dome tents

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:18 am

i was wondering of the people who have used these before are they worth the price?

Post by **Sham** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:51 am

Can you be more specific on the price----like a number?
What are you trying to do with the tent? Will several people be living in this? Will it be used for cooking?
For 8 years, I used a small 4 person tent just for myself. This year, I used one about twice that size and it was very comfortable.
The most important thing to keep in mind is the weight of it as far as transporting it. You don't want the tent to take up all your room on the truck.
In my case, I have to get everything in 2 suitcases, so every extra and wasted ounce really counts. Also, keep in mind all extra packaging on everything should be removed and disposed of at home--not just for the limit on space, but the moop factor.
Are you planning on driving or flying from GA to BM?
By the way---WELCOME!

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:01 am

thanks for the welcome, so far it's looking like just me. I [b]should[/b] be home in time for 2009 BM.

The one i'm thinking of is 18' diameter for 750$ roughly.

driving with a stop in Vegas on the way home I'm thinking.

Post by **Sham** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:05 am

That tent may be a huge overkill for one person for your first time. Stop into REI or your favorite big box store and check out what they have for tents. You want enough room to be comfortable, but you really don't want to spend a lot of time setting up and breaking down. A $50 tent should work fine for you, and still leave you room in your car for other supplies.
There are lots of newbie threads here that will give you helpful ideas on what works and what doesn't. Don't forget your dust mask and goggles!

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:41 pm

i'll look into it some more then.

i wouldn't mind the space though, i'm sure i've been in worse conditions.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:55 pm

A couple in our camp had one of these domes, they loved it. Took 2 people about 20 minutes to set up(with wind), came down super fast. You'll definately want to make provisions to cover the vents, they're small, but dust will still come inside...

Post by **Elderberry** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:05 pm

Hey if you want something big and dust free and cool--think HEXAYURT! You can recruit a couple of people to help you put it up when you get there. About 1/2 the cost too.

JK

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:41 pm

yeah i'm definetly leaning towards some what big, and easy to put together.

And with as much as i like to cook i'll need mostly dust free table space.

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:46 pm

cullen wrote:
And with as much as i like to cook i'll need mostly dust free table space.

That's not going to Happen.....Nope Noway just plan dusty.. Even your butt hole will have dust...

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:47 pm

ditto..

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:07 pm

cullen wrote:yeah i'm definetly leaning towards some what big, and easy to put together.

And with as much as i like to cook i'll need mostly dust free table space.

falk · Post by **falk** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:25 pm

falk · Post by **falk** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:26 pm

cullen wrote:And with as much as i like to cook i'll need mostly dust free table space.

Still ain't gonna happen.

Food tastes best when seasoned with playa dust. Embrace the dust. Love the dust.

hsdavis · Post by **hsdavis** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:30 am

If you want relatively dust free, buy yourself a used RV. It would be less money than that tent and your food would be less dusty. It would also give you plenty of room to bring all that newbie shit that you are planning on. By your third year, you will be packing a toothbrush, flashlight and a spare pair of underwear.
For now, your big focus should be actually buying the ticket and getting there. That is the toughest part for most people.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:56 am

An RV, be it a motorhome, a trailer, or truck camper, is by far the most effective way to have a minimal-dust environment. The one big extra you need for that to work is a fairly expensive QUIET generator so you can run the A/C and keep the rig closed up.
Here's my other big dust-free trick: get an old Rainbow vacuum from a garage sale or Craigslist. Those are the ones that suck through a bowl of water at the bottom rather than using a bag filter. I just turn it on inside my rig and let it run a while, and it sucks the playa dust out of the air.
Next trick: duct tape. Tape over any hatch cover, seam, wherever dust can get in.

Contrary to popular belief, a dust-free kitchen CAN be had at Burning Man!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:58 am

I thought the dust was what made everything taste better there?

It can't be the cookies........

spelling edit

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:20 am

Our local Toyoata dealership had a good-lookin' RV for only $2,750. We were tempted.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:50 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:Contrary to popular belief, a dust-free kitchen CAN be had at Burning Man!

But Cap, can the same be said for a dust free galley?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 12:09 pm

18 feet for $750?
What brand?
What's it made of ?
Is it double walled? It gets cold.
Does it have holes all over it you can't close?

As for rvs, you have to add the cost of Dalton to Reno gas.

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:55 pm

gyre wrote:18 feet for $750?
What brand?
What's it made of ?
Is it double walled? It gets cold.
Does it have holes all over it you can't close?

As for rvs, you have to add the cost of Dalton to Reno gas.

it's made by shelter systems

i'm not sure exactly what it is made of.

it has a shingle type set up but the skin seems pretty tight and there are several reviews from people who have used them and seem to enjoy them..

http://www.shelter-systems.com/playadomes.html

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:50 pm

I've never seen one so far.

Don't overlook this page.
Anyone using the folding designs of the dome?
http://www.shelter-systems.com/modle.html
http://www.shelter-systems.com/designs.html

I can verify that full double wall designs are much warmer in cold.

Weebdog · Post by **Weebdog** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 3:14 pm

Instead of putting duct tape on your compartments/doors - try painters tape. It doesn't leave the glue residue that duct tape does. It worked great for me this year, easy to pull off when you're done with it.

SpacemanSpliff · Post by **SpacemanSpliff** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 11:11 pm

I had one of those this year. It worked out quite well, but make sure you get a floor for it. It will get dust in it, but as people have said, everything gets dust in it. You'll learn to love it. We had a bunch of people sleeping in our dome, but you could have a wonderful VIP suite for two. Just make sure you bring enough rebar to keep it firmly staked down and loads of duct tape for the seams. And make sure the dome is oriented so that the untaped door is facing the way you want before staking it down (whoops)...

cullen · Post by **cullen** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:21 am

how were they in the wind and sun?

SpacemanSpliff · Post by **SpacemanSpliff** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:42 am

They're great in the wind. The fact that the cover is made up of triangles instead of one big piece means the wind doesn't catch it as much as it catches other domes. Just make sure it's thoroughly rebarred into the ground. As far as sun goes, just make sure you put the shadecloth on whichever side the sun hits first, and you'll be fine. I mean, it'll be hot in the middle of the day, but 1) you shouldn't be spending too much time there in the middle of the day and 2) it's still much better than a tent.

pterribilini · Post by **pterribilini** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:52 pm

I used one this year and it was fantastic! Easy setup, no guylines to trip over, held up great in the wind. Plus, you can stand up in it all the way to the walls, so all the space inside is usable. I has my entire camp set up inside it, and it was perfect. I didn't have to worry about anything blowing away in a windstorm and my stuff was much less dusty than my neighbors'. During the day, it's light inside, and you can hook solar lights to the outer frame to light your way at night. It comes w/ vent tubes to cool it during the day, and I used a couple of empty plastic bottles to open up additional flaps--then was able to nap inside at Noon! I definitley suggest you get the floor and shade along with a few extra connecters to atach the floor to the walls. It will end up costing $1100 +/- with tax and shipping, but if you have the money and are ever going to the burn again, it's worth it. You MUST have help setting it up, one person CANNOT get the 18' one by themselves, and make sure you do a practice run at home because even with the instructions provided, it comes out of the shipping package looking like some weird plastic puzzle. I had some random guy help me and we had the whole thing done in about 30 minutes. And like most tents, don't expect it to go back to the original size once you set it up the first time.

Good luck!

falk · Post by **falk** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:39 pm

Shambala wrote:... Stop into REI or your favorite big box store and check out what they have for tents.

I'll tell you what they have: REI has expensive mesh tents. Box stores have cheap mesh tents. Mesh tents won't keep the dust out. I slept in a mesh tent once -- never again.

I think the only way to get a tent that seals the dust out is to buy one on-line. I'm pretty happy with my Sierra Equinox tent, but I'm told the Springbar is fantastic. Neither are cheap though.

My first playa tent was an old K-mart tent that I'd spent $50 on. It disintegrated three days into the event, but I think if it had been new, it would have lasted just fine.

I think the OP had a photo of a Shelter Systems tent. Overkill for a personal tent, but I think they make great chill spaces.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:10 pm

Search 4 season and fifth season tents and desert tents.

North face even has some arctic tents.
They don't seem to show up in catalogs.

A good dome with a separate full enclosure fly acting as a second wall can be heated with a sleeping person left in the tent.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:27 am

Shambala wrote:That tent may be a huge overkill for one person for your first time. Stop into REI or your favorite big box store and check out what they have for tents. You want enough room to be comfortable, but you really don't want to spend a lot of time setting up and breaking down. A $50 tent should work fine for you, and still leave you room in your car for other supplies.
There are lots of newbie threads here that will give you helpful ideas on what works and what doesn't. Don't forget your dust mask and goggles!

Typical one-man tents get too hot most of the time. A larger tent - even if - for one person - will allow more air circulation. Besides, you won't be alone forever...

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:26 pm

gyre wrote:Search 4 season and fifth season tents and desert tents. North face even has some arctic tents. They don't seem to show up in catalogs. A good dome with a separate full enclosure fly acting as a second wall can be heated with a sleeping person left in the tent.

You mean to tell me there's another one?!!

Crap! That means I'm probably gonna have to buy more shit! Oh well, it's for the economy.