REI Alcove Feedback

We have one, and with the walls up it kept us dry in heavy rain last summer. It is a little flimsy and you need to be aware of the wind, but ours did not blow away. Without the walls, the shade is minimal if the sun is lower in the sky. The walls do cost extra, but its handy to be able to put up a wall in one corner if that's where the wind is coming from.

We have one, but use it exclusively for car camping. The canopy/wall material is nice, but the poles are steel and heavy and bag is large. If you are looking at it for the river, I would say it is probably not the best option, but wouldn't be the worst. It is great for car camping if you have the space to transport it. It fared well in high wind, as long as you stow the walls during gusty periods.

Kelty Noah's tarp. I set it up in the yard and it's awesome packs down to nothing and poles are optional. 99 bucks.


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I have an Alcove, and second the notion that it is relatively bulky and heavy. Still it is easy to setup, and fairly stable. Be prepared for extra anchorage in windy conditions. I also have a Noahs tarp and a 12x20 blue all-purpose tarp that I rig over a ridge line. The blue tarp has seen the most use, and probably provided more shelter when really needed.

I also have the Alcove, including an extra panel. It's a decent option. Fairly sturdy, but comes at the price of bulk and weight as others have said. I just bough a new sun shade made by Big Agnes (Three Forks Shelter) because it's more,like a tent in terms of setup. And because I like Big Agnes products. Haven't used it yet though, so can't really compare to the Alcove. Alcove is a good value though, comparatively speaking on price.