Finally, Almost Got My Geodesic Survival Shelter!

Today, Vitaldomes over at Vital Domes Home Page went on sale for 50% off, I have been in need of a long term tent for a long time and someone shared it on facebook, usually these dome type structures are 5 to 10 grand before acccessories or add ons so picking up the dome for 2500 bucks was amazing. I get the dome in 1 week, which is way faster then I was quoted from the wall tent shop so I am stoked. Now I just gotta get some funds to get a wood burning stove put in.

Have any of you had a dome tent before? Whats your thoughts?

 

I saw the exact same post over at homesteading today.
I mean exactly.
Do you work for that company?

 

Built several domes over the years, from 12 foot take down portable to 30 foot permanent ones and loved them all and they all leaked like a sieve. Just my take, beautiful, strong, cheap, easy to build, can prefab and store a fairly large building in a small space, and I have never figured out a way to put the windows and doors in them, that will let air and people in and out and not leak. Ended up building shed type buildings with with 5/12 pitch roofs and a good overhang on the roof. Don't like the looks well as a dome, aren't as strong as a dome but everything at the lumberyard is designed to be used in the modular construction of the darned things and is cheap, available, and all square flat surfaces instead of interlocking triangle panels that have to be made by hand and sealed. Don't know how a tent would work, but still have all those seams in areas that have to shed water.

 

First post and pimps a product? - I'll say SPAM....

 

Hmmmm....

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You'll NEVER get it back in the bag after the first time you set it up. Also you need to find a place that sells seam sealant by the 55 gallon drum.

 

I really wouldn't want a tent that's as large as my house...not counting the size and weight, keeping it warm in winter would be impractical...

 

I would be more concerned with wind loading, and proper anchors.

 

I think it is a splendid idea......

I'm going to buy 10 of them, together with the Gunkid, BOV mobility expansion kits (wheelbarrows optional).....accommodation, heating and BOV needs all met outstandingly in the one package deal!

 

Glamping?

 

Used to know a guy in the SCA that had a French-style pavilion with attached walls. It was about !2' diameter, and had one center pole and eight guy ropes attached to pegs. It shed water like a duck, could sleep ten adults, and had served him well as a Collapsible Canvas Castle of Love.

In fact, he generally referred to it as his Portable Purple Palace of Passion.

I went over to his camp one day and offered to help him tear down his tent.

He said "Great!", and explained in one sentence that his tent was very difficult to take down.

During that one sentence he tossed the center pole into the back of his truck, wadded the entire tent up like a used parachute and wrapped it tight in the tent ropes that just jumped out of the ground as he walked in a small circle and wound them in.

With all the pegs still attached, of course.

Then the tossed the tightly bundled tent in with the center pole.

Total tear-down time: less that thirty seconds.

I think it took him about twice as long to set it up. He just stood on the pegs to drive them...

Somehow I don't think a geodesic tent could possibly compete with that on any level. Not even if they sewed one up in purple.

 

Anything that requires the competency of an Ikea Man to erect or disassemble is of no interest to me

 

Like or dislike a tent, a couple or four thousand years of development tends to get the bugs out of an object and some items continue to improve. Tent, knife, axe, some hand tools, are good examples.

 

.....and something's don't. Make sure to read the comments below. Review: GEIGERRIG pressurized hydration pack

 

What a lovely set up. Definitely Spam but really nice. Almost too nice. What do people use these for? A second home? I agree with @techsar, heating may be difficult.

 

TeePee would be better.

 

Used for high dollar touristy camps. Seen one in the west one time, a whole slew of them in a "Camp".