TENT ADVICE

Ideas, advice, tips, and tricks regarding shelter, shade, tents, and camping. Yes, this includes RV's too.
Post Reply
User avatar
TommyTheCat
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 1:33 am
Location: Tyler, Tx
Contact:

TENT ADVICE

Post by TommyTheCat » Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:42 pm

I am looking for a EXTREMELY afforable Tent (Under a hundred, if not under 50) that can with stand the Playa winds. I know the most important thing wind wise is the rebar. But just any suggestions...maybe a coleman tent from target? haha

Darby
I got ma ride...blargh!

User avatar
Apollonaris Zeus
Posts: 3716
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 11:17 am

Re: TENT ADVICE

Post by Apollonaris Zeus » Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:15 am

TommyTheCat wrote:...maybe a coleman tent from target? haha

Darby

Hehehe

Its not a joke! the most affortable tent you will find is from wal-mart. Wind resistant not unless its a high quaility tent? A cabin tent from any discount store will work, but it will rain dust. Live with it you will half made of dust anyway in first storm anyway and an RV get only slightly less dusty.

If you are talking about a cabin tent, reinforce it with rebar, but not just the at the bottom where you would normally peg it down but with two ropes going untied over the top. The ropes should be tied down only to the rebar and not to the tent itself so that the tent can move with the wind to lessen the damage that WILL happen. The purpose of the ropes is so that the tent will not become airborne in high winds and when the ocassional dustdevil comes by. I've seen dustdevils in the Black Rock spin small vehicles like a tornado.

User avatar
TommyTheCat
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 1:33 am
Location: Tyler, Tx
Contact:

Post by TommyTheCat » Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:27 am

Ya that would be my best bet. Not lookin for a cabin tent..just like a 2 person, solo but my gear and all. I just want to make sure i get a tent that will not cave in with strong wind and keep water out.Thanks!

Darby
I got ma ride...blargh!

User avatar
Tiahaar
Posts: 1142
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:13 pm
Burning Since: 2003
Camp Name: Starship Palomino
Location: Mojave Desert, CA (also Forever via Pandora)

Post by Tiahaar » Sat Jun 12, 2004 1:49 am

Hi TommyTheCat, happy tent hunting! If you can spring a bit extra or even go used a 3-4 pole dome tent (in sleeves going up and over the tent making 6 or 8 legs) with fly is great at withstanding the wind and rain and not too expensive in the 2-4 person sizes. Just set it up at home for practice, they can be tricky. Great name : )
Burning Man 2003-25; Desert Carillon, HypnoHorse, Ulaume's Chimes, Iron Native, Black Rock Solar, Portal Collective, Center Camp Café Stage and Sound Tech, 747 Project
Starship Palomino

Worthy
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 10:58 am
Location: San Francisco

Post by Worthy » Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:34 am

Hey, TommyTheCat, somebody put up a link up back in the winter for a site that sold tents that came out of the factory messed up and were then fixed up. I have been looking for this site on my own and have been unable to find it. There prices were extremely cheap for a nice tent. If someone out there knows a site like this please repost the link.

User avatar
robbidobbs
Posts: 2825
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 1:07 pm
Burning Since: 1999
Camp Name: Pottie Central
Location: LOS of the Pottie doors

Wind vs Tent

Post by robbidobbs » Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:37 pm

My best advice to you is to keep your windows/door open when you leave. Do not think that by shutting it all up, will protect the tent from the windstorms. The tent will get destroyed. Just let the air flow through it. I lost an 8 person Coleman Vagabond in 2000 that way.

I have a queen sized been in mine, and cover the volumptuous bedding with a simple king sized sheet (beige btw), and when I come home from a hard day of talking shit, simply pull back the dust covered sheet and I have a clean bed. Everything will get covered in playa, but you can't really avoid that. At least your tent will stay intact. I've seen many exploded tents out there, and once it's broken, you're SOL. I go so far as to have the door open to the prevailing winds so to keep the pressure more stable.

If you go with a high profile tent (cabin), then put rebar stakes down at all 6 points, and connect with bungee cord & hooks. You can get plastic bungee hooks at most harware stores where you get bungee by the foot. They are the bomb! And put garland or other very visible streamers on the guy-lines so people will see it in the dark.

User avatar
TommyTheCat
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 1:33 am
Location: Tyler, Tx
Contact:

Post by TommyTheCat » Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:12 pm

Thanks for all the tent advice. I found out from my ride tonight that im definitly getting picked up so im definitly going....w00t. I never thought about leaving the door open and such..good idea, minus dust, which will get every where anyway..

Darby
I got ma ride...blargh!

User avatar
Tiahaar
Posts: 1142
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:13 pm
Burning Since: 2003
Camp Name: Starship Palomino
Location: Mojave Desert, CA (also Forever via Pandora)

Post by Tiahaar » Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:14 am

Yay for your ride!

OK here's a tent I'm going to go check out today at Sears, a 9x9 Eiger Swiss Gear dome tent on Father's Day special for $54, looks like a good deal! If you don't have to have stand-up-inside room which cabin tents have these little domes are great and this one has rain fly and big windows for vents.
Burning Man 2003-25; Desert Carillon, HypnoHorse, Ulaume's Chimes, Iron Native, Black Rock Solar, Portal Collective, Center Camp Café Stage and Sound Tech, 747 Project
Starship Palomino

silvergirl
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri May 14, 2004 5:07 am

Post by silvergirl » Sun Jun 13, 2004 8:09 pm

i tented it two years ago, and it worked fine. we left the door/windows down (with the screnes up), and kept the fly off durning the day, with a large piece of fabric strung up over, and a bit beyond, that way the tent could breathe but there was also shade to reduce the sun factor, then at night we put back the fly for heat retention purposes. We also used our full water jugs to keep the edges of the tent out as wide as possible

s

User avatar
unjonharley
Posts: 10434
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:05 am
Burning Since: 2001
Camp Name: Elliot's naked bycycel repair
Location: Salem Or.

Post by unjonharley » Sun Jun 13, 2004 9:01 pm

How about if your going to car and tent it. Buy one of those extra large silver tarps. Drive the wheels on one side of the car onto the edge of the tarp. Set your tent up on the lee side of the car. Then bring the tarp over the car and tent. Have a couple of poles to hold the tarp up over the the tent.
Place the car on the west side. Try it at home K? Tarp about 30$
I'm the contraptioneer your mother warned you about.

Post Reply

Return to “Building Camps”