Advice and Information for Tent Nomad

[geogentry]

Hey All,

Without getting into all the tear spilling details I need some information so I can try to plan ahead.  The freedom march is going to happen much sooner than I had hoped, and planned, but that's what can make life an adventure 'eh?.

Due to circumstances I have little choice but to start my journey using a tent.  I did hours and hours of research and have picked one that is big enough for what I need that I can afford.

When I end up in Arizona, which of course why would I pass the chance to miss the tribe and Bob, I understand that winds can be a bit tricky.  How bad does the wind really get in the winter months there in Ehrenburg?  Are we talking a normal wind or winds that can get fairly mean?  The weather graphs look good, I noted the dust storms in monsoon season, but cant really find information on sand/dust storms in the November to April period.

How is the food shopping in or near Ehrenburg?

Thanks in advance for talking the time to read the post and for any answers you may let me have.

George

 

[highdesertranger]

you will have wind. sometimes fairly strong winds(mean). I recommend using bungees on the guy ropes. if you have a good tent you won't have a problem. unless the wind flapping the tent all night is gong to bother you.

there is good shopping across the river from Ehrenberg in Blythe. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

Wind usually comes from the southwest but not always. Use your vehicle as a wind block or small hill with bushes if there are any but stay out of washes. If your tent poles can be removed quickly with removing the stakes you can just let it down in the worst winds and shelter in your vehicle.

 

[VanForNow]

20 mph winds are not rare at E, & sometimes it blows much harder. A stout tent is needed (not the cheap Walmart kind.)

Strong stakes are also needed, plus a 2 or 3 pound hammer to force the stakes into the stoney ground. D&B Hardware in Q sells such heavy stakes, made from rebar.

 

[JannaB]

There was a storm last winter that scared me almost to death. I was worried my cargo trailer was going to blow over! What stuff that was out side I had to search almost to Ehrenburg for it the next morning, including ice chest, and rugs. This year I will have a wind meter just so I know how damn hard the wind was blowing.
Just my experience.

 

[geogentry]

you will have wind.  sometimes fairly strong winds(mean).  I recommend using bungees on the guy ropes.  if you have a good tent you won't have a problem.  unless the wind flapping the tent all night is gong to bother you.

there is good shopping across the river from Ehrenberg in Blythe.  highdesertranger

OK.  That was information I was looking to find.  I was thinking added guy ropes you pretty much convinced me on that then.   

That was pretty much what I thought on the shopping.  I did a Google and didnt see much until I checked Blythe.  Will have to plan ahead some.

 

[geogentry]

Wind usually comes from the southwest but not always.  Use your vehicle as a wind block or small hill with bushes if there are any but stay out of washes.  If your tent poles can be removed quickly with removing the stakes you can just let it down in the worst winds and shelter in your vehicle.

Good idea on using car as a way to slow down the wind.  Will remember that one

 

[geogentry]

20 mph winds are not rare at E, & sometimes it blows much harder. A stout tent is needed (not the cheap Walmart kind.)

Strong stakes are also needed, plus a 2 or 3 pound hammer to force the stakes into the stoney ground. D&B Hardware in Q sells such heavy stakes, made from rebar.

No there wont be a Walmart tent.  Although the one I will be ordering in next couple days may try to blow away any how.  Gonna use the advice of highdesertstranger and add on additional bracing for the tent.  Bullfrogs idea of using the car as a partial windbreak is excellent.  And with your advice I will make sure I have steel tent stakes for the ground.

 

[geogentry]

There was a storm last winter that scared me almost to death.  I was worried my cargo trailer was going to blow over!  What stuff that was out side I had to search almost to Ehrenburg for it the next morning, including ice chest, and rugs.  This year I will have a wind meter just so I know how damn hard the wind was blowing.
Just my experience.

LOL - I suspect that the wind you are describing blew a LOT harder than the 20 mph winds vanfornow talked about.  Which is good to know.  Means the winds will go from 20 mph up to the OMG levels.  Means more thinking on may part how to deal with the high end stuff.

 

[geogentry]

First and foremost I want to say Thank You to everyone who has answered me so far.  All the information was very much what I needed.

One question that comes to mind, well two actually but one at a time.

When those winds blow is there a lot of sand thrown up into the wind?  Do I need to worry about getting my car sandblasted?

Are there any, or many, rainstorms that occur?  I know about the monsoon summer season but that doesn't mean there is no rain during the winter time.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

As bullfrog said, using your car as a wind shield can help and maybe you can find another that will let you use their rig as additional shield(s)

 

[GypsySpirit]

I attend a very large event every February in Arizona and all I can tell you is be prepared for the worst. I've seen heatstroke in February and torrential rains. I've seen weather so wonderful it makes the angels sing. Light breezes and I've watched tents get carried away like a helium balloon. As for sandstorms, I've had my truck for six years out here and still have the original paint.

 

[geogentry]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]GypsySpirit[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] [/font]

The chance of getting sandblasted drops to zero then, but I am sure that the wind carries some good quantity of dust with it.  Which is -well- just something to live with.

I got the impression that winds could get very mean at times so am already giving that a LOT of thought about how to be prepared.  And I sure do thank you for the heads up.

 

[GypsySpirit]

What kind of tent did you get? I use the huge 12 inch long nails with washers from Home Depot instead of tent pegs. Haven't lost one yet. And, if you aren't used to desert living, pack more water than you think you'll need. Even in mild weather, it is dry. It's important to keep hydrated.

 

[Almost There]

Other than the time actually spent at the RTR there is no need to be spending time where the dust storms will knock you to the next town.

There is a lot of camping on the Colorado where you are sheltered from the wind instead of being up on the mesa where you can see for miles and the wind gets a head start. As well, there are several hundred other places to go other than the barren desert!

The first winter in AZ I experienced one of those dust storms in the van. My paint job survived, had to do a bit ...   of cleaning but quickly figured out that I didn't like it up there on the plateau. I moved to the river and was extremely happy. And got to watch the sky turn a dirty muddy color all around the area while we stayed in air that was breathable and without having things blow down. Worst case scenario - it was too windy to have a campfire.

I second or third the use of heavy duty tent stakes, either the 12" long gutter spikes from H/D or Ace or the rebar stakes from K&B tools (is it now D&B?).

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Fwiw, why not look at sleeping in your rig. Or getting one that you can (pickup, Prius, Element, van, minivan, etc...)
Better, safer than a tent. Or in a storm, retreat into your rig/steel cage for safety. Avoid the limitations of a tent totally. Just a suggestion.
And great suggestion from AT, find good location.
Thx for the river heads up AT.

 

[highdesertranger]

the last 2 RTR's got rain. if you get rain you won't get dust. don't forget the bungees incorporated in your guy ropes. don't pull the bungees tight when you set up, you just want to have enough tension to keep the tent taught and so the bungees can move both ways. as far as being sand blasted, well it could happen but unlikely in the winter, to much moister in the soil. I haven't been able to run my dry washer the last 2 winters because of high soil moisture and I can tell the exact moisture content of the soil. highdesertranger

 

[VanForNow]

20 mph winds are not rare at E, & sometimes it blows much harder. A stout tent is needed (not the cheap Walmart kind.)

Strong stakes are also needed, plus a 2 or 3 pound hammer to force the stakes into the stoney ground. D&B Hardware in Q sells such heavy stakes, made from rebar.

Correction: The correct name of the hardware store is K&B, not D&B.

 

[geogentry]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]GypsySpirit[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]So sorry to have taken so long to answer your question!!  I dont know how I missed it but I did.

In answer to your question it is a Browning Big Horn Family Tent.  [/font]

 

[geogentry]

Well I have found spikes that fit the recommendations of everyone.  Harbor Freight has some with a thing on them so they can be used for guy lines at about the same cost as plain nail spikes from Home Depot or Loewes.

I did research on getting set for high winds on sites geared towards expedition camping in harsh environments.  Finally found information on how to stake down the tent that is supposed to stabilize the tent in high winds.

Then I got worried about how much wind happened there in Ehrenberg.   So I did historical weather research on the area to find the high wind record.  With that I made a spreadsheet to find out just how much load force I was looking to withstand. If I can orient the tent properly I should be good to go with the added guy rope system.  Still working on the flapping material of the tent wall during high winds.  I have the information but budget constrictions prevent it from being put into place.

My other option is to camp down by the river.  I liked the idea - less dust, less wind.  But I remember the advice to stay out of the washes.  I checked all types of maps and discovered there are several Major washes periodically, all the minor little washes leading into them, on the map and they all led to the area down by the river.
This brings me to a question for anyone who can answer.  If I camp by the River, I will have less wind and less dust BUT when it rains will I get flooded out?  I know it does not rain a huge amount but the accumulated runoff of multiple square miles of land is significant.

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and advice.  It inspired me to do further research which will in the long run increase the pleasure and reduce the concerns and hazards over the whole year.