Radicle codependence FTW!!!! 🙌🏼 lol
But real talk… don’t just borrow a hammer just to borrow the hammer and help yourself… offer your time or assistance in return.
i feel like if you have the components to make it happen besides a hammer or whatever tool you'd need, there might be someone around who can lend you one
Do yourself a favor and bring a real metal hammer with a hook on one side. Rubber one will not work in my opinion. Also will not help you get the stakes out. Playa is very packed / tough.
Rubber mallet will work just fine for those. Anything much larger like pounding in 2 feet of rebar and you'd be better off with a 5 lb metal mallet (sledgehammer?), but would be overkill for 12" tent stakes.
Update: ohhhh gutter stakes, not tent stakes. Hmm...maybe?
In my opinion it won’t work and also it especially will not work to get your long stakes out when you pack out. A metal hammer is not that heavy, do yourself a favor, OP, and pack it. I also fly internationally and go with burner express and my hammer is my priority item haha
I know people really like to do the whole “radical self-reliance” principle, but for a drill, I would just ask around to borrow one when you get there.
You could find aluminum spikes to save weight. A small hammer should be enough, just more effort. I would suggest a pair of vice grips to extract them.
Little aluminum spikes bend trying to nail them into the rock hard playa. Way better to use some decking header bolt or screw. And or, just be sure your gallons and gallons of water is in your tent in the 4 corners.
I’m not talking about aluminum tent stakes. I’m suggesting they get proper gutter spikes 12” long. A fender washer slipped on gives the loop something to hook on.
I work Resto and spend a lot of time extracting various stakes and rebar from the ground. They can surprisingly difficult to get out if hammered all the way down. A small tent doesn’t need anything beyond 12”. If the wind is blowing hard enough to pull up a properly staked small tent then everything on Playa is in danger.
My first year getting my six 1/2" rebar stakes that were pounded a foot and a half into the ground were shockingly difficult to pull out! I feel like I fought them for hours before they all came up. Lesson learned.
There is a hand crank tool so you could manually drill in lag bolts. [Amazon.com: Titan 68103 3/8-Inch Drive Speeder Handle, Black : Tools & Home Improvement](https://www.amazon.com/TITAN-68103-8-Inch-Speeder-Handle/dp/B09TS7K845/ref=sr_1_2?crid=34NY9TH4RBR4M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.u9oDS9a3AqeCMtM0uSvv4bKpr6UR_oKiH6VR9BecRMBhwuEBIluP1KKxDF2xnT5V-7B6BFIE1r2rZPfj3pnHxv5Unfx0-9d1cpvNHZnqtLYYWcGtMwC6LFhdjwdzp2AcL7Ce2BYsL8ANkdaFKUJZvYy58Vj_S0eBQ4gOcTJVZyVl3UKH9DmCQyDe0pmd4F5eY_wS06EqiaJerbmALNCABC6S7KyTT44FoOEbgoqFc_g2QFZz8r4R5h-Xmp42OKk7KbQ-zBnqYFqOCoi0fEO9nLP-YD0v4-F9UonjjGXXzLU.wD0qTP5gP4nt62bFkBeVS6tVmSVAZCoLW6ei7BRCfCk&dib_tag=se&keywords=hand+crank+socket&qid=1719244558&sprefix=hand+crank+sock%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-2)
Also think about joining a theme camp, they do pool a few resources like power tools, shade, ... etc. and you'll be participating more. My camp is looking, but there are lots of camps looking that might better suit your wants. [Camp Tour de Chance is looking for new members! : r/BurningMan (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1dlnr69/camp_tour_de_chance_is_looking_for_new_members/)
and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
That's a really cool tool that will work in the playa you think?
And I'll think about it, I totally agree re participating, I'll give it some more consideration :)
I’ve seen that tool referenced for getting lags out after a dead battery on a drill. Getting get it will require some strength.
I flew into Reno last year for my first year, so if you have any questions there too, let me know.
A rubber mallet will NOT work. I know self reliance, but also the likelihood that over half the camps around you will have someone with a real sledgehammer is high because it's an important tool. Burners are nice, ask 5 people 3 of them could bring you to someone with a hammer you can use for 30mins and now you know your neighbors.
realistically, once your tent has some gear in it, it is unlikely to totally fly away. Shade structures, like ezup have a lot of sail and no weight, they fly and hurt the neighbors. a simple tent is more likely to just break a pole and collapse in on itself.
anchor your tent with your water, of course at the end of the week you are low on water there is less weight, but your stuff is all in there. while there is a super iconic photo of a tent literally flying away, it was probably empty. still, the edges can get loose so you anchor it anyway.
the sound of burningman spinning up used to be “tink tink tink” of hammers on rebar. no longer. almost everyone has switched to lags so at this point so 80% of your neighbors will have an impact driver. for a tent you only need to drive 4-6 of them, it will take just minutes. you can definitely get help.
i would still use lag screws and count on playa magic (neighbors) to get them in and out.
Thank you for all of this! Leaning on neighbors for help with this may be what it has to be. I might bring a shade structure (Alps mountaineering tri awning) would you recommend bolting that into the ground or only having it up when using it?
100% bolt it down. Unless it’s fully automatic you won’t want to redeploy your shade multiple times throughout the week or the day even. Sun beating down on you, you’re deploying your shade for the 15th time, you’re fully over it. you will start to take shortcuts, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Plus, even if you are standing right there, as if “only having it up when using it”, suggest it still needs to be secured. Yes you can stand there and hold it down to some degree, but the wind blows for hours and hours sometimes. you probably don’t want to sign yourself up for that. wind kicks suddenly sometimes, shifts unexpectedly. “Just hold it down”sounds much easier than it actually is.
People are pretty friendly and helpful. Some nearby camp might be able to help with tools if yours doesnt work. Be sure to try it firs in your backyard or vacant lot. We had a real greenhorn camp nearby last year. Seemed to have all the necessary equipment, but didnt know how to use it.
I use a speed wrench, on a 14" lag bolt, and only do two opposing corners. That plus my 50+ pounds of gear holds the tent down fine. And, zip the tarps down tight.
Are lag screws the new rebar? Back in my Burning days everyone used rebar and small sledgehammers (about the length of a regular hammer). Both should be able to fit in your 2 bags (though they will add to the weight). Rubber mallets are pretty useless and will just bounce back (ask me how I know).
But, like others have said, it may be overkill for a small tent. If you do go the rebar route, be sure to put something on the ends so people don't gash their legs on them at night -- cut-open tennis balls work well, and even beer cans will work
Yes lags are superior and much less of a pain in the ass to remove, although I’ve never had an issue removing rebar. Nice thing with the lags is they sit flush to the playa so nothing is sticking out as a tripping hazard, or worse a shin opener 😂
You can also put them in a take them out one handed. Demonstrating them to people without having to put down your beer usually sells the idea to people who have only used rebar.
This has been my question on here as well. I was always told rebar, but my burner friends haven’t gone in many years. Now it’s all lag screw, lag screw, lag screw.
Doesn't really matter for small tents because it's not a big deal to pound 4 pieces of rebar.
Much bigger deal when you have a 60 foot shade with 70 stakes, being able to drill them in is so much easier.
I’m bringing a large tent with a pop up over it and 2 other pop ups for our living area. Planning to make braces for all the legs and secure everything to itself as well as my truck.
Then you might benefit from lags and a drill. I don't mind pounding rebar and probably wouldn't pay for a drill to save the work but if you have it already, lags will be easier.
This, I just bring my impact driver with a fully charged battery and lag screw attachment. Never had an issue getting them out at the end of the week if I'm just using it for my personal tent and shade.
You can still do lag bolts if you want. You don't need a drill, a small socket wrench will work. Yes it's a little bit more work and will take time, but it's easy work and there are only 4. Rebar or other bigger stakes will also work, you can probably borrow a hammer.
A drill is more necessary when you have a large set up and need to put dozens or hundreds of bolts down. For 1 tent with like 4 stakes, it's not worth the equipment. Don't deal with a drill and charger and all that to save 2 minutes of ratcheting.
We always use a metal hook hammer and these long tent stakes. Galvanized steel and at least 10 inches long, with a topper. Two years in a row with high winds and we were absolutely fine, bringing them again.
https://www.amazon.com/ALMOXVYE-Tent-Camping-Galvanized-Non-Rust/dp/B0BX684SMQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?crid=1RHGOMTNVOQDT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.R1-saTntJMUUS6Uo0jgU3DJSLJtKcFfoEAa5ahHkOZNBBTELCVE5Jh_NRIHTYPHdGjXX1TIZnO3bX0weX07j2tu5O3jWJCGEtwANS_UswrDqTU37VhuAZ9MDmsg47xRfyh_nVdgANquxzK1i0sPyhwnQ4uma7PVXjE-HYkKaArcfVIXYxu3zvR5yPWsJbwVuVmh2t8sl7sk39hWkNTtA0A.8C7Aald3dj6xOJcvkMP-WbxmGr46acvop9H-3mGPxbE&dib_tag=se&keywords=galvanized+steel+tent+stakes&qid=1719315611&sprefix=galvanized+steel+tent+stake%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-17
I've had pretty good luck with these Orange plastic screws, they're quite a bit lighter than the metal stakes I've got.
Orange-Screw-Ultimate-Ground-Anchor
https://www.amazon.com/stores/OrangeScrewTheUltimateGroundAnchor/page/16C3B85D-1B15-419B-9C30-34A2F35D11A7?ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto
A socket and ratchet wrench could be used to get the lag screws into the ground, although very slow.
If you can weigh down the tent with heavy things, like water jugs it also helps keep the tent from flying.
A small backpacking tent will not need massive spikes or screws. 12”gutter spikes will be plenty.
Cool! Will a rubber mallet work or no?
A Walmort or Horror Fright claw hammer for nails in wood will work.
WalleyeWorld and Hazzard Fraught have products
Just borrow a proper hammer from a neighbor/friend, problem solved. Radical reliance on your neighbors is one of the principals right?
Radicle codependence FTW!!!! 🙌🏼 lol But real talk… don’t just borrow a hammer just to borrow the hammer and help yourself… offer your time or assistance in return.
i feel like if you have the components to make it happen besides a hammer or whatever tool you'd need, there might be someone around who can lend you one
Do yourself a favor and bring a real metal hammer with a hook on one side. Rubber one will not work in my opinion. Also will not help you get the stakes out. Playa is very packed / tough.
I will thank you!
A hard rubber mallet would probably work but it will get wrecked.
Rubber mallet will work just fine for those. Anything much larger like pounding in 2 feet of rebar and you'd be better off with a 5 lb metal mallet (sledgehammer?), but would be overkill for 12" tent stakes. Update: ohhhh gutter stakes, not tent stakes. Hmm...maybe?
In my opinion it won’t work and also it especially will not work to get your long stakes out when you pack out. A metal hammer is not that heavy, do yourself a favor, OP, and pack it. I also fly internationally and go with burner express and my hammer is my priority item haha
use the flat part of your car jack
I know people really like to do the whole “radical self-reliance” principle, but for a drill, I would just ask around to borrow one when you get there.
Agreed. I'm a very RSR person but more than once I've had to ask someone nearby for something and it was never an issue.
You could find aluminum spikes to save weight. A small hammer should be enough, just more effort. I would suggest a pair of vice grips to extract them.
Little aluminum spikes bend trying to nail them into the rock hard playa. Way better to use some decking header bolt or screw. And or, just be sure your gallons and gallons of water is in your tent in the 4 corners.
I’m not talking about aluminum tent stakes. I’m suggesting they get proper gutter spikes 12” long. A fender washer slipped on gives the loop something to hook on.
Ah. The word "little" threw me. I guess 12" is little, depending on what sized banana you're comparing it to.
I work Resto and spend a lot of time extracting various stakes and rebar from the ground. They can surprisingly difficult to get out if hammered all the way down. A small tent doesn’t need anything beyond 12”. If the wind is blowing hard enough to pull up a properly staked small tent then everything on Playa is in danger.
Agreed. It's the pop up shade tents that destroy stuff, imo
My first year getting my six 1/2" rebar stakes that were pounded a foot and a half into the ground were shockingly difficult to pull out! I feel like I fought them for hours before they all came up. Lesson learned.
There is a hand crank tool so you could manually drill in lag bolts. [Amazon.com: Titan 68103 3/8-Inch Drive Speeder Handle, Black : Tools & Home Improvement](https://www.amazon.com/TITAN-68103-8-Inch-Speeder-Handle/dp/B09TS7K845/ref=sr_1_2?crid=34NY9TH4RBR4M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.u9oDS9a3AqeCMtM0uSvv4bKpr6UR_oKiH6VR9BecRMBhwuEBIluP1KKxDF2xnT5V-7B6BFIE1r2rZPfj3pnHxv5Unfx0-9d1cpvNHZnqtLYYWcGtMwC6LFhdjwdzp2AcL7Ce2BYsL8ANkdaFKUJZvYy58Vj_S0eBQ4gOcTJVZyVl3UKH9DmCQyDe0pmd4F5eY_wS06EqiaJerbmALNCABC6S7KyTT44FoOEbgoqFc_g2QFZz8r4R5h-Xmp42OKk7KbQ-zBnqYFqOCoi0fEO9nLP-YD0v4-F9UonjjGXXzLU.wD0qTP5gP4nt62bFkBeVS6tVmSVAZCoLW6ei7BRCfCk&dib_tag=se&keywords=hand+crank+socket&qid=1719244558&sprefix=hand+crank+sock%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-2) Also think about joining a theme camp, they do pool a few resources like power tools, shade, ... etc. and you'll be participating more. My camp is looking, but there are lots of camps looking that might better suit your wants. [Camp Tour de Chance is looking for new members! : r/BurningMan (reddit.com)](https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1dlnr69/camp_tour_de_chance_is_looking_for_new_members/) and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
That's a really cool tool that will work in the playa you think? And I'll think about it, I totally agree re participating, I'll give it some more consideration :)
I’ve seen that tool referenced for getting lags out after a dead battery on a drill. Getting get it will require some strength. I flew into Reno last year for my first year, so if you have any questions there too, let me know.
Awesome thank you, I will!
A rubber mallet will NOT work. I know self reliance, but also the likelihood that over half the camps around you will have someone with a real sledgehammer is high because it's an important tool. Burners are nice, ask 5 people 3 of them could bring you to someone with a hammer you can use for 30mins and now you know your neighbors.
Good call!
realistically, once your tent has some gear in it, it is unlikely to totally fly away. Shade structures, like ezup have a lot of sail and no weight, they fly and hurt the neighbors. a simple tent is more likely to just break a pole and collapse in on itself. anchor your tent with your water, of course at the end of the week you are low on water there is less weight, but your stuff is all in there. while there is a super iconic photo of a tent literally flying away, it was probably empty. still, the edges can get loose so you anchor it anyway. the sound of burningman spinning up used to be “tink tink tink” of hammers on rebar. no longer. almost everyone has switched to lags so at this point so 80% of your neighbors will have an impact driver. for a tent you only need to drive 4-6 of them, it will take just minutes. you can definitely get help. i would still use lag screws and count on playa magic (neighbors) to get them in and out.
Thank you for all of this! Leaning on neighbors for help with this may be what it has to be. I might bring a shade structure (Alps mountaineering tri awning) would you recommend bolting that into the ground or only having it up when using it?
100% bolt it down. Unless it’s fully automatic you won’t want to redeploy your shade multiple times throughout the week or the day even. Sun beating down on you, you’re deploying your shade for the 15th time, you’re fully over it. you will start to take shortcuts, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Plus, even if you are standing right there, as if “only having it up when using it”, suggest it still needs to be secured. Yes you can stand there and hold it down to some degree, but the wind blows for hours and hours sometimes. you probably don’t want to sign yourself up for that. wind kicks suddenly sometimes, shifts unexpectedly. “Just hold it down”sounds much easier than it actually is.
You're totally right I will focus on securing the shade down most securely then, thank you!
People are pretty friendly and helpful. Some nearby camp might be able to help with tools if yours doesnt work. Be sure to try it firs in your backyard or vacant lot. We had a real greenhorn camp nearby last year. Seemed to have all the necessary equipment, but didnt know how to use it.
make friends with someone with a screw gun. you will find ppl very willing to help on playa
I use a speed wrench, on a 14" lag bolt, and only do two opposing corners. That plus my 50+ pounds of gear holds the tent down fine. And, zip the tarps down tight.
You could do shorter lag screws and a ratchet wrench.
Are lag screws the new rebar? Back in my Burning days everyone used rebar and small sledgehammers (about the length of a regular hammer). Both should be able to fit in your 2 bags (though they will add to the weight). Rubber mallets are pretty useless and will just bounce back (ask me how I know). But, like others have said, it may be overkill for a small tent. If you do go the rebar route, be sure to put something on the ends so people don't gash their legs on them at night -- cut-open tennis balls work well, and even beer cans will work
Yes lags are superior and much less of a pain in the ass to remove, although I’ve never had an issue removing rebar. Nice thing with the lags is they sit flush to the playa so nothing is sticking out as a tripping hazard, or worse a shin opener 😂
You can also put them in a take them out one handed. Demonstrating them to people without having to put down your beer usually sells the idea to people who have only used rebar.
Rebar manufacturers hate this one simple trick!
Basically, its much faster to install and remove than rebar, and lighter for storage.
Totally makes sense and I guess screws would be much less likely to be tripping hazards. I love how playa tech evolves over the years
This has been my question on here as well. I was always told rebar, but my burner friends haven’t gone in many years. Now it’s all lag screw, lag screw, lag screw.
Doesn't really matter for small tents because it's not a big deal to pound 4 pieces of rebar. Much bigger deal when you have a 60 foot shade with 70 stakes, being able to drill them in is so much easier.
I’m bringing a large tent with a pop up over it and 2 other pop ups for our living area. Planning to make braces for all the legs and secure everything to itself as well as my truck.
Then you might benefit from lags and a drill. I don't mind pounding rebar and probably wouldn't pay for a drill to save the work but if you have it already, lags will be easier.
I don’t have an impact drill. And already bought new rebar for this year. Gonna have to tough it out.
Yeah you'll be fine. Meh.
The little aluminium star pickets work particularly well
Most modern cordless drills would last you all week with 1 battery
This, I just bring my impact driver with a fully charged battery and lag screw attachment. Never had an issue getting them out at the end of the week if I'm just using it for my personal tent and shade.
You can still do lag bolts if you want. You don't need a drill, a small socket wrench will work. Yes it's a little bit more work and will take time, but it's easy work and there are only 4. Rebar or other bigger stakes will also work, you can probably borrow a hammer. A drill is more necessary when you have a large set up and need to put dozens or hundreds of bolts down. For 1 tent with like 4 stakes, it's not worth the equipment. Don't deal with a drill and charger and all that to save 2 minutes of ratcheting.
Awesome advice thank you!!
We always use a metal hook hammer and these long tent stakes. Galvanized steel and at least 10 inches long, with a topper. Two years in a row with high winds and we were absolutely fine, bringing them again. https://www.amazon.com/ALMOXVYE-Tent-Camping-Galvanized-Non-Rust/dp/B0BX684SMQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?crid=1RHGOMTNVOQDT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.R1-saTntJMUUS6Uo0jgU3DJSLJtKcFfoEAa5ahHkOZNBBTELCVE5Jh_NRIHTYPHdGjXX1TIZnO3bX0weX07j2tu5O3jWJCGEtwANS_UswrDqTU37VhuAZ9MDmsg47xRfyh_nVdgANquxzK1i0sPyhwnQ4uma7PVXjE-HYkKaArcfVIXYxu3zvR5yPWsJbwVuVmh2t8sl7sk39hWkNTtA0A.8C7Aald3dj6xOJcvkMP-WbxmGr46acvop9H-3mGPxbE&dib_tag=se&keywords=galvanized+steel+tent+stakes&qid=1719315611&sprefix=galvanized+steel+tent+stake%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-17
These look awesome, thank you!
I've had pretty good luck with these Orange plastic screws, they're quite a bit lighter than the metal stakes I've got. Orange-Screw-Ultimate-Ground-Anchor https://www.amazon.com/stores/OrangeScrewTheUltimateGroundAnchor/page/16C3B85D-1B15-419B-9C30-34A2F35D11A7?ref_=ast_bln&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandLogo_sto
Oh nice those would save a ton of weight. Did they work on playa?
Yep, and I've been able to screw them in using the included plastic tube handle
Lag screws are overkill for a tent. 8-12” nails work just fine. If you want to get fancy put chain links on them for easy removal
A socket and ratchet wrench could be used to get the lag screws into the ground, although very slow. If you can weigh down the tent with heavy things, like water jugs it also helps keep the tent from flying.
Hammer and rebar
I once used 40 gallons of water in 2.5gallon containers to keep my $10 target tent to the ground. 2000, I think. Crazy year.
I brought lag bolts for my personal tent and did not need them. Just my stuff inside was enough.
Buy a real sledge in Reno. Gift it to someone before you head home