floor covering - rugs? foam mats? bones of the dead???

[pretty_monster]

i build my little playa life inside a 12x12 shade structure. i like putting something down to keep down the dust and allow me to walk around bare footed when at home.

in past years, i've used an 8x10 area rug. it's big and heavy and picks up tons of dust. blarg. i'm thinking about changing over to those interlocking foam mat squares. lightweight and compact for travel, yes? my question is: do they hold up or do they turn into a big pile of moop?

also: i've seen large green area rugs made of some lightweight foamy material (at Costco, i think) but my google-fu is failing me. anyone know what i'm talking about?

[Dr. Pyro]

Canvas. It's dirt cheap and it's what we use to carpet Barbie Death Camp. Light weight, doesn't MOOP if it rains, and it's easy to work with. What more could you ask for?

[Lonesomebri]

Yeah, canvas. I switched over from free carpets and rugs to canvas last year. Takes up way less space, can fold up, traps less dust, easier to "clean", easy to purchase. And usually, I have found that for myself, it isn't until much later in the week that enough bones of the vanquished build up in the tent to offer any kind of effective ground cover.

[pretty_monster]

...And usually, I have found that for myself, it isn't until much later in the week that enough bones of the vanquished build up in the tent to offer any kind of effective ground cover.

sad but true *sigh*

so: canvas it is! i've already used it to make my canopy cover. dunno why it didn't occur to me to put some on the ground, too. derp.

thanks, you guys

[VultureChow]

Canvas. It's dirt cheap and it's what we use to carpet Barbie Death Camp. Light weight, doesn't MOOP if it rains, and it's easy to work with. What more could you ask for?

Fair warning, if it rains canvas plus playa mud becomes an ice rink.

I discovered that the hard way.

Right in front of Doc.

[tamarakay]

Chirping along with the chorus. I run a shop that uses fabric dyes. Spilled a whole bottle of concentrate and the painters tarp trapped most of the spillage. Had minimal cleanup of playa.

[BeeWeeDee]

+1 canvas - Can sweep it with a broom and it folds up at the end of the burn nicely.

If the playa is muddy insist on guests taking boots off at the entrance.

Can be stretched tight using grommets and 8P nails or nails alone.

[krly]

Regular old Lowes/Home Depot type canvas ?

[tamarakay]

yep, the playa colored painters tarps work best.

[MyDearFriend]

Put a 10 or 12 inch nail through a washer and then through the canvas when you nail it to the playa. No grommets required.

[Stickygreen]

Ikea sells some small cheap area rugs, I've seen a few people use them with success. Having multiple small rugs, allows varying placement, and also the ability to lift and shake out during the week.

[maladroit]

Bones of the dead would be pretty good, if you can get a LOT of long bones (femurs etc). Slice them up into finger-sized "beads", core them, and create a rug by weaving with paracord.

[lucky420]

Ikea sells some small cheap area rugs, I've seen a few people use them with success. Having multiple small rugs, allows varying placement, and also the ability to lift and shake out during the week.

This is what I use. For my small personal camp area works really well

[Jovankat]

Those interlocking foam mats are pretty great too. We put them under our tent so when you crawl inside your knees have something squishy to lean on.

[Patsh]

This year was the first time I brought the interlocking thick foam squares, and they were inside (not under) my tent. They were great, especially during the rain! Brought them also to Decom, and appreciated them there, too.
I think they'll be a permanent addition to the piles of camping stuff.

For a big outside, shaded area used by lots of people, they may not be as appropriate. Also, they are a bit bulky to transport, if you have alot of them. Not heavy, though.

YMMV

[Bless]

cheap astroturf, baby

[pretty_monster]

cheap astroturf, baby

this is sarcasm, correct???

because: no. nononono nope.

[unjonharley]

Spotted a nice fold up (heavy duty) 9 X 12 plastic rug.. It is in the RV section of Wally world.. Think they were asking $44 for it..

[[jim]]

i used the cheapest outdoor carpet from lowes (item 97913). Nailed down with 8" washered nails.

it worked great under my ez-up, and the shade fabric on the sides of the ez-up kept it mostly dry during the deluge.

unfortunately, due to the mostly-flat nature of the playa, a small lake's edge reached one section of the carpet. It required a bit of beasting at the end of the burn to knock off the playa clumps.

[dragonpilot]

If the canvass is under a tent or shade structure, position it so that it's not extended beyond the edges of the tent/structure...otherwise, if it rains water will collect at the exposed edges and find its way into your living space mixing with whatever dust may be present to make playa glue. I put painters canvass inside and on top of my tent's water-resistant floor...makes a very nice surface for walking barefoot.

[motskyroonmatick]

I bought a cheap but large canvas tarp kind of like a drop cloth. It was not a super tight weave and was definitely not water tight. It was placed as ground cover under my shade structure and worked well as a ground cover. When it came time to roll it up at the end of the event it brought a huge amount of playa up with it due to the rain gluing the canvas to the ground. The next ground cover for me will be water proof so it doesn't glue it's self to the playa floor.

[spacetime]

I'm looking to improve on the silver tarp setup I used last year by migrating to canvas.

I'm building a small camp's shade out of a 16x16 and a 12x12 shade structure to cover tent, storage and and offer a decent amount of open lounge and shareable space in our otherwise modest camp.

It sounds like the best solution apart from bones of the dead is standard painters canvas that is nailed down using 12" nails and big washers. And that while grommets can work, they are a pain to put on and sometimes just don't.

It sounds like the biggest drawback is if rain soaks the canvas these things do get slippery. And they can pick up a lot of playa if they get wet and walked on and then dry out.

Here's an example of a cheap canvas drop I'm considering.

If anyone else is looking at this problem, here are more reference threads for upgrading from a tarp ground cover:

Best/Cheapest Ground Coverings for Hut
Alternatives to Carpet for public spaces...

[rideincircles]

Billboard vinyl for the win. Clear channel outdoors usually has them for super cheap. It is super durable, easy to grommet, and easy to cut. They are $8 for a 14' x 48' in DFW, but seem to be pricier elsewhere. I bought 2 earlier, but may grab another during lunch today.

[misfit]

12x16 shade, we use interlocking foam pads. easy clean, comfortable when passed out on floor. transport, no problem....

[spacetime]

12x16 shade, we use interlocking foam pads. easy clean, comfortable when passed out on floor. transport, no problem....

I saw this recommendation, and it looks like these are a good contender. But it seems like it takes up a lot more space than canvas and stakes.

[BeeWeeDee]

If you have any type of flooring, having a broom is a nice luxury. I use canvas and it just feels cooler than plastic, foam, vinyl etc etc.

[StrangeQuark88]

Whatever you lie down on, lay that down on this - http://www.cgear-sandfree.com/products/ ... e-rug.html

A bit spendy, but after seeing this in someones camp we splurged. 5 year later they are still brand new. Playa dust just filters through, and does not end up in our trailer.

[StephenMSteely]

Yeah true! I agree!

[Admiral Fukkit]

Yeah true! I agree!

You're a spammer. That link is long dead and that's an awful generic first and only post.