Baker Tent

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:26 pm

Thinking to make a Baker Tent to compliment my Starplate dome.
I can make it from heavy-duty painter's tarp. I like the bracing concept in this picture.

Has anyone here gone that route on the playa?

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:50 pm

I have used a canvas A frame civil war style tent that uses two 6 foot and a 9foot ridge pole inside. Edges are staked down and guylines are not required. The wind force and weight are born the entire length of the ridgepole.

In your picture, the ridge is supported by 4 hanging straps onto the ridgepole. These are obvious weak points and subject to thread breakage. Also, you need five long poles, multiple guylines, and many stakes. I'd recommend hanging fly over pole and not hanging by straps, or flip tent upside down and use straps to hang items or a windbreaker canvas sheet.

I like that self feeding fireplace out front, good for cold camping.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:15 pm

Thanks for the ideas.

I like that the front flap can be dropped down for a dust-storm, or propped up to enjoy the view. Guy wires are a pain in the neck; people love to trip over them and bring everything crashing down. "Portable holes" could be used instead.

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:55 pm

Bakers tents are versatile and can be changed to meet conditions. In your picture, I'd lash those 3 poles together with braided clothesline . Reminds me of suspension bridge supports we made in the boyscouts. They should stand independent of fly line tension. Maybe lash shorter poles across to make triangle bracing if long term campsite. Guylines from a-frames will make them solid in shifting winds also.

Frame would make good base for rope climb, bale toss, or weight for heigth toss in obstacle course. ( or just use an old swingset.)

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:57 pm

Oldguy wrote:I have used a canvas A frame civil war style tent that uses two 6 foot and a 9foot ridge pole inside. Edges are staked down and guylines are not required. The wind force and weight are born the entire length of the ridgepole.[/b]

I took mine out in 07 and one the holes in ridge pole blew out on me during set up. Luckily I had a back up, but it was not the dark cavern I was hoping for.

I need to make another ridge pole for it so my son can use it this year.

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:28 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:"Portable holes" could be used instead.

What's that?

JK

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:05 pm

CapSmashy wrote:
Oldguy wrote:I have used a canvas A frame civil war style tent that uses two 6 foot and a 9foot ridge pole inside. Edges are staked down and guylines are not required. The wind force and weight are born the entire length of the ridgepole.[/b]
I took mine out in 07 and one the holes in ridge pole blew out on me during set up. Luckily I had a back up, but it was not the dark cavern I was hoping for.

I need to make another ridge pole for it so my son can use it this year.

Cap, you and Jet bring your Son along this year???

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:15 pm

Captain, my ridgepole was 2 pieces of 2X2 hinged in the middle for easy setup. Each piece was 4 1/2' long connected with a gate hinge. After setup I braced the joint with an old wornout casehardened file and a couple of 2 inch hoseclamps. I put the file opposite the hinge and a couple of flat stock on the sides for bracing.

The hinge worked itself apart anyway in the wind. I've looked for ways to join the wood but the battens are not really 2X2 inches but slightly smaller, so, 2" inside dia. pipe is too big. I could clamp together two pieces of angled bar stock around the joint. hummm, I got a piece of old bedframe I could hacksaw into pieces...but will it flex too much again?

So this year I'm looking for three 2 inch dia. tree staking poles and will skip the hinge. I'll drill holes thru each end of the ridgepole. I'll drill a hole in the end of the support poles. I connect the poles with a six penny spike thru the holes in the ridge to the ends of the supports. The poles should be stronger than 2X2 battens. Easiest is sometimes the best way to go.

penguin · Post by **penguin** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:37 pm

jkisha wrote:
Ugly Dougly wrote:"Portable holes" could be used instead.
What's that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_hole

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:45 pm

penguin wrote:
jkisha wrote:
Ugly Dougly wrote:"Portable holes" could be used instead.
What's that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_hole

So instead of tripping over the guy wires, they would fall into the "portable hole" and emerge somewhere off the coast of Australia? I guess that would take care of that problem.

I was picturing a military portable hole; as in "Move that hole over there."

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:51 pm

penguin wrote:
jkisha wrote:
Ugly Dougly wrote:"Portable holes" could be used instead.
What's that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_hole

LOL and here I thought it might be some new device I might be able to use on the playa!

I don't know why this reminded me of this story ( I think maybe the cartoon explanation in your link), but two years ago there was a guy in our camp that was walking somewhere in camp and saw what he thought was a soccor ball, just waiting for him to kick. So he went running up and kicked it with all his might.

It turned out to be a bowling ball disguised by the dust.

He was in such agony but nobody could stop laughing long enough to help him. He didn't have much of a good time after that--he couldn't walk!!!

I laugh out-loud just thinking about that story.

JK

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:49 am

Knuckleheads.

You got a metal rod that goes into the ground. To this are welded a couple of rings, into which the pole is inserted.

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:31 am

D'oh, of course... I've seen those before supporting flag poles and unit standards. They would be good to anchor carports also. I'd lash the pole to the portable hole though for security of lifting structure in the wind.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:38 pm

The poles do want to lift out of the portaholes in a wind, but that's not entirely a bad thing. In King Hell playa windstorm, I wouild probably want to bring down the poles and lash down the tarp.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:13 am

One of the best tricks I've ever learned from this board is how to anchor the legs of my shade structures. I use the saran wrap and duct tape method and they are solid as a rock - literally NO lifting or movement.

1. Hammer rebar into the ground next to leg of shade structure.

2. Wrap cling wrap around the leg of the shade structure (allows quick removal with a knife, no sticky tape mess on the shade legs) and around the rebar.

3. Lash shade leg to rebar with duct tape.

penguin · Post by **penguin** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:05 pm

Oldguy wrote: The hinge worked itself apart anyway in the wind. I've looked for ways to join the wood but the battens are not really 2X2 inches but slightly smaller, so, 2" inside dia. pipe is too big. I could clamp together two pieces of angled bar stock around the joint. hummm, I got a piece of old bedframe I could hacksaw into pieces...but will it flex too much again?

So this year I'm looking for three 2 inch dia. tree staking poles and will skip the hinge. I'll drill holes thru each end of the ridgepole. I'll drill a hole in the end of the support poles. I connect the poles with a six penny spike thru the holes in the ridge to the ends of the supports. The poles should be stronger than 2X2 battens. Easiest is sometimes the best way to go.

If you want to stick to a two-piece pole you could go with a dowel screw instead of the hinge. Or going with your "bedframe" solution they make metal joints (but what-the-heck-they-are-called is escaping me at the moment) -- basically a square tube with some holes in the sides -- screw one 2x2 into one end, then could drill out the other 2x2 to accept a bolt -- when you get to the playa just stick the other 2x2 in and insert the bolt(s).

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 1:14 pm

mojo wrote:One of the best tricks I've ever learned from this board is how to anchor the legs of my shade structures. I use the saran wrap and duct tape method and they are solid as a rock - literally NO lifting or movement.

1. Hammer rebar into the ground next to leg of shade structure.

2. Wrap cling wrap around the leg of the shade structure (allows quick removal with a knife, no sticky tape mess on the shade legs) and around the rebar.

3. Lash shade leg to rebar with duct tape.

I've done that, but without the Saran wrap.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:50 pm

ibdave wrote:Cap, you and Jet bring your Son along this year???

Yep.

I bought him a ticket for his 18th birthday and we needed a designated driver for the MV.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:58 pm

Oldguy wrote:Captain, my ridgepole was 2 pieces of 2X2 hinged in the middle for easy setup. Each piece was 4 1/2' long connected with a gate hinge. After setup I braced the joint with an old wornout casehardened file and a couple of 2 inch hoseclamps. I put the file opposite the hinge and a couple of flat stock on the sides for bracing.

The hinge worked itself apart anyway in the wind. I've looked for ways to join the wood but the battens are not really 2X2 inches but slightly smaller, so, 2" inside dia. pipe is too big. I could clamp together two pieces of angled bar stock around the joint. hummm, I got a piece of old bedframe I could hacksaw into pieces...but will it flex too much again?

So this year I'm looking for three 2 inch dia. tree staking poles and will skip the hinge. I'll drill holes thru each end of the ridgepole. I'll drill a hole in the end of the support poles. I connect the poles with a six penny spike thru the holes in the ridge to the ends of the supports. The poles should be stronger than 2X2 battens. Easiest is sometimes the best way to go.

Mine was a 2x4 span (Tent is from Panther Primitives).

PP sells a ridge pole joiner that slides and locks across the two pieces. It was the first thing I tossed. I used angle steel to secure the pieces together and it has held up without issue. I used a 3 foot run top and bottom and split the join.

Baker Tent

Baker Tent

portable holes