Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Ok, I had a great tarp this year at Roo and I had a great plan to secure it: Four poles at the corners and then a big PVC pipe in the middle with a diagonal cut at one end so I could hammer it into the ground. I was however, unable to get it even five inches into the ground even with a mallet and multiple people trying for atleast an hour to do so and spent the whole fest trying to keep it up and figure out ways to keep it from blowing over. Any suggestions on what I should do next year? Im thinking about just going ahead and shelling out the extra dough to get an EZ up or similar type canopy and tying my smaller tarp in between that and my car. Any help is appreciated.
Ok, I had a great tarp this year at Roo and I had a great plan to secure it: Four poles at the corners and then a big PVC pipe in the middle with a diagonal cut at one end so I could hammer it into the ground. I was however, unable to get it even five inches into the ground even with a mallet and multiple people trying for atleast an hour to do so and spent the whole fest trying to keep it up and figure out ways to keep it from blowing over. Any suggestions on what I should do next year? Im thinking about just going ahead and shelling out the extra dough to get an EZ up or similar type canopy and tying my smaller tarp in between that and my car. Any help is appreciated.
buying an ez - up would be better , but try using the base for a patio umbrella instead of driving it into the ground . you could even hide it under a table and put the pole through the table and into the holder and then have it prop the tarp
I usually take 3-4 ezups, but this year im going to try and find a big tarp to bring and attach it to the side of our RV. im going to bring some thick rebar to anchor the other corners with. I dont think i'll need a center post though. Ezups are nice but they take up a lot of space
this year no one in my group brought a hammer and were unable to stake tents down, we couldnt even get out tiki torches in the ground at all
I know what you mean, I had problems, probably more than just with the tarp but mine worked out alright. I had pretty large size pvc pipes I think 1 1/2" diameter and I cut the bottoms off at a very gradual angle so it gave me plenty to push in until it reached the full circle part. It came to a pretty sharp point that was about a foot long. and then I made a short piece for the one in the middle to slide over. It was about 2 feet long and I was planning on putting a foot of it in the ground and that wasn't happening. I got about 5 inches in at best on any of the poles. I had a truck tailgate to stand on to hammer in. I never really thought it would hold but it was real sturdy. Only had 2 minutes of tweeking in the morning or afternoon. Other than that I used lots of ropes to hold the corner pvc pieces in.
I liked it, we had a large expanse underneath without having to worry about any seams if it had rained. We went camping for a week after roo so I had to scrap it when we left, just too much to haul with all the other stuff we already had, but it was a solid shelter.
Pictures aren't great but you can see what we were working with.
Post by sleepyrobin on Nov 1, 2007 18:18:34 GMT -5
we had an awesome ez-up/8-man tent combo, and it was AMAZING. the only thing i want to do different next year is see if i can get a tarp over our tent to keep it cool for a few minutes longer in the mornings, so i can get a little more sleep. my campmates didn't have any trouble sleeping late, but i'm really sensitive to heat when i'm sleeping. on sunday, i was so exhausted, i had to get in my car and turn on the ac in order to get some shut-eye. (this is horrible for the planet, i know, and i'm sorry, but i had to, i was about ready to keel over!)
anyway, to answer your question i think an umbrella holder would be ideal. i see that you're from atlanta, and i work at ikea atlanta (we're in atlantic station), in the spring (usually starting around february-march) we have great deals on umbrella holders. i think the lowest price one is around $8. you have to fill it with water, so maybe you could do that before you leave and get a friend to help you put it in place since it will be heavy, but i think you'll be happiest with that. it was hell trying to get our tiny little stakes into the ground with a real hammer, so i can't imagine trying to drive pvc into the ground! bonus, if you come to ikea atlanta, you can meet me! we also usually carry low priced stuff that is great for roo...like those little tripod stools, they're like $4 or $5, and since they're under a foot off the ground (also very lightweight and portable), you can take them into centeroo. last year we had this AMAZING gazebo that i wanted to buy for roo, but i didn't have the $60 they wanted at the time. it had fabric sides that you could remove, and it was huge. anyway, i digress....
as you're preparing for bonnaroo 2008, come visit me at ikea, and i'll show you all the great stuff we have that would be good for roo!!
to get poles into the ground easier, start a pilot hole with a screwdriver or a chisel.
Place poles at the corners and use no less than 2 guy lines for each one. The poles should be on an angle with the bottom end further into your structure than the top.
we had an awesome ez-up/8-man tent combo, and it was AMAZING. the only thing i want to do different next year is see if i can get a tarp over our tent to keep it cool for a few minutes longer in the mornings, so i can get a little more sleep. my campmates didn't have any trouble sleeping late, but i'm really sensitive to heat when i'm sleeping. on sunday, i was so exhausted, i had to get in my car and turn on the ac in order to get some shut-eye. (this is horrible for the planet, i know, and i'm sorry, but i had to, i was about ready to keel over!)
anyway, to answer your question i think an umbrella holder would be ideal. i see that you're from atlanta, and i work at ikea atlanta (we're in atlantic station), in the spring (usually starting around february-march) we have great deals on umbrella holders. i think the lowest price one is around $8. you have to fill it with water, so maybe you could do that before you leave and get a friend to help you put it in place since it will be heavy, but i think you'll be happiest with that. it was hell trying to get our tiny little stakes into the ground with a real hammer, so i can't imagine trying to drive pvc into the ground! bonus, if you come to ikea atlanta, you can meet me! we also usually carry low priced stuff that is great for roo...like those little tripod stools, they're like $4 or $5, and since they're under a foot off the ground (also very lightweight and portable), you can take them into centeroo. last year we had this AMAZING gazebo that i wanted to buy for roo, but i didn't have the $60 they wanted at the time. it had fabric sides that you could remove, and it was huge. anyway, i digress....
as you're preparing for bonnaroo 2008, come visit me at ikea, and i'll show you all the great stuff we have that would be good for roo!!
Thats what's up. The only thing I was worried about with the umbrella stand would have been the price but thanks to Ikea, i fret no more. I have yet to venture into the bottomless abyss that many Atlantans speak so highly of but I'll definitely stop by sometime before Roo and pm you before I do to see when you're working. Thanks.
Post by sleepyrobin on Nov 1, 2007 22:53:47 GMT -5
no problem at all!
yes, ikea is a real maze at times, but if you know where you're going and what you are looking for, it's a godsend to poor kids like us! a word of advice: come on a weekday, you'll be a lot happier. the weekends are INSANE!!
also, i got a few rugs from the as-is section (kind of a scratch and dent department, where the prices are reduced because it's been on display & such) before last year's roo, and they made my campsite a lot more comfortable. we could take our shoes off, and also the added bonus of not tracking as much dirt into our tent, because we could wipe our feet off. i only paid $2 each for the rugs, and since they're just for bonnaroo, i didn't mind at all that they were a little dirty.
wow, i'm going to stop talking up my store now, i sound like i'm trying to sell something.
Do you guys have suggestions for the types of poles that would pop into the rivets to hold up the tarp and, even better, anywhere to buy them? Also, ya know those little ball bungees you can use to lash the thing onto a roof rack or something? Do you? Because I do, but can't ever seem to find what I'm looking for. I'd like the materials for a smaller shelter to keep in my vehicle so I don't have to have the EZ-UP in there at all times.
2) think about tucking your hammer like it was a bottle of whiskey. Mine was nearly taken at check in one year. Supposedly, it could be used as a weapon !?
3) follow aly's idea about the pilot holes--pure brilliance !
I used a silver tarp last year and had my best sleep yet. I sleep in the bed of my truck on a double mattress on a futon frame. Truck has a fiberglass cap and keeps me five or more degrees cooler than your typical tent. I ran the tarp down between the cab of my truck and it's cap and staked it about 2 feet from the ground, right behind the doors to the cab. I created a goalpost arrangement out of 3 pvc poles tied with rope at the joints and then wrapped with duct tape. duct tape will rip without the rope as the poles flex with the wind. Pulled it tight with ropes and staked them at the tailgate end of the truck . A tarp wedge results that hung about 10 feet behind the back of my truck allowing air to circulate above and affording me not to have to hang curtains on the sides. also showered under it on the sides with a 7 gallon water tank that sat on the top of the truck. sat on the tailgate under shade ! for me, best yet tarparooo ! easily able to sleep til 9 or 10 each day. will post a picture as roo gets closer....
Do you guys have suggestions for the types of poles that would pop into the rivets to hold up the tarp and, even better, anywhere to buy them? Also, ya know those little ball bungees you can use to lash the thing onto a roof rack or something? Do you? Because I do, but can't ever seem to find what I'm looking for. I'd like the materials for a smaller shelter to keep in my vehicle so I don't have to have the EZ-UP in there at all times.
Try www.campmor.com for the poles and Im not sure about the bungees except I just saw the other day that my mom had purchased some for her canoing trips (i will defintiely be borrowing them for Roo next year) so I will ask her tomorrow and reply back.
And sleepy, Ill see what I can do. Lately my schedule has been a little hectic due to some trouble I found my way into but Ill find a day when I don't have work or school to stop by. I have one rug but it's an old oriental of my mom's and she was all paranoid about it so Ill definitely hit up the 2 dollar rugs. Cant beat that.
Post by sleepyrobin on Nov 3, 2007 21:46:17 GMT -5
aquariumdrunk said:
Do you guys have suggestions for the types of poles that would pop into the rivets to hold up the tarp and, even better, anywhere to buy them?
what i'm going to do is get some heavy wooden dowels from lowe's and put a wood screw or nail into the end. i think it will be less expensive and probably hold up better than anything premade. and depending on whether or not i have the $$ i will either get umbrella stands or do pilot holes in the ground.
and lowend...no worries, i was just trying to share some of the cool things that i found while looking for stuff last year. take your time, we've got awhile yet before roo!! (unfortunately )
Do you guys have suggestions for the types of poles that would pop into the rivets to hold up the tarp and, even better, anywhere to buy them?
what i'm going to do is get some heavy wooden dowels from lowe's and put a wood screw or nail into the end. i think it will be less expensive and probably hold up better than anything premade. and depending on whether or not i have the $$ i will either get umbrella stands or do pilot holes in the ground.
and lowend...no worries, i was just trying to share some of the cool things that i found while looking for stuff last year. take your time, we've got awhile yet before roo!! (unfortunately )
For sure, I am gonna try slowly gathering my things throughout the year rather than cramming all the stuff I have to do into two weeks or so. Hopefully itll work out better than the two week deal.
2) think about tucking your hammer like it was a bottle of whiskey. Mine was nearly taken at check in one year. Supposedly, it could be used as a weapon !?
you had a problem bringing in a hammer?? Damn, I brought in a 3 foot handled sledge hammer! Although I did make eyes at the searcher an he didn't even open the minivan up at all, just a peek in the window. ;D I guess it helps to be a girl!
Although it felt like a bit of overkill to hammer tent stakes in, wish I could have found you you guys who needed one.
I brought a post driver and a dozen metal fence posts to use and loan to neighbors (as room permitted.) We all had great shelter and no one questioned the post driver. I was amazed at how many of our neighbors brought no shade and had to bum posts and tarps off us. I'm bringing it every year from now on.
Tarp ideas? I would go with a silver reflective type one.
To anchor to the ground. Start looking at garage sales for barbell weights, 15 to 20 pound weighs to tie ropes onto.
This is something I made when we had our pop up camper. They are flower pots filled with cement, a 1" PVC pipe in the center and a piece of chain in the cement to attach rope or bungee cords to. (Note: When you make them cap the bottom with some tape so the PVC pipe does not fill up with cement when you make them) Here is a picture of them on the edge on the green carpet holding the vertical awning polls. This works good when you are on pavement or in the case of Bonnaroo, dry hard dirt.
Post by areyoukind on Nov 21, 2007 23:19:38 GMT -5
we had an EZ up last year, which turned out alright... was heavy enough not to blow away
we bought a cheap-o from walmart that couldn't stay up for 10 minutes in the front yard... let alone with the roo vibe going full force! stay away from ozark trail canopies!
*i like coconuts, you can break them open they smell like ladies lyin in the sun** *Hell I don't even know where I am** *for now I must sit here and ponder the yonder: The herbivores did well cause their food didn't never run** *We listen, if it feels good We shake** *You made a big impression for a girl of your size, Now I can't get by without you and your big brown eyes.**
I'd like the materials for a smaller shelter to keep in my vehicle so I don't have to have the EZ-UP in there at all times. 
)
