I have a ______ tent: does anyone forsee problems with it?

[Zhust]

I can see this being a useful discussion about various ways to keep yourself inside something when you sleep.

Last year I took a (or is it "an"?) Eureka Getaway II and it worked great. It has two fiberglass shock cords to form a dome that would be barely large enough for two people. It's designed to be staked down on the four corners with small spikes through rings that also hold the ends of the fiberglass shock cords. The only thing I did different from the manufacturer is to use 18-inch long half-inch rebar through the rings at an angle. I also installed the rain fly and kept it on the whole time. I had a nuisance-level of dust (i.e. it wasn't like the inside of my home, but it also wasn't like sanding drywall in there.)

This year I picked up a "traditional" two-pole tent ... kind of like a big pup-tent: it's 7' wide and 9' long with the peak of the roof being about 6'. It looks a bit like this:

Code: Select all

         |--- 9'---|
___      .__________. 
 |      /|\          \
 |     / | \          \
 6'   /  |  \          \
 |   /|  |  |\.__.__.__.\
 |    |  |  |          |
_|_   |__|__|.__.__.__.|

      |- 7'-|

It's made of green nylon and has cloth tabs with small rings around the base (one on each corner, one under the poles at each end, and two more in the middle of the 9' sides.) The roof extends past the walls on each side and has 4 strings on each side (noted with dots) to keep the sides vertical.

I intend to use 300 pound rated cinching straps to hold the tops of the poles down, two on each end (at the dots on the roof) moored to rebar spikes. The outer strings on the corners of the roofline will be tied to these spikes. I'll add two more rebar spikes along the long edges in the middle and moor the two central strings from the roof to them. I think it will be sufficient to use basic thin 6" camp spikes (the metal ones with a hook) to tie down the floor -- there will be 10 of them around the perimeter, as noted by dots on the diagram with 1 more under each pole.

So has anyone used such a tent? Should I add more rebar? Should I just leave it home because it's going to get completely ruined?

Thanks a bunch in advance ...

[StevenGoodman]

It will probably work fine, assuming the material is strong enough. You have the correct concept of lots connections to the ground. But you probably want something better than the useless little 6" things, but you don't need rebar; use 9" steel stakes, or so.

Tent cabins work fine. Springbar tents are great on the playa (or anywhere), but expensive.

[dragonfly Jafe]

Does it have zippered window covers / completely seal up? If not, dust WILL get inside when the wind blows. Many tents these days are really just mesh with a rainfly on top. If yours is one of these, consider bringing a small tarp to cover your stuff (bed) with as you leave - that way, when you return, your stuff isn't under a layer of fine dust.

Also bring some extra rope/cord and stakes (at least 12" long). When you see which way the winds blow morning/night, you can add a little reinforcement tie-down.

[eigenstates]

Hexagon, like espresso camp. 5' emt tubing struts connected with the 120 deg. roof connectors from shelter systems (car port stuff). The roof will be 6 crossed and bowed pvc- like a dome. Covering of canvas drop cloths with grommets and attached to the poles. canvas for the roof too.

Hell, I could make a tipi style roof out of the pvc and get the eves I originally wanted.

I suppose I will have to prevent the twist and fall by anchoring or wire cross bracing(with twisty adjusters) between the poles. Which?