Bringing my Vintage Cotton Tent, how to make it dust proof?

[Summy]

Hi all!

Due to the RV rental prices this year , I'm looking into the option to bring my own vintage cotton tent (the ESVO Mohawk).
I would love some help on making it dust proof!


What I'm looking for is a way to keep the dust out of (at least) the sleeping cabin.
The things I came up with are:
1) asking my local tent repair guy to sew a new sleeping cabin with a fabric that is playa dust proof.

• is there a fabric available that is breathable and dust proof?

• does anyone know how thin woven a fabric should be to keep playa dust out?

2) asking my local tent repair guy to sew an extra inner tent for the sleeping cabin, so that I'll have 2 layers of fabric.

• does anyone have experience with this? my tent repair guy had the feeling this wouldn't work

3) impregnating the inner tent with something to make it dust proof.

• is there some technical spray available to make fabric dust proof while staying breathable?

Next to that, if someone has tips to make the outer tent more dust proof, I'm also interested
Any other suggestions, experiences or tips about camping with a cotton tent are more then welcome!
my tent guy send me this link to find possible fabrics: https://www.extremtextil.de/en/fabrics.html but I have know idea what to look for..
more pictures of this kind of tent: https://tentavontuur.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/mohawk/




FYI:
- This is a tent that is suitable for storms, and made of technical cotton so lightweight enough to put in my (additional) suitcase and fly with .
- If I'm skipping on the RV, I have some money available to spend on this.. I hope I'll end up with a tent I can also take with me to Africa burn, Mid burn etc.
- I'm lucky enough to have 2 of these tents, one I use for European burns and one (on these pictures) that's in a bit better state
- I'll be (hopefully) staying in a camp that provides shade.

[Summy]

I couldn't get other pictures in my post, so here are some more

[Token]

A vintage tent, or more precisely a vintage canopy, without and integrated floor …

… that there is the problem.

A tent canopy like that may give you shelter from a sprinkle of rain and some privacy, but that’s it.

It will very likely be a dust-trap - winds driving dust through the gaps at ground level into the relatively protected tent interior that acts as a baffle and air mixer …

I rarely conclude that something won’t work, or can’t be made to work … but this setup has ‘Fail’ written all over it. Skip it and move on to the next idea.

[some seeing eye]

In modern tent marketing naming for new tents, you want a 4-season tent or Winter expedition tent. They have sealed vents.

Many people love canvas Springbar-style tents with sealed vents and a sealed floor. The high tech Shiftpod, invented by a friend, is an ice fishing shelter with a floor. Another ePlayan favors surplus military aluminum frame tents. Canvas bell tents can be found with a central pole and a vintage look.

They all shed the occasional rain.

You can buy a used sealed-floor, sealed vents, tent used locally. I camped on playa for several years in my micro weight backpacking tent with sealed vents. My big improvement was a dome tent big enough for a double inflatable mattress and tall enough to stand in.

If you are starting a vintage tent camp for concept, look, and with a budget, I would put that under a carport, and have your fabricator sew a sealed and with floor inner tent of ripstop nylon and with loops top and side to connect it to the old tent.

Tl:dr - if your vintage tent is not sealed, with a sealed floor, and can't stand rain, bring different.

[Wigwam]

I agree with ALL of this. There is no practical way to make this tent dust or rain proof, let alone wind proof. Anything you do attempt will likely be blown away and you'll create moop, or worse--someone will be injured by flying debris. I use a Springbar tent now for 14 years and it's holding up really well. Shift pods are nice, a bit harder to set up, but roomier and cooler. I think honestly, it's one of the options mentioned above or embrace the dust.

[Chowski]

Buy a cheap tent from craigslist. One that completely zippers closed. Wax the zippers with bike chain wax (not grease). Cut an old sheet to fit the mesh openings of the tent, hot glue around the edges of the windows. close the zipper every time you leave the tent. Buy a second tent for storage. Sleep in the closed one, do everything else (dress, search for your headlamp, drop off your coat on your way to bed, pee in a bottle) in the other one. Put both under a carport. 200 dollars, maybe 300. Will last for many burns if you wash it down when you get home.
Problem solved.

[Summy]

A vintage tent, or more precisely a vintage canopy, without and integrated floor …

… that there is the problem.

A tent canopy like that may give you shelter from a sprinkle of rain and some privacy, but that’s it.

It will very likely be a dust-trap - winds driving dust through the gaps at ground level into the relatively protected tent interior that acts as a baffle and air mixer …

I rarely conclude that something won’t work, or can’t be made to work … but this setup has ‘Fail’ written all over it. Skip it and move on to the next idea.

Well, it is an actual stom-tent
Rain and wind it can handle (have survived a gnarly burn in Denmark with this one) , but I now see the dust-trap

Thank you!!

[Summy]

In modern tent marketing naming for new tents, you want a 4-season tent or Winter expedition tent. They have sealed vents.

Many people love canvas Springbar-style tents with sealed vents and a sealed floor. The high tech Shiftpod, invented by a friend, is an ice fishing shelter with a floor. Another ePlayan favors surplus military aluminum frame tents. Canvas bell tents can be found with a central pole and a vintage look.

They all shed the occasional rain.

You can buy a used sealed-floor, sealed vents, tent used locally. I camped on playa for several years in my micro weight backpacking tent with sealed vents. My big improvement was a dome tent big enough for a double inflatable mattress and tall enough to stand in.

If you are starting a vintage tent camp for concept, look, and with a budget, I would put that under a carport, and have your fabricator sew a sealed and with floor inner tent of ripstop nylon and with loops top and side to connect it to the old tent.

Tl:dr - if your vintage tent is not sealed, with a sealed floor, and can't stand rain, bring different.

Ohhh yes, the shiftpod! Have been eyeing it for years!! But money and luggage wise it always felt 'off'
The thought was that instead of one shiftpod (as second luggage), I could bring an extra suitcase with this tent inside and more stuff as second luggage..
but after reading all these reply's I believe I have to let that idea go

Thank you!

[Summy]

I agree with ALL of this. There is no practical way to make this tent dust or rain proof, let alone wind proof. Anything you do attempt will likely be blown away and you'll create moop, or worse--someone will be injured by flying debris. I use a Springbar tent now for 14 years and it's holding up really well. Shift pods are nice, a bit harder to set up, but roomier and cooler. I think honestly, it's one of the options mentioned above or embrace the dust.

Haha thank you! The springbar is way to heavy to bring on a plane, and to expensive to leave behind in a camp storage somewhere...
I'll start looking into the Shiftpod and The Kodiak might be an option too

[Summy]

Buy a cheap tent from craigslist. One that completely zippers closed. Wax the zippers with bike chain wax (not grease). Cut an old sheet to fit the mesh openings of the tent, hot glue around the edges of the windows. close the zipper every time you leave the tent. Buy a second tent for storage. Sleep in the closed one, do everything else (dress, search for your headlamp, drop off your coat on your way to bed, pee in a bottle) in the other one. Put both under a carport. 200 dollars, maybe 300. Will last for many burns if you wash it down when you get home.
Problem solved.

two tents! That might a good idea too and tnx for the tip of the bike chain wax!

thank you!

[The Rod]

I camped in an ice fishing tent without a floor during the 2020 renegade thing. I put it on top of a canvas painters drop cloth that was then on top of a plastic tarp.

It worked great. Also having a flat canvas floor was so much nicer than any plastic tub floor I have ever experienced in a tent. Though the ice tent was stiff and heavy enough to form a pretty good seal along the bottom where it met the canvas. If you could rig up a way to get a tighter fit between the tent and the ground you might be able to pull it off.

[some seeing eye]

To the OP, yes flying in luggage has constraints/expense for excess. Getting all your survival gear for a week in and out on BxB has limits. There is a limit of the weight a person can carry. Shade structures are bulky, Your water can be your body weight. Bikes are bulky. Then we all have responsibility to dispose of things properly back in civilization!

Some tricks. Some Burning Man Regionals ship a container to and from the playa. NYC is one. Some people ship their bulky stuff by parcel - Fedex, UPS, etc. to a hotel they stay in pre- the burn and ship it home post- the burn. Renting shelter on Playa by outside services has been curtailed in the interest of self reliance. The Outside Services vendors can be found by searching Burning Man Outside Services 2022 or 2023. In-person friends may be able to help.

It is all a big adventure and people do it every year, so it can be done! Meet your Regional and in-person friends who have done it in years past!