Tents and Dust

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:49 pm

I'm looking for an inexpensive tent for BM. Almost all of them seem to have mesh openings in the top for ventilation. Even with a 'rain fly' wouldn't this still let in the playa dust during wind. If so, what have others done to prevent this?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:10 pm

HI,
there's a thread somewhere that deals with just this topic.
I can't remember the name, but, I bet you can find it in the index, or, by doing a search..

good luck

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:33 pm

Forgot all about the search. Must have been a senior moment. Just did a search on tent and dust. Only got 406 hits! That should keep me busy for a while. Thanks for not yelling and being gentle for this old virgin.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 7:52 pm

Its been discussed, heres some links.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?p=448988

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=28445

sealing up cheap tents.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:02 pm

My regular camping gear is staying home. What ever I bring will be cheap and free to be experimented with. Still have a few months to figure it out. I may try the paint thing. I've seen some of the pictures of dust in the tents so definitely everything will be in sealed bags of some sort. Seems strange to be reading and researching so much when I still have two other major trips prior to Burning Man that need to be planned. One of them in just five weeks. Are all first timers this obsessed?

Â¡Niers! · Post by **Â¡Niers!** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:03 pm

Don't mix.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:14 pm

Â¡Niers! wrote:Don't mix.

Trips or paint?

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:40 am

yes...

Bluemandrew · Post by **Bluemandrew** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:05 am

geospyder wrote: Are all first timers this obsessed?

I am, so you're not alone in your obsession methinks.

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:20 am

Bluemandrew wrote:
geospyder wrote: Are all first timers this obsessed?
I am, so you're not alone in your obsession methinks.

Are you kidding? you either go and say eh- I had a good time, not for me
or you get consumed and it sucks you down the hole farther and farther to where you are thinking of BM all the time, and reading eplaya incessantly and making plans, and on and on. This is year 10 for me.

help - i cant stop....................

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:29 am

mdmf007 wrote:
Bluemandrew wrote:
geospyder wrote: Are all first timers this obsessed?
I am, so you're not alone in your obsession methinks.
Are you kidding? you either go and say eh- I had a good time, not for me
or you get consumed and it sucks you down the hole farther and farther to where you are thinking of BM all the time, and reading eplaya incessantly and making plans, and on and on. This is year 10 for me.

help - i cant stop....................

hey, does that apply to me, too?..............

naw.........

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:40 am

It applies to ME FOR SURE !!!! THis will be my 7th year... Look for me In the Rabbit Hole!

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:12 pm

geospyder wrote:My regular camping gear is staying home. What ever I bring will be cheap and free to be experimented with. Still have a few months to figure it out. I may try the paint thing. I've seen some of the pictures of dust in the tents so definitely everything will be in sealed bags of some sort. Seems strange to be reading and researching so much when I still have two other major trips prior to Burning Man that need to be planned. One of them in just five weeks. Are all first timers this obsessed?

Oh yeah - my hubby is always baffled that instead of making lists and working on stuff for our "vacations", I am constantly working and planning on Burning Man stuff.

I don't know if all virgin burners are as obsessed, but I was - and it DOES only get worse. Just DONT STRESS about it. Be prepared but don't burn yourself out your first year.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:07 pm

pick up a cheap tent from "CL". grab a thin blanket and grommet all four corners. set up tent and place thin blanket on top and tie down. place rain fly according to tent direrctions. the blanket will trap a good amout of playa that shoots up the side of your tent.... during serious white outs i mist the bottom of the blanket on all four sides.........

munney · Post by **munney** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:29 pm

Misfit ~ That's the Best real tip I've heard on Eplaya in a while, Thanks, I might even use it, though I generally make a reasonable attempt to keep the dust out,

and deal with the stragglers.

:shock:Taking off shoes seems to help in the great dust pandemic

AND

I do tend to mix all my camping gear, and yes, I do get playa dusty when regular camping,

So What, It's camping

Post by **mdmf007** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:41 pm

In dust storms we simply collapse the tents and cover them with a tarp. With no air circulating - little dust gets in. Another tactic used in our camp is to place a massive tarp on the ground put tent in middle and stake right through the tarp. The tarp has a small line like clothes line size ran through all of he grommets.

When not in tent pick up tarp and pull line tight to wrap up all of your stuff like a big hershey's kiss. Take the extra line and tie around the top to tie it off and sealing it.

Takes all of 4 minutes to do, and just as long to undo.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:00 pm

> place a massive tarp on the ground put tent in middle

We haven't had rain on the playa in a long time, have we?

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:17 pm

I've got a watch on a tent on eBay at the moment that has a rain flap that seems to fairly well cover the tent. At least on the sides. Zipped up I'm think that it should be semi-dust free.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:16 pm

phil wrote:> place a massive tarp on the ground put tent in middle

We haven't had rain on the playa in a long time, have we?

in a rain storm - take tarp out from underneath, put over top. In Hershey kiss formation - no water gets in either (well not much)

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:24 pm

Good strategy, if you pitched your tent on a high spot.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:42 pm

Bob wrote:Good strategy, if you pitched your tent on a high spot.

really? *snicker*

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:59 pm

Geospider,
I think that tent will fold over in hight wind. If it had one more of the fiberglass poles it would hold up allot better. I have a dome tent with 3 poles and it is bomb proof. I took a tent with 2 poles my first year and it was mostly flat on the ground in the big wind storms.
You could make it stronger by adding one more pole by taking the right length of 1/2 inch pvc pipe and bending it over the tent. The ends of the pole would go over rebar pounded in to the ground right next to the tent. Secure it to the other poles at the top of the tent with twine or electrical tape. The fly would then go over that.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:08 pm

motskyroonmatick wrote:Geospider,
I think that tent will fold over in hight wind. If it had one more of the fiberglass poles it would hold up allot better. I have a dome tent with 3 poles and it is bomb proof. I took a tent with 2 poles my first year and it was mostly flat on the ground in the big wind storms.
You could make it stronger by adding one more pole by taking the right length of 1/2 inch pvc pipe and bending it over the tent. The ends of the pole would go over rebar pounded in to the ground right next to the tent. Secure it to the other poles at the top of the tent with twine or electrical tape. The fly would then go over that.

Sounds like a plan - thanks.

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:06 am

Pleaaaaaaaazzzzzzzeeeeee Just accept that there will BE DUST and become one with IT!!!!
Okay then...
what I meant to say is that if you REMEMBER to bring an extra KING SIZE sheet and cover your bed (Even if your tent is locked UP tight) You will be alot Happier~ if worried about DUST! ooooooo but then you have to remember to roll the sheet offfffffff the bed.

You could even go so far as to safety pin an extra sheet into the inside of tent... Just some thoughts.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:33 am

Not to worry about that tent. eBay is fun especially if you set a price and not exceed it. Someone else paid way too high. I'm not concerned about dust. I've been camping for years. I'm just trying to keep the dust under an inch in thickness

The PVC sounded good as an anchor. I had already planned to bring a sheet or too to cover things when not in use. Unfortunately, as much as we've been camping, the dust and wind is what made my wife decide not to go. While I'm at Burning Man, she and a girl friend are doing the spa thing.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:55 am

When there is a "white out" or a rain storm, the last thing you want to be doing is making making adjustments to your tent. I don't have much use for pop-tents on the playa. Maybe if your camp or village has an overall structure to protect the pop-tent. They certainly stow compactly. But I would focus on making a shade structure that lets the dust get in as easily as it gets out, or an enclosed structure that lets very little dust get in at all. Or both.

geospyder · Post by **geospyder** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:34 am

At this point in our camp there will be two small trailers, possibly a mini RV and my tent. No sure of the layout but I'm hoping to use one or more of the trailers/RV as an extra anchor for the tent plus I'm presuming that we'll rig some sort of shade structure between the vehicles. Myself and one couple are virgins. The other people have been a couple of times and will be our mentors. I have use of an SUV but I'm opting for a tent for more space and some privacy.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:16 am

mdmf007 wrote:
phil wrote:> place a massive tarp on the ground put tent in middle

We haven't had rain on the playa in a long time, have we?
in a rain storm - take tarp out from underneath, put over top. In Hershey kiss formation - no water gets in either (well not much)

I've never been at my camp when it started raining. Good plan if you're there when the storm (rain or dust) starts.

Original post:
> stake right through the tarp.

Which means you can't pull the tarp out. shrug - to each his own. If it rains when the group is out on the playa, all the rain will collect on the tarp and run under the tent, where it may never dry (unless you remove the tent). If the tent were on the ground, it would not get water under it.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:16 pm

Greatttttttt... it's going to rain FOR SURE this year! w/ all this chatter.. thanks !!

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:05 pm

Staking down some tarp around your tent is a great strategy, wet or dry. Makes it easier to sweep up the dust when dry, or step out onto non-sticky ground when wet. Genius!