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PlayaOS replaces the manual shelter spreadsheet with a structured system for tracking every dwelling at camp. You can see who is in each shelter, manage assignments, and pull headcounts that drive meal planning — all from one place.

Shelter types

The following shelter types are supported:

Creating a shelter listing

Shelter listings are typically created by members through their dashboard, but admins can create them directly.
1

Navigate to Shelters

Go to Admin → Shelters.
2

Create a new shelter

Click Add Shelter and fill in the fields: name, shelter type, capacity (max occupants), and — for RVs and trailers — the amperage (30-amp or 50-amp) and vehicle length.
3

Add optional details

You can note whether the shelter needs power hookup, pumping, and any free-text description.
4

Save

Click Save. The shelter appears in the table immediately.

Assigning members to shelters

1

Open the Shelters table

Each row shows the shelter name, type, owner, current occupants, and capacity.
2

Assign a member

Click a shelter to open the detail panel. Use the Assign Member control to search for and add a member to the shelter.
3

Mark an assignment as confirmed

Assignments start as pending. Once you’ve verified placement, update the status to confirmed.
Members can also create their own shelter listings and invite campmates. When a member submits a shelter request, it appears in the admin table with a pending status for you to review.

Viewing who is in each shelter

Click any shelter row to see the full occupant list. You can see:
  • Whether each occupant is the owner or a guest.
  • Each occupant’s assignment status (pending, confirmed).
To find a specific person’s shelter, use the member search in Admin → Members and open their profile — their shelter assignment is shown in the Logistics section.

Placement map

Click Placement Map (top right of the Shelters page) to see an overview of shelter placement on-site. Use this to check the physical layout before and during build week.

Daily headcounts and meal planning

Navigate to Admin → Headcounts for a full breakdown across all phases of the camp year.

Meals headcount

The Meals section shows the dietary headcount for any selected day. The data is calculated automatically from each member’s arrival and departure dates — only members who are on-playa that day are counted. To check a specific day:
  1. Use the day selector in the Meals section.
  2. The table updates to show total present, plus a breakdown by dietary restriction.
This is the number to give your meals lead for food ordering. “How many vegans on Wednesday?” is answered here in one click.
Dietary restrictions tracked include: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut allergy, shellfish allergy, egg allergy, kosher, and halal.

Build week and strike headcounts

The Build Week section shows members who arrive early (SAP/pre-gate arrivals and confirmed build week participants). The Strike section shows members who are staying for teardown. These counts feed directly into labor planning for setup and strike leads.

Event week daily census

The Event Week table shows a day-by-day total count across the main event. The peak headcount and peak day are highlighted at the top, useful for understanding your busiest meals day. Click any date in the event week table to see a per-person breakdown — who is arriving and departing that day.

Full dietary restriction breakdown

Go to Admin → Headcounts → Dietary Restrictions for a complete breakdown across all confirmed attending members: how many have each restriction, what percentage they represent, and a full member list you can click through.

Power grid view

For RV and trailer shelters, the Shelters table shows each unit’s amperage. This gives your infrastructure lead a clear list of all RVs with their power requirements (30-amp vs. 50-amp) for planning the power grid distribution.
Members who own an RV or trailer are charged a higher dues tier based on amperage. The Shelters page also shows whether each RV owner has paid their RV dues.