Shade from the sun?

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caliking

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Howdy Brethren.

It is now officially blazing hot in Texas, and will likely get hotter as the summer progresses.

Our backyard faces southwest and the sun is pretty intense in the afternoon, which is the time I usually find myself cookin' some 'cue. I have occasionally set up a patio umbrella in my cooking corner but the base is a b!tch to lug around. I was looking for somehting a litltle more convenient.

I was thinking of those sail shaped sun shades which are a reasonable price on Amazon:
Amazon.com: Triangle Sun Shade Sail 16 Feet 5 Inches - Sand Color: Patio, Lawn & Garden@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61qIyLlDE-L.@@AMEPARAM@@61qIyLlDE-L

I'm not sure whether I can anchor it to the wall behind my cookers and a to a tree effectively.

Also saw this which is more expensive and sounds unwieldy to set up:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000001653&categoryid=11050&brand=

I have an EZ-UP kind of folding canopy. Which is again a little unwieldy for one person to set-up , so I reserve that for when guests are coming over.

Aside from building a covered patio are there any other non-permanent solutions which brethren use for a little shade from the rays?
 
caliking said:
Howdy Brethren.

It is now officially blazing hot in Texas, and will likely get hotter as the summer progresses.

Our backyard faces southwest and the sun is pretty intense in the afternoon, which is the time I usually find myself cookin' some 'cue. I have occasionally set up a patio umbrella in my cooking corner but the base is a b!tch to lug around. I was looking for somehting a litltle more convenient.

I was thinking of those sail shaped sun shades which are a reasonable price on Amazon:
Amazon.com: Triangle Sun Shade Sail 16 Feet 5 Inches - Sand Color: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I'm not sure whether I can anchor it to the wall behind my cookers and a to a tree effectively.

Also saw this which is more expensive and sounds unwieldy to set up:
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000001653&categoryid=11050&brand=

I have an EZ-UP kind of folding canopy. Which is again a little unwieldy for one person to set-up , so I reserve that for when guests are coming over.

Aside from building a covered patio are there any other non-permanent solutions which brethren use for a little shade from the rays?
Click to expand...

Officially? Who is the official mental giant to tell you what the top of your head
already knows?:crazy:
 
My house in Dallas faces North, so the backyard is on the South side. However, my detached garage faces North, so I actually set my WSM up at the edge of my garage, just inside the door.

Since I store my WSM in the garage, I only have to move it a few feet.

Plus, when one of those out-of-nowhere Texas hit-and-run storms blows through, my cooker is covered.

Of course, down there in Houston, you haven't had any rain in a while. Aren't you under a burn ban?

BTW, I have been thinking about one of those triangles to put over my patio, just for shade to sit in.

CD
 
as long as it can be positioned such that you get shade relief when you need it most, it is worth it 9just my $0.02). if it is something that will give a little shade for a couple of hours you might look for another solution. try to estimate the amount of shade it will deliver before pulling the trigger.

BTW - we hit 99 yesterday...shade matters big time in the big state
 
The 10' x 10' easy ups are pretty nice, and they hold up really well to heavy use.
 
http://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Up-10-x-10-Gazebo/8571900?findingMethod=rr

photo.jpg
 
I do believe you would dislike that Coleman thingy very much. Looks to be a pain to set up and is really only good for straight down sun. The E-Z up is a better choice, mostly because of ease of set up, but still is good for protection from a mostly vertical sun. That triangular thing is probably your best bet. Air can pass through them and they block about 95% of the UV rays. Keeps you much cooler than a solid cover. I have one and use it on my deck. Only problem is the sun won't stay in one place so adjustments are necessary. It could be set up with 1 edge on the ground held in place with a stake at each corner and then a very tall pole holding up the point. Run two ropes from the top of that pole to stakes in the ground and you will have shade! Might work.
 
Well, by "officially" I meant the recent few days of record-breaking heat. I sometimes listen to the voices in my head... but only sometimes. Barbecueing is permitted under the burn ban.

The Coleman doohickey has a couple of configurations, one of which is a lean-to sort of set-up, but too many cords and ropes it seems.

I picked up one of those sun shade sails and three poles, but I like the idea of staking one end ( or 2) in the ground and using pole supports for the remaining ends. Sounds like it would be easy to set up and take down. I'll let ya know when I try it!

We got a little sprinkle of rain today, so maybe things will cool down a bit.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
10x10 pop up canopies can be had pretty cheap... I got one at Dick's Sporting Goods recently on sale for $59. Side wall attachments can be had for $29 to go with it and I may end up purchasing one of those...

My side yard is directly in blazing sun all afternoon, and as the afternoon progresses, the sun moves and comes in from the side of the canopy and renders its shade rather ineffective...
 
What JM says^, get a couple side walls and cook under the EZ up, even the 6pm sun is too hot, so the side walls will be helpful. If it gets windy, pick up some 5 gallon buckets and fill them w/water. Use tie down straps to secure the buckets to your EZ-up. They will weigh around 40lbs w/water. While you may be able to escape the direct sunlight, their is no escaping the TX heat bro..
 
lived in Big D for 37 years and even though it get triple digits during the day shade does help some...what do you do about the triple digits at midnight and later:confused: that is one part I dont miss about that area... how about a remote therm, and sitting inside during those brutally hot times of year? that heat can spoil even the best of cookouts:tsk: enjoy the other 8 months of the year when we are all freezing our arses off!!! LOL:laugh:
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I picked up a folding camopy last year on sale for $40, and the side sunscreens are going for $20 on amazon, so I think i will get 1 or 2 of the side panels. Using buckets as weights is a great tip.

The heat is bearable, but the combo of being in the sun and the direct heat is a doozy. I lived in the Midwest for 15+years... I'll take the heat ad odd hurricane over the ice, snow, floods and tornadoes any time. As i was once told: you don't have to scrape sunshine off your windshield down here!
 
JMSetzler said:
10x10 pop up canopies can be had pretty cheap... I got one at Dick's Sporting Goods recently on sale for $59. Side wall attachments can be had for $29 to go with it and I may end up purchasing one of those...

My side yard is directly in blazing sun all afternoon, and as the afternoon progresses, the sun moves and comes in from the side of the canopy and renders its shade rather ineffective...
Click to expand...

Here on the North Texas prairie, we call cheap canopies "self destructing flying machines."

We have the most wind turbines in the country for a reason. It is farking windy up here. When it is HOT and windy, it is like being in front of a giant hair dryer. And, it will still fark up your cheap canopy, just to piss you off.

I have a top-of-the-line EZ-Up, and if I tie it down properly, it can take some really high winds. I take it camping, and sit under it and watch the WalMart cheap canopies turn to pretzels.

The winds are not so bad in Houston, except when those "where the fark did that come from" storms roll through. Those are REALLY fun in the middle of a lake in a 21-foot boat... it's like Gilligan's Island without the movie star and the millionaire.

I would go for something really solid, or very capable of dealing with wind, rain and hot sun.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Here on the North Texas prairie, we call cheap canopies "self destructing flying machines."

We have the most wind turbines in the country for a reason. It is farking windy up here. When it is HOT and windy, it is like being in front of a giant hair dryer. And, it will still fark up your cheap canopy, just to piss you off.

I have a top-of-the-line EZ-Up, and if I tie it down properly, it can take some really high winds. I take it camping, and sit under it and watch the WalMart cheap canopies turn to pretzels.

The winds are not so bad in Houston, except when those "where the fark did that come from" storms roll through. Those are REALLY fun in the middle of a lake in a 21-foot boat... it's like Gilligan's Island without the movie star and the millionaire.

I would go for something really solid, or very capable of dealing with wind, rain and hot sun.

CD
Click to expand...


Thanks for the great advice. I don't plan on leaving my canopy up because of the wind you mentioned - would likely blow away into the next county or get ripped to shreds if weighted down. I'm looking for a simple contraption that I can set up easily for a cooking session for a few hours and then take down when i'm done. I would look into retractable awnings if I was thinking of something more permanent.

Those WTF storms can keep things interesting - one of them snuck up on us last year and it rained all day. Got home just in time before the pool overflowed!
 
caseydog said:
The winds are not so bad in Houston, except when those "where the fark did that come from" storms roll through. Those are REALLY fun in the middle of a lake in a 21-foot boat... it's like Gilligan's Island without the movie star and the millionaire.
Click to expand...

Hmm, is the millionaire's wife still there. Can you say sugar mama?

On topic. Even in Kansas I feel your pain. I manage by cooking on the driveway which is on the north side and erecting a canopy when necessary. I might also suggest one of my better purchases. I got this big, orange fan from Home Depot. I think it is 2' in diameter and usually runs for a hundred bucks. That thing works wonders for helping alleviate the heat. Then again, if you are in a windy area, it doesn't help to add to it.
 
The EZ up canopies are great, but putting them up and taking them down can get tiring. They cannot take any sort of rain. Had my first one up and a quick downpour collapsed it into a pile of scrap metal.
 
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