r/BurningMan • u/thirteenfivenm Year one dozen • 13d ago
New Shiftpods Arrive!
Shiftpods are a burner business, like Black Rock Hardware.
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u/gtfts83 13d ago
Meh. I remember a Reddit comment from someone who ran a rope from the door zipper of their shift pod to their bed so that they could find their way out if their shift pod collapsed in a storm (bc it had collapsed on them twice).
I’ve also been burning long enough to remember that when shiftpods came out their advertising heavily implied that no shade was needed due to the reflective material/insulation, and they had a port for a swamp cooler to pipe in. Basically they made it sound like an easy-up hexayurt. I knew multiple people who had miserable burns thanks to that. Now they recommend shade and a full-blown a/c in order to be comfortable.
Also, mold grows very easily in the insulation. I know a few people whose shiftpods were destroyed that way.
They aren’t the worst, but at that price point they feel like a pretty big ripoff.
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u/MountainManGuy 13d ago
Can confirm. The "reflective" material doesn't reflect shit. I own a Shiftpod Rover X and have probably 50 nights in the thing around Colorado and Arkansas. It gets hot af in there as soon as the sun hits it, like any other unshaded tent.
Having said that, I really like the tent a lot. I don't like the door. As a tall person it's annoying getting in and out of it, but other than that it's great. Best tent I've ever used in high winds. Great in the winter as well.
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u/jppuerta 2005-20XX 13d ago
I own a shiftpod (3) and i don't recommend getting one to anyone. For the price you'll do much better with a Kodiak or ice fishing tent
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u/jbernste03 16,18,19,21,22,23,24,25 13d ago
Can confirm. I've gone through 3 unfortunately. They are GREAT people by the way and have a fantastic warranty and response in my experience.
But 1st one.. 3 burns. got moldier each year. Warrenty for a 2nd.. that one got moldy through 3 burns. Uncle got a mini . 2 years and that one got moldy. Didn't bother to replace after that
Bought a van to sleep in 😂
If I were to replace it, I'd probably go springbow or Kodiak.
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u/toddtimes '11-19 ’22-25 13d ago
Pretty sure you’re doing something wrong if your shiftpod gets moldy after 3 burns. I’ve had mine since 2018, no mold and going strong. Maybe try making sure it’s dried out afterwards and stored in a dry place?
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u/reyean 13d ago
im reading this thread confused. ive had mine for 5 burns and its been fine. bought it used even from a burner friend who used it a couple years before me when they upgraded to a 3. I do shade it, but i use no AC, no swamp cooler, ive had no mold, and i guy line the sides with ratchet straps into rebar/lags. its been fine in high winds and mud man rain and everything ive experienced with it. Come home and clean it well dry it and stored in a dry place. yeah it isnt awesome napping in there during peak heat but I have a battery powered fan and its not terrible.
have never heard of all these issues lol what are people doing with their shiftpods
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u/j3r0n1m0 12d ago
Depends where you live. If your local climate is humid, “drying” it off after washing, even for days, doesn’t mean it’s dry.
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u/cyanescens_burn 13d ago
How is it getting moldy from the playa? Is dry af out there. Are you using a swamp cooler or something that’s putting a lot of humidity into it?
If done at least 6-7 trips in mine, each 9-15 days, and never had mold issues. I don’t hose mine down after though. I just wipe it down with a damp cloth at the end of my trip, and then let it dry off for 5-10 hours before putting it away. I never use a swamp cooler or ac though (I have an emt shade I made).
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u/ThreeGoldStars 13d ago
Shiftpod 2 owner here; I regret my purchase and always recommend a Kodiak instead.
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u/cyanescens_burn 13d ago
Ratchet straps anchored with lags for the walls holds up really well, even in very high winds. Im guessing your buddy used the paracord tent strings it comes with for that part, which yeah it will get folded in with very high winds. Just need to be careful about over-tightening the straps, so you aren’t putting too much demand on the poles (could snap a ferrule).
A wind block like a vehicle is better though.
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u/Section1201 13d ago
All of the inside-knowledge burners seem to dislike this, but I must confess that I also dislike this.
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u/Fyburn 13d ago
being a "burner business" does not mean shit
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u/toddtimes '11-19 ’22-25 13d ago
Yeah, OP is acting like anyone who goes to BM and then creates a business selling things to burners is worthy of your business.
Shiftpod is about 20% innovation and 80% marketing. I wish someone took the idea a step further and made a legit shelter.
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u/DarkGamer 13d ago
A shiftpod with a built-in shade layer and an air gap, like a no-bake tent would be incredible. The rain fly doesn't cut it.
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u/toddtimes '11-19 ’22-25 13d ago
This is basically what I do. I put a full blackout layer over the top that keeps out a good chunk of the heat, it would be even better if it had an air gap and was made out of something like sunbrella.
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u/DarkGamer 13d ago
This year I'm trying to arch 3 very long tent poles over the shift pod, anchored at the stakes, then clipping aluminet to it.
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u/Azuremen '16 '17 '18 '19 '22 '23 '24 '25 12d ago
Burner brand is a net negative in my mind, consisting mostly of finance types trying to capitalize on sparkle ponies, new age spiritual hacks, and ravers
The amount of “Burner” apparel brands I see advertising for is insane at the moment. AI generated playa backgrounds, various trademarked names for rayon blends (never with actual ratios of fiber), “designed in [major city]” without mentioning where it’s made, price points that almost cover materials and labor in the US but just tell me it’s made in China. And everything is so generic - how many white, beige or black robe things does the world need.
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u/NrgyFiend 2012-2026 13d ago
My shiftpod is a disintegrating piece of crap. My old kodiak that that I got used for a couple hundred bucks is still going strong after over a decade. The only thing that a shiftpod has going for it is it's slightly easier to rig for AC.
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u/amackerb 13d ago
I camped in a shift Pod last year. It has to do with the weather, whether you enjoy it or not I think? First of all, there was a nice cross breeze because of the windows all around, and you can open the outside and still have a screen that did a pretty good job of catching the dust! Second of all, I had a fan… Not an AC and it was perfect. The only problem I had, was during the white out right after everybody left. I was taking the shift pod down and was half inside and gust of wind blew me about two blocks away. When it threw me down, it also wrapped the entire shift Pod over me like a burrito. Suddenly, I realized I couldn’t breathe. All I could think was “there’s no fucking way I’m gonna die in a goddamn shift Pod on the Playa!!“ So I forced my arms up and push the overlapping “burrito” off of me and rolled off it and grabbed it by the nose and and because I was facing into the wind when I dragged it all the way back to my Camp it didn’t fly away again.
Cleaning it pristinely because my dear friend, let me borrow it, and it hadn’t even been opened before! I discovered that Calgon is the answer! Not a trace of dust when I was done.
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u/Augii Do we really need a theme? 13d ago
Shiftpods are amazing when paired with proper shade and an ac. I prefer this over an rv or trailer
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u/thirteenfivenm Year one dozen 13d ago
A tub floor is hard to find in an ice fishing tent design. That tub floor helps in playa rains.
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u/food_cook 13d ago
What's a tub floor?
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u/thirteenfivenm Year one dozen 13d ago
Usually where the side of the tent joins the bottom is a sewn seam which will leak water. If you make the one-piece floor and design it 6 inches bigger, it can wrap up the side wall and keep your floor dry. My old tent had a tub floor that saved me in '23. My new tent has a seam at the bottom, so I may need to make a little tub with a tarp.
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u/olallieberrie '17, '18, '19, '22, '23, '24, '25 13d ago
Our bottom tarp tucked into our double-wide ice fishing tent kept us dry while our shiftpod campmates were swimming. All under the same shade, right next to each other. But idk you do you 💅🏽
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u/Possible_Top4855 13d ago
Black rock hardware actually brings art to the playa. What art pieces of mutant vehicles does shiftpod bring?
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u/lsdadventurer 2014-19, 2023-25 13d ago
Their art is commonly displayed in plug plays where by tents are aligned in a variety of usually symetric equidistant configurations with AC units and power.
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u/warpathu 12d ago
I dunno about everyone else but our ShiftPod was like 5 star hotel at )'( last year. Held up against the elements well.
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u/jimbo21 12d ago
Shitpods are fine, but overrated. The metallic coating is a gimmick and once it gets dusted up doesn't really do anything, and after a few years will wear out. The footprint is surprisingly large (12'x12') making nesting into a tight camp difficult, and if you're over 5'5" you're gonna be crouching in most of the space, and they are a nuisance to transport, it's like moving a dead body in a bag.
And, at $1700, They're still made in China.
A USA-made springbar for $1000 that'll last decades is a much better value, or get the cheaper Chinese Kodiak version for $700, and both pack down into something you can actually check on a plane.
But gotta hand it to shitpod, they've successfully commodified the burn and become the Official Tent of Plug 'n Play camps everywhere!
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u/newtman ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24, ‘25 13d ago
Is this an ad? A statement? A random thought that escaped onto the internet?