Dome covering

[aaronsewell]

I plan on building a dome for my first burning man trip and wanted to make a deck on top. I wanted to cover it but also wanted to be able to climb on it. Is there a solution anyone has come up with?

I would also like it to be rain-proof so I could use it in places other than the playa. I live in florida and it rains all the time so rain-proof is kinda needed. But if thats to much to ask for ill just make some rain tarp to throw over it as well as my playa covering.

[GreyCoyote]

We built a 4V icosahedron variant dome out of 3/4 inch EMT and finally took it out to BRC this year. That dome also pulls double-duty for regional burns and general camping here in Texas, so we have the same weather and environmental challenges as you do: heat, rain, bugs, etc.

We solved the ventilation problem and waterproofing issues by making a fitted two-piece canvas cover that zips-up and fits the dome frame like a baseball cap fits your head. The top of the cover has a hole about 4 feet in diameter that is open to the sky. A fitted rainfly gets installed here (using the topmost bolt as the centering anchor) and the edges get tethered down via parachute cord to D-rings sewn into the lower cover. When the weather is nice, we pop the rainfly off and the resulting ventilation is *wonderful*. When inclement weather threatens, you just ratchet the paracord down.

The nice thing about this arrangement is that any slight breeze, even with the rainfly cover installed, gets channeled into the dome if you just leave the tie-downs lax. You can have air exchange even during a rain event. If the winds kick-up hard, you snug the paracord down and the dome is silent and waterproof.

And now for the ultimate giggle: we have a ceiling fan mount installed at the apex of the dome as well as fasteners for christmas lighting. When we get home at night, we just flip a switch and then we have both air movement (very nice for humid climates!) and lighting.

Maybe I can dig-up some pictures for you....

The point here you can make a cover with a hole in it big enough to climb through. If you want to add the "crows nest", you leave the rainfly off. If you just want to camp without the hassle of the 'nest, you can bolt the rainfly down.

Suggestion: if you want to strongly support a crows nest, start thinking about higher-frequency domes. They are MUCH stronger than their lower-frequency cousins.