SIMPLY TENTS!

[5DLightworker]

Hi! I'm heading out to BRC for the first time. I have a small backpacking tent that's great, but it's tiny for a home. I was looking into a shiftpod mini, which seems more spacious, but I've read a few accounts of shiftpods that they are a bit too sauna-like without AC, which I don't think is possible with the mini.

Does anyone have experience, good or bad, with the shiftpod mini?

Or any advice on a decent tent? I'd like some space inside, and temp is an issue... not sue if daytime napping will be possible in anything tho...

Thank you!

[lucky420]

For the price, I’d rather go for a smaller Kodiak and shade that or add the figjam cooler. The 9x8 or 10x10. They even have an 8.5x6.

[Token]

I’ll give you great advice if you tell me more about how you use your tent and what needs it must meet.

While I wait for your reply, I’ll tell you how I used to tent at BM back in the day …

I’m a big time extrovert with a deplorable excess of personality. I need zero privacy, have no shame. This is an important point for deciding on accommodation.

My tent strategy which was rather successful:

Get minimum 2 tents. The cheaper, the better.

One that is 3-4 season and can be fully zipped up and all mesh ventilation stuff closed and sealed to minimize dust - that one is for sleeping. Small is good for that one.

Second super cheapie to store stuff and be a “domicile”, for some modicum of privacy.

This setup is a solid foundation you can build on.

You’re second point: Temperature and napping during the day in the tent … you won’t be doing that unless we have a freaky cold year like 1999 when everyone froze their tush off.

Unless you are gearing up to build a 100% shade that can cover your sleeping tent completely, by ~ 9:00 or 10:00 am every tent out there without AC of some kind is an oven.

Even in full shade, tents trap heat by design. You are a 200W heater trapped in a small space, heating that very efficient heat trap tent from the inside. No escaping the physics.

What you really want to focus on; have some kind of shade with a good flow of air, then park a real comfortable beach chair, cot, something good and yummy for napping.

That’s where the magic happens. After a day of altitude sickness, couple long nights of jaw-dropping amazement, your body reconciling the desiccation and rehydration rollercoaster … you finally get that legendary power nap where you layer think “I never slept so good in my life”

So, to sum it up, two tents, one small 4-season for sleeping on the nights where you say - I gotta skip tonight and get some sleep. Second tent for a living room. Shade for your napping chair.

[5DLightworker]

Thanks! The two-tent solution is an intriguing idea!
In terms of how I will be "using" my tent, I am coming to BRC solo and will be part of a larger camp. So it's really just my own quarters, for sleeping mostly, and I'd like something big enough so that I can store things. And yes to ventilation!

[Elorrum]

What do you want to spend, and how big a pile are you going to store, and transport? Any tightly staked and guyed out tent with the least open mesh, and a full coverage rainfly all the way around to near the ground works well to keep inside less dusty. I saw this tent online, and the photo might be deceiving but it looks like it has very little mesh, and only $30. https://www.sierra.com/avalanche-outdoo ... d~228%2FIt made me think of burning man, and last minute camping possibilities. for a storage tent, it might could work. Some camps like to have a tent for Bob, the guy who is never there. (you could clip a bit of blanket on the mesh.) Day sleeping, or late sleeping will be difficult without shade. If you are comfortable in a small tent, a small shade shelter wouldn't be an expensive addition. I've seen just a flat piece of shade cloth pitched at about 45 degrees on the morning sun side of a small tent with two poles, and guy lines. If you have a donor structure near, maybe angled down from a car roof? between two cars? something tight, not flappy. Neso is making beach shade shelters that are stretchy material, I wonder how'd theyd handle playa wind. I like things that end up fitting in my apartment closet, have a couple Kelty tripods, good head room, and put a chair in the corner that is flexing down in the wind. A six person tent that you can stand in can come in under $200. That and a regular height cot was my final luxury for camping. Then I have a separate shade for my lounge, kitchen and day napping.

[Drizzt321]

They only do ordering once a year, but the No Bake Tent is pretty great. Packs down relatively small, probably about the size of a Kodiak or so, and is basically a double tent. Exterior silvered shell, with a top vent and cover, and inner tent with small rear vestibule and large front vestibule. Spacious and roomy.

However at this point, Kodiak or the cheapo 2 tent system, or 1 moderate sized tent that doesn't get too tall. And make sure to get some 14+" lags to keep it down firmly.

[Lonesomebri]

The year of the RV plea

rvtent.jpg

[Elorrum]

Don’t forget the generator you need,
To charge the impact driver batteries,
To drive the lag screws,
to stake down your kodiak or shift pod.

I knew an old lady who swallowed a lag screw.