First burn question about camp size

[Jeremy757jones]

I'm going to my first burn this year and was curious if a campsite this size is realistic.

[lucky420]

It's fine

[AntiM]

Perfect size. You'll want some groundcover and maybe some lightweight shade to move from side to side.

[FlyingMonkey]

Be sure to anchor that shade structure securely. I had my 20' COSTCO car port roll through my yard in just a 20 MPH wind. Hasn't been the same since but now it has character. On Playa I used 2' rebar with 1" square tube welded to the end to attach ratchet straps. Worked well in the winds of 2015 although I was nervous. upon tear down I realized that it wasn't going anywhere as everything was still very secure.

[gaminwench]

Size is not important.

[Leap]

Great set up! I envy those who can get this much gear out there.

[Jeremy757jones]

Im going to try using lag screws instead of rebar. I used s them with ratchet straps in the back of the picture. I just need to track down a half dozen more.

[Jeremy757jones]

Great set up! I envy those who can get this much gear out there.

I'm hauling this and much more all the way from Virginia.

[Leap]

I'm hauling this and much more all the way from Virginia.

I don't have the time to drive out from NJ so I am limited to a few bins I ship with the NYC container and what I can fly with. I am seriously considering getting a storage unit to keep my stuff out there. However I am going to keep it lean again this year before going all-in.

[some seeing eye]

Thanks to new burners like yourself for doing your research in advance!

From Virginia, you might look at shipping gear you don't need to camp along the way. There may be a http://regionals.burningman.org/ to help with shipping, or just use UPS, USPS, Fedex, etc. The main Burning Man website and past/future Jack Rabbit Speaks has info on local shopping. You can divide your packing list: bring by car, buy nearby, ship. Same for the return. There are specific donation projects, mainly in Reno outbound. They want very specific things though.

Some heavy webbing threaded through your vehicle wheels or the bumper can be a good ground anchor. The rooftop carrier, not so good.

You have an epic road trip ahead!

[dragonpilot]

Again...make sure that puppy is securely guyed down....ratchet straps are good. We use 12" long bolts driven into the playa by air compressor-driven drills...which is not practical for everyone, but you get the idea of the importance of securing things. Every year we see poorly secured shelters cartwheeling thru the air...pretty, but very dangerous.

[Papa Bear]

In this case, size doesn't matter. You'll be just fine.

I am a little concerned about that specific carport, though. It looks like it might be one of the cheaper models you find at Walmart/Pep Boys/etc, which are far less sturdy than the Costco carports you'll see referenced all over here.

In addition to guying it down like mad, I'd consider finding an appropriately-sized opaque tarp that will work to line the roof of the carport and fully block the sun. It'll make the shaded area noticeably cooler.

[BBadger]

Unlike those Costco carports a lot of those kinds of carports are held together by gravity and the stretch of the canopy, not spring-loaded snaps at the joints. They need ratchet straps or something else to keep everything together if not set up in a calm park-like setting.

[Jeremy757jones]

In the background you can see the green ratchet straps I used with lag screws to the ground. I plan on doing the same Thing in the front when I get more straps. Plus I'm going to duct tape all the joints together once in on the playa.

[AntiM]

We have heavy old Sam's Club carports, from 2003. No spring-loaded snaps at the joints, just the top tarp and our X ropes holding them down. Ours have eight legs on a twenty foot length, that carport looks a bit smaller. I'm betting much lighter too. The duct tape might be useful indeed.

We run lengths of fabric under the white roof tarp, although our roof is flat because we tilt the carport. But something over or under that white canopy will make for a cooler daytime space.

[VultureChow]

We have heavy old Sam's Club carports, from 2003. No spring-loaded snaps at the joints, just the top tarp and our X ropes holding them down. Ours have eight legs on a twenty foot length, that carport looks a bit smaller. I'm betting much lighter too. The duct tape might be useful indeed.

We run lengths of fabric under the white roof tarp, although our roof is flat because we tilt the carport. But something over or under that white canopy will make for a cooler daytime space.

That's a 10x20 since the footprint of the kodiak is 10x10.

Given the 6 legs instead of 8, maybe use shade cloth or aluminet (something porous) for the side walls so there is less wind stress on the frame.

[FlyingMonkey]

Size is not important.

After a certain point no. But you do need adequate penetration and the ribbed sides make up for length.

Are we still talking rebar?

I've read the extensive threads about lag bolts & I don't doubt how good they are but to be honest I have never had a problem with rebar & my hammer & vice grip have never failed me. All 8 legs get a rebar & I use a few more for the X strapping. The price is right too.

But I know that there are lag bolt purists that would beg to differ.

[Ratty]

I use rebar. Hammer and pipe wrench. For putting in the straight pieces i have a short pipe with a cap screwed onto it. Works magic when trying to hit a piece of wiggling rebar exactly on the top.

[VultureChow]

Switched to lag bolts, and never going back. Just so much faster to drill and undrill if you've got a lot to do.

[Leap]

I noticed and kinda loved how my rebar-school camp mates stopped to watch me drill in my lag screws.

[maladroit]

I noticed and kinda loved how my rebar-school camp mates stopped to watch me drill in my lag screws.

Any excuse to stand up and soothe that aching back!

[maladroit]

I still bring rebar and sledge as a backup plan. I consider the lag screws to be a very nice-to-have anchoring system, but I treat it like cloud-based internet services; one failure in the chain of equipment needed to install them and it's no longer an option.

Lag screws are great and I use them, but the only way to make rebar non-functional is forgetting it at home.

[LowePro]

Germy, I've used that exact carport, against some advice and my own better judgement, and it was fine with the rachet straps and duct-tape joints as you've mentioned. Even in gusty winds 2015-16 it was ok. Plan to check and adjust straps daily. A side wall tarp is not a bad idea, and blocking the predominant wind direction with your vehicles. The legs will dig into the Playa if you don't put little foot covers on them. We also put a straight rebar post at each corner of the carport, pound it in about 18" and leave 18" exposed, and wrap the rebar and leg of the carport with plenty of duct tape. Sounds janky but it works well.

[BBadger]

I've read the extensive threads about lag bolts & I don't doubt how good they are but to be honest I have never had a problem with rebar & my hammer & vice grip have never failed me. All 8 legs get a rebar & I use a few more for the X strapping. The price is right too.

But I know that there are lag bolt purists that would beg to differ.

I used that for two years and there were no problems at all. Even had made some nice feet that the carport was bolted to that had holes in them so that I could pound the hook-shaped rebar through the holes to hold the feet in place. Worked nicely.

The main reason I like lag bolts now is that you can drill them in without any problem. It saves me having to whack those things into place with a sledgehammer. The rebar I was using was 5/8" so it took a little more effort to get into the playa, even if it was really secure.

Even with the semi-broken impact driver I had this year it was still easier to use the socket wrentch on the lagbolts than it was pounding in that rebar.

[FlyingMonkey]

I noticed and kinda loved how my rebar-school camp mates stopped to watch me drill in my lag screws.

So what you're saying is they had envy for your 14" hardware?

I can see that.

[Leap]

So what you're saying is they had envy for your 14" hardware?

I can see that.

Yes, but I admit the performance didn't last long.

[FlyingMonkey]

So what you're saying is they had envy for your 14" hardware?

I can see that.

Yes, but I admit the performance didn't last long.

That's all part of the plan. Get you're screwing done right away so you have more time to Burn