ShiftPod or Alien Buffalo tent?

[Commander Goldheart]

Hey Dustsuckers,

Can I have your opinion about these tents please?

I'm doubting between Shiftpod or the Alien Buffalo tent.

www.shiftpod.com

www.alienbuffalo.com

Both are expensive, but both designed by Burners.

Which one should I buy...?

[lucky420]

I almost bought a shift pod last year. I've been in a yurt for the last 7 years, wanted to try something different. Someone here told me of a campmates shift pod experience, didn't sound very good, kinda hot/humid,zipper problems...

I bought a Kodiak tent this past October

[Elderberry]

I can only tell you what I've heard about the ShiftPod. We've had several people in our camp use them. They weren't that impressed and several people have already replaced them either with a Yurt another brand of tent.

[BBadger]

For my own self I got a Outback Logic Siesta4. It's not as big as a Kodiak or other tents, but it kept me nice and cool. I still built a monkeyhut type structure, but the tent was still exposed to the sun and still remained nice and cool. I didn't even use the bucket cooler I had built and brought.

[silverfish]

Check out the No Bake Tent: www.nobaketent.com

It's also burner made.

[dpsrch]

I've mostly enjoyed my shiftpod. The window seals are not waterproof. If I could figure out how to fix that I'd be very satisfied. The zippers get better after you break it in a little. I also had no problem with heat, etc. last year. I just kept the windows and doors open that didn't face the sun. It cooled off very quickly once you let in some air flow.There was maybe one or two hours midday when it got hot, but I don't mind it as much as others.

[ZigZag]

Shiftpods are cute as long as it does not rain. My friend and I tested a Shiftpod and a Kodiak before TTID last year up in the woods of Minnesota. We had a big thunderstorm one night and the Shiftpod had 2 inches of water on the floor in no time. The Kodiak was bone dry. The Shiftpod got returned and the Kodiak under a monkey hut was awesome at Burning Man.

YMMV

[Chowski]

Neither are necessary. Check out your local Craigslist, and buy a tent for $40. Cover any mesh with fabric and hot glue, and pop it under an ez-up (staked and tied down). Drape the sunrise wall of the ezup with a few thrift store sheets, and you've got shade and privacy for around $200. One Thousand Dollars less than the shift pod. For that extra thousand dollars, you can buy your ticket, a cot, a rug, an air conditioner, five handles of whiskey, all your ice and food for the week, and still have money left over for psychedelics.

[Papa Bear]

I've seen enough EZ-ups trashed out there (even when well-staked) that I'd never recommend taking one. YMMV.

That said, if you put that cheap tent under one end of a properly-anchored Costco carport, you wind up with not only a shaded sleeping space, but a nice little shaded "front porch" in which to hang out with friends, or just chill and watch the world go by.

That all said, a ShiftPod goes up and down a heck of a lot quicker than just about anything else I've ever seen out there. So if you're looking to simplify setup and strike so you can focus your energy elsewhere, it might be a good fit. Just depends on what your goals are.

[Chowski]

The eternal EZ-Up conundrum. This will be my eighth burn. My EZ-up got through five of them before I trashed it. I've seen exactly one EZ-UP get bent in eight years. Stake it down, tie it down, tape the edges for safety. A heck of a lot cheaper than a $1,200 party pod.

[Ratty]

$1,200 party pod?! How much is a costco carport? $200 or $300. A primo easy up is $100. The carport is bulkier. A monkey hut is nice but the poles are long for transport. I've seen many easyups that haven't been wrecked. And many that have. Chowski you must be a tie down master.

[AntiM]

Our EZups do okay, but they are wedged between two carports, and use camo netting, not solid canopies. The dust does eat the joints eventually.

[Chowski]

My reference to a "$1,200 party pod" is about the ShiftPod Branded Burner-Designed Commodification Product. My intent is to suggest to the OP that neither a $1,200 party pod nor an expensive canvas tent are necessary to survive and thrive at Burning Man. When I was a virgin, wasting all that money wasn't an option, so I went with a tent. I've now tented seven burns, and with a little shade, a tent is all I need (although I do occasionally daydream about a trailer or RV). If the point of this forum is to acclimate virgins to the culture, I want to be a voice which asserts that DIY, re-used and recycled are just fine, and often just as good. I'm sure the PartyPod is cool and all, but if the OP is only going to use it once a year, it's totally overkill.

[Leap]

For my own self I got a Outback Logic Siesta4. It's not as big as a Kodiak or other tents, but it kept me nice and cool. I still built a monkeyhut type structure, but the tent was still exposed to the sun and still remained nice and cool. I didn't even use the bucket cooler I had built and brought.

Good to know about the cooler. I just wrote them to see if they think it was overkill to use mine. It sounds like you really liked yours.
How strong are the fans and did you put a filter in the vent?

[FoolsGold]

I have a ShiftPod, though have yet to use it at Burning Man. It hasn't rained during the days I've used it, so I can't speak to its waterproofness (there is a video on YouTube that explains how to waterproof the windows). I wouldn't think of using it at BM without a shade shelter over it.

What I can say is that it couldn't be easier to set up (and solo, which is a big plus for me), it's incredibly roomy (I can stand up in it without bending over), and it is well made (again, without being able to speak to its waterproofness). I've had nothing but smooth sailing with it so far. It is huge though even packed — just over six feet long.

At my first Burn I struggled mightily trying to set up a six-person REI tent solo; the nonstop winds wrecked havoc with it. I have backpacking tents that would have been far easier to set up, but there was/is no way I'm going to spend a week there with a two-person tent to come home to.

[BBadger]

For my own self I got a Outback Logic Siesta4. It's not as big as a Kodiak or other tents, but it kept me nice and cool. I still built a monkeyhut type structure, but the tent was still exposed to the sun and still remained nice and cool. I didn't even use the bucket cooler I had built and brought.

Good to know about the cooler. I just wrote them to see if they think it was overkill to use mine. It sounds like you really liked yours.
How strong are the fans and did you put a filter in the vent?

I didn't use the fans (left them home). I did open up the vents before sleeping, and close them when I got up. There was only a mesh filter on it after opening it (built-in) that did not prevent dust from falling in. Dust would fall in a little, but nothing much, even if I forgot to shut them. They're positioned relatively high up on the inner tent, so the dust needs to go up under the outer reflective shell, and then back down into the tent. Overall the tent was kept pretty much dust free as far as I was concerned.

Setup can be somewhat a pain because the poles need to be fed through the sleeves and then the structure needs to be lifted before the ends fit into the rings at the edges. I've only set it up as one person though, so I assume it'd be pretty easy with more people.

[Leap]

Setup can be somewhat a pain because the poles need to be fed through the sleeves and then the structure needs to be lifted before the ends fit into the rings at the edges. I've only set it up as one person though, so I assume it'd be pretty easy with more people.

Thank you. I have almost the same design of tent now that is smaller. Even with my aluminet, I had to use my bucket cooler. And after 9 days, I would appreciate the extra square footage.

Do you think it will last several years?

[DoctorIknow]

For newbies interested in tents, I'll expand on some of the logic expressed above in this thread: Don't begin your journey fulfilling your quest to go to BM by thinking you need even 1/3 of the physical stuff you read about here on eplaya. Perhaps start prepping by thinking how to make a shelter that doesn't blow down, doesn't leak dust (a little thru the zippers is no big deal) and has shade over it. Perhaps consider how to do those things with the least amount of money. Have a simple, small, somewhat efficient but not perfect shelter, and then during BM2017, think about what to do next year (EVERY burner EVERY year considers shelter modifications!)

A hint: if you want a tent you can stand up in, multiply your expenses for shelter at least 3 times.

[BBadger]

Do you think it will last several years?

I would expect so, though this one wasn't subjected to harsh treatment and was pretty well sheltered. I'll have to see how it holds up in different festivals during this year.

[Strata]

I have used a conventional tent for 9 burns, but treated myself to a shift pod for the winter holidays this year. Now there's a 2.0 version, naturally, but you can at least retrofit 2 of the major physical differences: rubber covers for the joints and a separate rain fly. I'll be using a monkey hut for shade for hanging out in tho.

+1 to not needing a fancy shelter, but if ya wanna, then go for it.

[Strata]

I'm headed to a regional burn the end of April where rain might happen, and am troubled by the reports here of folks getting drenched in a shiftpod. I've seen multiple reviews that say the zippers are water proof, but I trust folks here more than external reviewers.

If you got rained into in your shiftpod, were the windows sealed shut? I have the optional rain fly on order, but last I heard they weren't shipping until mid to late April, so I might have already left.

[Papa Bear]

My guess is you could improvise a rain fly using a cheap tarp without much trouble. Less elegant than the official version, but still functional.

[theglampguru]

I like my shiftpod, dont love it. It worked great at BM 2016 last year. No dust for the most part. Its just big so if you need to fly with it, its a big pain in the ass.
Check this video I made about it.


GG

[Ratty]

I understand that you are proud of your video but seeing this on one thread was probably enough. Thanks for sharing.

[sfriis]

Does anyone know what happened to the Alien Buffalo tent website? Can't get hold of them and need advice if this company was a scam or for real?

[tekket]

I purchased an alien buffalo tent and am fairly happy with it.

But soon after, the company folded. It was not a scam. It was driven by one of the main guys whos apart of the Mayan Warrior crew. They were selling their used ones (which I bought) in the winter, went MIA in the spring.

I recieved my tent and it has everything. A few small patches, but I used it this year, and as someone whos 6'2, it was such a relief to be able to stand inside my tent. Super easy to setup.

I dont think the quality holds up as much as the shiftpod, but i like it.

I had a few issues with the zipper though, but I have a fix for that.

Hopefully I dont have any major issues in the next while with it.