Has anyone used a surplus military tent?

[Shaolinskunk]

I've been thinking about what to stay in at BM and there's a surplus store about 15 miles from me, they have tons of crazy army tents. This SEEMS like a good idea? They're a heavy canvas, I'd assume they're pretty strong, and I can get one for fairly cheap. Any advice would be great!

[CornMan]

I've seen them used many of times. They are strong enough and look great, but the dark colored ones get really hot during the day. A canopy suspended over the tent would be a great help. I scored a big camo net last summer that would really look cool suspended over a military tent.

[Shaolinskunk]

They have those too! (camo nets). The style I like comes in green or tan though...I'm guessing that youd recommend tan It doesn't have a floor, which I like, and the walls roll up on all four sides so it seems to serve a dual purpose. How about size? At music festivals they only give you the small area behind your car but these tents start at 16 ft. By 16ft.! I'm not trying to piss of my neighbors...

[Elliot]

No worries about space, grasshopper. Just find a suitable spot and set up your Stuff.

[Shaolinskunk]

Great! Thank you wise one-

[Eric]

It doesn't have a floor, which I like

umm... you do realize the playa is basically talcum powder? Talcum powder that is in, on, and hovering around everything. Without a floor or something acting as a floor (see threads on hexayurts), dust in going to come pouring into your tent from the bottom (see pic of the staff commissary below, which has separate walls as well, during a white-out last year). If the weather is like last year, you & all your stuff will be buried inside your tent - and even tents with floors tend to get dusty.


The playa isn't like the ground at any festival you've been to, unless you've been to one that's taken place on an alkaline salt bed. I'd highly suggest at least getting old carpeting that will cover an area slightly larger than your tent to cut down on the dust. Generally the only areas that tend to have no floor-cover are public areas, not where your bed is.

Below is the inside of a regular tent after a dust-storm:

[Elliot]

Below is the inside of a regular tent after a dust-storm:

Ya know.... If we could get a bunch of such pictures published in the default media, I bet we would have a lot less tourists!

[Hondovious]

Below is the inside of a regular tent after a dust-storm:

Ya know.... If we could get a bunch of such pictures published in the default media, I bet we would have a lot less tourists!

But tourists become burners, sometimes at least.. Isn't that partially why we do this? To show a different path?

[gaminwench]

well, yes... but a little pre-playa reality check never hurt anyone...

[Eric]

But tourists become burners, sometimes at least.. Isn't that partially why we do this? To show a different path?

Yes, and there will be amazing people who get hit with their first white-out & fall in love with the playa. They will be in the minority of first-timers, however.

What I think Elliot is saying is that if people saw the "other" side of the event, not just the art-cars/costumes/dancing/lights/fun-fun-fun part, but the reality of living in a dry lake-bed for a week where the dust in the air is trying to suck the moisture out of your body... well, we might have less people who come thinking we're the newest stop on the EDM circuit or something on a bucket-list, and more who come because they've heard about all of it & are dying to experience it.

[Elliot]

That's it.

[junglesmacks]

Yeah.. these one guys..

http://galleries.burningman.com/photos/ ... lennyjones

[theCryptofishist]

I was going to MASH as well. "The CO" and "Oregon Red" run that camp and are on this board. They don't show up often, so maybe a pm, I dunno. But they've been out there with their tents since 99 or something, i.e. longer than I've been going ot the event.

[Shaolinskunk]

It doesn't have a floor, which I like

umm... you do realize the playa is basically talcum powder? Talcum powder that is in, on, and hovering around everything. Without a floor or something acting as a floor (see threads on hexayurts), dust in going to come pouring into your tent from the bottom (see pic of the staff commissary below, which has separate walls as well, during a white-out last year). If the weather is like last year, you & all your stuff will be buried inside your tent - and even tents with floors tend to get dusty.


The playa isn't like the ground at any festival you've been to, unless you've been to one that's taken place on an alkaline salt bed. I'd highly suggest at least getting old carpeting that will cover an area slightly larger than your tent to cut down on the dust. Generally the only areas that tend to have no floor-cover are public areas, not where your bed is.

Below is the inside of a regular tent after a dust-storm:

I've read about the dust and someone else suggested a normal tent inside of the bigger military tent. put my stuff in ziplocs/trash bags...I've read about the alkalinity... It seems like a tent that big would be hard to get that much dust out of (with a floor)...

I do appreciate your concern though... I also like your other post and feel like I'll be in the minority who loves it all! I've actually been wanting to go for about 3 years but didn't feel quite ready. I've done tons of reading, talking, and asking literally for years now and I feel pretty confident it'll change my life. I'm pretty damn excited-

[9ah]

That's a lot of weight... It'll change your life just like triple ply Charmin will... Life others have said, go in with little/no expectations... That's the best way to go.

[Eric]

I do appreciate your concern though... I also like your other post and feel like I'll be in the minority who loves it all! I've actually been wanting to go for about 3 years but didn't feel quite ready. I've done tons of reading, talking, and asking literally for years now and I feel pretty confident it'll change my life. I'm pretty damn excited-

If looking at those pictures makes you go "I can do this", then, yeah, you'll probably be just fine.

[Shaolinskunk]

Oh I can absolutely do this! Im sure there's no way to fully understand without actually going but you guys help out a lot so thank you

Oh and it's Caliche dirt here but we get some pretty wild dust storms! http://oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/news ... 015916.php

Or google Lubbock, tx dust storm. I work in this!

[Rice]

Oh I can absolutely do this! Im sure there's no way to fully understand without actually going but you guys help out a lot so thank you

Oh and it's Caliche dirt here but we get some pretty wild dust storms! http://oklahomafarmreport.com/wire/news ... 015916.php

Or google Lubbock, tx dust storm. I work in this!

Have you ever been camping on a giant flat former lake bed when one of those storms blew up?? The only shelter you have is what you brought with you. (At least most of the time the playa dust is very fine and does not hurt when it hits bare skin.) Make sure you have goggles and some sort of dust mask with you all the time. (I have heard that it sucks to be caught in a dust storm for 6 hours with no goggles/mask - never let that happen to myself)

I am not trying to scare you off. I am saying, until you have experienced a playa dust storm - you really have not been in a storm...

[Ugly Dougly]

It'll change your life just like triple ply Charmin will...

Thank you for ALL that information.

[theCryptofishist]

It'll change your life just like triple ply Charmin will...

Thank you for ALL that information.

Well, that's something. Something forbidden by JotS. I'll meet you at greeters with mob bearing pitchforks and torches.

[Shaolinskunk]

I am not trying to scare you off. I am saying, until you have experienced a playa dust storm - you really have not been in a storm...



[/quote]

Rice... I'm not too worried about the dust my man! Cool pictures though-

[Rice]

I am not trying to scare you off. I am saying, until you have experienced a playa dust storm - you really have not been in a storm...

Rice... I'm not too worried about the dust my man! Cool pictures though-[/quote]
It isnt the dust that I worry about either, its the wind... I have been on-playa for 70 MPH winds, it is interesting...

[Shaolinskunk]

I think my biggest concern is the cold! Strange right? I hate being cold... Ill take 105 degree days over 30 degree nights every single time

[Rice]

I think my biggest concern is the cold! Strange right? I hate being cold... Ill take 105 degree days over 30 degree nights every single time

It does cool off at night, but nothing "extreme". Well, not minus 40 anyhow...

Just bring some layers and a warm hat and you will be fine!!

[unjonharley]

In 010 I was limping the van home.. The engine was running bad about sun down. I stop for the night.. Throw a sleeping bag warped in a tarp on the ground.. After a long hot day of 25 to 30 mph.. I went right to sleep on the ground.. Woke up after sun rise. Got out of the sleeping bag and couldn't find my pee pee. It was 24 degrees and that thing was not heading out..

[9ah]

It'll change your life just like triple ply Charmin will...

Thank you for ALL that information.

Have you tried triple ply, UD?

Rice, stop showing off... Canukistanians...

[Shaolinskunk]

Oh I'm bringing layers..... Like thermals, jeans, and a fuzzy suit! Haha but seriously-

Hexayurts seem super cool but I'd like to see one before I head down that road

[Capt. RON]

What kind of prices are they asking for those "army tents"?

[CornMan]

This photo is actually staged. What they did was set up some stuff on the Black Rock Desert, happened upon a very windy day, and then took the picture.

[Shaolinskunk]

What kind of prices are they asking for those "army tents"?

There's so many different kinds! Different frames, types of materials, sizes... The price range I'm looking between is 400 to 1200. The 1200 $ one is 16ft x 32ft though... Seems kinda big.