Light-Colored Tarps for Sun?

[NJHeart2Heart]

What a conundrum:

Dark Tarp pitched low: hot in sun gloomy on a gloomy day and/or distorted colors
Dark Tarp pitched low: nicely and slightly warmer in cool sunny weather.
Dark Tarp pitched high: cooler in sun some loss of wind and rain protection

Light Tarp pitched low: hotter in sun nice light neutral color inside on a gloomy day
Light Tarp pitched high: not cool in sun some loss of wind and rain protection

I really wanted a neutral gray tarp just for the light inside.

And that's why I'm about to buy another so I have both LOL!

[Virtualbotanist]

I fold back my tarp and stuff my quilts between the folds. It insulates, so no radiation passes through. I leave some quilt sticking out, so hot air can get out and it doesn't start brooding between the folds when the quilts could be damp.
sunshade tarp.jpg
last week in the Italian Alps near the Mediterranean. 38 C (100 F)

I carry a huge 3.5 x 3.5 meter (11' 5") DD Hammocks heavy duty tarp so I can park my bike under it, but it should work with any size tarp in any pitch.
Motor porch.jpg
my motor porch last week in Chamonix - Mont Black

[keg]

I wonder if a Mylar space blanket placed over the top of the tarp would make any difference?

I've essentially done that with an emergency tarp with one side reflective as a sun tarp. Was significantly cooler underneath on hot stagnant day.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/0199-1...rgency-Blanket

[GeneH]

I set up my gray 1.1 silnylon 10 x 10 tarp into A-frame Saturday, and compared inside temp to a nice open shaded area. The peak was about 4 ft and the sides had a 4-6 inch gap to the ground. My thermometer was a REI zipper pull, seems always within 2 deg of any thing I compare it to. The ambient shade temp was 83 deg F. Inside the tarp it was 93 deg F. The zipper pull thermometer was centered, about 2 feet off the grass inside the tarp. Saturday was pretty hot and muggy, the slight breeze was to the side, not flowing through the ends.


(Update: I listed the thermometer because I have no confidence in accuracy or readability. But at least it shows a relative difference of about 10 deg)