shadecloth

I bought some shadecloth before going FT and finally deployed it this weekend.

It’s commonly available in 90% and 80% shade, with 90% being more popular.  80% might be happier in very windy situations, although even 90% is much easier to deal with in wind than a normal tarp.

I wanted shadecloth because I work on the galley end at the side sliding door.  If sun comes through at all it burns people and overheats equipment quickly.  I smoked an inverter that way, and nothing was plugged into it.  I had it laying in the sun and turned it on…. pop!  Unfortunately the fuse was soldered to the board instead of being easily replaceable.  Note to self….

The brutal sun, I suspect, is due to the reduced attenuation of sunlight through air at these 4000’+ altitudes.  It’s really noticeable.

If I’m parking for a couple of areas I’ll arrange it so the slider is on the shaded side.  But if I am emplaced somewhere (or want to be parked in a given direction for some reason) the shadecloth really reduces the sun.  After putting up the  shadecloth my black laptop does not get warm at all.

The cloth stretched a good bit in the first few hours, requiring guy cord adjustment every so often.