We used the sunshade to provide shade for our picnic table while camping in the Sierra at about 5500 ft. The sunshade provides a good amount of shade, but that doesn't mean it is cool underneath. It seems to transmit a great deal of the sun's heat. A shady campsite is preferred.

On the plus side, for its size it is quite compact, easy to put up, and when properly staked it is good in a breeze.

We bought this specifically for use at the beach after reading the reviews. We put it to the test at Hilton Head island and I was immediately disappointed. Now we did have a decent, steady wind coming across the beach, but my experience with past Kelty products told me that this sunshade should have been fine.

We set it up, and staked it out at all corners, including the guy lines. Within a few minutes of getting it set up, the wind was flexing the poles so bad they bent inwards, collapsing the canopy. Rotating the whole thing so it would face different directions did nothing. After reading other reviews here I'm surprised the poles didn't snap, that seems to happen frequently with this product.

What's sad is that a lot of other people were using those square canopies with the four aluminum legs that stand straight up like you buy at Dicks Sporting Goods or Wal-Mart for $50. They weren't having any issues with the wind, and there I was with my fancy Kelty sheepishly stuffing it back into the bag. It would have been nice if it had held up, temps were in the upper 90's all week.

I'm returning this product as I don't have much use for something that can't take a normal wind load.

Works great on the beach on nonwindy days. I thought is was fairly easy to set up, but having a helper helps. It will sit over a picnic table pretty well too if you are car camping. Fairly compact when broken down.

Do not buy this if you expect it to last more than one season. It was great the first season--oh by the way, we used it for only two weeks during the season. One of the poles cracked during the second season and we sent it back for a replacement. Instead, Kelty 'fixed' the pole rather than replacing it. Imagine our surprise this year when we arrived at the beach and discovered that the pole was now about 6" longer than the others, making the tent unusable. We called Kelty to get a replacement pole and were told that they were out of stock and also, that they could not take my name and call me when the new poles arrive--they don't do back orders. Extremely poor customer service and product!

The sunshade is easy to set-up and does a great job of shielding its occupants from the sun without baking them via the hothouse effect that some shelters cause. Mine is very durable and has lasted years. Buy the large, the meduim is too small to stand under. Here are the downsides. 1. it is a bit short, i think it is designed for sitting under. 2. The poles are a little on the weak side. Other than those two issues, it works great. I like the irregular design because that allows you to but it up against trees or other fixed objects.

found it hard to get setup alone - It works well after setup,but the poles can be difficult to get out of the hooks once up.

This is great to keep in the car. I pulled it out after a bike race last week and we fit a bunch of sweaty cyclists under it. It is hard to stand under though and watch what is going on so I may need to make some extension poles for it. (I only have the medium.)

I used the Kelty Sunshade when camping in hot, sunny conditions in the desert. It was so nice to escape the sun! We had the medium size, and fit 6 people in chairs set right next to each other along the shady edges. Some sort of side wall or two would be nice, as when the sun is at certain angles it comes in from the sides it doesn't provide all that much shade. Most of us had to duck slightly to get under the medium, but we were very happy to have it. The sunshade sets up really easily, and has a nice simple design. Winds were pretty calm, and we had no problems with it blowing around, and we staked only the bottoms of the poles, not the extra lines coming off of it. This sunshade is nice and simple, and gets the job done. Much better than no shade at all!

Finally broke this out and love it. Had a big backyard party over the weekend and decided to provide some shade for the food. It unexpectedly began to rain. We moved the tables in a little closer and there was still room for a handful of guests to sit at one of the tables and eat. I got the large and am glad I did since it allowed all of the tall guys to walk right in and stand without hitting heads or ducking. I also got the extra wall that is sold separately, which provided shade when the afternoon sun finally reemerged. I debated between this and a car shade and am glad I got this since it is more versatile.

good product