North Pole Party Shade

[amuk]

We love our North Pole Party Shade. This year will be its third year at BRC and we've taken it out to several other sumer festivals over these years. It's holding up great. All I've had to do is sew up a few tears in the screening and put Tri-Flow on all the zippers in-between burns. I use rebar for the outside stakes and reinforced the center post base by mounting it on a 14"x14" 3/4" piece of plywood with 2 holes for rebar to secure it to the playa.

The only difficulty I've had it with initial setup. I find getting the outside stakes placed properly rather frustrating, especially if there is the least bit of wind. My setup partner tends to get frustrated too as they are in the partially set up tent holding the center pole vertical with the loose walls flapping and hitting them as I try to get the sides evenly tight. What I'd like to come up it a quick template that will help me place the stakes before putting the center pole in. I imagine a center ring that will fit over a stake I put in as where the center pole will be. That center ring will have two ropes connected to it. The opposite ends of those ropes will have a third rope segment that will represent the distance between a parameter stake and the location for an adjacent parameter stake. The three ropes would form a triangle with the apex at the location of the tent's center pole. Has anyone already done anything like this?? Or have some other trick for getting the parameter stakes placed properly?

Today I took the tent out and tried to measure the distance between the stake loops. I tried my best to have the loops out at the angle they would be with the tent raised, but I got varied measurements of the space between each adjacent loop being 170-176". I take it in truth each side is the same length...at least I hope so. Unless anyone gets back to me in the next day or two with their better idea or better measurements, I'm going to make a somewhat adjustable rig and use if when we put up the tent this weekend for Oregon Country Faire, not that we camp in OCF. We camp across the street in Darling's Reunion. Once I get the rig made and adjusted I'll post up more details here to help out all the other North Pole-ers.

As a final aside, for now, North Pole really should begin making these things again. I have several friends that would love one and at every festival we've been to someone has asked where they can get one, especially when I told how easy setup is, how small it packs up, that it only weighs 40 lbs and especially when I told them we got it for $150 w/free shipping.

[tamarakay]

We have found it is easier to just not bother with the center pole until after you have stretched and "loosely" pounded in the stakes. Measure from stake to stake at it's most stretched, lay the tent out (you can go ahead and attach the tent to the pole, just keep it laying flat) pull it out, measure then pound stakes. THEN put up the pole. Ken can almost do it all himself that way. Which I like cause being the one in the middle holding that pole still sucks.

[amuk]

[quote="tamarakay"]We have found it is easier to just not bother with the center pole until after you have stretched and "loosely" pounded in the stakes. Measure from stake to stake at it's most stretched, lay the tent out (you can go ahead and attach the tent to the pole, just keep it laying flat) pull it out, measure then pound stakes. THEN put up the pole. Ken can almost do it all himself that way. Which I like cause being the one in the middle holding that pole still sucks.[/quote]

I did try once getting the perimeter of the tent staked down first, however I found that I made the edges too tight because we could not get the center pole all the way up. I thing once I get my rig/template thingy done and set to the correct lengths I'll be able to get the tent up in less than 5 minutes and not have to readjust any of the stake positions. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

[Elorrum]

I have a rope marked at 15' with enough slack before the zero to tie it around a stake. I use the rope as I go around and pull the edges tight, tight from the last stake, and to the 15 foot mark. I use the nails that came with the tent at this stage. After I've got the pole up, I see how it looks. make any adjustments, then I replace the nails with rebar. This will be year three, and I can put it up by myself.

[FIGJAM]

I have a rope marked at 15' with enough slack before the zero to tie it around a stake. I use the rope as I go around and pull the edges tight, tight from the last stake, and to the 15 foot mark. I use the nails that came with the tent at this stage. After I've got the pole up, I see how it looks. make any adjustments, then I replace the nails with rebar. This will be year three, and I can put it up by myself.

SOLO BADASS!!!

[Elorrum]

To the limit!

[tamarakay]

LOL, she explains things WAY better than i do.

[Elorrum]

btw, tamarakay, I'm happy you were able to fix your NPPSS. I had a fear that we all believed too much in our beloved shade shelters, and you had found the achiles heel. Seeing that plastic support piece shattered was frightening.

[copilot602]

Yea seriously! Pictures of new part please! Has anyone ripped the very top? I had mine set up in the backyard getting ready for regional and apparently some strong winds ripped open the very crown . I just got it back from the tent company , $60.

[tamarakay]

ours has come through the top too, but I just sewed it back together with heavy duty thread on my singer. Seems to be holding well.
Will get some pictures of the metal fabricated piece in a bit.

E - yes it was pretty scary. Those pieces were scattered over about 1/2 an acre.

[Elorrum]

I think it's back... or 2 versions very similar. I don't have any interest in the seller, just posting the link since the Northpole was getting impossible to find.
http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/ ... ?a=1165471

[danibel]

Great! The '30 is very close to the original North Pole. I think.

I sold mine before the last burn to a burner. My burn setup has changed and it was just languishing in my garage. I felt it was time for it to be used again. I believe I bought mine at the height of availability for about $120 shipped. I sold it for $50. It was dusty as hell and one zipper needed attention. The woman that bought it didn't question the price or condition. I think she was stoked.

[amuk]

I agree it looks like it's back. I wonder if they made any improvements or...

Anyway, at last year's burn I stayed until the Friday after The Man burnt. Thursday night there was a crazy-wild storm that took down my NorthPole by shattering that darned plastic piece. It had survived 4 burns and several other festivals. I've got ideas on how to build a replacement, but I'd much rather to see what others have come up with some feedback on how well the replacement worked.

Thanks so much,
Amuk

[tattoogoddess]

Overstock has them for $139. Thinking this might make al good kitchen?

[MyDearFriend]

Overstock has them for $139. Thinking this might make al good kitchen?

Nope. Those droopy side walls would be too close to your stove. Please don't set your camp on fire TTG!!!

[Elorrum]

With 15feet of headroom in the center, there's good clearance from all sides.

[tattoogoddess]

Overstock has them for $139. Thinking this might make al good kitchen?

Nope. Those droopy side walls would be too close to your stove. Please don't set your camp on fire TTG!!!

But whyyyyyynits burning man after all.

Burning tent burning tent burning tent!

[mudpuppy000]

The NPPT's are nice because they're light/cheap/sturdy/easy to setup, but they waste a lot of space. 30' footprint for maybe a 15' useable space inside, unless you're laying on the ground. The costco carports feel a lot larger inside to me, although they are heavy as hell and take more effort to set up.

[copilot602]

The NPPT's are nice because they're light/cheap/sturdy/easy to setup, but they waste a lot of space. 30' footprint for maybe a 15' useable space inside, unless you're laying on the ground. The costco carports feel a lot larger inside to me, although they are heavy as hell and take more effort to set up.

Check out an earlier post I did. If you customize with a circle of tent poles, you beat the droopy wall problem. Also, if you build my fun playa couches (light, foldable and comfy) you sit in the tent at ground level and it is super homey.

Couch is in bottom left in tent. Sorry no better pics but if there is interest, I will make instructions!

[mudpuppy000]

The NPPT's are nice because they're light/cheap/sturdy/easy to setup, but they waste a lot of space. 30' footprint for maybe a 15' useable space inside, unless you're laying on the ground. The costco carports feel a lot larger inside to me, although they are heavy as hell and take more effort to set up.

Check out an earlier post I did. If you customize with a circle of tent poles, you beat the droopy wall problem. Also, if you build my fun playa couches (light, foldable and comfy) you sit in the tent at ground level and it is super homey.

Couch is in bottom left in tent. Sorry no better pics but if there is interest, I will make instructions!

I started out with a NPPT my second year going, but as our camp started to grow and get denser I switched to a carport. I've found the carports are a lot easier to integrate with other structures, with the flat walls. The NPPT's are great options though if that's your only structure, or you have tons of space.

[Elorrum]

[MyDearFriend]

Oh, Elorrum, that is COOL. And it all comes out of the back of your little car!!! Which I swear could park right in there without getting in the way.

Awesomeawesomeawesome.

[sharke]

I think it's back... or 2 versions very similar. I don't have any interest in the seller, just posting the link since the Northpole was getting impossible to find.
http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/ ... ?a=1165471

I agree it looks like it's back. I wonder if they made any improvements or...

Thanks for the heads up, Elorrum! I took the plunge and ordered the new guide gear 30' model. I haven't set it up yet, but I've inspected it a bit and taken an inventory of the parts. It looks like the tent portion is indeed similar to the guide gear, with similar patterns of mesh on the 6 sides, and 3 vents near the top.

As for improvements to the original design... the good news is: there's no plastic piece to break! The bad news is... well, there's no need for the plastic piece, since the only provided pole is the center pole

The center pole looks to be nice and strong though, and I plan to slide it over a 36" rebar pounded 18" deep. I also may do the 3 holes drilled through a two by four trick, with 2 additional rebar stakes on either side of the pole to help stabilize it. I'll also substitute heavy duty tent stakes for the ones it shipped with when staking down the edges. Any other suggestions for securing this beast to the playa? Is getting it nice and tight really the key?

Also, the center pole just has a rubber cap on top, which seems to be meant to just stick up against the point at the top of the nylon tent. I'm not sure if the North Pole version shared this aspect of the design, but should I be concerned about friction causing the pole to gradually wear through the top of the tent? My first instinct is to place a small plastic bowl between the top of the pole and the tent fabric to distribute the friction a bit. What do you guys think?

[floydlaw]

Hey folks,

I purchased the Guide Gear tent and figured I'd post pictures in case people are thinking of buying it. The photos in the website are all photoshopped, so can't really get a sense of scale.

What comes in the bag: 1 tent, 12 stakes, a center pole, bags for each.

It's pretty roomy inside and provides tons of space for two people and their gear. Without any gear, could comfortably fit more. Each of the three screen panels zips open. Could possibly throw in a two person tent, but that might be getting tight. The center pole is sturdy 1.5inch hollow steel, but I think I'll still mount it over a piece of rebar we'll pound into the playa. It too maybe 10 minutes to set-up.

The tent material is very light and billowed a little bit in the breeze. I can't tell if it's lighter material than the North Pole. I'm hoping the number of openings will allow the wind to hit, pass & bend the tent, but not break it in the playa gusts. We're going to use candy caned rebar or army stakes instead of the provided stakes.

I think my main concern is with the top connection and the loops for the stakes. I have a feeling if the tent is going to fail, it's going to be either at the peak or at one of the loops. Does anybody have ideas about reinforcing the loops before we get out there? Or other tips about securing this?

[mudpuppy000]

Looks great! Is that the large one or the smaller version? It seems a lot less "droopy" than the NPPT which is good. Also, I don't see those horizontal pieces that the NPPT has to keep it from drooping as much.

To prevent the tent stakes from ripping out in high wind, you can add bungee balls inbetween the loop and the stake. That'll give it some shock absorption and also the bungee will fail before your tent starts to rip hopefully.

I use rebar on my NPPT, the stock stakes seem way to small to get a good grip if the playa is loose.

[floydlaw]

This is the 20', not the 30'. It doesn't have the horizontal bars that the North Pole Party Tent had, but didn't seem to need it. The shipping weight of the NPPT was 41lbs and this was 15lbs, so I'm not sure if the difference in weight was entirely the poles or perhaps a lighter fabric as well.

We actually are trying to figure out some kind of way to rig a horizontal bar to the center bar, just so we have some place to hang solar lights or other light things.

RE: Bungee balls. Huh, I hadn't thought of that. Is that what you use on your NPPT? I always thought that less movement the better to prevent rips or pops.

[mudpuppy000]

Yeah, I used the bungee balls last year and it seemed to work well. They still keep the structure under tension so it dosen't flap around in the wind (bad) but will flex if the wind gets really bad. The sudden gusts are what seem to have a lot of potential to rip stuff out.

I think the 20' one has almost as much useable space as the 30' one. Nice!

[Elorrum]

I definitely suggest the staking it out before raising it up. This gets it pretty tight all around. Getting the sides down to the ground once the center pole is up is really difficult. I like using a fixed middle stake, with a rope marked with the radius, and tighten it from the center and the sides as I go around. I have tried a few times to just set two stakes this way, and pull the sides out, but I've been hard pressed to get it symmetrical this way.

I was thinking of maybe making a pvc sleeve, at lengths between the steel post joints of the center pole
I have some pvc I put over the cross pieces before I put them up,I'm not sure if it helps, but I figured the joints there might bend, and I do hang a few light things from those poles.

I think one great feature is that it does billow, wind blows through, and under, and doesn't get too much purchase. It's in no way a dust protecting shelter. I make sure my gear is stowed wind safe, like it would be outside, before I head out. When I was listening to tarps snapping and rattling, my NPPSS was just flexing quietly. The NPPSS has a plate at the bottom of the center pole that can be nailed down. I haven't had any problems there as there is good tension from the entire structure down that pole. without that plate, I'd consider a t-post. As to the top part of the pole, in the NPPSS, there is a little plastic boot with a snap in it, with another cone of fabric sewn around that at the top of the tent. The center pole snaps up into that boot.

When it blows big, I always head home to see how things are holding up. If necessary, and if I was there in time, I think I'd just take the center pole down, collapse it and set it up again later.

As a person with limited transport space, I like the way this shelter stows away. I had a kelty tripod shelter that was even smaller, and that worked well for me too.

here's an idea I might try this year. Marine stuff is prohibitively expensive, but this idea with some heavy duty rubber tarp straps, and a rope might work for guy lines, and reduce the jolting of gusts.

[sharke]

Hey folks,
I purchased the Guide Gear tent and figured I'd post pictures in case people are thinking of buying it. The photos in the website are all photoshopped, so can't really get a sense of scale.
[...]
I think my main concern is with the top connection and the loops for the stakes. I have a feeling if the tent is going to fail, it's going to be either at the peak or at one of the loops. Does anybody have ideas about reinforcing the loops before we get out there? Or other tips about securing this?

I took my 30' Guide Gear model for a test camping trip this past weekend, using it to shade a 10x10 Kodiak tent. I too was concerned about the peak failing, and had planned to find a small plastic bowl to use as an end cap between the pole and the fabric at the peak, but I neglected to do so. Sure enough, the peak tore through on day 2 of our trip

Something else that I learned was that the tent traps heat. I had been thinking of disabling the velcro that keeps the vents from fully opening, but again, I didn't do so, so the vents stayed mostly closed, and it got hot in there fast. I'm thinking of cutting the flaps and the mesh of the vents off entirely for better ventilation, and maybe even slicing it up further, like I've seen people have done with parachute shade structures.

Another idea I have is to somehow tie the edges down a foot or so off of the ground, to allow for more ventilation. I'm planning on using 36" rebar for each of the stake down points, so the idea would be to tie the loops higher up on the rebar, leaving say a 12" gap between the playa and the edge of the tent, all the way around. Do you guys think tying it off higher like that would be a good idea? I'm a little worried that it might make the loops (or bungee balls!) more prone to slipping up and over the rebar.

[floydlaw]

I took my 30' Guide Gear model for a test camping trip this past weekend, using it to shade a 10x10 Kodiak tent. I too was concerned about the peak failing, and had planned to find a small plastic bowl to use as an end cap between the pole and the fabric at the peak, but I neglected to do so. Sure enough, the peak tore through on day 2 of our trip

Yikes! Did the top pole tear through & collapse the tent? Was it just tension or were there winds? It sounds like you're still planning on using it for BM. What are you going to do about the top? I wonder if just getting some kind of kickball & cutting it would be enough to disperse the tension.

RE: bottom ventilation. I picked-up the bungee balls & deer fence ground stakes. I was thinking I might stake out the diameter a little farther than the 10', which might allow for the gap you're talking about.

I also noticed the velcro'd top flaps. Really don't know why they have velcro on them, because once the tent is up, there's no real way to open them.