There may be a Burning Man in my future.
August 21, 2013 8:44 AM Subscribe
My husband and I have been throwing around the idea of going to Burning Man for a few years now. I am ready to put my foot down and commit to going in 2014 or 2015. What should I do in the next year (or two) to get ready?
An example of the kind of things I am looking for : We are not campers or outdoorsy people , so we have practically nothing as far as camping stuff goes. One of my ideas for prepping is to keep an eye out for camping things at garage sales/Craigslist/clearance sales , and gradually accumulate the supplies we'll need.
Assume I've read through the BM website, the First-Timer's guides, etc etc.
Also -- what sort of non-obvious things/situations should we consider when trying to figure out logistics (flying vs driving, tent vs RV, trying to join a camp vs being on our own)?
Thanks in advance!
An example of the kind of things I am looking for : We are not campers or outdoorsy people , so we have practically nothing as far as camping stuff goes. One of my ideas for prepping is to keep an eye out for camping things at garage sales/Craigslist/clearance sales , and gradually accumulate the supplies we'll need.
Assume I've read through the BM website, the First-Timer's guides, etc etc.
Also -- what sort of non-obvious things/situations should we consider when trying to figure out logistics (flying vs driving, tent vs RV, trying to join a camp vs being on our own)?
Thanks in advance!
From everyone I've talked to about Burning Man...have a plan for dust. It gets in everything.
posted by dfriedman at 9:20 AM on August 21, 2013
posted by dfriedman at 9:20 AM on August 21, 2013
I went once..never again. I love camping, but Burning Man doesn't feel like camping at all. It feels like being at a days-long rave/party where you never get to go home. Or shower.
Do you like raves? Drugs? Dirt? (I had to throw away everything I wore because the dirt was so thick)
Anyway, if I had to do it again I'd rent an RV with a shower. Oh, and a junk bike is essential. The best part of BM (for me) was riding around on endless flat land. That part was great.
But not being a raver/druggie, the rest was really annoying to me.
On preview: yeah, take MrMoonPie's advice and do a regional burn to see if its your scene.
posted by hellameangirl at 9:27 AM on August 21, 2013 [4 favorites]
Do you like raves? Drugs? Dirt? (I had to throw away everything I wore because the dirt was so thick)
Anyway, if I had to do it again I'd rent an RV with a shower. Oh, and a junk bike is essential. The best part of BM (for me) was riding around on endless flat land. That part was great.
But not being a raver/druggie, the rest was really annoying to me.
On preview: yeah, take MrMoonPie's advice and do a regional burn to see if its your scene.
posted by hellameangirl at 9:27 AM on August 21, 2013 [4 favorites]
If I were going to attend Burning Man once in my life, it would be important to me to get photos. (Some folks prefer video; others, neither.) So if I didn't have a camera and didn't know how to use one, I'd make a point to change that in the next year. I would buy a simple point-&-shoot camera for Christmas or my birthday, and read a few chapters from a beginner's photography book or watch a basic tutorial on Lynda. That's an experience I'd want to capture well, for myself later.
posted by cribcage at 9:28 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cribcage at 9:28 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have a lot of friends who go every year and they always, always do the RV/camper/trailer route. It's apparently pretty intolerable without one.
posted by elizardbits at 9:34 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by elizardbits at 9:34 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Meet as many Burners as possible.
posted by juniperesque at 9:55 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by juniperesque at 9:55 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
fourth year in a row. disagree about the inescapable rave/drug scene -- well, yeah it's all there, but in a miles-wide, art & delight-packed city of 60,000 there are so many other things to do & see, you can avoid it, if that's what you want. even easily, by spending most of your awake time during the day.
as for camping versus an RV, it depends on you -- how much you mind roughing it a bit. I've only ever tent camped there, and it's fine, but it's not like I spend time in the tent other than sleeping. even with an RV (which are mega expensive to rent that week) you'll need to think shade. we use Costco carports -- they're sturdy, 20x10 spaces with zip-up roofs and doors. if you're considering camping alone with your husband, one of those with your tent & stuff inside it would be fine. our camp is also building one of these.
however! I would really encourage you to join a theme camp. I'm a second-year camp leader of a camp with plenty of strangers and burgins, and it's a great way to meet people. you also won't have to worry about stuff like building a shower if your camp's taking care of it. (though speaking as the person taking care of stuff like that, definitely offer to help!) no matter what, spend some time clicking around eplaya.
flying versus driving totally depends on what part of the country you're in, and whether you have campmates who can bring up the bulk of your camp infrastructure.
lastly, sign up for the newsletter today, and start thinking ticket-buying in December. they sell out instantly in January ( I think?), and it's better to have a ticket and need to sell it later than be scrambling for one come summer.
p.s. feel free to memail me with any questions. black rock city is my favorite place.
posted by changeling at 9:56 AM on August 21, 2013 [5 favorites]
as for camping versus an RV, it depends on you -- how much you mind roughing it a bit. I've only ever tent camped there, and it's fine, but it's not like I spend time in the tent other than sleeping. even with an RV (which are mega expensive to rent that week) you'll need to think shade. we use Costco carports -- they're sturdy, 20x10 spaces with zip-up roofs and doors. if you're considering camping alone with your husband, one of those with your tent & stuff inside it would be fine. our camp is also building one of these.
however! I would really encourage you to join a theme camp. I'm a second-year camp leader of a camp with plenty of strangers and burgins, and it's a great way to meet people. you also won't have to worry about stuff like building a shower if your camp's taking care of it. (though speaking as the person taking care of stuff like that, definitely offer to help!) no matter what, spend some time clicking around eplaya.
flying versus driving totally depends on what part of the country you're in, and whether you have campmates who can bring up the bulk of your camp infrastructure.
lastly, sign up for the newsletter today, and start thinking ticket-buying in December. they sell out instantly in January ( I think?), and it's better to have a ticket and need to sell it later than be scrambling for one come summer.
p.s. feel free to memail me with any questions. black rock city is my favorite place.
posted by changeling at 9:56 AM on August 21, 2013 [5 favorites]
Yes - go to regional burns.
Do you know how well you'd do in desert heat / sun / slight altitude and being dirty and dusty? I last went years ago. I am bad with the heat and survived by relying on friends. I didn't get to do nearly as much as them but I still felt it was worth it. If it's just the two of you - you'll have to plan to be functional enough to set up and tear down on your own. If it turns out that you're not so good in the heat will it still be worth going?
Do check in which rental companies are burner friendly - every year there are stories about various car / truck / rv place cancelling reservations if they figure out where you're going.
IMHO doing the RV camper route would be much less difficult in terms of keeping your things less dusty. If you did a tent you need one that seals completely and fits you plus all your gear that you don't want dust on/in. If I did the RV route I'd still probably use the porta johns just in case there was an interruption in service to the RVs. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a stinky RV.
If you're flying keep baggage restrictions on weight and dimension in mind when you buy things. I think Southwest used to have the best allowances so we'd all use that.
I can't remember exactly what it was but there were always a few things that were annoying to try and buy in Reno right before the burn. I think the issue was that in retail they were gearing up for fall not summer so for example Costco not have a ton of tents or coolers anymore. Again this was years ago so it may have changed but it's worth thinking about.
posted by oneear at 9:59 AM on August 21, 2013
Do you know how well you'd do in desert heat / sun / slight altitude and being dirty and dusty? I last went years ago. I am bad with the heat and survived by relying on friends. I didn't get to do nearly as much as them but I still felt it was worth it. If it's just the two of you - you'll have to plan to be functional enough to set up and tear down on your own. If it turns out that you're not so good in the heat will it still be worth going?
Do check in which rental companies are burner friendly - every year there are stories about various car / truck / rv place cancelling reservations if they figure out where you're going.
IMHO doing the RV camper route would be much less difficult in terms of keeping your things less dusty. If you did a tent you need one that seals completely and fits you plus all your gear that you don't want dust on/in. If I did the RV route I'd still probably use the porta johns just in case there was an interruption in service to the RVs. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a stinky RV.
If you're flying keep baggage restrictions on weight and dimension in mind when you buy things. I think Southwest used to have the best allowances so we'd all use that.
I can't remember exactly what it was but there were always a few things that were annoying to try and buy in Reno right before the burn. I think the issue was that in retail they were gearing up for fall not summer so for example Costco not have a ton of tents or coolers anymore. Again this was years ago so it may have changed but it's worth thinking about.
posted by oneear at 9:59 AM on August 21, 2013
A lot of Metafilter's burners are already on their way to the Playa, so you may not get many answers from those who go regularly.
TO counterpoint hellamean girl's post (clearly she lives up to her handle!): I am not a raver or a druggie. I go to Burning Man and enjoy it greatly. I do not find most regional events I have attended to be very reflective of what the main event is like, but I haven't been to Flipside or Firefly, both of which I hear are much more in tune. (The ones I've been to have been single-day events and have had a lot of spectators rather than participants.)
I had never been camping before my first burn and underpetticoatrule had only been when someone else brought all the gear. I was also very much an indoor girl - I didn't like dirt, didn't like to sweat, etcetera. So we were starting from about where you are, if not a few steps behind - and we had only 2 weeks to get all our stuff together from when we decided to go! A year is PLENTY of time to prepare.
If you have friends who already go, you may want to see if you can camp with them, as they may already have infrastructure in place. However, if they're a friend that kind of annoys you, you may want to re-think that - the Playa is a crucible and small annoyances can become big. If you don't go that route, I'd suggest looking around a little bit to see if anything fits your vibe. Some camps you pay a fee into and in return someone else loads up the shade structure, food, etc. into a truck, which leaves you with less infrastructure to deal with. Often it's in return for sweat equity but some camps just do it for the money.
We camp in Hushville because we wanted a (relatively) quiet place to go back to at the end of the evening. It allows us the independence of having our own camp (supplying our own food rather than eating whatever the camp makes, building our own stuff including our shade structure, following our own schedule, etc.) with the benefit of having a confirmed location and an built-in network of people. I know there's a number of other villages that work the same way (Alternative Energy Zone and Kidsville, for example) - so long as you follow the rules of the village/stick with the theme of the village.
We camp in a tent and have never done it in any other way, nor am I particularly interested in camping in an RV. There's ways to camp in a tent where you can keep a fair amount of the dust out, and dust gets in an RV anyway. We've considered buying a van, but that's mostly because fitting all our stuff in a Scion is a tight squeeze; sleeping in the van is really a secondary consideration.
Getting things at garage sales is a good idea. Also, keep an eye on Craigslist - there's a lot of people who sell Burning Man stuff throughout the year (shade structures, etc.) Also, disaster preparedness kits are a big portion of a Burning Man preparedness kit; our earthquake preparedness kit is also the food, water and first aid kit we bring to Burning Man each year. And the headlamps, and battery-powered lights, and...well, so long as I keep that kit stocked we're already off to a running start for Burning Man!
I have built up a supplies list over the year that I would be happy to send you. Our needs and your needs may not be identical, but it will give you a jumping-off point for what you need to acquire over the course of the year.
The most important thing I learned my first year: coming up from sea level, the altitude is tough for me in the first few days and it's easy to wear myself out. I did, quite brutally, and had a spectacular meltdown. I've since learned, both on the Playa and in life, to make sure I take care of myself and conserve energy. It was something I really needed to learn and has been extremely helpful in the default world. (I find that every year I learn something about myself out there.)
posted by rednikki at 10:03 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
TO counterpoint hellamean girl's post (clearly she lives up to her handle!): I am not a raver or a druggie. I go to Burning Man and enjoy it greatly. I do not find most regional events I have attended to be very reflective of what the main event is like, but I haven't been to Flipside or Firefly, both of which I hear are much more in tune. (The ones I've been to have been single-day events and have had a lot of spectators rather than participants.)
I had never been camping before my first burn and underpetticoatrule had only been when someone else brought all the gear. I was also very much an indoor girl - I didn't like dirt, didn't like to sweat, etcetera. So we were starting from about where you are, if not a few steps behind - and we had only 2 weeks to get all our stuff together from when we decided to go! A year is PLENTY of time to prepare.
If you have friends who already go, you may want to see if you can camp with them, as they may already have infrastructure in place. However, if they're a friend that kind of annoys you, you may want to re-think that - the Playa is a crucible and small annoyances can become big. If you don't go that route, I'd suggest looking around a little bit to see if anything fits your vibe. Some camps you pay a fee into and in return someone else loads up the shade structure, food, etc. into a truck, which leaves you with less infrastructure to deal with. Often it's in return for sweat equity but some camps just do it for the money.
We camp in Hushville because we wanted a (relatively) quiet place to go back to at the end of the evening. It allows us the independence of having our own camp (supplying our own food rather than eating whatever the camp makes, building our own stuff including our shade structure, following our own schedule, etc.) with the benefit of having a confirmed location and an built-in network of people. I know there's a number of other villages that work the same way (Alternative Energy Zone and Kidsville, for example) - so long as you follow the rules of the village/stick with the theme of the village.
We camp in a tent and have never done it in any other way, nor am I particularly interested in camping in an RV. There's ways to camp in a tent where you can keep a fair amount of the dust out, and dust gets in an RV anyway. We've considered buying a van, but that's mostly because fitting all our stuff in a Scion is a tight squeeze; sleeping in the van is really a secondary consideration.
Getting things at garage sales is a good idea. Also, keep an eye on Craigslist - there's a lot of people who sell Burning Man stuff throughout the year (shade structures, etc.) Also, disaster preparedness kits are a big portion of a Burning Man preparedness kit; our earthquake preparedness kit is also the food, water and first aid kit we bring to Burning Man each year. And the headlamps, and battery-powered lights, and...well, so long as I keep that kit stocked we're already off to a running start for Burning Man!
I have built up a supplies list over the year that I would be happy to send you. Our needs and your needs may not be identical, but it will give you a jumping-off point for what you need to acquire over the course of the year.
The most important thing I learned my first year: coming up from sea level, the altitude is tough for me in the first few days and it's easy to wear myself out. I did, quite brutally, and had a spectacular meltdown. I've since learned, both on the Playa and in life, to make sure I take care of myself and conserve energy. It was something I really needed to learn and has been extremely helpful in the default world. (I find that every year I learn something about myself out there.)
posted by rednikki at 10:03 AM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
And with regards to tickets - in the two weeks before the burn tons of tickets become available. Craigslist is flooded with them right now, at least out here.
posted by rednikki at 10:06 AM on August 21, 2013
posted by rednikki at 10:06 AM on August 21, 2013
one more thing - I wanted to mention that it is possible to clean the dust off of clothing / fabric / tents.
my partner has gone many years and if it's an article of clothing that can go in the wash and we can usually get it back to clean. If you can rinse it with water you can probably get the dust / dirt out with enough effort. Depending on the fabric composition it may hold smells though and require more than one wash. Anything that holds smells or isn't washable / rinsable may not make it through more than 1 burn. We also end up replacing shoes after the burn.
posted by oneear at 10:15 AM on August 21, 2013
my partner has gone many years and if it's an article of clothing that can go in the wash and we can usually get it back to clean. If you can rinse it with water you can probably get the dust / dirt out with enough effort. Depending on the fabric composition it may hold smells though and require more than one wash. Anything that holds smells or isn't washable / rinsable may not make it through more than 1 burn. We also end up replacing shoes after the burn.
posted by oneear at 10:15 AM on August 21, 2013
You don't need to do anything other than be sure to add a calendar item to get tickets and budget for them and travel. There are a million howto guides on the web, my suggestion would be to rent a cargo van and sleep in that with foil on the glass. The biggest issue you will have is overpreparing. If you have food, water, sunscreen and a place to sleep you're fine.
posted by rr at 10:29 AM on August 21, 2013
posted by rr at 10:29 AM on August 21, 2013
Oh, and don't worry when you feel unprepared. EVERYONE feels unprepared, whether it's your first year or your tenth. There was a great video about it by Halconstyn this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B2ujUs1e64
posted by rednikki at 10:29 AM on August 21, 2013
posted by rednikki at 10:29 AM on August 21, 2013
I ain't hatin' I swear! I'm from San Francisco (well, Fruitvale originally so I sometimes have that Raiders fan edge--sorry) so I know lots of Burners. If its your thing, thats cool, honestly! I just wish I had a clearer picture of what it would be like before I spent so much money and travel time on it. Of course I went a dozen years ago before the internet was widely used so I really didn't see any photos or message boards on it. I went with friends who told me it was like camping but with art parties.
Anyway, I just wanted to stress that since the OP mentioned camping--it isn't anything like camping! I'm a city girl but when I go camping it is a way to leave the city. Camping is usually somewhere isolated and peaceful and you wake up to birds chirping and a babbling brooke nearby and you bathe in a lake and everything smells of dewy redwoods and campfire and oh look a deer!
BM is more like living in a vibrant, heavily populated homeless encampment (except everyone is white) and you wake up to drumbeats and smells of porta potties and bong water. It is a city just one without sparkly buildings and fancy restaurants and diversity. I know its magical and wondrous to the people who love it, and I'm not saying the OP shouldn't go. By all means OP, do it! The art structures and the Thunderdome are cool. I'm just giving my experience as a way to prepare the OP since thats what she asked for.
posted by hellameangirl at 11:29 AM on August 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Anyway, I just wanted to stress that since the OP mentioned camping--it isn't anything like camping! I'm a city girl but when I go camping it is a way to leave the city. Camping is usually somewhere isolated and peaceful and you wake up to birds chirping and a babbling brooke nearby and you bathe in a lake and everything smells of dewy redwoods and campfire and oh look a deer!
BM is more like living in a vibrant, heavily populated homeless encampment (except everyone is white) and you wake up to drumbeats and smells of porta potties and bong water. It is a city just one without sparkly buildings and fancy restaurants and diversity. I know its magical and wondrous to the people who love it, and I'm not saying the OP shouldn't go. By all means OP, do it! The art structures and the Thunderdome are cool. I'm just giving my experience as a way to prepare the OP since thats what she asked for.
posted by hellameangirl at 11:29 AM on August 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
I second the advice to go to a regional. You're in the Chicago area, so Lakes of Fire (coming up soon!) would be your "home" regional, but Interfuse or Gateway might be do-able. It would be an opportunity to field-test your gear, to meet like-minded people, and to have fun. The regionals are different in terms of scale and environmental challenges, but the underlying ethos is the same.
I actually kind of agree with hellameangirl that it's not camping. I mean it is, but not camping as we know it. I disagree about the whole rave/drug/party scene. It can be that if you want it to be, but you're not stuck with it.
Having something to do at Burning Man (or any burn) is a good idea. Volunteer (burns are volunteer-run). Get involved with a big art project.
If you don't camp with a theme camp, at least camp with a few other people you can rely on.
RVs are hard to rent for Burning Man, because the rental companies know that the RVs get trashed by the dust. The one rental agency that doesn't mind renting RVs, CruiseAmerica, rents RVs that are already trashed.
I don't think RVs are necessary unless you need a lot of creature comforts. A really good canvas tent can be dust free. I will admit that having a sanctum that is free from the dust is nice. Really nice.
Flying is probably more expensive than driving when you take into account getting from Reno to BRC, the additional local provisioning that you'll need to do, shipping your stuff ahead, etc (the math gets worse when you assume multiple people in one car). The Chicago community of Burners probably rents a truck or a shipping container to send out to BRC, so you could send at least some of your gear out that way.
posted by adamrice at 11:36 AM on August 21, 2013
I actually kind of agree with hellameangirl that it's not camping. I mean it is, but not camping as we know it. I disagree about the whole rave/drug/party scene. It can be that if you want it to be, but you're not stuck with it.
Having something to do at Burning Man (or any burn) is a good idea. Volunteer (burns are volunteer-run). Get involved with a big art project.
If you don't camp with a theme camp, at least camp with a few other people you can rely on.
RVs are hard to rent for Burning Man, because the rental companies know that the RVs get trashed by the dust. The one rental agency that doesn't mind renting RVs, CruiseAmerica, rents RVs that are already trashed.
I don't think RVs are necessary unless you need a lot of creature comforts. A really good canvas tent can be dust free. I will admit that having a sanctum that is free from the dust is nice. Really nice.
Flying is probably more expensive than driving when you take into account getting from Reno to BRC, the additional local provisioning that you'll need to do, shipping your stuff ahead, etc (the math gets worse when you assume multiple people in one car). The Chicago community of Burners probably rents a truck or a shipping container to send out to BRC, so you could send at least some of your gear out that way.
posted by adamrice at 11:36 AM on August 21, 2013
In a little bit over 48 hours, I will be headed out to the desert for my sixth Burn. While I am by no means an expert, I have a fair amount of experience under my belt, and here are the things that I’ve learned that have improved my visits to the playa immensely:
• Get involved with a camp. I did the two-person camping experience for my first three years, and I have found that Burning Man is much more enjoyable when you find a larger group of people with whom you can share your space. My insistence on attempting to do all of the logistical and emotional heavy lifting by myself made my first three years significantly harder than they needed to be.
• Use Burning Man as a motive and opportunity to learn or improve a skill. Before I started attending, I was ok at cooking and completely inexperienced at sewing. The projects that I’ve undertaken in preparation for attending have turned me into a fairly respectable cook and have improved my sewing skills to the point of shaky-but-not-terrible. There’s a rush that I get from sharing and showing off my work on the playa that is a big part of the what makes my trip fun.
• Before you choose between tent camping and an RV, you really need to figure out how you feel about tent camping in general. I’ve stayed in a tent every year, but I love tent camping. I have friends who are wary of tent camping under the most ideal of circumstances, and Burning Man is far from ideal circumstances; they would need an RV. Somewhere between the two is a hexayurt; everyone that I’ve encountered who has used one has said glowing things about it.
• Understand what you need to be happy, and figure out how you can get it out there. I know myself, and I know that I need to shower every damn day (sometimes twice) in order to be happy. Solar showers with evaporation ponds are not difficult to build, and most camps of any appreciable size will have at least one.
I hope that this advice is helpful, but if there’s anything specific that you want to know, please feel free to MeMail me.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:54 AM on August 21, 2013
• Get involved with a camp. I did the two-person camping experience for my first three years, and I have found that Burning Man is much more enjoyable when you find a larger group of people with whom you can share your space. My insistence on attempting to do all of the logistical and emotional heavy lifting by myself made my first three years significantly harder than they needed to be.
• Use Burning Man as a motive and opportunity to learn or improve a skill. Before I started attending, I was ok at cooking and completely inexperienced at sewing. The projects that I’ve undertaken in preparation for attending have turned me into a fairly respectable cook and have improved my sewing skills to the point of shaky-but-not-terrible. There’s a rush that I get from sharing and showing off my work on the playa that is a big part of the what makes my trip fun.
• Before you choose between tent camping and an RV, you really need to figure out how you feel about tent camping in general. I’ve stayed in a tent every year, but I love tent camping. I have friends who are wary of tent camping under the most ideal of circumstances, and Burning Man is far from ideal circumstances; they would need an RV. Somewhere between the two is a hexayurt; everyone that I’ve encountered who has used one has said glowing things about it.
• Understand what you need to be happy, and figure out how you can get it out there. I know myself, and I know that I need to shower every damn day (sometimes twice) in order to be happy. Solar showers with evaporation ponds are not difficult to build, and most camps of any appreciable size will have at least one.
I hope that this advice is helpful, but if there’s anything specific that you want to know, please feel free to MeMail me.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:54 AM on August 21, 2013
First of all, beware of anyone who has a singular idea about what Burning Man is "about." It's really a choose-your-own adventure. That's not to say that such people are wrong about their own experiences there, but you can choose what kind of burn to have and you can correct your course if you find you're not really enjoying it. There's so much going on and such a range of things to do that you can find something that will thrill and delight you. You really need to stay open to new experiences, and build in some things you're pretty sure you'll enjoy by finding a project to volunteer on or volunteer for some ice camp shifts, stage crew shifts or whatever.
Set yourself some calendar alerts for the 5 weeks before the event next year to remind yourselves to start prepping. We always plan to start prepping early, but we never do and have a very busy week before the event.
A 4-season tent is best if you're tenting it, it will keep more dust out (you can never keep all the dust out!) than a 3-season tent. The problem is that 4 season tents are expensive, and while you can throw clothes in the washer it's much harder to really clean a tent if you want to use it for other camping. This year we're hot-gluing ripstop nylon over the mesh "windows" in our tent. (Pro-tip - don't put a tent in the dryer "for just a few minutes" and then forget about it. Ask me how I know!)
Bring a sheet to cover your air mattress/bed/whatever when you're not sleeping in it. Helps keep dust off.
You need to evaporate or pack out your gray water, so have a plan for that.
Practice setting up your tent before you go to the Playa.
Pack the car in the reverse order you'll need things to set up camp.
Don't panic.
If you're driving more than a few hours, consider getting a room in a nearby city the night before you're planning on getting to the event (Sparks, Reno, Carson City). A long drive followed by sitting in line for a long time to get in, then trying to set up camp before it gets dark all while being at 4000' above sea level can be extremely cranky-making. Massively. To the max.
Stake your tent and shade structure (if you have one) with rebar. Stakes will not be sufficient when the wind picks up. Search for "candy-cane rebar" and "playa staples." Playa staples are easier to pound in than candy-cane. Have something to put over the rebar so people don't rip their ankles off if they walk into it (tennis balls, rebar end caps, soda bottles that are tied to the guy lines).
Have some boots and a few other pairs of shoes. Don't expect to use these for anything but Burning Man after you've used them there.
Come up with some kind of project of your own, even if it's small-scale, or volunteer on a larger project. There's an emphasis on participation ("No spectators!").
Come up with a cooking/food strategy. Cooking generates a lot of gray water (well, the clean-up does anyway) and waste, which you'll have to pack out.
Always have a cup with you. Lots of places will offer you a beverage, but you need your own cup.
Get replacement engine air filters and cabin air filters for your car and learn how to change them. When you leave the event, change the filters when you first stop for gas.
Light your bike up - not just to see, but to be seen. This is important!
There's so much... this is just the tip of the dustberg. But be encouraged! It seems monumental in the lead-up, even if you've been there before, but it's really doable even for people who have never been camping before. You should make burner friends online well before going, so you can get more pearls of wisdom and have a network of people who can assist if things really go sideways (which won't happen, but it will give you peace of mind).
Finally, Memail rednikki (commenter upthread) for her first-timers info. At our first burn people assumed we were veteran burners because we were so prepared!
Definitely go next year. Do it! Do it!
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:00 PM on August 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Set yourself some calendar alerts for the 5 weeks before the event next year to remind yourselves to start prepping. We always plan to start prepping early, but we never do and have a very busy week before the event.
A 4-season tent is best if you're tenting it, it will keep more dust out (you can never keep all the dust out!) than a 3-season tent. The problem is that 4 season tents are expensive, and while you can throw clothes in the washer it's much harder to really clean a tent if you want to use it for other camping. This year we're hot-gluing ripstop nylon over the mesh "windows" in our tent. (Pro-tip - don't put a tent in the dryer "for just a few minutes" and then forget about it. Ask me how I know!)
Bring a sheet to cover your air mattress/bed/whatever when you're not sleeping in it. Helps keep dust off.
You need to evaporate or pack out your gray water, so have a plan for that.
Practice setting up your tent before you go to the Playa.
Pack the car in the reverse order you'll need things to set up camp.
Don't panic.
If you're driving more than a few hours, consider getting a room in a nearby city the night before you're planning on getting to the event (Sparks, Reno, Carson City). A long drive followed by sitting in line for a long time to get in, then trying to set up camp before it gets dark all while being at 4000' above sea level can be extremely cranky-making. Massively. To the max.
Stake your tent and shade structure (if you have one) with rebar. Stakes will not be sufficient when the wind picks up. Search for "candy-cane rebar" and "playa staples." Playa staples are easier to pound in than candy-cane. Have something to put over the rebar so people don't rip their ankles off if they walk into it (tennis balls, rebar end caps, soda bottles that are tied to the guy lines).
Have some boots and a few other pairs of shoes. Don't expect to use these for anything but Burning Man after you've used them there.
Come up with some kind of project of your own, even if it's small-scale, or volunteer on a larger project. There's an emphasis on participation ("No spectators!").
Come up with a cooking/food strategy. Cooking generates a lot of gray water (well, the clean-up does anyway) and waste, which you'll have to pack out.
Always have a cup with you. Lots of places will offer you a beverage, but you need your own cup.
Get replacement engine air filters and cabin air filters for your car and learn how to change them. When you leave the event, change the filters when you first stop for gas.
Light your bike up - not just to see, but to be seen. This is important!
There's so much... this is just the tip of the dustberg. But be encouraged! It seems monumental in the lead-up, even if you've been there before, but it's really doable even for people who have never been camping before. You should make burner friends online well before going, so you can get more pearls of wisdom and have a network of people who can assist if things really go sideways (which won't happen, but it will give you peace of mind).
Finally, Memail rednikki (commenter upthread) for her first-timers info. At our first burn people assumed we were veteran burners because we were so prepared!
Definitely go next year. Do it! Do it!
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:00 PM on August 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
I haven't gone, but lots and lots of close friends do(and many are already gone right now, hah). I intended to this year, but.... well, anyways.
Many of the people i know who go are not drugheads. Most, actually. Some of them are completely "straight edge" even or at most have a singular beer here and there with a meal. All of them have a freaking blast.
I know people who go in RVs and have done so for years, people who go super prepared but tent it(and go in small cars even!), and people who pretty much just get a ticket and hitch a ride with a backpack full of stuff and mostly wing it. While i think the last group is bonkers(and would personally be going in my city bus RV conversion) there isn't really a "right" way to do this.
I really do think that painting as just a dirty rave is missing a lot of the point. It's like saying an entire city is XYZ way or full of XYZ people because of one neighborhood. I only know one person who goes who i would even remotely call a raver. The rest are just from the hippy artist area i grew up in, or just generally lovable weirdos.
I will note that i'm a huge weirdo who grew up in a neighborhood full of hippy artists and burn outs though, who is friends with a bunch of artists, people with sort of hippyish tendencies or at least hippyish parents, and just general weirdos though... so my gauges may be completely miscalibrated on this.
Who knows though, i'm going in 2014 too. Maybe i'll change my tune. From everyone i know and everything they've said, i've seen, i've met and everything it just doesn't seem like that's the scope or gist of it though.
posted by emptythought at 12:44 PM on August 21, 2013
Many of the people i know who go are not drugheads. Most, actually. Some of them are completely "straight edge" even or at most have a singular beer here and there with a meal. All of them have a freaking blast.
I know people who go in RVs and have done so for years, people who go super prepared but tent it(and go in small cars even!), and people who pretty much just get a ticket and hitch a ride with a backpack full of stuff and mostly wing it. While i think the last group is bonkers(and would personally be going in my city bus RV conversion) there isn't really a "right" way to do this.
I really do think that painting as just a dirty rave is missing a lot of the point. It's like saying an entire city is XYZ way or full of XYZ people because of one neighborhood. I only know one person who goes who i would even remotely call a raver. The rest are just from the hippy artist area i grew up in, or just generally lovable weirdos.
I will note that i'm a huge weirdo who grew up in a neighborhood full of hippy artists and burn outs though, who is friends with a bunch of artists, people with sort of hippyish tendencies or at least hippyish parents, and just general weirdos though... so my gauges may be completely miscalibrated on this.
Who knows though, i'm going in 2014 too. Maybe i'll change my tune. From everyone i know and everything they've said, i've seen, i've met and everything it just doesn't seem like that's the scope or gist of it though.
posted by emptythought at 12:44 PM on August 21, 2013
I will note that i'm a huge weirdo who grew up in a neighborhood full of hippy artists and burn outs though, who is friends with a bunch of artists, people with sort of hippyish tendencies or at least hippyish parents, and just general weirdos though... so my gauges may be completely miscalibrated on this.
Maybe thats what it comes down to..the environment one grows up in. I personally grew up in a predominately black and latino city so BM was quite a culture shock for me. Not only was it the largest gathering of white people I had ever seen (this was before I'd been to Portland..a place I love btw!) but I had never seen people so free and open to do things that would get you arrested or beat where I came from: drug taking? (ok, maybe not everyone does it but come'on, those who do it are pretty open about it) public nudity? (yikes! I'm not that modest but I was too afraid of sexual assault to even consider going that route) and finally, burning an effigy???
The actual 'burning man' in particular was downright scary to me. Riots in Oakland aren't totally uncommon, and as a kid it was drilled in my head that when they happened you stay home and hunker down! Its just hard to wrap my head around how that kind of thing is fun. Crazy white people ;)
posted by hellameangirl at 1:13 PM on August 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Maybe thats what it comes down to..the environment one grows up in. I personally grew up in a predominately black and latino city so BM was quite a culture shock for me. Not only was it the largest gathering of white people I had ever seen (this was before I'd been to Portland..a place I love btw!) but I had never seen people so free and open to do things that would get you arrested or beat where I came from: drug taking? (ok, maybe not everyone does it but come'on, those who do it are pretty open about it) public nudity? (yikes! I'm not that modest but I was too afraid of sexual assault to even consider going that route) and finally, burning an effigy???
The actual 'burning man' in particular was downright scary to me. Riots in Oakland aren't totally uncommon, and as a kid it was drilled in my head that when they happened you stay home and hunker down! Its just hard to wrap my head around how that kind of thing is fun. Crazy white people ;)
posted by hellameangirl at 1:13 PM on August 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Many experiences from 12 years ago are not germane now. Drugs, for example. In the last half decade there has been a growing law enforcement presence, both uniformed and undercover, and drug use is far less prevalent and far less public than it was twelve years ago. Sure, it still happens. But if you're talking about 12 years ago, maybe use the past tense instead of the present tense. The OP is interested in what it's like now, not over a decade ago.
The lack of ethnic diversity is still the case though, which is a disappointment.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 2:49 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
The lack of ethnic diversity is still the case though, which is a disappointment.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 2:49 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Surprising no one has mentioned the usual middle ground between a RV and a tent, which is a hexayurt. Not too difficult to set up, decently cheap, and way better than a tent at Burning Man.
One of the best things to do before you go is to try and get out to some Burner Type events in your city, to get to know some people, get a feel of the culture, and have a live person to ask questions. A lot of places have some sort of non-party based gathering.
Here is the Chicago webpage:
http://burningmanchicago.ning.com/
Join the facebook group, sign up for some email lists, etc.
Burners are usually pretty willing to help virgins out. You just have to ask.
posted by GnomePrime at 9:32 AM on August 22, 2013
One of the best things to do before you go is to try and get out to some Burner Type events in your city, to get to know some people, get a feel of the culture, and have a live person to ask questions. A lot of places have some sort of non-party based gathering.
Here is the Chicago webpage:
http://burningmanchicago.ning.com/
Join the facebook group, sign up for some email lists, etc.
Burners are usually pretty willing to help virgins out. You just have to ask.
posted by GnomePrime at 9:32 AM on August 22, 2013
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posted by MrMoonPie at 9:18 AM on August 21, 2013 [6 favorites]