Tripod Shelter

To anyone who complained about how difficult it is to set up, Eagle Scout or not, I can only say that you're not doing it the right way. Or you're too weak to do it. Either way, if it's done right, it's no harder than tying boots snugly.Hint: when you're ready to bow the 1st pole, set the ferruled end on the ground, vertically between your feet while you're standing up and making sure no dirt can fill it (I set it on a sandal instead of right on the dirt). Pull the fabric down systematically, until the ring passes the ferruled end. Grab the fabric and the pole about 2-3 inches from the end with one hand like you're choking it, making sure the fabric does not slide out again. Lift the pole off the ground so you can see what you're doing. With the other hand, slide the pin into the pole. It's that easy. Repeat the process for the 2nd and 3rd poles.It took me less than 20 minutes from start to finish, all by myself. The key is to plant the ferruled end of the pole securely on the ground while you work the fabric with both of your free hands.It's the best shade I've ever bought. The other shade that I own, a 10'x10' type, weighs 50 lbs and is quite large in a package, compared to this 11-lbs shade that fits in a small nylon sack. The 2008 model comes with heavy-duty poles which is an improvement to the smaller diameter poles of the earlier model. There is no way these poles will split, unlike the earlier version, as reported by some.

worked really well. had it up for 7 days camping and it was windy every day. we staked it down and it was flexible and we were really pleased until we took it down and then 1 of the fiberglass pole sections split when we pulled it out of the other pole section. it looks like the seam of that pole split. am going to try to glue it with contact cement. the only other thing is that you have to duck to get under it but inside you can stand up.

We recently went on a two-week vacation camping on North Padre Island off of Texas. We purchased this product a few days before in order to have something to shield us from the sun, obviously.We arrived late and only had about an hour and a half to set up camp before the sun set, so we had to assemble this in a hurry. It was difficult to do, but mostly because of the strong winds that were blowing in off the ocean. The design is more or less simple and I think it wouldn't have been nearly as difficult to assemble without those winds. As it was, it took up maybe 45 minutes to set up. In additional to the built-in sand ballasts, I had to create anchors buried in the sand, attached to the shelter using parachute line, to make sure the thing wouldn't blow over in the wind.Well, the wind off North Padre Island seldom stops. Of the ten days we were there, it probably was windless for maybe only two or three of those days. The rest of the time we, and the shelter, were subjected to a steady 20 to 25 miles an hour wind, day and night.After only two days of this constant wind, our shelter literally began coming apart at the seams (see photos if I can figure out how to upload them). The fabric tore away from itself along the seams producing large holes. The shelter began to bend over, and later we discovered that the poles themselves were actually bent by the wind (to be more precise, the metal connectors that attached the poles together were the things that bent).I wondered if I had just set up the shelter in a bad way, since it was acting as more or less a parachute to the wind. I figured maybe I should have set it up so that it faced the wind more aerodynamically. But then my wife pointed out that--how would that be possible? With the wind shifting direction every few hours, you'd have to keep digging up the anchors and shifting the shelter around. That's not going to happen.Other than this major issue, otherwise I liked the shelter. It provided very good protection from the sun, and the design is very clever and aesthetically pleasing. We received many compliments on it.Unfortunately to claim that "The tripod shelter is easily erected, durable, and stands up to even the strongest winds," as the description does, is just not correct.Was considering returning this but probably not worth the effort.In sum, we got maybe 2 or 3 days' use out of this before it began to destruct. We tossed it into the dumpster on our way out off the beach, on our way home.

Read all of the reviews and followed all of the suggestions for set up ahead of time, using gallon zip lock bags for sand anchors, etc. It is lightwieght and portable. Set up on a windy beach almost didn't happen as the wind catching the cover almost sent us airborne. Difficulty of setup increased exponentially with the wind factor. You WILL need at least 2 people for set up- hope one of them is strong. It did do well once set up and staked. Unfortunately it only lasted one day. The second day one of the the poles split longways and no cabana. Amazon made return easy. Thank-you Amazon. I am not picky, I just want a product to work and last a reasonable amount of time. Unfortunately this product seems to be "disposable". If they improve the quality and workmanship I would love to use this product again. Until then,I will search for something else.

The first time I used the shelter, it was very difficult to set up. Luckily 2 more people helped the already 3 people setting it up. The second time was much easier, probably because it had stretched out a bit. however, one of the pole snapped about an hour after setting it up. There was very little wind, not sure what caused it to break.

Other reviews complained poles were thin cheap and broke. I purchased 2008 model with thicker poles. I did not stake the tripod down and after 2 days it blew out of the yard and scraped down the concrete while I was gone.The fabric has abrasions where the pole ends are but is till holding tough.I have now staked it down and It's been up 24/7 for about 2 mos.and we like it. We have had 2 good storms and no tears.Some of the seams when stretched you see light through the needle holes but it keeps us dry when raining.Easy set up and a great back yard shade maker. Nicer than a table umbrella that only shades some people at a time. They did short me one of my stake strings in the box but still good buy.