Vehicle-Attached Windbreak

[carbon60]

Just came across a really old photo of a guided one-night trip into the Egyptian desert. The guide used a cloth with sewn-in batons to block the wind, leaning it on, and securing it to, the vehicle:

Does anyone know if that has a specific term?

Anyone built something similar?

I'm now thinking about it, had some seriously windy days where it would have been very useful.

A.

 

[Herbie]

Not sure about the vehicle-mounting aspect, but I know these are very common in the UK and other places where wind and weather is often more of a factor than in the places I camp. They're generally just known as "Windbreaks", I think:
http://www.wightsails.com/recycling-sails/windbreaks-for-camping/

Looking at travel journals from some of my UK friends, caravan parks sometimes look like condo-communities all walled off with these things!

Lots of pros and cons for sure, but I'll admit such things would have been helpful here and there!

 

[carbon60]

They're generally just known as "Windbreaks", I think:

That's too simple. I was hoping for something along the lines of "Berber desert wall"! :sombrero:

But yeah, I think I need to sew one up.

How do the spikes do in? Are they separate from the poles?

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Lots of bag awnings are available with optional sidewalls. Look at Hannibal, EZ-Awn, ARB, Fiamma, etc. Or maybe an oversized bag awning that deploys to the ground, maybe with cables and stakes.

 

[carbon60]

Lots of bag awnings are available with optional sidewalls. Look at Hannibal, EZ-Awn, ARB, Fiamma, etc. Or maybe an oversized bag awning that deploys to the ground, maybe with cables and stakes.

I actually have a bag awning with "walls", but they are a complete room and a windbreak would be longer and simpler to erect.

A.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

a windbreak would be longer and simpler to erect.

You could probably mount a telescoping tube above your bag awning, with the tube extending toward the front of the truck and some way to stabilize that end. The tube would allow you to attach the top of the wall and then run cables out to stakes to anchor the outboard ends. The cables could thread through grommets in the fabric wall. Check some of the awning shops that make slide-on-wire sunshades and awnings for houses and restaurants and such. Some of them make up sliding awnings with aluminum boat-top components that would probably work on a truck.

 

[rayra]

Might I suggest sewing your own? It would be easy.
http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...eas-for-a-lightweight-compact-flexible-design

There's also a vehicle attachment point idea in there that might be useful.

As for batons or stiffeners, it would be easy to sew them into the wall, you just fold your fabric at the intervals you want the reinforcements on and sew a simple seam to form a topic, as on a tent or rain fly. Use a fiberglass rod, wood dowel, PVC pipe, 1/2" EMT, whatever. Sharpen one end and you could pound them into the ground to anchor the bottom of your windbreak. Run a cord thru the top ends from anchor to anchor to keep the wall up. A little creativity in laying it out with kinks or an angle and some diagonal stays to ground stakes and it could be self supporting, no high anchors needed.