The Playa Strikes Back

7/9/2015

Presumably feeling that we've had it too good weather-wise the last couple years (with apologies to those of you who sat in the entry line for 18+ hours due to rain last year), the playa decided to use the Fourth of Juplaya to send us a very windy warning of what it is capable of.

I wasn't at Fourth of Juplaya (it's not even really an event so much as small groups of people camping far from each other), but here are some pics and quotes from people who were there. This can and will happen at Burning Man, be warned birgins. The only difference is that because there's a lot of 'stuff' around you, unless you're camping right on the edges you enjoy some wind protection from all the structures, cars, RVS, and tents between you and the open playa.

The lesson to be learned here is that even the sturdiest tent can be destroyed by wind on the playa. Do you have a plan for what to do if that happens to you? And are you doing what you can to reduce the chances it will, by having a sturdy, well-secured thing (tent, yurt, RV, etc) to stay in?

"We had a well-secured REI tent completely destroyed, a very solid hexayurt totally blown away, and a Springbar that got two of its poles broken by the storm on Saturday. Even the RVs got some damage." - Joe Phillips.

"So many structures were destroyed out there this weekend. Pop up shade structures became windmills." - Geralda Miller.

The Carebears appear to have failed to add sufficient structural integrity. Photo: Tony Wichowski

"We had a great flattop shade that survived many burns. But with no city to slow it down, the playa wind smashed us on Saturday. Smashed." - Tom Guiney

What the wind did to the tent poles of an REI tent. Photo: Joe Phillips

Yurts are far from immune. Photo: Aaron Bertrand

"20 minutes after the photo shoot my Kodiak joined the rest. Ripped, shredded canvas torn key structural point failure gone destroyed forever failed." - SSgt John "Kamikaze" Kelly

Photo: Aaron Betrand

35 Comments

Everett Alexander link

7/9/2015 04:18:42 am

But did they use rebar? Doesn't look like it.

Dr. Yes

7/9/2015 04:20:10 am

I dunno, but I'll tell you one thing: Next time they're going to need at least twice as many Carebears.

H0rseL0ver Fat

7/9/2015 07:46:37 am

Genius

Brian

7/9/2015 06:54:08 am

Our structure used rebar. It failed when the rebar bent and tore through the ground.

Mr. Crankypants

7/9/2015 10:21:53 am

"But did they use rebar? Doesn't look like it. "

Rebear or rebar?

Casey

7/9/2015 12:26:08 pm

That is what is left of my setup in the last picture. I brought 24" stakes. The tents stayed in place...and the wooden poles snapped.

I'm tempted to replace them with steel rod. We have the tools. We have the technology.

Trey Goesh

7/9/2015 12:40:18 pm

I can't believe anyone /still/ recommends using rebar out there. There should be a complete ironical "protip" stuck in there.

7/9/2015 12:42:48 pm

What do you recommend? Serious question.

Bob Stahl

7/9/2015 12:57:21 pm

EXCUSE me?

7/9/2015 04:06:11 pm

Extra long metal stakes are more than good enough. Keep it simple. Also, a few jugs of water will easily hold down a tent.

Rebar is often a PITA to remove from the playa.

COMM13

7/12/2015 12:55:28 pm

I've been using 12inch galvanized landscaping tie spikes with fender washers on the end for years. Pound them flush to the surface with the line tied under the washer to use, and grab the head with vice grips and twist to remove.

Chowski

7/9/2015 04:35:02 am

Those are load-bearing carebears, and yes, we had rebar, zip ties, duct tape. This set-up survived four burns, several regionals, and many trips to the beach. Saturday's wind was insane. Pebbles flying through the air, sustained 50 mph winds, total white-out. The Playa is no joke. Bring extra Care Bears.

7/9/2015 04:37:05 am

Pebbles? Where the heck did the pebbles come from? That's a new one to me out there. The playa is stepping up its game!

Meeshel

7/9/2015 05:59:33 am

It's called black rock city, isn't it? Next time you are on playa, look on the floor. There are thousands of black rocks covered in dust all over the playa floor. I collect them and give them out as necklaces for playa gifts ;)

7/9/2015 06:02:39 am

Learn something new every day. Been out there many times, and I'm fascinated by the playa surface, but have never noticed there were black rocks there somehow. Thanks!

Jovankat

7/9/2015 02:56:43 pm

I collected a bunch of the black rocks, I could mail you a couple if you want. Just send me a message with your address.

7/9/2015 02:59:16 pm

Thanks Jovankat! No need though - I'll keep an eye out on the playa this year and grab some. Appreciate the offer!

Trilo

7/9/2015 10:00:50 pm

Sounds like the kind of weather we used to get back in the day. I don't think I've gotten pelted with bits of black rock since 2007.

Condolences to those whose stuff got trashed, and cheers to those who survived unscathed.

mr.cody.daniel

7/9/2015 04:54:09 am

There were brief 70mph winds out there. Next to that destroyed yurt was a very strong shade structure with playa staples that folded the steel corner joints and slammed the structure apart.

Honestly if we had those conditions at Burning Man many people would have been seriously injured. It was very freak weather.

7/9/2015 06:06:02 am

when we've had winds like this during the event, people have been injured.

NonoJojo

7/9/2015 05:04:34 am

None of the people I saw out there with wrecked gear were rookies.
I saw a hexayurt sucked up, ripped to pieces, and flung a mile.
A springbar secured with rebar had its steel poles broken.
My tent, secured with 12+ pieces of rebar, was totally destroyed.

7/9/2015 05:06:51 am

Yikes, that is scary.

burny burner

7/9/2015 05:22:47 am

The perimeter of RVs and the surplus of them inside the city will block most wind for us tent folk. What they will do when their RVs topple over is beyond me. Gnarly pictures, hopefully it keeps some sparkle away this year..

Fez Monkey

7/9/2015 06:19:47 am

Yes, I agreed. Definitely very small pebbles in the mix. Not so much dust where I was, just a fierce wind that also left my shade a twisted wreck. To be fair, I hadn't expected that it would survive winds of that strength, but last year it wasn't a problem. The good news was my anchoring system (rebar, duct tape, and tie downs to vehicle) held, so that it it was more of an implosion, and there was no risk of collateral damage. Always an adventure! '=:(l)

Brigit

7/9/2015 07:05:53 am

And THANK YOU for reminding folks this is NOT an event...not even close... you really ARE on your own out there and it can be brutal at times--like in 2013 when the lightening made most of even the most stalwart lovers of the playa turn tail and run...

SuperDave Slater

7/9/2015 08:36:33 am

I was out there too, at a friends camp in the middle of the playa. We had to break down their monkey huts and drop their tents, anything we didn't break down was destroyed.

Wind was bad, not as bad as Tuesday 2014 build week.

My 10x14 Kodiak was secured with seven 18" snow stakes and was fine. All other structures at our camp which were unattended were destroyed.

7/9/2015 08:39:37 am

@SuperDaveSlater I also use a 10x14 Kodiak, though I only got it last year. You think the regular stakes are insufficient in the kind of winds your Kodiak survived during Juplaya?

stuart

7/10/2015 07:12:46 am

the stakes that come stock with a Kodiak are IN NO WAY sufficient. Saw a Kodiak set up with such mauled out in the Anza Borrego desert during a similar wind event.

Agreed with above, fuck rebar. 18"-24" steel stakes. They have hooks on the end and come out easy.

hal

7/9/2015 11:51:01 am

Wow, sounds intense. Thanks Dave for the comparison to last year. There were some failures on playa Tues of Build Week last year with a few hexayurts. Fails were due to structural & support issues in those cases, not the design. (not completely taped none and rope halo wasn't on another)

Would love to hear from the hexayurt(s?) owner(s?) who lost their yurt to the wind who care to share what they remember about their set ups.

Also were there other hexayurts that remained standing? Thanks

Bromance

7/9/2015 12:42:26 pm

Our camp can attest. What we thought was a flawless 36' geodesic dome, inverted from the wind. The shade cloth held, and so did the bolts, but 1/2" conduit at 5ft lengths bent dramatically along the eastern/windward side.

Disco

7/9/2015 06:07:59 pm

1/2 inch is inadequate. 1.5 inches is the minimum for reliability and safety.

Greg Briggs

7/9/2015 02:17:49 pm

Like this: https://youtu.be/fKBA9uQs4yY

Boyfriend

7/9/2015 02:38:10 pm

I had to tow out two people from the mud when they tried to leave. We only had one tent destroyed, but I helped many others clean up. Including some mentioned in this article.

John

7/9/2015 03:42:07 pm

Pussies. No just joking. The worst wind i was in was back in 2002's Alpha storm at the end of BM. It was fucking nuts. It won't be as bad when theres 70000 others camp right next to ya. Secure your fucking shit at burning man so you don't kill someone with your flying tent with rebar still attached or your chairs. Prepare now for the worst later.

Sparks

7/10/2015 05:42:05 am

Pushed a springboard tent trailer a solid 10 ft before we were able to stop it and secure it to a truck, made the right call and dropped our spring bar to the playa floor to ride it out. That was the most fun fucked up storm I have played in forever! Sorry to see other camps did not fare as well as ours, I know a lot of people were not at home when that shit hit the playa

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The Playa Strikes Back

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