Mesh on my tent

[9ah]

Hi everyone!!!!
I am making it to my very first Burn (and very first camping trip) this year...I have a Greatland 6 person dome tent thing that a friend kindly donated to me and I am planning on using it for my trip.

The tent has gigantic mesh windows and the only cover for them is the rainfly, which is detachable. Being that I have never camped or even seen another tent, I set it up in my backyard to become comfortable with it and get to know it. The issue is that I hear the dust will get right through the mesh.

The question is: Is this tent not good for the Playa? or can i duct tape the rainfly onto the windows or something of that sort?

Please bear with this novice...as clearly the other posts here are on some expert level stuff

No woman... NO!!!! You'll def need to do some work to keep the dust out. Mine is already packed up, I think i't s a 4 person coleman... There are coverings that have been affixed to it so limit dust coming in. I'll email you!

[CrispyDave]

It's spring clamps, sillies, spring clamps.

We use spring clamps, have never had dust in the tent. Use as many or as few as you like. They handy for everything.

Why sew, glue, tape or staple when you can clamp clamp clamp?

Just ask a Clamper....

[Rice]

I just used a 4 season tent... It does have mesh, but it has built in covers that will zip up in a few seconds. The only dust I had in my tent is what came in on me (i didn't bring playa covered clothes, shoes, or anything else into the tent). I did set it up on a tarp that was larger than the tent. That allowed me a space around the tent that was not the playa.

I think a 3 season tent would also work fine.

I have done the sewing material on the tent gig as well. it worked ok. I highly recommend having a large sheet to put over your bed, that you can pull off when you are ready to sleep (and religiously put back on when you leave).

As far as tent temperatures during the day. A couple burns ago I had a clock with a thermometer in it. At 2Pm it was about 70C (158F) inside my tent. With no shade I could sleep until about 8:30 before it started to get uncomfortable. With shade I made it to 10am a few mornings, but that depended on many factors - including the amount of wind.

IMHO, trying to use a mesh tent - without covering the openings, will suck. Since there will be NO place you brought that will give you some shelter from the dust.

[SachiIvy]

Take care of the inside of your tent, as well. I cover the entire floor/stuff with a shower curtain or painters' drop cloth. Then when it inevitably gets dusty, I just roll it up and shake the dust out of the tent. All my stuff stays in bins, and when I'm not actually sleeping in it, I also roll the bedding up and then put the curtain over it.
A little maintenance goes a long way toward comfort!

[mudpuppy000]

I have a 6 person greatland tent that I had inside a carport last year. Quite a bit of dust got underneath the rainfly, so I'm going to either get a different tent this year or seal it up somehow. One thing that worked well though was to have a cot vs just sleeping on the ground. Even if you get a ton of dust in there you're not rolling around in it while sleeping. Also, put an old bedsheet over your cot/sleeping bag during the day, and take it off/shake it out when you're ready to go to sleep.

[Conduit]

I didn't read far enough down to see if this was already suggested but I used velcro on the tent and the custom pieces that cover the windows. A few stiches of thread ensured that the glue on the velcro didn't fail was great. Good luck!

[VampireKitten]

We had the same issue. What we did was got a huge fleece sheet and covered the mesh. We clamped it down and then used bungees on it to keep the dust out.

[Constant_]

Just a little suggestion...

Last year, I wrestled with my tent for quite some time, trying to figure out how to cut and secure material against the mesh areas... Got frustrated, gave up, found something easier...
Plastic painters tarps are cheap and easy to pack... If you lay one over your bed when you wake up, it'll keep every part of your bedding Playa-free... Even with last years more prevalent dust, my bed was lovely every time I went back to it... Just peel back the plastic, underneath is a fresh bed...
Also, night time has significantly less wind, so having your bed exposed (with you in it) at night is not a problem... Day time is when your bed would fill with dust...
Hope this helps!

[TomServo]

Flex seal sells a can in white. It's flame retardant and flexible...but not sure if or how long any fumes stick around. I'm also a little concerned that it way be too rigid, making the tent about as cumbersome and obnoxious as a hexayurt. We're gonna give it a try on one panel of mesh. will report back...

[AntiM]

Also, rainflys are dust scoops. Skip the fly if your tent is under shade.

[TomServo]

We abandoned the flex seal idea, thinking it would just be too rigid to pack up. Instead, we glued (Goop Craft adhesive) Velcro to the screen, NOT the fabric, and a piece of fabric, to the exposed side of the Velcro. The open parts, we figure we can just safety pin down. This pic gave me an idea, for smaller tents. just lay the rain fly over the mesh and clothes pin it to the poles. Then pin the bottom part to the tent.

[gyre]

Works great until the wind blows.

Nothing like dust dropping into your eyes while the wind flaps and flaps.

[TomServo]

I know all about the wind out there. I feel pretty confident in our design.

[gyre]

Good luck.

[TomServo]

Early August 1999 brought a storm with winds of at least 70 miles per hour in Gerlach.

who needs "luck" when you have "experience"?

[MikeGyver]

What I'm considering doing is getting a cheap tent off craigslist for 10 bucks or so and cutting it up to sew to the mesh of my tent wont keep it all out, but more than would stay out otherwise.

[mullenc525]

It looked confusing, when I edited that statement, but I was answering a question. I am not a supporter of aluminet. Sorry for the confusion. After 12 burns, I stand by silver tarp 200%. Aluminet only makes the sun tolerable. I prefer total sun block.

Yeah, a single layer of 70% aluminet is totally insufficient to keep a tent cool enough to sleep past 9am, or sleep during the day, at least for a 49th parallel dweller.

Aluminet is good for walls as it lets the wind pass through.

[gyre]

There is 100% aluminet solid.
Hard to get here.
Silvicool may be the same.

I block sides too.
Really makes a difference.

[Bubbles_n_hugs77]

Hi Anahtziry,

Congrats on making it to your first burn! We too have a tent with mesh panels, and we have modified it cheaply and easily, making it quite dust-proof (I would like to make sure you are aware - dust will get in.. and it will get EVERYWHERE no matter what you do!) But it will keep the dust level down and your tent much more habitable. We used lengths of velcro strips and gorilla glued them the edges of the mesh areas. Our tend has flaps that we were able to velcro down, but if you're doesn't, you could cut pieces of heavy duty fabric or tarp and do the same. This way, on the clear days we could open up our tent and make use of the mesh to cool things off. It worked like a charm!

Have a GREAT first burn!

Bubbles

[DoctorIknow]

These are very useful clamps. They are not easy to find, and if you do find them, get the painted variety.

They are very strong and lightweight. (much stronger than the 3" plastic ones available everywhere.) I've even used them for a tarp folded over parachute cord, and big BurningMan wind didn't make the tarp break away. I see they are on ebay. I've found cheaper deals for a dozen at Denio's in Roseville, but only by a buck.

I've never seen them in Ace/HomeDepot/Lowes/HarborFreight

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-12pc-1-Mini ... 0704401531

[Savannah]

I hope TomServo will give those clamps a try; his clothespins--pictured above--are making me nervous. (I've flicked a clothespin apart before just by handling it wrong.)

My clamps (which are all-purpose, not tent-specific) are not metal, but they're strong. Heavy plastic. They look a bit like a hole-punch. They were put to many uses in 2010.

[unjonharley]

This thread (Mesh on my tent) is funny to me.. I use mesh on the top of my shelter. It's doubled to cut the sun light and holds the reflective foil in place.. The open mesh lets the wind out so the shelter top wont flap in the wind..

So i set the whole thing up in the garden area.. You just know ma nature had some rain for me.. I pushed the trike under the shelter and went into the house.. After the rain the trike had this neat playa (wet) dust print on it.. The mesh was full of playa. The rain only washed out about 10% of the dust..

[TomServo]

I hope TomServo will give those clamps a try; his clothespins--pictured above--are making me nervous. (I've flicked a clothespin apart before just by handling it wrong.)

My clamps (which are all-purpose, not tent-specific) are not metal, but they're strong. Heavy plastic. They look a bit like a hole-punch. They were put to many uses in 2010.

Those clamps in the pic are staying here. They were used to hold the fabric up while I was gluing the velcro between mesh and fabric. We are going to try and clamp the rain fly over it. Given, the tent is long, and it won't lay down evenly like a smaller tent. Anyways, were gonna use black binder clips.... big enough to clamp to the tent poles and super strong.

[Savannah]

I hope TomServo will give those clamps a try; his clothespins--pictured above--are making me nervous. (I've flicked a clothespin apart before just by handling it wrong.)

My clamps (which are all-purpose, not tent-specific) are not metal, but they're strong. Heavy plastic. They look a bit like a hole-punch. They were put to many uses in 2010.

Those clamps in the pic are staying here. They were used to hold the fabric up while I was gluing the velcro between mesh and fabric. We are going to try and clamp the rain fly over it. Given, the tent is long, and it won't lay down evenly like a smaller tent. Anyways, were gonna use black binder clips.... big enough to clamp to the tent poles and super strong.

Whew! Those clothespins were making me nuts.

I could not reconcile 1) the clothespins, with 2) my moderate knowledge of you.

[unjonharley]

Whew! Those clothespins were making me nuts.

I could not reconcile 1) the clothespins, with 2) my moderate knowledge of you.

Me think you need a mentor.

[Savannah]

Whew! Those clothespins were making me nuts.

I could not reconcile 1) the clothespins, with 2) my moderate knowledge of you.

Me think you need a mentor.

Quite likely, Unjon. I don't know how to weld, or use a table saw.

[maladroit]

I found some clear leak-sealer spray at HD, next to the black stuff. My hope is that it will clog the mesh the same way, but still allow light through rather than a nasty black splotch.

[Uncle Jimmy]

My first burn in 2008, I bought a 6'Wide x8'Long x7'High mesh ceiling tent at Target for $130. Before I was able to get my tent put together and staked in, the wind picked up and the tent start ripping. By the time I was bringing in my stuff into the tent from the car, the wind turned into what ended up being an 8 hour blinding dust storm that is still talked about. When the dust storm finally cleared, I had a quarter inch of dust covering everything in my tent thanks to the undesirable mesh. I tried duct tape, clamps with old sheets and just about anything else I could think of, but nothing worked. I became one with the dust, but still it really sucked.

The next year I bought a Springbar Vagabond 4 and life on the playa has been nirvana ever since. These suckers are high quality, sturdy and dust free except for what you bring in on your clothes, etc

Might I recommend.....

I am sure Springbar is backlogged by now, but next spring you may want to peruse and order...... http://www.springbar.com/ They are hand made in Utah and handle 70 MPH winds with ease. You will need something like 15 or 16 stakes but then the tent is just about welded to the playa with that level of anchoring.

Hammering in a shitload of 15" rebar into the ground sucks. They don't go in very easily, especially when you candy cane them before hammering them in. Then I found these suckers. 15" snow stakes that hammer into the playa with ease. Plus they come out just as easily, just twist and pull....
http://www.snowpeak.com/shelters/stakes ... r-104.html

[Krokodyle]

Hammering in a shitload of 15" rebar into the ground sucks. They don't go in very easily, especially when you candy cane them before hammering them in. Then I found these suckers. 15" snow stakes that hammer into the playa with ease. Plus they come out just as easily, just twist and pull....
http://www.snowpeak.com/shelters/stakes ... r-104.html

Wow, those look pretty good. A bit pricey, but might be worth the cost for the reduced effort...

[DoctorIknow]

Hammering in a shitload of 15" rebar into the ground sucks. They don't go in very easily, especially when you candy cane them before hammering them in. Then I found these suckers. 15" snow stakes that hammer into the playa with ease. Plus they come out just as easily, just twist and pull....
http://www.snowpeak.com/shelters/stakes ... r-104.html

Wow, those look pretty good. A bit pricey, but might be worth the cost for the reduced effort...

When making candy cane tops on rebar, just a little more bend can make it 1000% less frustrating.
I use a short handled 3 pound "sledge" hammer, and although it takes a few more hits than a 5 pound, I can hit it dead on center 99% of the time.
(hitting a poorly bent candy cane can make the hammer just slide off, not fun as energy is wasted and rebar doesn't get in the playa)

Some here heat up rebar with a torch to bend it perfectly, but not everyone has that option.

Try this method below: I've found it very important to do the bend in three stages, as I believe the heat generated by bending the rebar can make it break.

Here is a link to the photos online with the captions visible:
http://goo.gl/bNAOu