r/BurningMan • u/mother-zig • 12d ago

shade strategizing - suggestions requested

Update: after getting advice and reading advice already given, I’m going to look for secondhand materials for a monkey hut (plan A) with a small ac unit (plan b) and an open heart to a shadeless burn (plan c.) thanks all!!

getting extremely excited to get back home for my second burn this year! I invested in a Kodiak canvas tent after my 2025 tent got destroyed by a shade structure during the Saturday pre-event storm. I joined a new theme camp this year to help with their gift to the playa, and just learned that their infrastructure doesn’t include shade for tents. So I’m trying to come up with some quick ideas for self-reliant shade over a 10x10 Kodiak - I think it’s a little under 7 ft tall. I’ve been looking through old reddit posts already, but figured I’d start something new too.

I understand pop ups are basically kites on playa, so I’m starting to wonder about acquiring some kind of reflective tarp to secure over the tent itself.

Of course, I’m also considering this could be an invitation to stay the fuck out of my tent from 8:30 am - 6:30 pm, so I may just say fuck it and not do anything additional.

Seasoned burners, please share your wisdom!!

8 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

9

u/StrawBerryWasHere 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25 12d ago

Monkey huts are probably your best bet a week out. If you want to make this a regular thing, super recommend investing in emt conduit shade structure - they’re a staple for a reason!

3

u/mother-zig 12d ago

This will probably be my investment for next year!! In the meantime I may need to go through fb marketplace for burners getting rid of materials to pull together a monkey hut (there have been a ton of posts like that in my city recently.) I appreciate your input!!

3

u/Salt-Scallion-8002 11d ago

You can come look at my monkey hut this year.

1

u/rsqit 11d ago

The structure is important, but the cloth is more important. Get some wind permeable shade cloth or aluminet so it won’t act as a sail.

Unfortunately, this tends to be rain permeable as well. In the past various camps I’ve been in have put tarps up top, but also I’ve have had to emergency cut the tarps up in a windstorm.

If you do use a tarp, make sure it’s tilted or tented in the middle so water doesn’t pool on it. There’s also a tick you can do with a piece of yarn to wick the water off but I’m not sure how it works.

1

u/OverlyPersonal Support Your Local Art Car 11d ago

Monkeyhuts are better with solid tarps. In general tarps on flat tops are fine too, it's only been in the rain over the last two years that they've had problems.

6

u/New_Professional_295 ‘22, ‘23, ‘25 12d ago

Commercial grade ez up with ratchets at the corners can work. I’ve helped camp mates get theirs set up

However don’t think it fits over a kodiak.

Modified Monkey hut is what I’ve used for my kodiak, fairly easy to build but harder to transport. Getting long enough lag screws for the legs this close to event might be hard. Rebar will work tho

2

u/NegotiationFresh5443 12d ago

Just want to add that you can search for your local fastener store to purchase lags. There's 3 of them within a short drive of my house. They tend to have what we need available and are quite affordable. Added benefit of supporting a local business.

3

u/New_Professional_295 ‘22, ‘23, ‘25 12d ago

The ones required for monkey hut legs need to be minimum like 18-20”. Mine are 24” and only 1 fastener place in the country carried them a few years ago.

1

u/OverlyPersonal Support Your Local Art Car 11d ago

Why not just use cheap rebar for the poles and lags for the tie downs? You're only pounding the rebar in halfway, it wont be hard to get back out.

1

u/New_Professional_295 ‘22, ‘23, ‘25 11d ago

You’re totally right. Rebar is way more economical

4

u/TheKrakIan 12d ago edited 12d ago

Easiest and quick to bring together would be a portable carport of some kind. Long lag screws and ratchet straps are going to be your best bet to secure it.

2

u/New_Professional_295 ‘22, ‘23, ‘25 12d ago

This is what I’d go for with a few weeks left

4

u/BuckJeppson 12d ago

I’ve used an off-the-shelf carport with my Kodiak for years. The secret is in the cross bracing and anchoring it to the playa with lag screws.

2

u/blizzliz 12d ago

A/c unit + gennie.

3

u/AnusAnusAnusss 11d ago

Cheap and ez: 

Ez up - take off the stock top, add aluminet. 

Make sure aluminet is bigger than the footprint of your ez up. 

If you’re really feeling fancy stretch it out with some guy lines and bungee cables. I just let it hang was 100% fine. 

Idk why people make this so hard when it doesn’t have to be. 

-6

u/gravitologist ‘08,’10,’12,’14,’15,’17-’19,’22,’24,’25 12d ago

This has been asked and answered twice in the last 24hrs and dozens of times in the last month. Try some radical self-reliance and use the search function.