On Sep 20, 2007
Subject: Burning Man Shelter Wanted
Hello, I’m interested in a 20’ playa shelter with any accessories that you would recommend to make it as dust proof and heat resistant as possible. What would you recommend?
Sean
Hi Sean
I would suggest you get our 18′ instead of the 20′ it is a stiffer dome and will fair better if you get strong winds. You will not be able to keep all dust out of your space no matter what you do.
Before going to the playa or Burning Man put the dome up on a dry and windless day on a tarp and trick the dome out for dust by:
1) Install a floor (you can make your own of a tarp or buy one we make) https://shelter-systems.com/accessories.html see the online manual for instructions: https://shelter-systems.com/lighthouse-manual.html
Floor Covering: Always install a waterproof floor covering in your dome to keep the dampness of the earth from entering your living space and condensing on your walls. A blue tarp will work for this or Shelter Systems sells a circular, high grade waterproof floor, made from our woven film, to fit your dome with Grip Clips to attach it to your domes’ wall. Spread the floor out evenly inside the dome. The edge of the floor should go up several inches against the inside walls. If you wish to tie in your floor, attach clips a few inches in from the edge of the floor. Thread string through one hole on the underside of each floor clip. Then thread it through one hole on the inside of a corresponding dome clip. This is easier if you use a tool like a crochet hook, paper clip or a needle nose pliers to grip and pull it through. Pull tight and tie.
Set up you dome and pull it out to be as close to a circle as you can on a day with low wind. Stake the dome out loosely and adjust if it is not forming a even circle. Spread your floor inside the dome so that some of the floor goes up evenly on each of the sides of the dome. If you have a fair amount of storage then spread it out around the edge of the floor next to the dome to hold the floor in shape and up against the sides of your dome. Often this is enough to hold your floor in place and you can get by with adding a clip to the floor on each side of the door you use to hold the floor tight against the foot traffic of entering and exiting. To attach the floor with all of the 12 Grip Clips that come with your floor attach cords to the smaller male parts of the clips by knotting one end of the cords and slipping the other ends of the cords through one of the holes in the male clips. Attach a Grip Clip to the floor about 2″ from one of the domes ground clips such that the male part of the clip with it’s attached cord faces the ground. Feed the end of the cord through the male part of the dome’s ground clip, use a paper clip to loop around the cord and pull the cord out of the larger center hole of the clip; then pull it tight and tie a knot in it to hold the floor to the dome. Now go to the opposite side of the dome, pull the floor tight and attach and tie a clip to the dome. Next do the same for the two clips that are midway between the two that you have just done. Now finish up by proceeding in this same manner to attach and the remaining 8 clips. This should provide you with a tight, flat and even floor. Be sure to stake out your dome tightly after you are done.
Sticky back Velcro and be used to create a tighter seal of the floor to the wall. Make sure the floor and tent covering are clean and dry before applying the Velcro.The one way to attach the Velcro to your net doors is to first secure the floor to the walls of your tent as described above. Use a marking pen to mark where the edges of the floor contacts the sides of the tent. Move the floor to get it out of your way. Now measure and cut a length of “hook” Velcro long enough to secure one of the floor’s edges. Remove the protective strip from the sticky back and apply this Velcro to the underside of the mark you have made on the side of the dome. Repeat for other sides of the floor. Take lengths of “loop” Velcro and Velcro them to the “hook” Velcro that you have already attached to the sides of your tent. Remove the protective strips from these. Now carefully lift and hook your floor to the sides of the dome. Press the floor to the exposed sticky of the Velcro. Rub well to secure the bonding of the glue to the floor and the sides of your Yurt Dome.
Rugs can be placed on top of your waterproof floor.
In strong wind we have found that tucking the domes skirt under the floor and then weighting down the floor particularly on the windward side so as to pinch the floor to the skirt and thereby to the ground helps to keep out the wind. Duct tape or sticky back velcro is valuable to further seal the floor’s edge to the wall of the dome.
1) If you plan on being in an area that has blowing dust use Duct Tape to seal your floor to your wall.
2) Use sticky back Velcro to seal two of your opposite doors to the domes walls on both sides of the door and to the floor. Use Duct Tape or Velcro on the other two door to seal them closed.
3) Consider sealing the dome’s shingling with sticky back Velcro or Duct Tape on the inside of the dome. This is best done before your dome is dusty.
4) Buy and use at least 1 or better 2 of our SunShades pulled tight over your dome and tied to the dome’s clip cords. https://shelter-systems.com/accessories.html
5) Buy and attach one of our SunShades to your dome and pull it out and tie it to your car’s roof rack. This will make a shaded porch area that you can cook, eat and sit under away from the sun.
Bob Gillis