Selecting a Tent

infinitetease · Post by **infinitetease** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:37 pm

Hi,

I'm a first time burner trying to choose a good 3 man tent for the playa.

Does anyone have recommendations?

Thanks!

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:48 pm

I've been doing fine with my el-cheapo 3 season tents under a shade structure. My current one was a $40 off-brand from Big 5. It's holding up fine so far, it's bigger than my "nice" one, and I don't have to worry too much about it getting trashed.

Are you actually planning on having 3 people sleep in it, or is that an indication of the size you want?

Green Wood · Post by **Green Wood** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:10 pm

tENT?

Who uses a tent anymore! Tents were considered too green and we use alternative energy sources like gas and diesel to run our air conditions, frigs and Ice makers.

Check out our alternative energy kiosks on the playa!

I take my 45' RV. It uses the space of 6 tents and has a kick ass sound system with techno lites. Last year I burnt 96 gallons of fuel and 180 gals of water.

What's a Tent anyway ?

BoxaRox · Post by **BoxaRox** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:37 pm

The best three-man tent has two women in it.

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:20 am

BoxaRox wrote:The best three-man tent has two women in it.

Hey that's my tent. Go find your own!

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:15 am

I grabbed a cheap tent from sportsmansguide. It was their "house" brand, its white has a window on each of the 4 sides and a decent center pole. 8x8 square is the size I got but they have a bigger one available. I think it was about 50 bucks.

BigCock · Post by **BigCock** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:16 am

Tents and nearly anything covered in fabric are hell during the day. They are fairly effective at blocking wind, which is not what you want out there. One of my earliest BM memories is of watching a tent tumbling out into the open playa in a blast of dust.

Best to have solid wood, metal or cardboard over top for complete shade plus open or porous sides.

Like this!

dana · Post by **dana** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 11:34 am

BigCock wrote: They are fairly effective at blocking wind, which is not what you want out there. One of my earliest BM memories is of watching a tent tumbling out into the open playa in a blast of dust.

tumbletents.

Go cheap. The playa is hell on anything nice. Tie the whole mess down with cord and tent pegs.

tisha2 · Post by **tisha2** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:06 pm

ditto - go cheap. and look for a solid top. most new tents seem to all have that damn mesh roof - great for stargazing, not so great for keeping playa dust out of your sleeping space. zippered windows are good for having a breeze to cool it down when you want, but can also zip up tight when the dust is up. and putting your tent inside a dome, under a shade structure, or building a 'shell' with pvc and reflective tarp over it helps loads with keeping it cool in the daytime.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:57 pm

tisha2 wrote:ditto - go cheap. and look for a solid top.

I misread the thead title as "Selecting a Tisha" and after reading her advice I'm thinking it works for that too.

tisha2 · Post by **tisha2** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:48 pm

wrong, sensei...that's EASY. not CHEAP.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:07 pm

You need a good four season tent.
I took a cheap one and the zippers ripped in the first wind out there and the mesh filled it with dust.
Anything less than four season is a scam on the public.
In cold, the double wall keeps you warm.
I have seen a three season from sierra designs that has a full fly down to the ground.
The holes in the tent were in the top, so this would work with a cover over the holes.
It cost almost as much as a four season.

I just came from rainbow nationals in a three season tent.
It rained into the tent and it was cold when it got cold.
Everything in the tent got wet.
Three season tents are horse shit.

My last tent would take 120 mph winds, weighed seven pounds with the heavy poles and I slept under a sheet in forty degree weather.
It lasted twenty years.
I have only seen one cheap four season and it was made as a give away, not for sale.
All tents used to be four season.

Anything other than a four season is fine if you don't mind being hot, cold, wet and dusty.

A cheap tent might be functional completely enclosed in a shade structure or rv.

If it isn't a four season it's not a tent, it's a play toy.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:04 pm

tisha2 wrote:wrong, sensei...that's EASY. not CHEAP.

My bad. I remembered the 'solid top' part though.
I miss you so.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:33 pm

I saw a big dome in the mountains this week made by vango.
I don't see it on the webhouse.
They said fema gave it to them.

http://www.vango.co.uk/index.asp

dana · Post by **dana** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:09 am

Gyre,
I can't say I agree completely. I had a Northface VE24 tear apart in the wind once. (I recently bought a real cheap tent from Sierra design.) Wind is going to be one of things that could wreck your week. Part of the problem is lack of a solid wind block. You see a lot of people set up group camps with the RV's to the outside - wagon train fashion with the tents to the inside. The strongest wind seems to consistently blow from the NW, so I would at least park my car on that side of the tent.
The other problem is a tent that is not completely tied down with "guy-wire" support. Once your tent starts to whip back and forth, it starts to loosen up gaining more slack. More slack allows the wind more "purchase". Then that one big blast of wind tears it or sends it flying.
A low tapered/sloped tent is claustrophobic but better for shedding wind.

There's no way I would want to take something nice and expensive to the playa, unless I didn't care about what it would do to it.

joel the ornery · Post by **joel the ornery** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:35 am

tisha2 wrote:wrong, sensei...that's EASY. not CHEAP.

you have my permission to spank the sensei's ass.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:35 pm

Holy crap, Dana! How did that happen?
Was it tied at the mid and top points?
Since I have seen wind and water curl deck plates, I know there is no guarantee, but wow!
I have never had a north face tent, but I've used a lot of their other gear.
I would take a good tent out there in a second.
What are you saving it for?

If you spend a week like I did with broken doors on the tent, a good tent looks like a bargain.
The time and trouble of going is worth a lot more to me than all but the most expensive tents.
Sierra Designs does seem to make some pretty good tents.
Their Bedouin 4 and 6 looks pretty good for a three season.
It can never be as warm in cold though.

Every north face four season I've checked out at burning man was almost dust free.

dana · Post by **dana** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:18 pm

gyre wrote:
Every north face four season I've checked out at burning man was almost dust free.

That's the other part of it - trying to figure out how to keep as much dust out of your sleeping space. I swore I won't go back until the new vintage Airstream is finished with refurb. AC, comfy, the whole works!!

The tent blew apart because I wasn't expecting a freak windstorm when I wasn't around the tent to save it. No stabilizing lines to the sides.

I just think of the playa as being especially hard on nice gear. Not that non-stop tropical rain and damp won't funk out a tent with mildew.
I guess you can always use a sun shade to minimize UV damage and wash it out when you're done? The alkali seems especially nasty though.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:47 pm

You're right.
You wouldn't want to get a tent all dusty on the outside.
It's much better to take a mirror polished airstream out there.
I'm guessing it's old enough to have aircraft aluminum on the sides, maybe even old enough for a magnesium frame?

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:14 pm

dana · Post by **dana** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:55 am

Mozy, you little tease!!
You know what's kind of cool about that photo that I never noticed because I only saw the small version, is that the guy looks like he could be pedaling out to the playa through Nevada desert.

Yeah Gyre, that's one thing. I'm not sure if I want to do the polishing before taking it to the playa. It is old enough to have the good aircraft quality aliminum, but I never heard about the magnesium frames? You mean the floor frame I assume?
It should be sweet when its all done. Customizing the design: fixed bed in the back, curves with nice wood veneer laminate, lots of built-ins. Totally changing it from the original layout.

I wonder if this new style of camping relates to the geezer thread?

dana · Post by **dana** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:32 am

Check this out. Who wants to stay in a tent anyway?

http://www.vintage-vacations.com/61airstream_4.htm
http://www.vintage-vacations.com/61airstream_1.htm

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 12:04 pm

Nice.
Mine is a '73 with the good aluminum.
I wanted to polish it but my metals guy strongly advises against it.
He says it causes corrosion, as the metal is unstable when polished.
Pure silicone conformal coating is the best clear coat I have found, but it is rather costly in quantity.
You can always wax, of course.
Diesel oil can be used as a coating too.

dana · Post by **dana** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 1:11 pm

as long as we're not feeling guilty about thread drift or anything....
(I mean, hey just pick a damn tent already.)

I can't see how polishing would cause corrosion, except for the fact that you're removing a thin layer of aluminum in the process and potentially exposing a new layer to oxidation. That's where the wax coating comes in - sealing it against the oxidation.

That trailer wasn't mine. Mine is at one of their competitors right now.

Got any pics if you tricked yours out?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:16 pm

Mine is stock right now.
I plan an electrical upgrade with fluorescent lighting and solar panels.

My experience with polished aluminum on engine parts confirms this, though I don't understand the chemistry.
The natural skinning process acts to protect the metal.
When it is removed by polishing, it becomes open to serious pitting.
Harder metals do take longer to corrode.
I'm told the softer aluminum corrodes too quickly to even try polishing.
It is simply chemically unstable when burnished.

On car parts now, I plan to go for ceramic coating.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:21 pm

If you want anything that trick, I have a marine grade power takeoff that is o ringed and mirror finished nickel plated.
Even the internals are chrome plated.
Hubbell makes it but doesn't put their name on it.
I've seen them on a few tour buses.

dana · Post by **dana** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:50 pm

Gyre, I think what you're getting at is that the layer of oxidized aluminum provides a bit of a coating which "might" slow the process of further oxidation?
The question then comes down to which provides a better seal against oxidation - the oxidized aluminum or a sealant. I have to think a sealant because its designed to do just that. It all gets a little fussy I know, but from what I've read it sounds like taking the time to polish and seal will provide the longest lasting protection. The easiest is the clear-cote stuff that is done by pros, but it doesn't look as nice.
You've seen them with the mirror polish? Sick!!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:12 pm

Once they are polished they seem to pit and corrode much more rapidly.
My metal guy thinks natural aluminum skin lasts much longer than painted except in certain harsh conditions.
Of course, raw aluminum comes with some kind of coating, but it doesn't last long.
Perhaps it depends on conditions?
A slow dry skin may provide protection without being noticeable.

Polished parts I have, have corroded very badly when the coating has not been kept up.

If you paint, use a non-acid primer unless it is designed for aluminum.

If you polish, I think he is right.
Just know what you are getting into.
I will probably buff mine trying to leave some skin on it and then wax.
It's shiny enough to blind you, even dirty.
The older trailers definitely have a better finish anyway.

Selecting a Tent

Selecting a Tent

All real tents are four season tents