Pillow Tanks

griffin · Post by **griffin** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:25 pm

I'm looking for information about pillow tanks. For those that don't know what I'm talking about, they are collapsable water storage containers. The camp across the street from me last year used them, and, well, I was too busy all week to really talk to them about it.

I have found a few websites that sell them (just google "pillow tank", but they don't give prices.

What I really want to know is the usefullness of them. My questions, for anybody that has actual experience with pillow tanks are...

1. Can you use them for drinking water. Some are listed as potable, but by the end of the week, how does it taste?

2. How do you get it filled. The camp by me (Snuggle Town) seemed to get theirs filled by Johnny on the Spot at burning man.

3. What do they cost, plus all the fittings that might be needed.

These things seemed extrememly convenient. Small storage for transport, and you can get them filled up once you are there. The gas savings alone could make them worth it. One of our biggest issues with transport weight,and space is water.

So, if anybody has used these, let me know what you think.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:29 pm

Water containers were so not what I pictured when I saw the name of the thread...!

blupe.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:59 pm

I've never used one but they sell them at M&I army surplus store. I think the city it is in is Pomona but I could be mistaken. Regardless of the exact city it is about a 6 hour drive from you so probably not worth while. I think theirs are 300 gallons and about 50 dollars. And they are potable. I hope that gives you a start.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 2:12 am

Please, make DAMN sure they are not only for potable water but also have NEVER had anything BUT potable water in them. Those pillows are used for a LOT of things, the traces of some of which can kill you to death faster than the Playa on a bad day.

And just because they are marked Potable Water doesn't mean some yahoo didn't use it as a backup chemical storage tank for his undercover rat extermination business.

I remember as a kid seeing the huge ones on a truck flatbed - carrying everything from Glue to Grape Squeezings. So really knw what was in those pillows before you use them!!!

bb

griffin · Post by **griffin** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 11:36 am

I would buy a new one for drinking water for sure. I'm all about used junk for burning man, but not when it comes to drinking water.

OK, it seems like people know a little but not much on the topic. So what about using the services of Johnny on the Spot on the playa. I've seen them dumping grey water tanks from RV's, and apparently you can get them to bring you water. I can deal with my own grey water, but having them bring water would change everything. Why isn't everybody doing this? Or am I missing the radical self reliance part. All I know is that I could bring a lot more fun stuff if I didn't have to drag 200 gallons of water up there.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 12:59 pm

Hey Grif, Can you tell us what you need this water for.

Yes BMorg pimps grey water service off a list at ceter camp. This seems to be a little in the grey area. The jots people take it for a ok to SELL all services.So as I have said before: I don't want to hear any shit when I order up a couple of whores from Mustang Ranch.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:39 pm

unjonharley wrote:Hey Grif, Can you tell us what you need this water for.

Yes BMorg pimps grey water service off a list at ceter camp. This seems to be a little in the grey area. The jots people take it for a ok to SELL all services.So as I have said before: I don't want to hear any shit when I order up a couple of whores from Mustang Ranch.

Hey if people can get UPS and pizza deliveries why the hell not?

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:15 pm

Please remember that water weighs a little over 8 pounds a gallon (as I recall). Multiply your gallonage by 8, then read your vehicle owner manual to see if it will carry that weight plus all other gear and passengers. Also consider how you're going to fill the pillow and load it, manuver it at the Burn, get the water out, etc.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 3:17 pm

I don't want to hear any shit when I order up a couple of whores from Mustang Ranch.

Dude, they closed Mustang Ranch. You'll have to send to Donna's Ranch in Wells for your painted lady needs.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:02 pm

AntiM the wild horse saloon would be closer as far as delivery goes...heeheheee

chup · Post by **chup** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:29 pm

If your not drinking the bulk water you can use a
Water bed mattress. They are about 30 bucks on EBAY new. Queen holds 180 gallons and King about 220 gallons.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 4:39 pm

At two hundred twenty gallons you getting close to a short ton of unstable cargo. A guy last year on eplaya was into putting a king size matress on the top of his car. I think we as a whole talked him out of it.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:48 am

While pillow tanks may be dandy for some it is a little overkill from what I know of them. Unless you have a really large camp something smaller might be a little more sensible, after all BM is only a week long. I have seen some vessels that take up about 20 percent of a pickup bed with standard industrial pipe fittings at the top that hold around 100-300 gallons depending on size. When I priced water storage solutions last year these came to the same price new as the pillows used by military troops currently. The pickup bed containers I was looking at had baffles in side so the fluid would slosh around too much causing problems while driving. My personal exp. has led me to use a bunch of smaller containers for the water to make handling easier.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:00 am

BLIVET!!

....sorry. Just like that word.

Fex · Post by **Fex** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:13 pm

I'm with robotland on that one. BLIVET!
Hey, that's fun to say!

When I saw the thread title "pillow tanks" I pulled it up thinking it was some trippy military-looking art-car that shot pillows at each other. Love to see a division of those babies rolling in off the playa. Maybe driven by clowns. Damn...I think I feel an idea coming on...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 12:18 pm

Fex wrote:I'm with robotland on that one. BLIVET!
Hey, that's fun to say!

When I saw the thread title "pillow tanks" I pulled it up thinking it was some trippy military-looking art-car that shot pillows at each other. Love to see a division of those babies rolling in off the playa. Maybe driven by clowns. Damn...I think I feel an idea coming on...

/
If that were Fed x. That would the x mr spiers. Do you know what a Bilvet is?? You have some great ideas.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:58 pm

Fex wrote:I'm with robotland on that one. BLIVET!
Hey, that's fun to say!

When I saw the thread title "pillow tanks" I pulled it up thinking it was some trippy military-looking art-car that shot pillows at each other. Love to see a division of those babies rolling in off the playa. Maybe driven by clowns. Damn...I think I feel an idea coming on...

Yeah, that is pretty much what I thought. A soft-sided tank, shooting off pillows. Didn't really picture clowns, though. More some odd variant on army men, maybe wearing pillows instead of flak jackets....

blupe.