Guide Gear 10'x10' Teepee tent

[Howitzer73]

http://amzn.com/B003C4Z7W2

Did a search on the forum regarding it, and there's a fair bit of talk about it- didn't find much first-hand experience about it though.

How well does this tent shed wind? With access to rebar and various steel I'm not too concerned about pole structure and securing it into the ground- but I don't want to buy something that 75+ gusts are going to tear to shreds.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/190985166122 I already have one like this, but can't imagine would fare well on the playa. Anyone have experience with sleeping in shelter halves in the desert?

[Token]

I have lots of opinions but am too lazy to click the link.

Stick and image in your post of the thing

[VultureChow]

viewtopic.php?t=28896

[Howitzer73]

Stick an image in your post of the thing

Will do


Here's the shelter half for kicks

[FossaFerox]

The teepee you posted looks relatively solid, but I have some concerns. The biggest one is the fabric cone on the top. It looks like a vent which you would have to sew shut or else it will just funnel dust into your tent, so that could be a problem. Otherwise I'd say change out the stakes they give you for giant lag bolts or rebar candy canes and it will do the job. You'll definitely want a shade structure to pitch it under, though, or it'll be uninhabitable after about 9:30 AM.

The shelter you have isn't *bad* per say. You pitch that under a monkey hut with a carpet remnant under you to keep you off the Playa and you've got a nice little nook to call home.

[Elorrum]

I think the teepee shape is well suited for the environment. The fabric is tensioned so it won't flap about. That model has a lot of guy lines, and it doesn't offer a flat side to the wind. That cone is not going to give you as much dust blow in as some tents that have a great deal more mesh to worry about. Galvanized 12" spikes/nails with a big washer are cheap too for tent stakes. I use a mix of rebar and these spikes. More rebar... but I start with the nails when I stake out the edges of my teepee shade. That's the trick to good tension, stake out the bottom first as evenly as you can, then put the center pole in and wedge it up tight. It'll be hot in the daytime, but some folks sleep at night, and don't have day time sleeping shade worries.

[VultureChow]

Take a look at the link I provided. The bottom is not connected to the walls. Seems like a dust nightmare.

[FossaFerox]

... It'll be hot in the daytime, but some folks sleep at night, and don't have day time sleeping shade worries.

People sleep at night? On purpose? But there's fire and lasers and music and lights and people and dancing and parties and...

Edit:

If what Vulture said is true it WILL be a dusty nightmare, though to some extent it's pretty much what I said about the small shelter. With the right shade structure to block the wind and a carpet remnant to keep you off the Playa surface you'll be okay, just a little dusty.

[Elorrum]

... It'll be hot in the daytime, but some folks sleep at night, and don't have day time sleeping shade worries.

People sleep at night? On purpose? But there's fire and lasers and music and lights and people and dancing and parties and...

ha ha, sleeping at night does not mean going to bed as soon as it gets dark. It just illustrates how varied the experience can be. Shade and cooling requirements are not the same for all burners.

[FossaFerox]

... It'll be hot in the daytime, but some folks sleep at night, and don't have day time sleeping shade worries.

People sleep at night? On purpose? But there's fire and lasers and music and lights and people and dancing and parties and...

ha ha, sleeping at night does not mean going to bed as soon as it gets dark. It just illustrates how varied the experience can be. Shade and cooling requirements are not the same for all burners.

But the sunrises were so pretty this year, probably thanks to the fires in Yellowstone that also gave us the relatively warm nights. Going to bed without seeing it felt like cheating...

[Howitzer73]

The bottom is not connected to the walls. Seems like a dust nightmare.

That's what I read in some of the reviews, too. I'm *hoping* that if I buy it, it'll be one of the newer ones with the attached floor.

[2013changedme]

I can't vouch for them personally, but last year we had 2 people camped near us that had a similar, if not identical tent. They seemed to fair well using rebar. That being said, I don't think we had anything near 75mph winds in 2013.

[Canoe]

The tent is a darker green. This will be good at absorbing heat. By 9:30 a.m., it will be so hot inside that you'll likely be running screaming (or crawling, depending on how your night went) out of the tent to get out of the heat. Many on the playa setup their tent under a shade structure for that reason.
The ability to get sleep/rest when you need it can be key to enjoying burning man. You also need someplace to retreat from the sun and heat. As it stands, that tent isn't it. Neighbors and open camps can be very sharing with their shade, but you can't rely upon that.

You need to check that link on tents that was provided above. And look around for other tent related threads. Google seems to search eplaya much better than the search at the top does.

I checked your link to that tent. The description, and the user comments, are quite interesting to read.

• That shape will be good at shedding wind pressure, which is a good thing. On the playa you're looking at up to 75 mph winds (on rare occasions higher). At ten feet wide and ten feet high, that's a simple profile of 1/2 of 10x10 for 50 sq. ft., which at 75 mph means 1065 lbs to 1400 lbs of wind force to shed.
  How strong are the sewn tabs that the guy lines attach to, and other components?
• Covered mesh windows allow air to circulate and Rain-protected ventilation in peak and multiple ground air vents for breathable comfort and The doors are not sealed
  Dust, dust and more dust. You'd have to take measures to block that air flow.
  How much wind pressure will that capping cone at the top catch. Will it tear. How much dust will it try to scoop into your tent; you'll need to seal that top vent.
  The lower vents close by little Velcro tabs; will not hold against a strong wind. Should be fairly easy to sew shut for the playa trip.
• Water came in at both doors and everything was damp
  You'll have to do something to make the doors close. And stay closed in strong winds.
• Weatherproofed windows and four plastic windows allow for a ready look at the outside world
  Plastic windows for that green house affect. This tent will definitely be good for baking cookies in through solar power.
• Sewn-in polyethylene floor
  At night, the playa ground can suck heat down into it. Some people swear by having a rug for the floor: rolled out on the floor at night, rolled up during the day for that heat-soak.
  A ground sheet can protect cheaper plastic floors.
• The tent did moderately leak but not so much as to make it difficult to clean up with a sponge and bucket and it is best not to let items touch the fabric, which cab wick moisture to whatever it touches.

In short, I like the shape, but is it strong enough (cheap build?) and you'll have to address the vents and doors.

[Canoe]

For you and others looking at tents and considering the heat, you can't always bring an additional shade structure to set your tent up under. Some theme camps have such shade for their members. Others manage to camp in the shade of RVs (if the RV doesn't feel encroached upon).

But, you can also address the issue with a DIY swamp cooler for your tent.

A DIY swamp-cooler will blow air into your shelter that is:

• fresh,
• cool,
• some humidity,
• dust-free!!!

while replacing the shelter's stale hot dusty air (forces it out of the shelter).

Uses potable water.

Three Playa-Tested©)'( models detailed (proven track record on-playa).
They're DIY, easy to build, rather in-expensive parts, and hand-holding is available upon request... (see the thread)

Latest recap is here: viewtopic.php?f=280&t=33842&start=2430#p990806

[Canoe]

Tent Pegs/Stakes

Some have a favorite tent peg that is Playa-Tested©)'( with success.
Rebar has a high track record of:

• success in doing the job (some failures, learn where/how to use it),
• being difficult to remove (technique helps a lot), and
• injuring people - you can take measures, but there are alternatives that are easier, safer and low cost.[/b]

My favourite to date is Figjam's Lag Bolt & Chain-link solution. viewtopic.php?f=277&t=63610&p=919139#p919139
(yup. same guy as the swamp-cooler)
Great solution if a cordless hand drill is within your means, or you don't mind using a ratchet.

Regarding rebar and other stakes

when you pound them completely flush there's slightly less of a tripping hazard (except for guy lines, which you should still mark or illuminate)...

It's not just the tripping hazard, but the severity of injuries.

• Cuts & wounds from rebar/tent-pegs tend to be one of, if not the highest, cause of injuries at BRC.
  (And it certainly seems that every time I've been near medical, there's someone else being brought in with a torn foot. I shudder just remembering the looks on their faces.)
• Those who trip and land on raised parts can get rather horrific tearing and/or puncture injuries, including to the face.
• Things like tennis balls over protruding parts doesn't do much for reducing tripping (some might notice them in time), but it does greatly reduce the severity of injuries to those body parts hitting or landing on them.

  The goal is bruises and scrapes - instead of tearing and puncture wounds.

• When rebar, stakes & tent pegs are flush to the ground (not even an inch sticking up, like the rebar-candycane and others),
  • the likelihood of a puncture or tearing injury goes way down.
  • The chance of a brain case puncture is reduced to near zero. This is NOT the case with a piece of rebar or metal stake sticking above the ground.

So you can see that Figjam's lagbolts are flush except for a low-profile hex-head, and two smooth/round links of chain.
Best balance I've seen yet for safety, strength, resistance to wind/vibration loosening, easy of install and ease of removal.
Only problem is they're too cheap to bother trying to patent.

[Savannah]

No experience with Guide Gear's teepee tent--haven't heard back from the person who was talking about using it last year--but their single-pole Wigwam (a different tent) is great.

[FossaFerox]

Canoe, I was actually meaning to ask about that. How much of a pain in the ass is it to drive those lag bolts with something like a tire iron or ratchet wrench?

[FIGJAM]

The bolts I use take a 9/16 socket.

Once you get past the first soft 6"s, it's about like screwing them into a 4x4.

[Canoe]

Which is a hell of a lot easier and safer than pounding in rebar or stakes after you've driven how many miles and gotten across the playa through gate and to your camp after how many hours on the road.

[JayBobBoy]

A camp-mate and her daughter shared one of these last year, but it was a light beige color. I helped them set it up when they arrived. It was strong, well designed and (as long as it is staked down well) would withstand the elements better than most tents you'll see. The main drawback I saw was that there were too many guy lines required and it created a lot of tripping hazards. Don't place it in a highly traveled area!

The issues described above are real. Dust will enter through the venting. If left in direct sunlight, it will be too hot by 9 or 10am. Most of the long list of issues listed above are common to all tent camping on the playa, and not necessarily particular to this model. Also keep in mind that, unless you are out in walk-in camping or on the edge of the city, you will most likely have some sort of windbreak available. Consider the prevailing wind direction and use a car or RV as a windbreak.

All in all...you could do a lot worse than this!

[Canoe]

Given all of the venting & door closing issues, and such a dark colour, and until he gets one in hand he doesn't know how well made the version he gets is, I would think there are better choices in a tent. That's a lot of mods: multiple ground level vents, top vent, two doors, securing top cone against strong wind...
With some basic mods it could be o.k. if it's a weather walk-in-the-park year, but until you're on playa you don't know what weather/winds you'll have. Mods would have to be done with care to make it survive the strong winds.

> "That shape will be good at shedding wind pressure, which is a good thing. On the playa you're looking at up to 75 mph winds (on rare occasions higher). At ten feet wide and ten feet high, that's a simple profile of 1/2 of 10x10 for 50 sq. ft., which at 75 mph means 1065 lbs to 1400 lbs of wind force to shed."

A wind break is desirable, but watch out for relying upon a wind break. Seems the worst winds aren't from the prevailing direction but from the opposite direction.
Where people may get surprised, is that the force of 75 mph in an open plain is 14.2 lbs/sq.ft. (1065 lbs. for this tent). With surrounding structures, the wind can get channeled, and that's where the force can go up to 28 lbs./ sq.ft., or 1400 lbs. for this tent to shed. So the RV that was blocking light to moderate winds, may result in channeling a big blast that flattens your tent, or blocks saves it. As it's dependent on wind direction, you won't know if a particular big blast will get blocked or channeled until it happens.
If you're back far enough from the edge of the city (but the roads are pretty open), the open plain force should generally be reduced ~30%, and could be reduced up to ~60% - or it could be channeled. You can hope, but you can't rely upon it.
Those camps that have shade structures for tents that are made of shade cloth on the sides and roof are ideal for protecting tents. It's be within one of those, take your chances, or have a shelter than can take the wind. A lot of people get away with shelter roulette; every year a number don't. It's every burner's call to make for themselves.

All bets are off for a very localized down blast.

[AntiM]

Micro-burst. A micro-burst can take the roof off a house. That is why even if you have a shelter which can take the wind for the most part, you keep your shit put away inside. Just in case.