Wall Tents

[Andrei]

I am planning to buy a wall tent for my shade/wind breaking purpose this year.
Unfortunately i found that they are expensive $1000+
I am still debating and considering cheaper options to make a wall tent.
so here are my questions...

#1
How important is it for the tent material to be cotton canvass vs. plastic/polymer tarp and others?? what difference it makes? How significant?

...i been told that non cotton makes it "breath" and otherwise its hot. But what is i open doors and make "wind tunnel". Would cotton canvas still be just as good?
also, if i get canvas that lets air through, will this eliminate the need of opening doors for ventilation? probably not...??

#2
How thick should the material be to block optimal amount of sun?

#3
If i buy a car port shelter, can i add walls easily?
what if i keep the polyester tarp roof and add cotton canvass walls to the car port, will this make it just as good as full canvas wall tent?
Is it more important to have canvas on the wall of on the roof? (for it to be cooler inside)

Generally what are the pros, cons and prices of different fabrics that can be used for wall tent? what do you recommend?

#4
How think should the frame poles be? aluminum or still, or both ok?
should i use the rope it comes with (carport) to secure it? or i need some more heavy-duty

#5
these are some the things i had in mind when posting this

http://www.springbar.com/shop/products.php?cat=32
http://www.northwestshelters.com/?gclid ... NAodLnEA-Q
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4 ... ?locale=en

If you know anyone selling or renting a canvas wall tent, wall tent frame or the canvas for it plz let me know
thank you!

[Andrei]

http://www.creativeshelters.com/

did anyone yse this supplier?
what materials and frames are good enought from the list...?\

thanks

[CornMan]

I have cotton canvas tents, a carport, and polyester tents. They all get hot without additional shade at least one foot above them. I like the sound of flapping cotton canvas better than the poly. I've used my carport for camping non-playa many times, and it works pretty well, but for Burning Man, I'd rather set up my carport without the walls and put a canvas tent under it.

[CornMan]

One thing I would do if using a carport even if only to shade a tent, and I've posted this several times before, is put a silver tarp on the carport before putting on the valance tarp that comes with it. The white and tan poly valence tarps get wicked hot.

[TomServo]

http://www.creativeshelters.com/

did anyone yse this supplier?
what materials and frames are good enought from the list...?\

thanks

YES! I've been using and recommending them for a few years now. The best tarps to get are the heavy duty silver tarps. If you're buying a valanced roof, keep in mind the tie down grommets are on a strip of tarp attached to the underside. I've had these strips tear off the main tarp...Never lost the tarp, but was a pain in the ass repairing. Either, reinforce the seam on that strip, or just go with a standard tarp. I would start with a carport...which should be cheaper and easier to pack than a homemade canopy.


...also..if you're okay with carrying the extra weight...this is how I've anchored my frame tents...4 posts for each corner..

[Hoolie]

I've used different materials on my shade structure, and each type has advantages and disadvantages.

I started out with a solid poly tarp for the roof. It was a double-layer tarp with silver on the top and black on the bottom. This worked well, with the silver layer reflecting the sun off the top, and the black layer cutting light penetration into the structure. Since I had a flat roof, the wind wasn't a factor since the main surface area was horizontal to the ground. I decided against using solid poly tarps for the walls for two reasons. One, it does not breathe, so a structure completely enclosed in it can heat up. Two, the solid plastic surface makes for a big, noisy sail when pitched vertically to the ground, which can damage the tarp or the whole structure in strong winds. Instead, I chose black shade net for the walls. This allowed for good airflow, low noise, and minimal wind stress. This was good for three reasons. One, it kept the structure well-ventilated, so it stayed cool. Two, it allowed the wind to filter through which minimized the sail-effect. Three, it was quiet, with minimal noise in the wind. The downside of the shade net is it lets some sun and a lot of dust to filter through so you don't feel as protected. Overall, the structure had a dark and plastic, yet somewhat exposed feel inside, which was not so cheerful. So I decided to upgrade.

I swapped out my old tarps for some canvas. I ended up using natural colored cotton canvas. The structure has a very nice feel to it now. The sun is blocked, but the light inside is nice. The canvas breathes but also protects. It also has a pleasing sound in the wind. It's just cozier overall, and looks better too. Disadvantages: The canvas is much heavier than the poly or shade net, which makes transport and setup more difficult. The heavier weight also makes the tarps sag more, so it is more difficult to get things nice and tight. The solid walls make for a sail in the wind, but it feels stronger than poly tarps. Just make sure your frame is strong and well anchored. Finally, the canvas was more expensive than either poly or shade net tarps.

Despite the disadvantages, I guess you can say I am pretty devoted to canvas. Under the structure, I have a canvas Springbar tent, which is excellent. I even made canvas walls for my shower (although that's mainly because I had a canvas dropcloth on hand which was just the right size). Plus, at one time, I had this vision for a desert island theme, which the canvas would enhance. Unfortunately, I'm always so busy with the construction and modifications of the thing, I've never gotten around to decorating it.

[Andrei]

lots of great tips, thnks alot guys.
At this point I am still leaning towards buying springbar tent, for the reasons for transportation issues. ( i wll be flying in and cant afford to ship it twice)

so doses anyone who used Springbar wall tent on playa knows if it needs any adjustments to it to be made playa proof. (i know it will need different stakes)

[CornMan]

I doubt anybody has ever said, "Damn, I wish I didn't bring the Springbar tent to Burning Man."

[Bob]

Just buy a fucking tent already, it's a little late to reinvent the wheel.

[theCryptofishist]

I sympathize, Bob. It is late. Shit or get off hte pot late.
However, I have come to believe that one of the "purposes" of the event is endless wheel re-inventing. Why should that guy a few thousand years ago in the fertile* crescent have all the fun?


*see, see--it is relevent to the theme! and um, oh yeah, it may not of been a guy. and it was probably perfected over time, by multiple people, rather than just "invented" sui generus.(pardon my latin)

[Andrei]

Just buy a fucking tent already, it's a little late to reinvent the wheel.

lol, good point. springbar is overloaded with orders.
I will probably order from here http://www.walltentshop.com/Catwalltents.html

I called them and got a good suggestion. Buy the tent canvas+angle kit and buy the pipes for frame once i get to reno or somthing. this way i save on shipping.
This is the hardware that will be used to connect the frame http://www.walltentshop.com/anglekit.html

also, i should buy still pipes for it not aluminum right?

[FIGJAM]

EMT!!!

[Bob]

I'm assuming those kits require EMT (steel tubing used in electrical work). If you're scurrying around Reno trying to find that on a weekend, that might eliminate electrical supply houses open only on weekdays. Not sure how well-stocked the Home Depot is before Burning Man. So, good luck with that plan.

If you're a novice, you're better off buying what you need far enough in advance that you can get practice putting it up and decide how to make it better for the desert.

[Jackass]

If you're a novice, you're better off buying what you need far enough in advance that you can get practice putting it up and decide how to make it better for the desert.

I second this, Ive built both the monkey hut and an EMT shade structure that goes over and around my tent trailer neither one would have been very easy to build on playa from scratch. You make a bad cut or jumble your measurements a couple of times and next thing you know you're heading back to the supply house for more material. Even at home with all the tooling and amenities that you would need,it can still be a bitch. Become one with your structure...