[Summer2023] Back in early June I did a 7 day around-Georgian-Bay trip, with camping stops at Manitoulin, Killarney and Killbear. The scenery was awesome but the conditions were horribly buggy, plus a bout of rain added to the mix, and more than once I was feeling so glad I made the choice I did for a shelter to accompany my little Teardrop camper.

Awning, tent, or canopy? Attached or freestanding? What’s best?!? More on my particular preference at the end but, first, here are some factors to consider:

Function

Most important is determining what is it you want the shelter to do for you, and what is it that you plan to do in the shelter: Do you need the it to keep you dry, be a refuge from bugs, offer privacy? Do you plan to use it for cooking, eating, sitting/lounging? Storing stuff? Perhaps for changing clothes? Or even using a portable toilet or showering?

Size & Layout

This goes hand-in-hand with function. What kind of footprint, and interior height/headspace, is ideal? For a walled shelter (whether screen or solid), how many door(s) does it have and where would they be located relative to the Teardrop?

Set-up/Take-down

How simple or complicated is the shelter to erect and to pack up (esp with one person)? And how long does it take to accomplish these two operations? If camping with a partner, how much risk is there to your relationship when assembling it together? Okay, just kidding on that; well, sort of—some of those old-style screen tents with metal poles in many pieces should come with a coupon for couples counselling services.

Cost

What kind of money are you willing to spend? Which, in part, depends on quality and how many years you want to get out of it. (If you want cheap, use a plain old tarp, or modify a tent fly.)

Aesthetics

Do you prefer a shelter that looks like it complements your Teardrop, as though it were custom made for it? And would you like to have the shelter directly attached, or abutted to, the Teardrop such that it is effectively an extension of the interior trailer space?

Alternate Uses

Seeing as you’re spending money to buy a shelter, perhaps for a Teardrop trailer you may not use that often, do you want the shelter to be flexible enough you can use it for other purposes?

As you might guess reading through this list, there really isn’t any one “best” shelter option. It’s all about personal preference and priorities, which be in part be a reflection of how, and where, you tend to go Teardropping. But being clear on your intended function, as well as the distinction between what you must have and what you might like to have in the considerations above, will help you make a good choice.

My Own Teardrop Shelter Choice

For me, the must-have priorities were that I wanted something that kept out both rain and bugs… so it needed to be walled rather than an awning or canopy. And I wanted something that went up and down simply, and fast… being in the pouring rain, in the midst of heavy bugs, or in the dark (or combination thereof!) and having to fiddle around for 10 or 15 minutes or more setting it up and adjusting lines, poles or whatever doesn’t sound appealing. Likewise for take-down.

I’d be using it mainly just as comfortable space out of the rain or bugs to sit or eat, and ideally there would be some way to make it private. I was willing to spend a few hundred dollars for something decent but certainly not more than $500 (CDN). I didn’t really care that much about whether it attached to the trailer but I did want it to be able to be in close proximity to it.

My solution, after a lot of research and probably too much thought, was a pop-up screen tent which had the option of (additional purchase) privacy panels which attach with Velcro over the screens. The model & brand I chose uses a gazebo shape, which has good structural stability, and has a clever mechanism that allows me to get it from carrying case to completely set-up in about 90 seconds (no exaggeration) and a bit less to put it all away.

Once up, it is easy to shimmy it around to the desired location which, for me, is usually with the screen tent door close to and between galley and trailer side door. The only thing which would have made it even better would be 2 entrances, though with this kind of pop-up design I doubt it would be structurally possible.

So, that’s how I do things with my Teardrop Trailer but by no means the full story or the best way. What about you? Add your own methods, ideas and experiences using the comment box below for the benefit of all readers.