Yurt sealed and Dust free

[hippyDdoc]

I would like to place my stretch hexayurt (12x8) foot print on a Persian rug which is larger than the yurt.
What ideas out there to seal the yurt for dust free living?
Tape, (what type) expanding foam, cut carpet , other fantastic ideas????

[Captain Goddammit]

First, most dust-free discussions are met with "can't be done, just live with the dust" replies...
It can be done to a pretty good extent. One of my tricks, if you have power, is to use an old Rainbow vacuum cleaner. They have a bowl of water that acts as the filter and they do a pretty decent job of taking dust out of the air. Sometimes I turn mine on and just leave it running a while when I'm outside. Some dust always gets in but that works pretty well to clean it up.
Other than that, you're on the right track, it's all about the sealing job.
I can't advise what to use because I don't have a yurt.

[mullenc525]

As long as you didn't set up on a dune, the playa is really flat. The thickness of the rug may act as an effective seal with the yurt firmly staked to it.

[burner von braun]

Have you considered that if it rains, your rug might get saturated and wick water into the yurt. It might take quite a while to dry out inside there. If it were me, I think I would find a way to keep the rug entirely within the confines of your yurt. Use tarp as a subfloor, tape that, and place the rug over it. Then perhaps use a clever idea like the Capt. just suggested to clear the air inside at times throughout the week if you feel the need. Sounds nice though, good luck.

[theCryptofishist]

Persian rug? Is it authentic? Because it would have to be pretty ratty for me to take to the playa. And then I'd cut it...

[TomServo]

Dust free living..

[Mojojita]

It certainly does rain on the playa and if your rug extends past the walls of your yurt you will have a mess not just from water wicking under the walls but from seepage from below.

[SouthernExposure]

I'm with BVB on this. I would reconsider the Persian rug though. Get carpet remnants, piece some together if necessary, and cut it so that it will be able to run up the interior walls about 1' on each side, like a bathtub bottom on a tent. This will help reduce, but not totally eliminate dust blowing in and it keeps the carpet from automatically getting soaked if it rains.

Cheers.

SE

[lucky420]

We put our yurt on a plastic tarp. The tarp is larger than the yurt so that we can tape the excess tarp up to the outside of the yurt walls (except for where the door is). You can then put your rug on the tarp floor inside the yurt. I cant imagine any tape that would really stick to the carpet and yurt very well. Its just to dusty causing the tape to come undone or not stick very well to begin with

[hippyDdoc]

Awesomeness ideas, our thought was to place the yurt under a camp tarp, to reduce the heat and rain elements, (haven't figured how to post a pic) also to place the yurt on a wood flooring to lift directly off the playa, (question here, will this reduce the benifit of the ground..heat and cooling). yes I realize I cannot eliminate all the magical dust but moreover reduce what comes in to out sleeping/chill space.

I posted as this question came up as we did a camp dry run setup, ie first year for our yurt for this non burvirgin. Please keep the ideas flowing, and thanks.

[lucky420]

the ground inside the yurt (under the tarp) stays pretty cool because it is always shaded by the yurt itself. To me wood flooring just seems like a pain in the ass to bring. I dont use a carpet inside my yurt, just the tarp floor. With the tarp floor I can take a garden sprayer and mist down the floor and kind of mop up the excess dust if I feel the need .

You do know that you can't escape the dust so you might as well embrace it. It's not that bad, really...

[FIGJAM]

Don't try too hard to seal up against the dust!

I did that with the playa pod and the first night I woke up gasping.

Tried to light a cigarette and my lighter would'nt light so I thought it was out of fluid.

THERE WAS NO DAMN AIR IN THE POD!

Opened the window and the door and the lighter and I were fine.

[Token]

You can seal stuff pretty good using common sense techniques. That is not a problem.

The big issue is the crap you track in. Your feet and clothing will bring in quite a bit with you and your guests. Second biggest culprit is the cursed backpack, water pack, whatever it is you lug around all day.

The key is to have a good entry pad, and one big enough where you can dust off and ditch the footware. A chair or two and places to store stuff is mighty handy.

And ultimately, clean whenever you can.

[Savannah]

Don't try too hard to seal up against the dust!

I did that with the playa pod and the first night I woke up gasping.

Tried to light a cigarette and my lighter would'nt light so I thought it was out of fluid.

THERE WAS NO DAMN AIR IN THE POD!

Opened the window and the door and the lighter and I were fine.

Jesus, Figjam!

[hippyDdoc]

Thanks again for the comments, finally figured out the pics, got the pics up whahooooo, must of been the phone.
I have to second savannah comment, figjam, what the hell you trying to do to yourself (suffication chamber) cause you got this playa shit all figured out. I thank you on the yurt figjam cooler thingy, positive pressure should help to keep out some of the magic playa dust out.
I do like the plastic floor layer and roll over the exterior sides and tape, from 420

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[FIGJAM]

Well, you see, I was so focused on keeping the dust out that I did'nt realize that it would also keep the air out.

The space is 6'x6'x8', and I did'nt think I could use up the air in a single night, or that I had done such a good job just to keep the dust out.

[Oldguy]

vent snorkel

[trilobyte]

As others have suggested, you'll never get truly dust free. It's all about tolerances. The setup you're describing will likely get you into the high 90% range (at least until the first dust storm where something wasn't closed). The steps you take beyond that will require lots more work and not improve the situation by much. You should be fine, and six months from now you'll look off into the distance wistfully and think about how much you miss it

[Captain Goddammit]

Everything Trilo just said is exactly right.
My camper is kept 90% dust free... but my boat is wide open and gets playa-trashed.
Sometimes months later some friends come over and we just sit in it, still playa-dust caked, have some PBR, and pretend we're on the playa.

[deal]

Hi folks it will be my first burn and am part of an Australian based camp. I intend on building a Yurt of kinds and have also thought about; sealing/ dust free, cooling, air & other.
I have seen YouTube info to seal the floor with an oversized tarp folded up the outside walls then taped to the walls so I would think the carpet would be best cut to the same size of the inner dimensions of the walls/ floor area and sitting ontop of the tarp.
Dust free? Well once there I guess all the dust is free? Don't have to pay for it right?

So to help reduce the dust floating around inside the yurt I'm thinking of using a negative ion generator. I believe these charge the floating particles so that they stick to the surfaces within the structure rather than leaving them airborne.

The other ways I'm thinking is;
1/ As someone else here suggests be vigilant about keeping clean of dust before entering.
2/ positive pressure... Evaporative cooler is a great way pumping air from outside to the inside. My concerne with this is how to filter the air adequately so your not just blowing in the dust from outside?
I'm thinking wrapping the outside in filter paper.

Hope this helps a little and ...I'd like to connect with anyone here I can who may live in Sanfransisco or Reno who are yet to build their yurt this year that I/ our camp could somehow integrate for purchasing materials and a space to prepare them in the days prior to the burn.

[FIGJAM]

Evap coolers wash the air as it comes in and helps prevent dust.

No filter needed.

[Canoe]

...building a Yurt of kinds ...
So to help reduce the dust floating around inside the yurt I'm thinking of using a negative ion generator. I believe these charge the floating particles so that they stick to the surfaces within the structure rather than leaving them airborne....
2/ positive pressure... Evaporative cooler is a great way pumping air from outside to the inside. My concerne with this is how to filter the air adequately so your not just blowing in the dust from outside?
I'm thinking wrapping the outside in filter paper....

Just to be a little more forward than FIGJAM, and very clear:

Using the recommended pads for FIGJAM's DIY swamp-coolers means they are also a wetted particle filter - the incoming cooled air is also cleaned air. The pads are cleaned of dust by the pumped water flow, maintaining effective evaporation. If there's a lot of dust blowing around BRC that year, you might have to scoop some of that washed off dust out of the bottom of the swamp cooler sometime during the week. When the swamp-cooler is not running, as the pump isn't washing the pad with water, a strong wind may manage to blow some dusty air through to the inside. As long as you haven't left anything that can be ruined by some dust sitting out while you're away from your yurt (and I'm sure you won't...), the bit of dust that may get in won't matter, due to the next point...

Good thinking, but you don't need an ion generator. Dust hanging in the air gets exhausted when the air its hanging in is pushed out the exhaust vent by the swamp-cooler's incoming clean cool air. So while policing dust coming in on clothes, shoes & feet helps, you don't have to be radical about it.

The swamp-cooler's fan is pushing its cleaned cooled moist air into the shelter. You need an exhaust vent for the shelter to allow the hot air inside the shelter to be pushed out by the incoming cool air. Without such a vent, the cool air resists being blown in, and that airflow is required for evaporative cooling to take place.

If the intake for the exhaust vent is located high up in the shelter, then you'll be exhausting the hottest air (remember hot air rises).

The exhaust vent can be closeable or one-way, to prevent hot air & dust entry when the swamp-cooler is not running (or driven in by wind). Some use a manual door that they put over or close when the swamp-cooler isn't running, and particularly when they're away from their shelter so a dust storm can't blow hot dusty air inside. A one-way vent is more convenient as it's one less thing to do and you don't have to think about it. Some use or make a light weight flap (clothes-drier vent type flap); others like using a furnace filter on the exhaust; others use an upside down “U” tube or a downward aimed 90 degree tube to discourage air blowing in, which also conveniently ignore rain.

[dragonpilot]

Speaking of exhausting the warm air using the evap cooler...I wonder if the baby blanket I have stitched to my overhead mesh will be porous enough to allow for exhaust??

I suppose, too, that being a tent I'm not going to get the same degree of cooling as if I had a box or hexayurt...worth the trouble?

[FIGJAM]

It will work either way, but if your tent is shaded it will be even better.

If you need more venting, just unzip a window a little.

You'll be glad you brought the cooler as they amaze everyone I show them to.

[deal]

Good points thanks. Can you please steer me towards the info of the swamp cooler. Thanks

[Canoe]

FIGJAM's latest recap is here
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... 50#p947515

If you look through the posts, you see where people have gotten into trouble by deviating from his proven Playa-Tested©)'( designs.
Unless you understand the consequences of what you're doing, stick to his designs for success.

[deal]

Thanks for sharing Figjam. Sweet design and step by step.
Thinking/wondering .....
1/ If run dry with water pump switched off, will there still be a good air filtering effect?
If not, would a wrap on the outside of the bucket with partical filter paper be of value?
2/ if run 24hrs night time without water pump, positive filtered air pressure would maintain a most dust free environment inside the structure.
3/ if run just day time then a small solar panel would be perfect as it would only power it up during the day when cooling needed.
4/ thinking could get clear plastic water container say 5 or more gallons and connect to the bucket via tube to syphon fill the cooler and then just fill that container rather than lifting the lid to the cooler too often ... Just for cleaning if no filter paper installed.

[FIGJAM]

1-Yes it will filter the air with the pump off.

Any layers you add will restrict air flow and air flow is the key to a good cooler.

2-It gets cold at night, so you're better of just closing up the space.

3-Dust or clouds will drasticly effect the panels preformance.

4-With a funnel or a gallon jug you just fill through the holes in the bucket., but you can build a resivoir if you want to.