minimum shelter

akatom · Post by **akatom** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:20 pm

This will be my first year. I plan on camping solo Monday-Thursday. On Thursday I drive back to Reno to pick up a friend from the airport; he is bringing "some kind of tent". Space will be tight for me--I am also flying--so I want minimal shelter. This is an idea that I love:

Super Simple No Brainer For One or Two People With a Vehicle

Do experienced burners use this technique? I naively wonder, "what about late-night 40 mph windstorms and whiteouts?" Dust and cold don't bother me too much, and I don't want private space, but Burning Man is an new environment and I have no intuition to trust... If I have to, I might buy or build (anyone with spare billboard vinyl?) a small pup tent and keep myself off the ground with a cot.

I want all week to wander about the city and playa to randomly encounter friendly people and strange art, and strange people, and belligerent art. And loud music. And glowing robots that distribute popsicles and cold drinks. Do they have those? Do I need to make one?

[/Tom]

EvilDustBooger · Post by **EvilDustBooger** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:32 pm

It looks like it might work in a pinch for shade, but you might want to get closed into a nice tight tent to sleep in so you don`t breath in a lot of dust.
A little tent would be cheap and smart for the time before your friends show up.
Then you can use the "extra" tent for costumes, visitors, etc....

montana wildhack · Post by **montana wildhack** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:36 pm

I want all week to wander about the city and playa to randomly encounter friendly people and strange art, and strange people, and belligerent art. And loud music. And glowing robots that distribute popsicles and cold drinks. Do they have those? Do I need to make one?

I've got my heart set on loud, belligerent robots distributing glowing drinks! See you there!

phil · Post by **phil** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 7:28 pm

I've known people who slept under canopies. One guy had a tent as back up, but the other just set his bed in his shade structure and didn't pitch a tent.

Here's the catch: In many years, no problem. Occasionally, though, there are serious dust storms. Very, very heavy winds, very, very heavy dust. A couple of years ago, we had a one-hour storm, and we literally couldn't see the ground -- and we were standing on it. BLM said visibility was four feet. Other years there were dust storm after dust storm, although not as bad as that one, but they really piled on, one after another. It was worse, because they just didn't stop. You'd get a break and think, Ah, at last! and then another would blow through.

My suggestion is a small tent for one or two persons just as a back up. I suggest that at Burning Man we always need a backup. You may think dust doesn't bother you, but you haven't had the alkalai playa powder in every thing you own. Yet. :->

Oh, and if you want a glowing robot, bring it yourself. It's about self-reliance. Whatever you want, it's up to you to supply. You absolutely will encounter friendly people, belligerent people, friendly art, strange art, and belligerent music. Welcome home, Tom.

akatom · Post by **akatom** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:09 pm

A backup tent.. good idea. All of my outdoor experience is on the east coast in the shade of the Appalachian Mtn. forests. I like the idea of having backups for worst case scenarios (dust, heat, cold, water), but not bringing them out if nothing goes bad.

I decided to come too late to make the remote controlled cooler with video uplink; naked attendance is my goal this year (figuratively? sure. literally? sure). If I come back, I have ideas about telerobotics that would be fun to share.

thank you for your advice,

[/Tom]

(hmm.. cheap RC car + glowsticks + duct tape + beer = a good start)

phil · Post by **phil** » Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:57 pm

(hmm.. cheap RC car + glowsticks + duct tape + beer = a good start)

Excellent!

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:43 pm

Just take your sleeping bag here:

They have all kinds of comfy couches and cold/hot drinks are served 24hours. If anyone gives you any shit about being there just mumble something about "getting to know the stranger" then tell them to fuck off!
[/img]

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:03 pm

Chai Guy! You're getting a touch snippy these days?

Actually I do share most of the um sentiments in your tagline, though perhaps in a gentler vein heheh. (Radical Self Reliance is still alive and well if not universal on the playa)

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:34 am

Chai Guy! You're getting a touch snippy these days?

"Luke..... I am.... your FAH-ther"

akatom · Post by **akatom** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 5:23 am

One person's radial self-reliance is another persons who are you and why are you drinking my beer.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Jul 31, 2005 9:16 am

Our poster is asking for a little help guys. She would be welcome to share a bit of my shade. All you would have to do is ask on this board. Some of our burnettes would help out RIGht?