Tent Questions!

[DoctorIknow]

Just spray the mesh screen areas of your tent with Flex Seal....

Great stuff, way overpriced.

Even can get amazon free shipping with these two, or get them locally:

[AntiM]

The reason we never did anything permanent to seal the mesh on our tents is we do use them in other situations where ventilation is desirable. And no, our tents are not so playa trashed that they can't be used for regular camping.

[Finxiekins]

These are awesome ideas, guys, and I appreciate them very much. We have plenty of blankets lying around, so I'm sure there are some that we won't mind being dusty.

Getting great ideas about how to make my campsite a little piece of playa-heaven.

[AntiM]

I'll be in BDC also, you can check our camp to see how we do it. Our sad tent is being used by a campmate, so you can see the blanket trick in action. You'll need spring clamps. Handy things, you can't have too many.

[playla_wook]

Finxie Not to change the subject, but did you and your man get tickets?!?

[Finxiekins]

Finxie Not to change the subject, but did you and your man get tickets?!?

We'll be seeing you on the playa. (Can't make a smiley big enough for this!)

[playla_wook]

So wonderful to hear! I was praying in my own non-religious way for you!

[Sham]

Finxiekins, I'm glad you got tickets. Let me help with a smiley face for you! See you on the playa.

[Finxiekins]

Finxiekins, I'm glad you got tickets. Let me help with a smiley face for you! See you on the playa.

Ah! Thank you so much! We'll love to see you!

So wonderful to hear! I was praying in my own non-religious way for you!

Well, whatever you did, it worked! Haha.

[MyDearFriend]

Finxiekins, yes, please note well the blanket trick is one of AntiM's so, yeah utterly reliable!

I was travelin light, no comforters, but I did have this freebie fleece throw from my job which I tried clipping to my tent poles with alligator clips. Too much stretch & caught the wind. I stuck some shark-bite fasteners (left over from my monkey hut) on the fleece edges and guyed them down with short bungees. Worked great. No dust issues. And the cheap freebie blanket washed up good as new.

[inthecolumbiagorge]

We found a monkey hut shaped tent last year, of course on Craigslist, and we have vetted it here in the windy Columbia gorge with sustained 60 mph winds and gusts up to 75mph and it seems to have no issues, no twisting of poles, not too noisy if guy ropes are tight but I just don't want to get there and be tent-less for any reason:-) I could replace the fairly large guage collapsing tent poles with 1/2 pvc because the pole casings are large enough but I really wonder if that is necessary or if it would in fact be any stronger than the poles that came with it? I think it will be fine with the way it handled the wind here. It really is just like a monkey hut with a separate tent inside that forms the "bedroom" area as well as an interior room that zips up completely and an over hang of about 6 feet. We would still have it shaded by a larger monkey hut and use a heavy duty tarp underneath with rugs over the tarp. I would imagine it would work just fine but any suggestions or veteran imparted knowledge would be appreciated:-)
Here are a couple of photos:

[trilobyte]

Looks cool! You may want to reinforce the stakes that come with it, but if it'll be underneath another shade structure you'll probably be fine.

[Bob]

We found a monkey hut shaped tent last year, of course on Craigslist, and we have vetted it here in the windy Columbia gorge with sustained 60 mph winds and gusts up to 75mph and it seems to have no issues, no twisting of poles, not too noisy if guy ropes are tight but I just don't want to get there and be tent-less for any reason:-) I could replace the fairly large guage collapsing tent poles with 1/2 pvc because the pole casings are large enough but I really wonder if that is necessary or if it would in fact be any stronger than the poles that came with it? I think it will be fine with the way it handled the wind here. It really is just like a monkey hut with a separate tent inside that forms the "bedroom" area as well as an interior room that zips up completely and an over hang of about 6 feet. We would still have it shaded by a larger monkey hut and use a heavy duty tarp underneath with rugs over the tarp. I would imagine it would work just fine but any suggestions or veteran imparted knowledge would be appreciated...

As I often type, any tent can be made to work if you combine it with a serviceable windbreak -- vehicles, fence, or outer awning structure. Some tents are fine without much of a windbreak. Pics make that tunnel tent look a couple of feet taller than a geometric half-cylinder, so I'd question how it would do in the open under the sustained afternoon SW winds on the playa. Does it have decent reinforced guyline attachment points along the sides? Looks like a tent designed for the woods and fair weather conditions, but it might do fine with vehicles as a windbreak. Good score, I'd say. Lightweight irrigation or electrical pipe is a poor substitute for proper tent poles, IMO.

[maryanimal]

I asked this question in another thread yesterday, and haven't got a response. I'm sorry if I'm cross-posting. But my question is: I've seen carport frame poles that are 1 3/8" in size. Will that size withstand wind/dust storm on the playa?

[Trishntek]

MA, my entire shade structure frame is 1 3/8" stainless pipe. Are you asking about steel or PVC?

[maryanimal]

MA, my entire shade structure frame is 1 3/8" stainless pipe. Are you asking about steel or PVC?

Steel poles Gare, But I've read reviews at canopy sites that a lot are made of aluminum.

[TinkerMom]

MaryAnimal, I have this: The Caravan Canopy 10' X 20' Domain Carport Garage from Maul Mart.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Caravan-Canop ... t/11007577
$87 and free shipping to the store.
It uses the 1-3/8" steel tubing. It has been doing well here at the house. We have devil
winds that gust up to 80. Of course I have it tied down like crazy.

We used it last year @TTITD and plan on using it again,and again.....

[Trishntek]

The integrity of the pipe would be the biggest concern. The wall thickness of my steel pipe is 1/8", but you can have some that is less than half that thickness. Also, the joints for the corners and junctions can be made from plastic, bent pipe or heavier materials. Spacing between the supports is also an integral part of the package. If you have a free standing carport, the spacing between the uprights can be anywhere from 6' to 10' and do they have horizontal support across the bottom? There are so many configurations that are quite flimsy, while the same material with a more robust configuration can be quite robust.

1 3/8" steel should be plenty strong if it is more than 1/16" wall thickness. With horizontal bracing and possibly one or two diagonal braces, it boils down to how it is tied down more than the structure itself. The nice thing about 1 3/8" pipe is you can put your vertical poles over a metal fence post and plant a second metal post against the external part of the pipe and tape it.

[Finxiekins]

We found a monkey hut shaped tent last year, of course on Craigslist, and we have vetted it here in the windy Columbia gorge with sustained 60 mph winds and gusts up to 75mph and it seems to have no issues, no twisting of poles, not too noisy if guy ropes are tight but I just don't want to get there and be tent-less for any reason:-) I could replace the fairly large guage collapsing tent poles with 1/2 pvc because the pole casings are large enough but I really wonder if that is necessary or if it would in fact be any stronger than the poles that came with it? I think it will be fine with the way it handled the wind here. It really is just like a monkey hut with a separate tent inside that forms the "bedroom" area as well as an interior room that zips up completely and an over hang of about 6 feet. We would still have it shaded by a larger monkey hut and use a heavy duty tarp underneath with rugs over the tarp. I would imagine it would work just fine but any suggestions or veteran imparted knowledge would be appreciated:-)
Here are a couple of photos:

Woah! What a neat tent! Gonna need quite a few blankets to cover up that mesh! Still bowled over by how incredibly awesome that tent is - If things go tits up with the inlaws and we can't borrow their tent, maybe we'll have to find one like it. It looks like the front has a hangover - Are you just going to use that or build a seperate shade structure?

[inthecolumbiagorge]

We are going to have a large monkey hut over the tent so we have the tent shaded. There really is very little mesh except the windows that zip shut. The interior tent is not mesh but some other light nylon fabric. I think it should be as good or better than a regular camping tent as far as dust goes but only the real thing on the playa will tell for sure:-) We used it last year at Sasquatch at the Gorge amphitheater and it was pretty sweet, plenty big with 2 interior rooms and the outer shaded vestibule. Hope it is up to all the playa has to throw at it!

[Finxiekins]

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted last! I've been very busy here in the real world! Anyhow - Onto some updates with our tent situation.

Things are going sort of tits up with the in-laws, so the more I think about it, the more I would like to just go ahead with a new tent for all our playa adventures. We definitely plan to attend Burning Man in the future, so it might be a good idea to have a good tent for playa use only.

I also am purchasing a note-book where my husband and I will keep track of supplies and building plans, etc. With that in mind: What are the best tent brands you've come across, guys? I know a few were mentioned above, but would love a bit more input from my playa peeps.

[Trishntek]

I have many tents of different sizes and purposes. I camped all four seasons of the year in the Rocky Mts. By far, the best one I've had thus far is my Kodiak 10X14. Nail it to the playa with the 3/8" dia.X12" stakes, assemble the FIVE Stainless Steel POLES total and raise it. Boom you're done! It is canvass and weighs about 70lbs in two easy to carry, DURABLE bags.

Yeah, you will pay about $500 for it. You won't regret it. I have no interest in the product and provide this recommendation free of any ill-gotten gain.

[MartyZion]

I'll +1 Trishntek's recommendation of a Kodiak. My campmates have one and they're really well-made, hold up to strong winds and set up easily. I'd also recommend my 10X10 Springbar tent, which while lighter and better suited for backpacking, is more expensive than the similar Kodiak. Mine served me well for two burns. When one of my Springbar tent poles was damaged in a car accident druing exodus I stopped by Kirkham's in Salt Lake and they replaced it for free when I told them I was at Burning Man.

I now camp in the shell of my pickup, but I miss being able to stand up in my Springbar.

[MyDearFriend]

I like my Eureka dome tent(s): easy to set up, light to carry and relatively cheap ($100-200). Plenty sturdy for inside a monkey hut. Handy attachment points for extra lines, dust abatement, lights, etc.

Eureka domes are not real big & roomy for sitting around in, but, the monkey hut is excellent for that. For the price of the Kodiak you could have a dome tent, a fully furnished/aluminet covered monkey hut, and a hotel overnight each way. And you could do the trip in a car instead of a truck.

[DoctorIknow]

Search your local Craigslist.

Go visit the tents.

You don't need a canvas tent. The canvas owners are like Apple-bots on the eplaya, and will tout it's qualities in every thread that centers on tents and cite countless tales of woe of nylon tent problems

If you find what you think is a great tent but aren't sure it will hold up, bring a backup two man small tent. You can always store your stuff in it, or sleep in it if your partner and you can't get it together, but it is VERY nice to have a backup.

I've used a 10x17 coleman weathermaster for 11 years out there (beware, the newer ones have HUGE mesh) and it never has failed. The only failure was that last year I forgot my poles. Made me laugh, but probably the only reason I didn't cry was I had a backup two man tent.

[tattoogoddess]

OK I have a tent that is 50 mess on sides and 25 on the other two. So I am looking at how to take care of this. These shark bite thingys. Best website to get them? I saw a video on how to attach it to the fleece but how does that make a good seal on the mesh to fleece?

[MyDearFriend]

OK I have a tent that is 50 mess on sides and 25 on the other two. So I am looking at how to take care of this. These shark bite thingys. Best website to get them? I saw a video on how to attach it to the fleece but how does that make a good seal on the mesh to fleece?

We just had a long chat about this and I think you are sorted now TTG but, here's the list of what you need to roll up with your tent: one fleece throw (50x60"), 4 alligator clips, 3 shark-bite grommets, and 3 bungee cords.

[DustyBubbles]

I do apologize if this question has been asked but i can't find it if it has. Last year we had a monkey hut and a tent within the monkey hut. This year we just want to do a monkey hut AS our tent. I am wondering if any of you have any suggestions as to how we could seal off one end and have maybe a door/ flap on the other? Is this easily doable? Has anyone done this and what was the result? I appreciate it!

[tattoogoddess]

I would imagine, cutting a U shaped tarp then putting gromets around it then using bungee balls to strap it to the pole . I wouldnt stake it to the ground though cause you need to let air pass through it or it will take of.

[theCryptofishist]

It will take of a nice cup of tea in the afternoon...
Why do you want a monkey hut as a tent?