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Keep your
structure from blowing away by using long, sturdy stakes to anchor it to
the playa. Wimpy 8-inch tent stakes won't work in a
windstorm.
Match your stakes with the size of
the shelter you will anchor: large structures need large stakes!
Extra long or wide-profile stakes (like sand hog stakes) might
work for some applications. Be aware that it takes a *sturdy*
stake to impale the playa: lightweight aluminum ones will just
bend!
Get some lengths of rebar, 2 feet
or more long, and bend
the tops to make the perfect playa stakes. You can buy rebar at hardware
stores: some places have it already cut into lengths. Building
supply surplus stores like a Habitat for Humanity thrift shop
might have some for super cheap (along with lots of other useful
junk).
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| Bend the top of the rebar.
One way is to heat and bend. Another method is to get two long
pipes and use leverage. Slide the rebar inside one pipe, leaving about 5
inches of rebar sticking out. Slide the other pipe
over the exposed rebar end. One person
stands on the 'long' end, while another bends the short end by
pulling up on that pipe. Be careful: don't hurt yourself.
No matter
what you use for stakes, cover the tops to protect the
humans at Burning Man. There are more injuries on the playa from
rebar stakes than any other type of injury! Save our feet; save
your feet!
Small stuffed animals from
the thrift shop are wonderful for covering the tops of your
stakes: use zipties to anchor them in place. You can reuse the
same stuffed animals year after year. They love the trip to the
playa!
You can also use plastic soda
bottles or tennis balls on the top of your stakes. Pounding the
stakes all the way down to the ground also minimizes their injury
potential. Add flagging to your stakes and ropes to mark them in
the daytime and lights to mark them at night.
Make your camp safe for yourself
and others: don't let your camp be Camp
Hazard! Burning Man Rebar 101:
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/rebar.html |
The angle of your stake and rope determines how well it holds in
the playa.
You may have trouble getting your
stakes back out of the playa. Try pouring a little water around
them, then rotating with vice grips. Or get a 'stake puller' tool
for added leverage. What ever you do, DON'T LEAVE YOUR STAKES
IN THE PLAYA!
Be sure and check out the stake
puller links on the Desert Camping
Links page.
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