When it comes to keeping your campsite or beach set up shielded from the hot summer sun or even keep off a little bit of wintery rain, there is definitely not a shortage of options on the market to make that happen. Each and every adventure set up and scenario is different and is going to need a different amount of coverage weather protection dependent on the weather, the terrain and also the type of area you and the crew may be staying in. the different options include shade sails, large beach umbrellas, gazebos, shade huts and of course vehicle mounted awnings to name a few. All of these have their own style of protection and various levels of shade and sun protection.

Sun protection is one that comes to mind firstly in terms of wanting to create shade to stay away from the heat and harmful rays that are omitted from summer sunlight. All of the mentioned options will certainly do something in terms of keeping you under a bit of a shadow, but some may be better than others when it comes to not only blocking out the light, but also the heat and UV rays at the same time. Modern shade fixtures sometimes come with a guarantee that they block out a certain percentage of the harmful rays and usually carry some sort of UPF protection rating to make your decisions easier based on scientific research and development to keep you and your family safe when out enjoying the weather.

Sometimes camping is better in winter, and this means that you are bound to run into some harsher conditions involving rain and possible flooding as well. While it pays to have all the goodies in the bag ready for sleeping, like waterproof roof top tents and swags, it should also be noted that you will need a little protection while you’re awake as well. This might mean incorporating some shade facilities into your set up so that you can stay out of the drizzle and keep warm by staying dry for as long as possible. Some portable gazebos come with side tent that even have PVC bucketed floors as an extra to allow for a little bit of surface moisture and light pooling of water outside, without it making its way in side where everything is kept dry. This application is great for hash weather as it has walls and is fully enclosed as rain can come from any direction and you find it helpful.

Wind and sand are two things you might encounter hand in hand at the beach during a summer evening, mix that with a bit of sun and there is bound to be some sunburned bodies going home with you tonight. This is where beach shading comes into play, including gazebos, shade huts, umbrellas and even vehicle mounted awnings that will all shield you in their own ways. An enclosed gazebo may help to keep the sand out even if the wind picks up, and it will also make a good backing for a game of beach cricket when the wind dies down. Awnings and umbrellas will certainly help to provide some much-needed beach portable shade and can be moved rather easily to suit the direction of the sunlight and where you wish to have your shade coverage. Shade sails may be used in many different formats but although super handy, are usually more of a permanent fixture so may be better suited for setting up at home as a cheaper option to create some weather protection for your backyard BBQs and parties.

Beach umbrellas have been a common item seen stretched along popular Australia beaches for decades and can create a small amount of shade to keep a couple of people, a pet and fridges out of the sun for a little while. These will probably need shuffling as the sun changes position, but they certainly look the part and make a beach day out that little bit more picturesque.

Gazebos and shade huts take a little bit of setting up but are relatively easy to manoeuvre and move around as required. Great for setting up at camp, in the backyard, in the park for a picnic or along the beach for an entire afternoon in the sun, these work out to be rather versatile and are certainly made to last. With their UPF rated coverage keeping harmful UV rays away from you and the family, you can feel comfortable knowing you’re doing as much as possible to keep the kids safe from skin problems later in life. These can be fully enclosed with roll down or detachable walls with windows and doors incorporated for ease of access, which means you can shield yourself almost 100% from the weather conditions that are on the outside. If you’re throwing a party and the weather turns sour, you’ll easily be able to roll down the walls and get comfy inside the solid structure to see out
the rest of your get together.

Awnings are usually seen hanging from one side of a 4WD and have quickly become an adventure staple for many Australians due to the ease of usage and quick packing up that comes with them. Within a few minutes of arriving at camp or to your favourite spot along the river or beach, you can have shade set up with plenty of room to walk about underneath it. Different options include wrap around awnings and simple fold out awnings which each have their own benefits and amount of free space underneath. Of course, the free-standing awnings option provides a larger surface area without needing a single pole to hold it up.

As mentioned, there are plenty of options out there, so do a little research into what your adventures may bring, and then jump on board to get your family some shading that will keep everyone happy no matter what the weather decides to do on any given day.