So you want to go to Burning Man?

An open letter to Sue, John, Gerry and others

YES I have evangelized, extolled and..sometimes..pestered.... about the wonders of Burning Man and its deserved place on your personal bucket list.  Burning Man 2012 just ended and I figured I would serve up a slice of what this year was all about along with my own experiences from 2010 and 2007.
August 2013 is less than a .5 year away and any serious intention of attending leaves you a shrinking window to prepare for the journey.  IF the following seems very complicated - keep in mind - if your schedule is flexible - it can be fairly simple:

1) Buy ticket
2) put bike, tent and stuff in toms van
3) take bike, tent and stuff out of toms van ( 3 weeks later)

 If you are running in a tight time frame - THATS where it gets little more complicated.


The Burning Man website has 20 years of information on all aspects of the event and will give you
a great picture of the experience.

Burning Man First timers guide

Burning Man Recommended reading

Participation

People looking for project help at Burning Man

Join a tribe or camp

Before my first trip to Burning Man, I managed to connect with VW Bus Camp. A theme camp created for VW Bus owners attending BurningMan.  My experience engaging the folks who make up the camp was, I hope, very typical of most tribes or Theme camps. Upon making initial contact, I began to engage with members online months before the event and as a result.. i really felt I has people waiting for me at the end of my cross country journey ( and Nebraska for that matter! )  There are a significant number of BM attendees who are not part of a formal theme camp or tribe but actually end up as a psuedo tribe by camping with groups of friends.  And some folks just show up unaffiliated.

I feel that your best experience with the event is through an organized Camp or tribe. It is a fanatisic way to meet new folks with a common thread and share in the whole event. It always helps to have vertern insight around when you need it.

There are 1000's(?) of organized camps and tribes.  I am not even sure how to capture a sample but here goes...

2012 theme camps listing

- if you read through the 2012 list - you will see there is a LOT of funny people out there.  Some theme camps are groups of friends and not looking for additional membership.  Whereas a tribe - tend to be more of a public entity you can join.

Burning Man on Tribe.net

The Tribes of Burning Man - How an experimental city in the desert is shaping the new amaerican counter culture.

Gerry, John....  Just recently... Queer based camps have begun to gain more serious traction and now BM boasts a Gay ghetto. :O)  I myself am planning to engage with one or two aside from my Bus Camp folks before 2013's trip.

Queer Burners site

Lodging

You are free to stay with me at VW Bus Camp and meet some great folks as well. But you may find that a camp more relevant to you would be the best experience. What does "staying" with a camp mean?  Camps do not provide lodging as far as I know. Members show up with their own lodging and help construct the camp together.  So no canvas based Holiday Inn.  ( $10 says somebody already did that..  :O)     So this leads into actual sleeping details you need to think about for the trip.   I bring my VW bus and that is what I camp in at Burning Man naturally.

YOU CANNOT STAY IN THE VAN WITH ME.    I love all of you.  But as I will mention - Burning Man is quite an intense experience and the van is not big enough to share over the course of 7-10 days in 100 degree weather with anyone.  Tripping around someone while in a DustyTiredNoSleep mood would just lead to someone being murdered by day 4.

So this early note - is to get you thinking about the lodging component of the trip.  Sue - we have spoken about rental RV's  check out this link   People do this.  I think there are places in Reno that will rent RV's for the week.  You will have to consider whether a tribe or theme camp you join will accept an RV... but nothing stops you from setting up in a free camping area next door to a camp or tribe you may join.
There are also many other alternatives: ( in no particular order)

Buy a camper to bring.    IF you are up to the challenge of a camper rehab ( or not ) campers can be cheap. Burning Man is no shortage of 1970 Winnebegos with alot of duct tape on them.
For your information - my VW can tow a very light ( >1000 lbs) trailer.  Burro, Scamp, teardrop to name a couple. If you find an Eriba Puck ( you can find them occasionally on line )- and I could even be talked into buying it from you after Burning Man.

Or perhaps a homemade trailer? People do this with the help of a trailer frame from harbor freight.

Build a Shelter - many folks have spent considerable creative energy devising alternative shelters for the evnet. Some I speculate are the best solutions for the heat and dust actually.  Here are some examples -

DIY shelters at Burning Man

Playa Domes

If I did not have a bus - I would totally be into building something crazy to live in for the week.
Shelter Design!! Woo wee!

Until recently - I had told folks that tent camping is probably the worst way to go at BM.  But recently a 1st year Burner Alberto corrected me. Apparently - you need the right kind of tent. and they are not at Sears.    Here is more information:

Kodiak Tents

A regular tent at Burning Man -   is basically sleeping in a vacuum cleaner dust pan in an oven/ freezer..
Rolling in an inch of Playa dust and the temperature goes 90 to 45 at sundown and 35 minutes after sunrise - you are back to 90. Hitting 100 + by 1.
Not pretty. Quite miserable actually.

Transportation and Schedule

Previous trips consisted of me setting out across the country 7 days before the start of the festival.  Basically hopping across the country on Route 80. Last time - I was actually Working from my laptop on the road everyday after a stop.

Burning Man 2013 opens August 26 -  September 2nd this year.

WHAT my driving schedule is this year - undetermined.   I could consider a cannon ball run - which basically involves less days and much longer driving per days if other folks can help with the driving.
THE VAN IS A STICK SHIFT.    And the return trip across the country would be approximately September 3 - 7th

There are many options available to you.

Fly to west coast and drive in from Reno or San Fran
Fly to reno and then fly into Burning Man directly
Drive with Tom one way or RT
Fly to Salt Lake city and have tom pick you up along the way

There are many options for transport from Reno Airport - read here

This company provides RT transportation San Fran/Reno/Burning Man and camping spot and Food
as a package  - Green Tortoise     You still need your own tent

You need to explore ticketing NOW - the main sale just started.

BurningMan.com