Carry along your own shady retreat

hether you're tailgating at a sporting event, picnicking at the beach, or laboring as a tradesman working out in the weather, there are times when you need a little shade. That's the idea behind the X Shade.

The idea for X Shade came from the auto racing track, where stand-alone, pop-up, canopy-style shelters were being blown down the pit lane by the wind. X Shade provides a 7-foot by 7-foot, umbrella-style canopy that mounts into your vehicle's trailer hitch so it won't blow away in the breeze.

The canopy is waterproof and coated with a 100-percent ultraviolet light-blocking material. Standard canopies are available in blue, red, white, silver, green, yellow or camouflage colors, or can be special ordered with corporate logos.

The X Shade weighs 30 pounds and comes in its own carrying bag. It also comes with a hitch adapter so it fits not only the standard 2-inch receiver but also the smaller 1.5-inch receivers used on some minivans and crossover vehicles.

A stand-alone receiver with an auger-type base that can be screwed into the ground will be available soon from X Shade, which is based in Alamo, Calif...

The X Shade deluxe pack includes the X Shade in your choice of color, the hitch base (pole), hitch stabilizer (a bracket that stabilizes the shade in windy conditions), a hitch pin, hitch adapter (for the 1.5-inch hitch) and carrying bag is priced at $249.95.

To order, or for more information, visit www.thexshade.com or call (925) 743-1417.

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