Tents in desert?

[rk_az]

Desert doesn't automagically mean windy. I camp in the desert regularly and rarely have to worry about high winds doing any damage.

 

[Ace Brown]

Desert doesn't automagically mean windy. I camp in the desert regularly and rarely have to worry about high winds doing any damage.

Your lucky then. I have endured all night winds that blew at 60-80 mph. Down in Baja just a few weeks ago we experienced 30 mph winds that blew nearly constant for days non-stop. That can damage or destroy any inferior tent as well as driving one looney.


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[SoCal Tom]

In my 30 years of heading to the Anza Borrego/Imperial sand dunes, I found that if you spend 7 days in the desert you can expect 5 wonderful days and 2 windy days.
Tom

 

[peneumbra]

Well, I thought this was about "TENSE in the desert," so I was gonna suggest beer. But if your TENT is blowing around, a case of two of beer will help hold it on the ground...

 

[SoCal Tom]

Best suggestion yet
Tom

 

[SoCal_80]

Your lucky then. I have endured all night winds that blew at 60-80 mph. Down in Baja just a few weeks ago we experienced 30 mph winds that blew nearly constant for days non-stop. That can damage or destroy any inferior tent as well as driving one looney.


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Agreed. I was never worried about my Globetrotter getting destroyed in winds however I second your comment about the winds driving one looney. I spent way too many sleepless evenings due to high winds. That was one of the driving reasons to move to a hard sided trailer.

 

[Ace Brown]

Well, I thought this was about "TENSE in the desert," so I was gonna suggest beer. But if your TENT is blowing around, a case of two of beer will help hold it on the ground...

Or you could drink a case and say "who cares", munyana.


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[SoCal_80]

Or you could drink a case and say "who cares", munyana.


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I like your thinking!

 

[brentbba]

Agreed. I was never worried about my Globetrotter getting destroyed in winds however I second your comment about the winds driving one looney. I spent way too many sleepless evenings due to high winds. That was one of the driving reasons to move to a hard sided trailer.

You mean you didn't enjoy your middle of the night escapades at our last Socal M&G pounding in the stakes to secure your annex on the Globetrotter from the high winds? Some of us were smart enough to have done that when we deployed the tents and slept, outside of hearing the pounding of stakes during the middle of the night! :ylsmoke:

 

[jomobco]

A number of years ago, leading "Hole in the Rock" at EJS we had swirling winds which had gust up to 75 MPH (according to Cal at the Cal Black airport). I was in my Autohome RTT on my Cherokee and had about 20+ ground tents around me. Did I rock back and forth and sway, YES!, but not as bad as the people who ate dirt and had the tops of the tents hit them in the face as they were laying down inside. It was a miserable night for many people. This was not a typical night with the high winds, but you can get some moderate winds out there.
A night like that watching you snooze
There are advantages and disadvantages to be said for both types RTT and ground tents. What will fill your personal needs is up to you. One size dose not fit all.

A night like that watching you snooze away on top of your Cherokee in your Maggiolina was why I eventually got one. That and watching the scorpions run by the fire at coral pink dunes and knowing that the tent was zipped but still getting the creepy crawl all night in the sleeping bag got me off the ground and into an Autohome. Wind hasn't been a problem since.

 

[jomobco]

I did HITR with you two years in a row (2001 and 2002). We liked it so much we went back in 2003 and then again in 06 and 08. We didn't have snow on the trail although I think in 02 we hit snow going back to Moab. You are a fantastic guide and I enjoyed those trips immensely although I must say you spoiled me by getting me off the ground and set-up in camp in under 5 minutes with the Maggiolina. That was the first time I'd ever seen one of those.