newbie here! would this work?

[ridebmxbikes]

hey all! i just registered here, first post. Im justin. i work out of town on the weekends and for the last 6 weeks i've been just camping out at the airport every weekend. still using electricity for a small fan forced heater with a thermostat. may ween off power once i can get more gear. i just have a 4 year old $20 walmart special 2 man right now but want to upgrade before the winter rainy season rolls around with main focus at comfort.

i want a tent i don't have to check the weather before i go out. something that is rain and wind proof. I've been looking at the big agnes flying diamond 8. anyone have any personal experiences with winter rains? in the south it doesn't snow, it just rains. also may do some long term trips later this year and am looking for good quality.

also thinking of putting shoe goo on the bottom of the footprint for extra protection from rocks and twigs? anyone done this before?

[a65hoosier]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

The Big Agnes Flying Diamond series of tents have great reviews and good specs/materials (I do not own one). The Flying Diamond 8 is a large tent...it requires a fairly decent sized, level area for proper set up on a campsite. It also may be more difficult to set up with one person. I do like the large vestibules on the FD 8 and 6 tents. Good waterproofing ratings at 1800mm on the full coverage fly and floor, along with what appears to be good ventilation with multiple vents (which is important in rainy climates like you will experience). Aluminum high quality poles. Pricey but a high quality tent. For other high quality brands with larger size nylon/polyester tents, check out those from Marmot, Sierra Designs, REI, Cabelas, etc. All of them offer similar tents in different configurations similar to Big Agnes. If you are inclined...you may also want to check out a canvas tent from Kodiak or Springbar.

I would not put shoe goo on the underside of the footprint for extra protection. When you roll up the tent, it will stick all over the tent body, to other parts, etc. I would either purchase the optional specific footprint that fits the underside/exterior of your tent floor (adds to the waterproofing of the tent floor and provides some additional protection from rocks/sticks punctures and keeps the tent floor cleaner from dirt/mud) or purchase a heavy duty tarp that fits the dimensions of your tent and use that (you can always cut the tarp to fit the tent footprint size). You can then use an old blanket or other rugs inside the tent to keep the interior tent floor cleaner.

[Mike]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

What? My reading comprehension skills must not be what they used to. I seem to be missing the point of this post.

Camping at the airport, using a fan heater?

What?

[MacGyver]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

You're not alone, Mike. I could almost get camping at the airport and I can understand using an electric heater while camping. But the two of them together doesn't make sense to me.

[toedtoes]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

Must be a small local airport. I do not see any large airport allowing camping on their grounds. But a small private airport - perhaps.

[michelliot]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

ridebmxbikes,

Did I see you setting up on the tarmac at Kennedy last week plugged into one of the landing lights? If you get WiFi there, and have a computer with the airplane schedules on it, you can tell what time it is by adding an hour to the scheduled take off.

If you have the time, would you mind explaining your airport adventures to the inmates here. Guess you don't have to worry about too many dead branches falling above you in the middle of the night. Just those rather immense objects streaking a couple of hundred miles an hour above your head. Not my idea of a relaxing getaway from it all.

Enjoy,

elliot

[Cog1]

Re: newbie here! would this work?

Adding a coating to the underside of the tent floor will offer you no additional protection, and will only make the tent floor more brittle and heavy and a pain to put away. I tried to make a sew-less sleeping bag liner using some "liquid stitch" but the glue was not strong enough, so I had the great idea to try shoe goo. Even though I used a very light coating it dried thick, hard, and heavy. I think the shoe goo weighed as much as the sheet!

If you want to protect the underside of the tent use a manufacturer-made footprint or a cheap tarp cut to size, and make sure the ground is free of sharp objects before pitching camp.