leafx wrote:spacetime, or anyone else looking/reading could you please help provide some pointers? i have weight and packing constraints due to flying into reno and burner express into BRC
Sure. Sorry for the delay, I missed your message. This can be a big obstacle. I discuss some of my effort to handle these constraints
in this thread.
i cant seem to get the ridgeline on my noah's tarp (12'x12') straight, nor does my tarp seem high/tall enough to provide enough of a small clearance or venting space between the bottom of the tarp itself and the roof of my tent(im only using a small 2 person tent, eureka apex 2xt to be exact) - how do you deal with this?? [/url]
As far as I know, you aren't really supposed to get that ridgeline straight. Or rather, there is probably not a way to do it without some elaborate rigging through the hoops. This shade is intended to have that arc downward. Do a search on youtube, there are a bunch of outdoor type dudes who show different configurations of this shade and I don't think any of them include a straight ridge as you describe.
ive practiced setting up both individually with small 10mph winds, next step is in combination and another practice in the dark
I think this is a good plan. It is kind of fun anyway, consider doing it with full gear on (goggles / filter) if you can avoid scaring people.
here are a couple pics of the shade alone
child is in there for scale, no its not mine
different angle
Looking good. As
Canoe said you need to have two guidelines per pole. As you have it here, it will blow down or if bumped fall down with a single guy. With two, the thing really can't move. How are you doing on making the guy lines adjustable? This was not something I did well last year, I instead used a simple and easy release knot at the stake. But if you can get to where you can adjust lines on the fly, this will be very helpful. They will need to be adjusted a few times a day weather and sun dependent.
im considering trading in my 2 6-foot adjustable poles for 8-foot adjustable poles, but each pole literally doubles in weight for just 2 extra feet, is it worth it? what if i dont, am i just gonna have to deal with the tarp flapping against my tent?
Maybe you want a straight ridge so you have more clearance? Ya, the real way to get more clearance is to raise the shade higher with higher poles as you are considering here. I used the Kelty adjustable poles which extend up to 99" or 8.25 feet. This was the right height for my 2 manner tent setup. Have you compared the poles you're considering with the aluminum Kelty ones? They are about $38 each. Pricey but they are light and great.
how did you keep your poles flush with the ground? my original plan before receiving my gear was to remove the bottom plug from the pole, drive in a 2-foot piece of rebar 1-foot deep into the playa, and place the pole over the rebar sticking out, but now after receiving it i cant for the life of me remove the bottom plugs... worried about wind blowing the poles around and having the whole thing collapse onto the tent but still tied down, good thing the tarp isnt heavy but there may be loose poles
I solved this by driving two smaller stakes--the ones that came with the shade (they looked
like this but silver)--into the ground next to the bottom of the poles. I then used small velcro straps to wrap around the bottom of the pole and the two tiny stakes that flanked it. Since these stakes are not really load bearing (the guy line stakes hold the thing down) and only are intended to prevent lateral (?) motion of the lower part of the pole falling, these held up incredibly well. I was able to lean my heavy all steel frame burner bike up against this even. (though it scratched the aluminum a bit!)
Also, I actually did not use rebar at the burn last year. This is the standard but frankly there are serious weight constraints for folks in your situation. Lag screws are probably not possible based on your not having a drill and all. Instead I relied on these really long nails type stakes with a round plastic hood at the top that helped hold the line. People do not recommend this but they were really long and went in real deep and they worked and were far, far lighter than rebar. They were
like this but longer and a round top. I will try to get a photo of them to share. You will need a mallet. I used the common plastic one and it worked just don't try to take it on the carryon. I
do not recommend the
12-in coleman "steel" tent stakes. These things bend going into the playa, during use, and have dangerous tops that are hard to protect even with a tennis ball or other cover. They are moop.
based on my pics / your pics above, looks like this tarp configuration creates almost a valley like environment; i imagine you have the \/ "v" part aligned with east and west, how did the shade work for you between sunrise and noon?
You do want to know where the sun rises and sets at BRC, and then set up the tarp so the shade begins over where your tent is located. I have a great drawing showing how this setup worked but I have to get out all my gear. I'm going to start doing this next week so I will post it then. During the day, you kind of needed to move your chair or hangout to keep with the shade. There isn't a ton of it, and frankly you probably will be out and about more than just hanging in camp. But for when you are or are entertaining a few people sidling by your area there is enough room for a few folks to relax for a bit. But not a lot since the tent takes up room.
i get that you need have the tarp in a lower position when winds are stronger, did you ever adjust it mid burn?
I found myself adjusting the shade to keep it from rippling or whatever almost every time I returned to camp. It is probably your most important thing not to let get out of control. I ended up with a bit of a routine. You go out for an experience or two, come back, maybe eat, clean up some of the crap you messed up in your tent the night before, go by the portos, adjust, moop and straigten-up up otherwise "maintain camp." That includes inspection of the shade and fixing it. It should be basically tight all the time and not flappy mcflapperton. Mcflapperton leads to mcfailington.
I see you're going solo for your first burn. Good on you, this is what I did last year, and may do it again this year. Would be happy to meet up w you at the burn and check out your setup.
I am also considering doing a little "solo burn forum" type thing to answer questions live maybe on a conference call or something. Would that be helpful to you? I had originally planned to do a workshop on a vapeotron but time and life got in the way, and this is actually something i know about.
Wish I wasn't a noob, shoulda got here months ago. 
