Tents and Dust

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:54 am

I am watching a couch have an argument with Mister Potato Head. Great time I picked to taper off my meds.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:22 pm

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

LOL maybe with the rain you'll grow eyes on the back of your potato head

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:51 am

Most likely I will just root into the muddy playa like everyone else.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:44 am

I usually stake down an old tarp or road cloth (woven geotextile) under and out in front of my tent. Makes it easier to sweep the dust away, gives you a spot to take a sponge bath, and you can use it like a mud room when it rains.

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

rain brings rainbows!!!

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:03 pm

> step out onto non-sticky ground when wet.

You're tops on my list of advice-givers, Bob, but I'll disagree respectfully on this one. The tarp in front of the tent will be covered in dust. When it rains, the tarp will be a slippery and muddy mess.

Worse, the rain will puddle under the tent, soaking through and wetting all a camper's stuff.

However, I always say to each his own.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:20 pm

yeah. I use a plastic tarp for ground cover & some shower water leaked onto it, The puddle became mud and never did dry. It was a mess. I still use tarp for ground cover, but I have a saddle blanket by the door of my van for the " ins & outs".

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:47 pm

I am looking at some astro-turf for the floor of my barbaric hut. Any experience with it on playa?

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:09 pm

yup. if it's inside it should be good. but outside the edges are moopy & they collect & hold ALOT of dust. I've used those canvas painters tarps. They are good. I think Phil uses them also. I was going to do a mural on one this year and use it for ground cover. perhaps paint on some grass & flowers !!

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:21 pm

I have a painted groundcloth runner. Do bring a stiff non-moopy broom or it will look like a apiece of playa very quickly. If you look on the left, you can see a starry night comforter... that's our tent under it. We set it up, fold and clip a cheap, flimsy blanket over the mesh vents and then top it with the comforter held on with clips. We NEVER use the rainfly, it funnels the dust IN.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:57 pm

>>>>I am looking at some astro-turf for the floor of my barbaric hut<<<<

astro turf is great stuff, excellent for rubbing your feet on. gets the playa out of the heel cracks. we use it only outdoors, indoors we have a 10 x 14 persian rug.....
a true barbaric hut should be floored with the blood and intestines of your friends and enemies....

Dr Dilemma · Post by **Dr Dilemma** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:19 pm

misfit wrote:>>>>I am looking at some astro-turf for the floor of my barbaric hut<<<<

astro turf is great stuff, excellent for rubbing your feet on. gets the playa out of the heel cracks. we use it only outdoors, indoors we have a 10 x 14 persian rug.....
a true barbaric hut should be floored with the blood and intestines of your friends and enemies....

Lessons learned with Astro Turf:

Home Depot has the cheapest. Yes even if you look everywhere online. Don 't bother, just hold your nose and go there.

Duct tape around all the sides and you make it non MOOPy.

Get a bunch of large nails and washers and nail them down every 12 inches, with every 3-4 around the corners. We managed to survive the worst dust storm with it tacked down like this.

Granted, if you don't have a wind break, it can get completely covered and once it is, its almost impossible to sweep it off.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:41 pm

misfit wrote: a true barbaric hut should be floored with the blood and intestines of your friends and enemies....

I was getting to that.

dragonpilot · Post by **dragonpilot** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:06 pm

I had all these great dust prevention strategies...they only work if you're there when the storm hits...I was always out somewhere...by the time I got to my tent, it would be filled with dust.

Not sayin' your plans won't help, just that dust will still invade every nook and cranny. Simplest thing is to drape blankets or sheets over everything inside the tent...no worries. Just uncover after the storm, shake out the sheets all over your neighbor's shit, and you're ready for the next storm!

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:24 am

phil wrote:> step out onto non-sticky ground when wet.

You're tops on my list of advice-givers, Bob, but I'll disagree respectfully on this one. The tarp in front of the tent will be covered in dust. When it rains, the tarp will be a slippery and muddy mess. Worse, the rain will puddle under the tent, soaking through and wetting all a camper's stuff.

That's why I sweep it off. And use a porous tarp. And camp on a high spot.

When it *really* rains, eg in '98 after the burn, the entire playa floods, as you well know.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:31 am

Just request the dust-free zone. There are still spots open.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:41 am

And not much dust gets past the dust fence I usually put up around camp.

Alas, the dust fence does seem to attract rogue urinators. Remind me to electrify it next time.

Etrit · Post by **Etrit** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:54 pm

I figured out a very easy way to do this a few years ago.. cover the mesh vents(that you can't close) with clear plastic and tape all the way around the edges.

Really the only place you need to worry about is the mesh on the roof of the tent. I suggest using one piece of plastic for each vent side.. so if its a small 2 man tent with 2 vents on top you would use 2 triangular pieces of plastic.

Put your rain fly on top for shade

You can still get air ventilation from the windows and door. Just make sure you keep them closed during a dust storm and close them before you leave camp.. even if there is no storm at the time.

I was a dork and didn't close my window on the 1st day of the burn and a dust storm rolled in while I was out playing... I came home to over an inch of dust on everything in the tent. I ended up using my tent for a closet and sleeping on a lawn chair under a silver tarp in front of my tent... which was cooler then sleeping in a tent ever is! I just went to sleep with goggles and a bandanna covering my nose/mouth...

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:21 am

geospyder wrote: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?

Any cheap tent works.
Just put it inside a good tent.

Anything with openings that don't close is not a tent.

The double layer is good for the cold.
When you're sure you're out for the day, close the tent in to absorb heat for a little more warmth at night.

As for a fly funneling dust, do you mean when the wind is blowing?
That may be true, as most flies suck these days.
I don't get that with a good fly.
But a shade cloth close to the tent can have the same effect- venturi effect maybe.

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Re: Tents and Dust