Camping

Camping

This section discusses both overnight camping at a trial, and sun shades and tents for day use.

Many times it depends upon the availability of sanitary facilities. Most of the premiums require that the RV's be self contained and unless you carry a porta-potty with you, tents do not have toilet facilities. Other items that are almost a necessity for tent camping at trials are water and electric hookups. Standard RV's will usually have a backup battery system if electric hookups are not available and also have fresh water holding tanks. Additionally, many sites have the RV setups in parking lots on asphalt, not the best place to set up a tent.

I have tent camped at many trials both with and without many of the necessities. However, toilet facilities are a necessity and some sites (particularly school grounds) do not like to leave these open after the trial has ended. It can also get very quiet and lonely if you are tent camping alone and do not have the basic facilities. Ask the trial giving club if tent camping is allowed. Have fun, Becky Harstad

Here is a summary I put together from research I did on this list a month or so ago. I decided to post it to the whole list because it might be useful to other people too.

Kelty Sunshade:
Pros: lightweight; low-profile; OK price ($155 at REI, although it was on sale for $109 when I did the research); ostensibly easy to set up; easy to transport. Cons: limited standing room - the center is tall enough, but quickly falls off in 3 directions, making it difficult to get around and impossible to share with other competitors; not as well suited for clamping on sides to fill gaps when the sun gets low or the wind comes up. Feedback: a friend reported watching someone setting it up at Hayward in the wind and it wasn't as easy as it appears - having fought with various dome tents over the years, I know that they can be a challenge until you get the hang of it, especially if there's any wind.

E-Z Up Dome:
Pros: proven technology and well-established company (we've been using the commercial models for car racing for years); reasonable price ($139 at www.cabelas.com); easy to set up; easy to clip on sunshade fabric to sides to adjust as sun moves. Cons: hard to find a local source if you need it in a hurry Feedback: "The Domes seen to stand up a little better than the Quick Shade...(observation only)"; The same friend that reported the Kelty situation also stated that she can easily set it up her E-Z Up by herself, and she only weighs about 120 lbs.

Quick Shade Weekender:
Pros: similar design to E-Z Up with same advantages; available locally; less expensive than E-Z Up (I got it on sale for $129 at Orchard Supply Hardware). Cons: unproven company and unknown long-term durability. Feedback: "We had a rain storm and about 15 to 25 mile an hour winds and [my Quick Shade] was one of the few that stayed up and in place, where the EZ-up had to be taken down and several others went flying into the parking lot."; "I own a quik shade and love it. Actually I think the top is better than the
EZ up."; "I haven't had any personal experience with them but the people I know who have used both prefer the Quick Shade product over the EZ-up."; "We have had both the EZ-up and the Quik Shade. The Quik Shade is sturdier and easier to put up. I would go with the Quik Shade. Both our EZ-ups got bent and ripped before they should have."

I abandoned the Kelty in spite of its advantages because it felt a little claustrophobic and I am a social creature so I like to share with my friends. The E-Z Up and Quick Shade are probably a toss-up, but since the Quick Shade got favorable feedback and it is available locally, that's probably the best bet for me. I have more use for that style beyond dog shows also, since I can use it on RV camping trips as a gazebo.

Follow-up: I bought the Quick-Shade, and it hasn't been perfectly trouble-free, but through no fault of its own: the first one looked like it had been seriously dropped during shipping - one of the corner pieces that holds the whole thing together had completely exploded. I returned it to Orchard Supply and they exchanged it without question. The second one also has a problem, but it was my fault - I tried to open it without reading the instructions and understanding the physics - one of the roof support bars got stuck outside the framework, I tried to force it up (not realizing how easy it SHOULD be), and I broke one of the connectors. But it still works, and I think I can get a replacement under warranty. Hope this helps. Holly Newman Holly's expanded research