rrc

Rainforest Refugee Camp
RETURNS to Black Rock City BM2k3
(4th year of service)
Open every day from Noon to 4pm (On days when it is Hot)

-->UPDATE Rainforest Refugee Map 25'x 100' aerial view

3D Perspective of the back

Foot print 30' x 30' including cable anchors. Tent floor is 20' x 20'
sleeps 4 in hammocks and 3 to 4 more in the inner camping tent
end panels are 80% shade cloth
Main cover is Camo netting , an inner roof creating a pillowy made by suspending a 24' diameter parachute.

Note changes in design 3/01/03 from: (8) 12' 1/2" Bent Rebar or 1/2" steel pipe bent and clamped to form 4 arches the base each of the arches are disks much like ski poles with the tips penetrating through the blue tarp floor into the playa about 4 inches. In addition 4 12' long 1/2 pipe or rebar are bent into an arch that spans 8' and is tied to the 4 arches and each other and cross tied across the center to form the support of the roof.

Change Rebar to: Willow saplings prebent and dried. all the saplings will be steel wired wrapped. in bands as needed. no Rebar arches.. stress tests proved the steel to soft for the project in the first test. to gain enough streagth the weight of the steel exceeded the weight limits for the project.. center will resemble a wicker gazebo design. still under advisment and will need to pass stress tests.

It is important that the canvas deployment chute is stretched above the 24' chute by at least 4 inches but not more than 12 inches. This will allow air to escape from within the structure out the top. placing both chutes over the ridged structure would cause a possible air seal and the whole works could be flattened or lifted off the support structure.

Each of the 4 arches will support a hammock.
4 "_^" braces are located at the corners to give rigidity to the structure. Aircraft cable anchors to "candy cane" re-bar dead men driven 1 1/2' into the playa. only slight depressions 6 to 8 inches in diameter and approximently 6 inches deep form the cups in the playa to keep the "_^" braces from sliding. The tops of each of the "_^" will be drilled and bolted with a solid steel ring to run suspension ropes through.

The entire roof is created by stringing 400' of 5/8" nylon suspension rope into a spider web design with the center attachment being a military 5' diameter canvas deployment parachute (cargo) W.W.II and newer Camouflage netting covers the top of the structure. Depending on weight loads exerted by the wind half circle holes may have to be cut into the 24' chute this is suspended by small tie ropes to the suspension ropes.

The structure is designed to flex in the wind. the outer ring of suspension ropes will be the 5/8" nylon rope. the "green" web lines may be lighter 3/8" nylon rope. The entire suspension roof will experience stretching and snug lines and take up lines will be easy to get to and tighten as the week progresses. Extra airline cable will be available to beef up problem area should they appear.

Main entrances (2) face East and North. The back of the structure faces South and West to break the more forceful winds from the SW
All guy ropes will be either inside the structure or covered with Shade cloth

Hours of operation will be between 12 am and 4 pm (later if daytime temps are high)

Front

Fire protection
There are no fire pits, no art burning, no Tiki torches. Fire protection = 45 gal of water with a 60psi
12 volt battery powered pump range 15 feet from end of hose. RRC has the equivalent of internal fire protection sprinkler system...with the rain making / mist system. RRC for the most part is a large swamp cooler. In addition there is a portable 2 gal water hand pump to put out small spot fires.

Leave no trace plans.. There are no post holes need to stabilize the structure the soil will not be removed. We are very pleased with the playa friendly design of this new structure. After the tent is removed the rebar holes will be refilled tamped and watered to fuse back any divots in the playa. Any spots where cars or trucks are parked will be check for oil or fluids leaks and those soils removed and sacked. any left over playa dirt will be used to fill these spots and watered.

Misting systems are designed to be used over areas that have Blue tarps laid down first and then carpet laid over the top.. so no water collection will form in the playa surface. Hygiene water (gray water) will be collected, evaporated and the concentrate (if any) should be a pasty residue that will be placed in a ziplock bag and sealed in empty 5-gal buckets to be disposed of in a land fill.

NOTE CHANGE: modification to utility trailer. in 2001 the empty wooden trailer with 3 side walls was an effective dehydrater for mellon peels and other kitchen waste. in 3 hours fruits and left overs were converted to small leathery items, the 24" sidewalls kept wind and oders from being a problem. this year thin isulation and reflective side panels should convert the trailer into a solar oven. speeding up the gray water evaporaton. who knows maybe it will bake bread!

Our internal wood structures are made of PNW Red Alder that burns hot. these timbers are part of the Seattle *SEABURN community fire scheduled for Sunday night. We anticipate having an empty utility trailer to aid in the carbon removal of the SEABURN community fire. In short RRC will be removing more carbon than it is packing in.

Member camping will be in behind the main tent with cars and trucks forming a protective ring to the West- South West. We expect to have 4 to 6 cars/pickups/vans (8 to 20 members)