Owning a beach tent is one of the most effective ways to reduce sun exposure while at the shore. As research on the effects of long term sun exposure has improved, dermatologists highly recommend toting a shade source to the beach during a summer vacation. Millions of people every year will be diagnosed with some form of melanoma during their lifetime. It is a statistic that is truly is hard to wrap our head around. But with sunscreen and proper shade from the sun’s harmful UV rays, we can significantly reduce our chances of developing skin cancer. Beach goers are particularly vulnerable to sun burn due to long term sun exposure throughout the day, lack of clothing to protect the skin, and sunscreen being toweled off due to sweat or ocean water. I know when I’m at the beach I often feel hassled by the notion of having to reapply sunscreen to sandy legs and arms every hour or so. So, more often than not I apply once in the morning and hope that that will last me throughout the day. I have found that it is much more convenient to bring a beach tent along with me to the shore to help break up periods of sun exposure. It is a much more enjoyable day if I can relax in the shade for most of the day. The best beach canopy will come with a 50+ UPF lightweight polyester material that will absorb over 98% of the most harmful UV rays. While there are cheaper options for materials with lower UPF protection, I can’t recommend enough to spend a little bit extra money to have the highest sun protection material available today. Your skin will thank you for years to come.
Ten or fifteen years ago it was very inconvenient to drag a 50 lbs. pop up canopy to the beach. Although it was definitely worth it once it was there and setup, it was quite a hassle. Fortunately, the best beach tents of today are much more portable, easier to setup, and affordable. Typically constructed of lightweight fiberglass poles, the average weight of a sun shelter is right around 7 lbs. This in addition to them folding up into a carrying tote about the size of a fold up chair, they are very easy to sling over a shoulder and walk down to the shore. When I was in boy scouts growing up, we would go camping every few months during the summer. Once we would find our camp site, I remember pulling out the tent from the bag to find a heap of poles that I would have to connect together and fish through loop holes in the tent material. It sometimes took upwards of fifteen minutes just to set the thing up, and I would finish feeling frustrated and annoyed. The newer shelters intended for beach sun shade come manufactured with a central compression hub. What this means is that all of the fiberglass poles come built into the beach sun shelter through a complex external frame system. So immediately upon opening it for the very first time, a quick pull of the drawstrings on the compression hub will result in almost instant setup. The amount of time saved during setup and when it’s time to leave is truly splendid. Some shelters also come with a zipper floor, allowing beach lovers to unzip the polyethylene tarp flooring to expose the sand underneath. This is perfect for those that love to have their feet and chair in the sand, yet still be completely shaded. Along with portability and convenience, the next best thing about a pop up sun shelter is the price tag, where the average sticker comes in at less than $100. Relatively speaking, it is a very small investment in protecting the health and skin of beach lovers everywhere. We must get much more conscientious about the effects that long term sun exposure has our on health. The best beach tent will come equipped with excellent UV blocking material, be easy to setup and take down, and it will be portable for easy toting to the shore. Summer vacation has never been cooler!
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Like we described in another baby beach tent article on this site, beach tents are the most convenient source of shade on beaches these days. But that doesn’t mean that they are the only shelter you can use on the beach. The beach umbrella is always a viable alternative. But, with a beach umbrella you can only use it at the beach. This is the reason that the pop up canopy tent is so popular at the beach is because people purchased them for other reasons. This is a big selling point for the pop up canopy. Competing products like beach tents and beach umbrellas can only be used at the beach. But an easy up tent is versatile and can be used in many situation. If you are in the market for a canopy tent and intend to use it at the beach, there are some features and characteristics that you should look for. I am going to make suggestions so that you can find the best pop up canopy for the beach.
Size Beaches are usually crowded, so you won’t have the luxury of setting up any large structure without imposing on other people. Some beaches have actually created regulations limiting the size of structures that you can set up on the beach. Keep this in mind when you are shopping for a canopy tent. Pick one on the smaller side Slanted Legs The frame of a pop up canopy tent comes with one of two variations of legs: straight and slanted. Straight legs are better for festivals because they maximize overhead coverage and allow you to set one up directly next to another. Slanted legs are better for windy situations like the beach because a slanted leg is more resilient and less likely to break. Pick an instant canopy with slanted legs. Aluminum vs Steel When you are using your easy up canopy on the beach, chances are that the weather will be nice and it won’t be faced with any high impact use. Aluminum is less durable than steel, but it is less expensive and lighter weight. For beach use you won’t need a steel frame. It will be harder to transport and set up. For this reason, we suggest you stick with Aluminum. Vents Some of the best pop up canopies have vents at the top of the valence that allow air to escape, but doesn’t let rain in. These vents are nice because they give a gust of wind a place to escape without putting too much stress on the ceiling. Gusts of wind are common at the beach. So, we recommend purchasing a sun shelter with vents. Sand Stakes Most portable canopies come thin aluminum stakes. These are find when you stick them into grass or dirt, but they pull out of sand easily. We recommend that you invest in a set of thicker plastic sand stakes. These stakes are ribbed so that they don’t pull out of the sand as easily. They are a good investment because a canopy tent that blows away can be very dangerous on a crowded beach. Conclusion We are big fans of 10x10 canopy tents for use on the beach. We like them because they have more practical use outside of vacations then a beach tent of umbrella does. You can use your gazebo for a festival or tailgating or any other event that requires shelter. If you do plan on using your canopy tent at the beach, consider our suggestions. If you do pick out a pop up canopy that follows these guidelines, we are confident that it will perform at a high level when you use it on your next vacation. |
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