water if set up on concrete. Use ratchet straps (NOT bungees) to attach the stake/bucket to the corner of the canopy at the top of the corner post. Do it this way instead of attaching the bottom of the leg and you'll get less swaying in the breeze. THEY MUST BE TIED DOWN!
Edited 7/13/2008 7:25 pm by splintergroupie
I also like my EZ-up. My first one was damaged beyond repair in a severe storm. My new replacement is even nicer and easier to use.
It is 8' x 12' and sets up / breaks down easily in less than a minute.
I have had comments that it adds to a professional appearance. And it is welcome shade on a hot day, or a dry place on a damp day.
First Up is another brand, comparable to EZ Up. I see them at the local surplus stores from time to time. I have also seen them at Costco, Walmart and Target. Not hard to find anymore.
Another quality brand is Caravan. They have a web site caravancanopies.com, which seems to be down at the moment.Rebeccah
Cool. That's a great start. The EZ Up Site had prices from 5-12 hundred (!), but it sounds like they may be available cheaper elsewhere- I'll see what I can find. I'll look into the others too, thanks everybody.
And even if I had to pay $700, it still might be worth it. The $90 one I had broke in two uses, so if I can get 8 uses out of a $700 one...
Thanks!
k
I've gone through 2 or 3, but only because I left them out for weeks non tethered and the wind did the rest. I presently have an Ezup 12x12. I might use it today in fact. It's raining.