Easy ways to do Burning Man for indivduals and couples

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Feb 20, 2007 10:43 am

Vacuum sealers are down to $39 on sale..My son tells me he has seen some a Goodwill.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Mar 17, 2007 8:26 am

For hammock sleepers, Just learned that the sun screen from the windshield keeps my back warm..I have used a hammock for years camping..In the mornings my back was always cold..I put a cheap sun block from the van wind shield in the bottom of the hammock..My back stayed toasty warm..My body sent the heat out to my feet and hands..

While sleeping on a climb I practised bio-feed back..I work well before going to sleep..But my ass was froze in the morning..With the reflector I can save what few brain cells I have left and be warm in the morning..

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:35 pm

I'm going to be building a small Starplate shelter using 6' 2x4s for myself out there and I was thinking about custom cutting a tarp to fit the roof and using grip clips: http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/gr ... pro-1.html
to attach it.

Before I get too involved in this, I'm curious if I start cutting up the tarp is it going to fray beyond repair? Anyone had any experience doing this?

Thanks!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:30 pm

What's a starplate?

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:48 pm

AlmostJaded wrote:I'm going to be building a small Starplate shelter using 6' 2x4s for myself out there and I was thinking about custom cutting a tarp to fit the roof and using grip clips: http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/gr ... pro-1.html
to attach it.

Before I get too involved in this, I'm curious if I start cutting up the tarp is it going to fray beyond repair? Anyone had any experience doing this?

Thanks!

What material is the tarp?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:57 pm

Anyone tried silvicool?

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:06 am

LeChatNoir wrote:
AlmostJaded wrote:I'm going to be building a small Starplate shelter using 6' 2x4s for myself out there and I was thinking about custom cutting a tarp to fit the roof and using grip clips: http://shelter-systems.com/gripclips/gr ... pro-1.html
to attach it.

Before I get too involved in this, I'm curious if I start cutting up the tarp is it going to fray beyond repair? Anyone had any experience doing this?

Thanks!
What material is the tarp?

I haven't purchased the tarp yet, but I was looking at a silver tarp like this: http://tinyurl.com/3ayt5k . Just your basic plastic tarp I suppose. I did a little digging around for Silvicool, but for some reason it appears that you can only get that in Canada. <shrug>

I'm going to make the sides out of Aluminet but I'd prefer something more solid for the roof for the maximum amount of shade (I'm skim milk colored) as well as rain protection.

Info about starplates can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/35noyc

Thanks again!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:15 am

They make a solid aluminet but it is not imported.
I am still trying to find out if silvicool is the same thing.
You can get things shipped from canada.
Just check shipping cost.

Make sure you get a solid tarp with a light barrier.
They do make trucker grade chinese gray tarps that are very cheap.
Good uv proof advertising sheet can stop light in most cases.
Light=heat.

A vented layer like an attic can do wonders too.
Reflectix is great but is fragile.
Good for an inside layer.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:23 pm

> I haven't purchased the tarp yet, but I was looking at a silver
> tarp like this: http://tinyurl.com/3ayt5k . Just your basic
> plastic tarp I suppose.

Louise and I have a silver tarp for the roof of our shade. It is a fabric which I believe is impregnated with a plastic of some kind. We haven't cut it, but one of the grommets did get pulled out at one time or another, so we put another end. No fraying or unraveling beyond the holes because of the impregnation. This silver tarp is completely opaque. No sun gets through at all, no shadows show through the tarp. No IR, no UV.

We also use two white tarps on the sides of the shade; they are no completely opaque. They show shadows through them, but they do provide adequate shade on the sides.

I have vitiligo on parts of my body, so I'm very careful about my shade being real shade. Although UV causes the sunburn, IR causes the heat, so I want that out as well. The sliver tarp provides complete protection from all solar radiation. We have other completely opaque tarps as well (I believe in backups at BM), so that's not your only option, but it will provide complete opacity if that's your goal.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:01 pm

I think a couple of people have pointed out that reflectix can help keep you warm at night too.
This is one of the selling points of aluminet DS and I would think, silvicool.

The popon grommets, sometimes sold as emergency grommets, are said to be stronger than standard ones.
Of course, they can be put in any place for tensioning.
The ones I've seen are a friction fit and removable.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:05 pm

I was told by shelter systems that the chinese tarps that block heat have a layer of black or metallic material.
It may be possible to see this on the edge.

Finnegan · Post by **Finnegan** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:28 pm

Do you think this is a decent price for camo netting?

4'7" x 19' 8" for $72 (plus delivery..)
http://www.fcsurplus.ca/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=727

And i haven't seen the elusive Swedish Snow stuff available. Anyone have a link?

grazie,

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 4:21 pm

I think these guys would be very helpful for singles and couples:

http://sbsconsolidated.azcompuguy.com/

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:44 am

phil wrote:> I haven't purchased the tarp yet, but I was looking at a silver
> tarp like this: http://tinyurl.com/3ayt5k . Just your basic
> plastic tarp I suppose.

Louise and I have a silver tarp for the roof of our shade. It is a fabric which I believe is impregnated with a plastic of some kind. We haven't cut it, but one of the grommets did get pulled out at one time or another, so we put another end. No fraying or unraveling beyond the holes because of the impregnation. This silver tarp is completely opaque. No sun gets through at all, no shadows show through the tarp. No IR, no UV.

We also use two white tarps on the sides of the shade; they are no completely opaque. They show shadows through them, but they do provide adequate shade on the sides.

I have vitiligo on parts of my body, so I'm very careful about my shade being real shade. Although UV causes the sunburn, IR causes the heat, so I want that out as well. The sliver tarp provides complete protection from all solar radiation. We have other completely opaque tarps as well (I believe in backups at BM), so that's not your only option, but it will provide complete opacity if that's your goal.

phil, thank you for sharing your experience with the silver tarp, that's exactly what I was looking for. I also found tarp repair tape that I'll apply to the cut edges: http://tinyurl.com/3643me that may just be glorified duct tape but it costs about the same. Since I'd only be using it to keep the edges from fraying and not actualy joining two tarps together I'm not too concerned with the tape melting in the heat. I'm sure hemming the edges would be the ideal solution, but with no sewing machine + no sewing skills I'll go with the tape.

Thanks again!

takewithfood · Post by **takewithfood** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:25 pm

It's not the best website for navigating but you can get them here:

http://www.commercialsolutions.ca
or call at 1.888.522.9822

p.s. I just bought from them, I don't work for them.

I love them for keeping the car covered and cool, but would probably use aluminet for a shade structure. Does anyone know where I can get it in Canada?

Maybe we could swap some!

Cheers,
Wrenn

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:48 pm

You may be able to get the solid aluminet DS or the other variant in canada.
Silvicool is available in canada.
I don't know how similar it is.

If you find aluminet solid, let me know please.

jesscail · Post by **jesscail** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:31 am

[quote="AntiM"]Sssssh, be wery, wery Qwiet, I'm hunting Wavers![/quote]

Maybe it's the late hour and I'm a little punchy, but I'm still dying laughing over this one... thanks!

-J

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:15 pm

If you are going alone or as a couple, and especially if this is your first time, take a look at several online resources.

Triptie (http://triptie.com) has a planning service that may help you budget your expenses as well. I've set up a dummy trip to Black Rock City at http://triptie.com/plan/760/burning-man. I've included links to a checklist of things we bring (hosted on Google at
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key= ... S45ZRaBBVQ), and I think there's a link to driving directions from Yahoo Trip planner:
http://travel.yahoo.com/trip-view-44983 ... ck_city_nv
which also has links to Burning Man photos on flickr. :->

In addition to Triptie and Yahoo Trip Planner, there are
http://gpsplanner.net/ which is for knowledgeable GPS users;
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/ for something other than Google maps and sat images;
http://www.randmcnally.com/ good ol' Rand McNally for more maps;
http://www.cieux.com/maps.html the Civilized Explorer list of links for online mapping with descriptions of features. Rand McNally, for example, sends maps to your phone; Nat Geo lets you customize a map and save it online where it updates if there are changes; Maptech offers topos, roads, sat images; Google, of course. Find the features that suit your needs and pick your service.

Louise has a ton of links on where to buy and rent stuff in Reno:
http://civilizedexplorer.pbwiki.com/CivExReno

and we have a page on playa conditions (as reported), road conditions (as reported), and such at
http://www.cieux.com/bm/alerts.html

Our perennial guides for what to take and such is at
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html#perennialGuides

And of course, no one tops
http://www.burningman.com/
for the most helpful information in the world. Browse the official site carefully for hints for first timers and more photos than you can look at. On the home page there is a line of links called "The Event." Follow all those links and read carefully and well.

Above all else, go and be there. Don't worry if none of these resources works for you. Don't worry if you get so much advice you're overwhelmed. Don't worry if you're worried. Go. Be there.

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:13 pm

I just finished my starplate shelter for the first time this weekend and Iâ€™m feeling good at how it will handle the playa.

It meets my two main criteria which was,

1) It needed to be able to be transported by a full size car or mini-van.
2) It needed to be able to be built and disassembled by 1 person using a minimal amount of tools.

The only â€œtoolâ€

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:20 pm

Very nice set of photos on flickr, AlmostJaded. May I link to that set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/almostjade ... 564606155/
on my Burning Man "Abodes on the Playa" links page at
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html#perennialGuides

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:37 pm

phil wrote:Very nice set of photos on flickr, AlmostJaded. May I link to that set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/almostjade ... 564606155/
on my Burning Man "Abodes on the Playa" links page at
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html#perennialGuides

Phil

I'd be happy if you did, and feel free to call me Ryan instead of Almost Jaded.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:52 pm

Done. Many thanks, Ryan.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:05 pm

http://www.springbar.com/explore/expand ... _tent.html

agatesstone · Post by **agatesstone** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:56 pm

Ryan

Curious about your aluminet...is that 70%? How good do you think the protection from the sun is? I just ordered some myself today :)

AA

AlmostJaded · Post by **AlmostJaded** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:25 pm

agatesstone wrote:Ryan

Curious about your aluminet...is that 70%? How good do you think the protection from the sun is? I just ordered some myself today

AA

It is 70% and I'd guestimate it to be as effective as a thin white shirt. You're probably going to want to augment it with something solid or at the very least double it up. The shelter I made uses a silver tarp as the roof and I'm using the aluminet as the walls.

Here's two links, the first the the Aluminet FAQ:
http://tinyurl.com/225njn

Which estimates aluminet to have an SPF of 3. Yes, 3.

And here's a link showing the inside of the shelter that shows the shade of the tarp vs the shade of the aluminet:
http://tinyurl.com/2b9k9n

I don't mean to discourage anyone from using it. It really is neat stuff, and you're going to be amazed at how little it weighs.

Good luck and please post after you've had a chance to play with it!

Ryan

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:37 pm

The chart seems to indicate 80% blocks about 50%

I wonder if they are counting what is bounced but not blocked so there is less direct sunlight?
I spent some time under what I would guess was 50%, but the owner didn't know.
It definitely cut the harshness, but it wasn't what I'd consider full shade.
You could see right through it.

agatesstone · Post by **agatesstone** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:17 pm

Thanks for the reply.

[quote="AlmostJaded"][quote="agatesstone"]Ryan

Curious about your aluminet...is that 70%? How good do you think the protection from the sun is? I just ordered some myself today :)

AA[/quote]

It is 70% and I'd guestimate it to be as effective as a thin white shirt. You're probably going to want to augment it with something solid or at the very least double it up. The shelter I made uses a silver tarp as the roof and I'm using the aluminet as the walls.

Here's two links, the first the the Aluminet FAQ:
http://tinyurl.com/225njn

Which estimates aluminet to have an SPF of 3. Yes, 3.

And here's a link showing the inside of the shelter that shows the shade of the tarp vs the shade of the aluminet:
http://tinyurl.com/2b9k9n

I don't mean to discourage anyone from using it. It really is neat stuff, and you're going to be amazed at how little it weighs.

Good luck and please post after you've had a chance to play with it!

Ryan[/quote]

Anyone have experience with doubling it up with a tarp? Are the reflective/distributive properties of the aluminet compromised if they're directly ontop of one another? Is it ideal to have a gap between the two? I doubt that with my design I will have the height for much of a gap...

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:55 pm

Reflectix specifies a gap to maintain maximum benefit.
Aluminet has a certain thickness to it, so it should have some benefit but a gap would help, even an inch or so.
The reflectivity away would still work.

Lakshmi · Post by **Lakshmi** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:26 am

So I think I'm going to end up attending BM alone (first time too) and I'd rather buy a shade structure than design my own. It seems like less work plus I'm not very architecturally savey so all the build-it-yourself shade structure instructions seem too advanced for me. That and I'm too lazy to go buy the supplies and render them useable.

I can't decide what to get though and am curious to what experienced burners' opinions would be on what I've found so far. considering money is a significant issue for me I'm looking at the cheapest stuff I can find.

Number 1 -
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=5494012

Number 2 - This one is breathable, obviously, and less likely to blow away but it would be nice to have shade during the early and late part of the days and this doesn't look like it will work for that.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=5494013

Number 3 - This thing "is made from heavy-duty knitted shade cloth (90% UV block) and is reinforced for incredible strength and durability." It says it is easy to set up and can be attached to virtually anything that's stablized. It seems like it would be the same thing as a tarp with the exception that it looks cooler.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... lang=en-US

I'll be driving a Toyota 4Runner and I could probably attach a tarp to it's roof and rebar the other end to the ground. In essence that would most likely be the easiest thing to do, but it would be impossible to stand up under without bringing poles to attach it to that would need to be pounded into the ground. (or something along those lines)

If anyone has any other ideas in the $60 or less range do send me in their direction. Thanks!

Finnegan · Post by **Finnegan** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 10:33 am

Those first two look like good options, and slave-labor cheep to boot! The third seems to cast too small a spot of (roaming) shade to be of a lot of help.

If you were to buy the second option, you could add fabric to the walls yourself, to make it more adjustable. And more prettified.

Easy ways to do Burning Man for indivduals and couples

The new easiest way to do Burning Man

Silvacool tarps

Planning your trip, especially first timers.