Our last trip out our REI Alcove met with a damaging windstorm in the desert, ripping the fabric in one corner where the tie-down cord attaches. I tied it down directly to the canopy frame for the rest of the outing and that worked until we got home. I repaired the fabric cover at home by sectioning that corner and re-stiching, reusing the binding material. It appears to be good, we will see when the next big wind comes along.
I also purchased another complete Alcove off eBay, it came from a Goodwill store in Washington state. It cost less than I paid for the original one and is in great shape except for a little rust on the poles where they join. I cleaned up the rust and put on some rust inhibitor, I have it in storage as a backup. Check eBay, they do come up occasionally, as well as some parts.
We really like the Alcove, it is minimalist while providing good cover, easy to carry, setup and tear down, we have two windwalls (three now, as the eBay one had a wall too), and a large mosquito net that we can use in buggy places. I really haven't seen a canopy solution I like better.
I also purchased another complete Alcove off eBay, it came from a Goodwill store in Washington state. It cost less than I paid for the original one and is in great shape except for a little rust on the poles where they join. I cleaned up the rust and put on some rust inhibitor, I have it in storage as a backup. Check eBay, they do come up occasionally, as well as some parts.
We really like the Alcove, it is minimalist while providing good cover, easy to carry, setup and tear down, we have two windwalls (three now, as the eBay one had a wall too), and a large mosquito net that we can use in buggy places. I really haven't seen a canopy solution I like better.
