Wind/Rain Shelter for Cooking?

VanFan said:

The CLAM Traveler (6'x6') arrived, and it's... big! I'm going to like it a lot. Thanks for all of your help in choosing.

I "discovered" that a wall panel can be attached to the roof just like any other wall for denser shade. I may make something from a reflective, UV-resistant material for that as well. With only the front clips attached to the roof, the wall drops down over the front door for a little more privacy.

I am reasonably strong, and was surprised at how hard it was to pull the walls out, even with my husband standing on the skirt on the opposite side.

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You'll get the hang of it! I find it helps to stand on the lower flap when pulling.

Yes it's amazing how big it seems.

Get some mylar for the top. It's thin enough not to get in the way when it's put away. And it's cheap.

Happy Camper said:

Get some mylar for the top. It's thin enough not to get in the way when it's put away. And it's cheap.

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Hmm. Yes. Very packable and I have some space blankets that I use to make solar cookers, as well as some aluminum tape. Maybe I could reinforce the blanket corners with tape, then install grommets so it can be clipped to the rings on the CLAM. Time to measure. Thanks!

Space blankets (spliced) with grommets works well for a CLAM roof cover. I found a 5-gallon water bottle pump adapter in my junk drawer, which became a perfectly sized grommet for the top. That helped stabilize the cover, which I attached with Velcro One-Wrap ties for lack of carabiners. The cover has been left attached for packing.

The downside is it's a little noisy. Sounds like a gentle rain in a light breeze; less pleasant with a stiff breeze. I used Wonder Clips (only have minis) to clip the edges to three sides, which helps considerably. The front has nothing to clip to. At some point, I may look into a less noisy space blanket.

Now I'm happy as a... well, you know.

The Clam Traveler also serves as a cook tent only for me. I don't eat in there very frequently, but I could. I built up a 2' x 4' folding table to store and prep my Coleman stove. To be honest, I fantasize about having my own RV with a massage chair in it. But I do have a folding chair, some water bottles, a couple of storage boxes, a full-sized propane tank, and a slop bucket. It's fairly spacious as is and keeps the pests out when cooking.

The Boy Scouts (now just "the Scouts") used to use a "Baker Tent" which had a large open side with a flap that covered it. I've seen Scout Masters rig these to the side of a Van and have the awning flap rigged over the top of the Van with rope extensions going down the other side of the Van to tent pegs. A Mini Van could just about pull under the one of these in the photo below. They make a nice extended room area that cuts the wind fairly well. (within reason) This set up would be fairly wind and weather proof. Baker tents can be found used.

http://wildcanvas-outdoor.com/the-one-man-baker-tent/