First-timer, coming in Thursday solo

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:12 pm

I just found a ticket today. I'm very busy reading and researching so I am prepared and am not relying on anyone else to take care of me. I do have friends who will be there. But, due to just getting a ticket today and not arriving until Thursday, my plan is to be prepared to camp solo. I'd prefer that, as I can not adequately contribute to their camp setup. Should I make more of an effort to camp with them? Or is planning on camping solo an acceptable plan? Because it is late in the game and because I am arriving solo on Thursday, any advice you all may have would be appreciated. I'm certainly not going to ask anyone to lay out everything which can be read here already. But, some basic tips would be appreciated. I need or have: Suggestions on an ideal, minimalist tent for 1 person for 4 days, have 6 gallons of water, need to figure out simple food options, sources of sufficient lighting, mask and goggles, I have a bike, I have a burner express ticket to/from Reno (driving my car to Reno). Anything else anyone can suggest would be greatly appreciated!

Jackass · Post by **Jackass** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:25 pm

Join your friends if they have space, just help them strike and clean up. Every year we have one or two that don't roll in until later in the week, it's all good.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:28 pm

I certainly may join them, but it seems smart to be prepared in case I can't find them. Not sure how difficult it is to find people who are already there before you arrive in BRC. They don't have an exact placement yet.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:30 pm

I second this.

Helping with camp teardown is invaluable.
You could also bring in some fresh fruit and veggies to share, these are always welcome later in the week.

Unless you are a loner in general, you'll be much happier camping with your friends.
Once they've found a spot, they can enter their Camp name/location at Playa Info, located by Center Camp.
It would also be awesome if one of them could meet you at the bus depot (Thursday arrivals *should* be on timeish) to help you schlep your gear to camp.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:40 pm

Thanks guys, good feedback already. I'm a unique combination of loner and social butterfly. I am comfortable alone, and also feel comfortable talking to anyone. I have several friends going, but I'm not super close to any of them. They may all welcome me, but I hate asking them. It's pretty much implied I can camp with them, but I have no formal plans to do so and they're pretty deep into their planning. Reading here, it seems many are OK with camping solo. Just wasn't sure how the Thursday arrival might affect that. Less time out there, of course. I'd just prefer to sort of meet up with them, be prepared to go it solo, and if they feel so inclined to welcome me in, it's an option.

maladroit · Post by **maladroit** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:48 pm

skyway34 wrote:Thanks guys, good feedback already. I'm a unique combination of loner and social butterfly. I am comfortable alone, and also feel comfortable talking to anyone. I have several friends going, but I'm not super close to any of them. They may all welcome me, but I hate asking them. It's pretty much implied I can camp with them, but I have no formal plans to do so and they're pretty deep into their planning. Reading here, it seems many are OK with camping solo. Just wasn't sure how the Thursday arrival might affect that. Less time out there, of course. I'd just prefer to sort of meet up with them, be prepared to go it solo, and if they feel so inclined to welcome me in, it's an option.

I'd prepare to go solo, but drop by their camp when you get in. Maybe they'll drag you over to a spot to put your tent, maybe they won't.

Being a loner, social butterfly is not necessarily going to work in your favor out there. If you actually find it easier to talk to complete strangers than it is to talk to people who know you (notice that I didn't say people that you know), that's a pretty significant sign of social anxiety and isolation. Possibly a tough childhood that you were constantly told was the lap of luxury, a notable absence of love, and very controlling/demanding/inconsistent parent(s). The loneliness-in-a-crowd phenomemon will eventually get to you...but just remember that it's OK. When you feel uncomfortable, you are growing and learning as a person. It's 100% ok to find a little nook near your favorite piece of art out on the playa, sit down, and watch the world go by for a couple hours while you drink water.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 6:50 pm

gaminwench wrote:... Once they've found a spot, they can enter their Camp name/location at Playa Info, located by Center Camp.

^^^ THIS!

gaminwench wrote:... Unless you are a loner in general, you'll be much happier camping with your friends...

Or camp solo and make new friends...

Have a spray bottle to mist yourself with potable water to cool down.
Once at BRC, look for some thing that generates shade that the 'owner' will let you pitch your tent in that shade. (at your friend's camp?)
Or a small shade structure (cost, late time to prepare)
- viewtopic.php?f=277&t=70367
- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40542&start=0#p683773

DO read the Survival Guide.
Do learn about Playa Condition (bring electrolyte mix for your water)
A simple bandana - stage coach robber style - is surprisingly effective against dust. And it buffers what you breath from the dry air a bit.
Carry water with you always.
Wipes in place of showers.

Search eplaya (use google) for food, goggles, tent, etc.

p.s.
I always camp solo.
I like the freedom to do what I want, when I want.

SEARCH & READ BEFORE YOU START SPENDING MONEY

pretty_monster · Post by **pretty_monster** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 8:39 am

good shade is more important than your tent. i have a teensy weensy kids' tent that i bought for $20. it's just big enough to sleep in. it's the awesome shade structure that it's under that makes my life on the playa work. i'd suggest getting 2 teensy tents, one for sleeping and one for your stuff, then get some good shade built over the two.

i'm going totally solo for the firs time this year and my biggest hurdle has been eating/cooking with minimum cooler usage, prep time, and clean up. i've got tons of burner rations (jerky, granola bars, dried fruit, capris suns). i bought a box of 6 MREs with heater packs. i got a pack of 6 shelf-stable single-serving milks. precooked bacon. bean dip & tortilla chips. condiment packets & pouched tuna & triscuits. look into camping/hiking foods and see how little refrigeration & prep time you can get away with.

and someone else mentioned bringing fresh fruit and veg with you. DO IT! i for one am dreaming wistfully of plump, fresh tomatoes come Thursday. pretty much anyone you camp near will greet you with open neighborly arms if you come bearing fresh vegetation.

spacetime · Post by **spacetime** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:33 am

^^^

It will be challenging to camp solo with so little time invested so far, but if you're determined it is possible and it makes sense to prepare as though you may need to.

The way you describe yourself lends itself to someone who may do well like this.

You have only very little time so try to stay focused on the basics: food, water, shade, shelter. Your biggest problem is going to be making your camp pack down conveniently to load onto and off burner express, then haul to a campsite. I can't stress enough how important it is that your stuff pack into a few moveable units and not be many pieces of flotsam.

You have time to get and practice a shade if you hurry. Here's my thread that begins in a similar place but 365 + 16 days ahead of you.

I've related some experience camping solo and coming in via Burner Express along with photos of the pack I brought in last year on bxb here.

delle · Post by **delle** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:33 am

Canoe wrote:
gaminwench wrote:... Once they've found a spot, they can enter their Camp name/location at Playa Info, located by Center Camp.
^^^ THIS!

Sorta, kinda. The bus stop is 6:15 and I, which is a trek with all your stuff, only to have to head back out again.

Has anyone already inquired if there's a bulletin board at the bus depot? If there isn't, there probably should be. A lot of folks would be well served by a board there.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 1:19 pm

Bring that as your only piece of luggage!!!

All the lies you can tell about why it's all you need!!!!!!!

Zubeneschamali · Post by **Zubeneschamali** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 2:29 pm

Well, the good news is you can translate your intentions of helping your camp into helping any camp wherever you land.

If you are going to plan on doing something nice as a late week participant, definitely cold or iced contributions, and a strong back, are awesome gifts. I pull out popsicles on Friday and you'd think I just successfully levitated - that's the level of wonder in peoples eyes. I'm not as nimble as I used to be, and by Friday I am thankful for any extra hands helping me keep the camp running, and especially appreciative to anyone who helps me tear down on Sunday.

That said, my camp will offer sanctuary to weary travelers who end up at our doorstep - if that person is a good fit. There's plenty of camps out there that do the same. So show up, and if some crazy fuck yells at you across the playa from a dive bar, well wander over, have a concoction, and get to know the people. You might find a place you like.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:45 pm

I really appreciate the tips! I am the ultimate minimalist, so I'm just concerned with survival and basic health. Looks like shade should be more of a priority than it has been. On food, what do you guys think about Quest protein bars? I eat those all day long now. Actually leave a box in my car in the SoCal heat and they are OK even a few days later. I'd love to get away with a crap ton of protein shakes and bars if I can. No dishes needed for those. Maybe some "space" food for more cals. Any fruit/veggies I'd bring would be as a gift to others, not for myself.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 12:38 am

skyway34 wrote:I really appreciate the tips! I am the ultimate minimalist, ...

burning_man_min.jpg

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 1:11 am

^ that second photo is my (years ago) camp's flail zone. (I made some of those pillows!)

Many the morning we woke the sleepy random burners with bacon and bloody marys.

Good times!

delle · Post by **delle** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 5:17 am

I went ahead and wrote Burner Express to ask about a bulletin board, and YES, they do have an area for people to leave notes.

So asking your friends to saunter on by with the address once they know where they settle so you know exactly how to find them is an option, should you want to go that route.

maladroit · Post by **maladroit** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 2:08 pm

skyway34 wrote:On food, what do you guys think about Quest protein bars? I eat those all day long now. Actually leave a box in my car in the SoCal heat and they are OK even a few days later. I'd love to get away with a crap ton of protein shakes and bars if I can. No dishes needed for those. Maybe some "space" food for more cals. Any fruit/veggies I'd bring would be as a gift to others, not for myself.

They're pretty good, and will taste especially good when you're hungry and tired. But try to bring something else too. A jar of pickles, some Tasty Bites packets you can put on the dashboard of your car for a while, maybe a few sugary/starchy/salty things. You'll have different needs and cravings out there, and it's ok to have some quick energy available even if you're trying to stay on a protein diet. You don't have to eat it if you don't need it, but some chex mix and hard candies could save your burn.

pink · Post by **pink** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 1:03 pm

Yes you are going to want some salty stuff. And don't forget some kind of electrolyte powder!

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 3:53 pm

I plan on spending almost all of my time roaming away from my tent location. Could I get away with a larger tent as my shade structure? Some have said go small on tents but build a shade structure as well. I have a couple friends building a 30 X 30 structure, which sounds awesome but impossible for me. Really looking to have a minimum of stuff to set up. And since I'm likely going to wind up on the outskirts of town, my expectation is to just sleep in my tent and otherwise be gone, out on the playa.

spacetime · Post by **spacetime** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:39 pm

You should check out this thread for minimum food packing ideas: viewtopic.php?f=276&t=67418&start=120&h ... orked+food

A tent is not shade. If weather is regularish you won't be able to sleep in any size tent that is not shaded once the sun is out. Sometimes you can sleep next to but outside your tent to get a bit of cool rest but as the sun continues to rise it doesn't work. Even if tent is shaded you may not be able to sleep in it after mid morning. You need AC for that.

pretty_monster · Post by **pretty_monster** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:03 pm

you'll definitely want shade. even if it's just one of those beach shade canopy thingies that look kinda like a half tent. being in an unshaded tent is fucking awful. especially since disco naps are pretty much a requirement to be able to enjoy both day and night life on the playa.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 5:00 pm

OK, so I'm looking at shade structures. Thought I found some decent options, but, reading some threads here, it looks like many of those end up getting eaten alive by the winds. So, I need something that can be carried on the burner express bus, be set up by one person who is not super savvy at this type of stuff and will suffice in playa conditions. I'm really looking to buy something that requires a minimum of setup. Just needs to be enough for one person for four days.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:17 pm

If it were me I'd get to a dollar store and pick up one of their big beach umbrellas for $10.

It's portable, collapsible, and big enough to for shade.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:51 pm

skyway34 wrote:OK, so I'm looking at shade structures. ... I'm really looking to buy something that requires a minimum of setup. Just needs to be enough for one person for four days.

angled tarp, two poles
viewtopic.php?t=40542
only use two guy-lines per pole

noah tarp (uses two poles)
suspended
viewtopic.php?f=277&t=70367&hilit=shade#p1038033
(note the two guy-lines per pole and per anchor point!!!)

or corner down
viewtopic.php?t=40542#p870689

Or just tent it and setup on the North side of something big for its shade, or accept that with usual temperatures, by nine (maybe ten) you'll be abandoning your tent to avoid baking in the sun.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 10:00 am

Reading through linked threads. Fantastic ideas. But, given my time constraints, lack of savvy in regards to putting things together, and strict restrictions on what I can bring on burner express, I'm really not sure what my best route will be. Quite simply, I'm not going to try to begin the process of planning for some elaborate setup. I might just tent it and if I need to sleep and can not without shade, find communal shade to nap in at those times. Its honestly overwhelming reading a million different threads with ideas that ultimately are impractical or impossible for me given my situation. I wouldn't know where to begin as far as getting supplies for and then setting up guy wires etc.

spacetime · Post by **spacetime** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 10:25 am

skyway34 wrote:its honestly overwhelming reading a million different threads with ideas that ultimately are impractical or impossible for me given my situation. I wouldn't know where to begin as far as getting supplies for and then setting up guy wires etc.

I think a lot of folks who have been preparing for months are feeling overwhelmed with prep this close to the burn. It is somewhat of a risk to begin planning so late. Your OP was that you were planning to be self reliant. Having shade available to you is a reasonable aspect of this mentality.

If you read my thread on solo shade options for BxB (which is exactly your situation) you would have seen I also considered a monkey hut or more elaborate structure. But that I settled on a tarp that requires poles and guidelines.

A tarp, guy lines and poles are among the most minimalist and simple thing possible on BXB that can provide shade and withstand BRC. It does require practice to set up and vigilance to maintain a shade structure. You have to care about it.

If you're giving up on personal shade, be careful that the rest of your packing is water tight.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 4:45 pm

Think I might just do what you did last time. I'm going to run to REI and Home Depot in the next day or two and just want to make sure I get everything I need via an itemized list. The only challenge is I don't currently have any place to practice setting it up, unless I go to a public park. I'm going to make this work somehow.

spacetime · Post by **spacetime** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:09 pm

If you are still going to give it a shot definitely use the public park, especially if it is windy. People may bother you just say you are practicing for a camping trip.

It takes a bit to get comfortable with a structure. Set aside time and practice maintaining it. If possible break it down and set it up a more than once. You can't really over prepare because you don't know what conditions you will face next week.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:00 pm

skyway34 wrote:... I might just tent it and if I need to sleep and can not without shade, find communal shade to nap in at those times. ...

Nothing wrong with doing that. And there are a number of camps that offer shade or darkened wind protected shade - even swamp-cooled - for passersby who need a break.

How much you need to partake of that will depend on how much you party or explore at night.
You can't see it all. Don't try to see it all. Just head out and explore...

Do drop by the dollar store for a spray bottle to mist inside your tent (just a little). Instant cool, but once it heats up again you've got hot & humid, so you have to open the door to let the humid out, so you can close the door and spray again.

skyway34 · Post by **skyway34** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:53 pm

I think where I'm torn as much as anything is in considering that what I may bring as shade structure might end up not only being a waste (if it is insufficient or not set up properly) but, in fact, become a danger to others. I might drop a couple hundred bucks on gear and get out there and the thing ends up blowing away and smacking into something or somebody. I might be better off tapping into my connections and ask if they have a little space for me to squeeze my tent in. I don't want to have to do that. I do prefer to be totally self-reliant and grow as much as possible from this. But, full disclosure, I've never set up any kind of tent in my life. Ever. Most of what's been offered to me as advice sounds a bit like Greek to me. Even stuff that is probably as simple as ABC to all of you. That's one of many reasons why this will be a good experience for me. But, given the time constraints I have in preparation a well as the Burner express weight limitations, I'm not sure it's best to try to do all this right now. Plan right now is to have it 100% clear what I'm bringing on Burner Express by this weekend. Then I'll go out and buy all of it and pack it up. Like I said, I'm torn on exactly what to buy.

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