Category Archives: Shelter

Everyone is hard at work

Final Preparations in Full Swing!!!

2013 Burning Man, Building, Camp, Logistics, Organizing, Photos, Shelter

We’ve been scrambling to finish last-minute planning, building, preparation and logistics for our trip out the Nevada desert.  We leave tomorrow for Reno, where some families from First Church of Christ, Scientist Reno will be hosting us Saturday night.  We’re planning on attending church on Sunday, answering questions and doing final shopping & prep, then leaving for the playa early Sunday morning, probably around 4am so we can arrive at sunrise.  THANK YOU to everyone who has been supporting our efforts, and we are welcoming online donations to help cover costs if you’re so inclined.  Our Prayer Watch calendar is filling up for the week, feel free to add your name and sign up for a slot.

Our 70% shade Aluminet cloth arrived!
Our 70% shade Aluminet cloth arrived!
Bought another Burner bike from Spoke Cyclery in Oakland
Bought another Burner bike from Spoke Cyclery in Oakland
Buying water containers - 55 gallon food-safe from Containers Unlimited in Hayward
Buying water containers – 55 gallon food-safe from Containers Unlimited in Hayward
Buying water containers - 55 gallon food-safe from Containers Unlimited in Hayward
Buying water containers – 55 gallon food-safe from Containers Unlimited in Hayward
Assembling materials and bikes
Assembling materials and bikes
Aluminet shade cloth
Aluminet shade cloth
Support wires for shade cloth
Support wires for shade cloth
Everyone is hard at work
Everyone is hard at work
More PVC for supporting the shade cloth
More PVC for supporting the shade cloth
Elwire for bikes!
Elwire for bikes!
Drilling holes for shade structure support pipes
Drilling holes for shade structure support pipes
Finished!

Setting up our 30′ Playa Dome for the first time

2013 Burning Man, Camp, Logistics, News, Photos, Shelter

Yesterday we setup our 30′ Playa Dome for the first time.  We selected the Berkeley Marina again, since it’s a nice windy place, and we wanted to see what that would be like.  It took 4 of us (Grant, Julian, Drea, and Gabriel) about an hour and a half to get it fully assembled.  We broke 4 of the supports (they supply extras thankfully) and we’ll replenish those before we take the dome to Burning Man.  One key learning was to use the outer connector pieces for the circular support level instead of inner — the circumference was too tight to get the final piece in.  We’ll be at Burning Man in 1 week!!!

Unrolling the 30' dome
Unrolling the 30′ dome
Starting to put the pieces together
Starting to put the pieces together
Putting the pieces together
Putting the pieces together
1/2 way done with dome
1/2 way done with dome
Finished!
Finished!
Ceiling of dome
Ceiling of dome
Yay done!
Yay done!
Contemplating the finished dome
Contemplating the finished dome
Hand of Grant
Hand of Grant
Strong man
Strong man
Broke some pieces during construction - lots of force required to put it all together
Broke some pieces during construction – lots of force required to put it all together
Completed 30' dome
Completed 30′ dome
Dome completed!
Dome completed!
Lots of work!
Lots of work!
Nice view afterwards
Nice view afterwards

Video of us testing our spinnaker shade cover at the Berkeley Marina — does it stand up to the wind?

2013 Burning Man, Building, Camp, Logistics, Shelter, Videos

We took our central shade column and spinnaker to the Berkeley Marina to test how it would all come together and hold up in the face of wind. We discovered that it was probably not going to work to use it.  Being designed to catch wind, it was hard to stabilize, and was very loud and noisy, not the environment we’re looking to create.  We may still install it on the playa as an art project though! 🙂

Reassembling the central shade structure
Reassembling the central shade structure
Laying out the spinnaker
Laying out the spinnaker
Guy lines and halyard for spinnaker
Guy lines and halyard for spinnaker
Yep, catching the wind!
Yep, catching the wind!

Heading home
Heading home

Working on central shade structure for Burning Man 2013

2013 Burning Man, Building, Camp, Logistics, Shelter

We did final construction / assembly for the central 6’x6′ x 12′ tall column for our shade structure today.

Grant diagramming the center structure
Working on the central structure
Drilling holes
Assembling the central strcuture
Bending rebar stakes
Bending rebar stakes
Bending rebar stakes
Bending rebar stakes
Bending rebar stakes
Bending rebar stakes
Finished rebar stakes
Finished rebar stakes
Borrowed the rebar bender (“The Beast”) from the Oakland
Assembling the structure
Assembling the structure
Assembling the structure
Julian and Grant
Assembling the structure
Testing chair placement
Disassembled, ready for transport

Spinnakers for Burning Man!

2013 Burning Man, Camp, Ideas & Concepts, Logistics, Shelter

We were given 2 blown-up sailing spinnakers (from Bodacious+ and Sea Star) to use in our camp at Burning Man.  Today we washed them and opened them up.  We’re hoping to use them for shade, but since they’re already damaged, we’ll have to see how that works. 🙂

Washing spinnakers
Washing spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers
Laying out the spinnakers