Pre-Playa Download Recommendations

[Gunny6172]

Any recommendations on essential data to be downloaded prior to Burning Man, i.e. city map, communication apps...

[Lonesomebri]

Not so much downloads, but you've looked over the official site, I'm sure. Joined Jackrabbit Speaks? It will post more and more third party info and links about the event. Some of the main contributors here post links. As the event approaches there are always apps and maps and downloadable lists that are brought out. There will be a map once streets are named.

Here is a PDF link to the past guide, if you haven't seen it.
https://survival.burningman.org/

https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-t ... 20trenches.

[Papa Bear]

There are a couple of apps that I’ve found very handy: Time to Burn and iBurn. Both are available on iOS, not sure about android. They can show you where you are in the event using GPS (handy when you can’t see landmarks), and have the full events calendar, art installations, theme camp listings, etc.

If you have other people you know on Facebook going, burnermap.com will help generate a printable map of where they are camped to theoretically make them easier to find.

[Token]

Here is my proven methods to maximize your Burning Man experience.

You pull off the main highway and slowly creep through Nixon observing the speed limit.

Do stop at the taco stands … really good tacos. Take your time, be respectful, have a good time.

This is the perfect time to Turn The Fucking Phone Off !!!

Yes, you read that right.

No phone, no gizmos, no gadgets, NO DATA!

I know, terrifying to even think about it.

But I will guarantee you will have the absolutely best time of your life in all that digital silence.

Everything you need is in the survival guide, which you study long and hard months before you actually get there.

And you will be amazed how much fun it is to use archaic techniques of analog communication, empathy and real laughter not expressed as emoji.

It’s so retro it’s super cool.

And yes, you will actually miss 93% of Burning Man every year you go. After your 14th year … then you’ve smelled all of it.

[Gunny6172]

Noted,
As I am not a phone guy, I also do not travel unprepared. I do not know, what I do not know. For your edification, I have traveled around third world countries for a decade prior to cell phone availability. So, I must assume from your statement, that I go unprepared and should just wing it. Doesn't sound like radical self-reliance to me.

Thank you for the guidance, and for filtering out the condescension.

[The Rod]

By all means, go prepared. Food, water, shelter, first aid, clothes are all necessary preparations for a week in BRC.

Downloading apps to your phone is not a necessary preparation for radical self reliance. I’m of the same mind as Token, stop at the fry bread stands and turn your phone off when you hit gate road. Turn it back on when you hit the pavement on your way home.

[Token]

I’m tickled pink you took my writ as light hearted banter. Thank you.

It is super easy to get stuck in the weeds and miss the whole darn show.

The big data dump:

Manage your fuel in advance and make sure you have near full tank. You never know how hot it can get or how bad exodus will be.

Pre-scout things of interest beforehand but realize that even one scheduled thing a day may get lost in Playa Time - yes, it’s a real thing. Getting temporal disorientation is common.

When the speed limit is 20, it’s 20, you will get tagged for 21 on tribal lands.

Always kill the bunny, never swerve to miss it.

Always slam the brakes for the cow. It will win in the end and you’ll owe someone allot of money, both for the recently deceased bovine and your totaled vehicle.

Clean socks. You can never have enough clean socks. Change them several times a day. Your feet are the Numero Uno when it comes to care and comfort. A good lotion is also nice.

Stick around the forums here and dig into technical discussions. They will pop up and there is a vast library here of great information. Unfortunately the native search function is trash but if you have specific questions, ask. Someone will know someone with the answer.

And finally;

Assuming you have your food, water and shelter sorted, the rest is a breeze.

[Gunny6172]

Food, water and shelter? I thought that is what the cost of the ticket was covering...

[Popeye]

Food, water and shelter? I thought that is what the cost of the ticket was covering...

I really hope that is snark.
All your ticket gets you is the ability (not right) to argue with Gate if they don't want you to get in.
Bring everything you think you need. Don't bring what shouldn't bring (guns, fireworks, lasers, pets, live plants, shit that will affect others negatively)
What do you need to bring? Food (no stores, can't buy anything), Water (Org recommends 1.5 gal/day. Most can get by with 1 gallon/day), Shelter (something to keep the sun & wind off)

[Token]

Food, water and shelter? I thought that is what the cost of the ticket was covering...

Hahaha!

Then I would highly recommend the ‘Best of the West Rib Cook-off’ that goes on in Reno same time as TTITD.

Really good ribs for six straight days!

[some seeing eye]

OP: this is somewhat of a religious issue, so you will hear a range of opinions.

For now BRC and the Gerlach area get all their Internet from a long sequence of very limited wireless links. You will see privately owned satellite dishes on the playa too.

Mobile phones (and GoPros) have very bad behavior with limited connectivity of BRC. They are programmed to believe they are in a city with essentially unlimited connectivity and fiber optic Internet to every tower and WiFi access point.

So the mobile devices on their own try to do naughty bandwidth-intensive background tasks like downloading software updates and backing up media files to the cloud. Mobile devices on their own also try to associate with the one or two tower base stations in or near BRC. The tower software is not designed for that. It is similar to the problem of a stadium with tens of thousands of spectators. Usually stadiums have a separate multi-antenna multi-base station system. BRC does not have that.

As others mention, the maps and What, Where, When can operate with the phone in airplane mode. Your vehicle FM radio can receive gate updates for exodus. Your phone camera works in airplane mode - ask before taking pictures of people. There will always be thousands of better videos of big events, like the man burn, online and free.

The more you use our mobile device, the more recharging. Also put your contact info (default world contact beyond the phone's own number, playa name, camp name and address) as the image on your home screen - even if locked and with no charge - it can be revived enough to find you. Obviously phone "find me" and "erase" does not work in BRC. You can read our ePlaya lost and found threads for the anguish of hundreds and hundreds of burners who lost their phones. It can take months to get your phone back from lost and found and many are permanently lost. I'd get one of those neck pouches and throw in in there with other can-not-loose items. Decorate it, transforming it into your totem necklace and conversation piece. Bring a crap used phone.

Leave behind default world habits like living through the mobile device and videoing rather than experiencing.


Used under fair use original owner rights respected

[Elorrum]

The environment and the absolute unexpected difficulty to simply get and keep your shit together and go, on playa, are powerful anti-device forces. Keeping the what where when guide, city and art maps, in my go bag, plus a pen and notepad have worked well for me. A cheap digital camera with a big sd card works if you need to take photos. Am I a Luddite, or do I understand how easily things are broken and lost out there? Imagine losing a habit for a week of having thoughts which always require picking up your phone.

[Lonesomebri]

I remember this one time... Apps that map out the camps and BRC were just coming into being. This tech guy, a kid, was bird-dogging a woman in my camp. He showed up, unannounced and univited, in her tent while she was out one day, and we explained to him that was a no go. Trying to warm me up, as I was very protective of my camp, and he was bird dogging my campmate, he pitched his app to me. As I walked him to the dusty street he asked my camp name, along with my name. He had created an app with camps located and listed. It was big, big, big, all the main camps were included. I declined tech bro's offer. We reached the street.
"Don't you want people to find your camp?" he asked.
I thought about it.
"Get the hell out of my camp."

[Gunny6172]

Got it.
Collectively, you can stop flogging the Virgin.

[Elorrum]

Got it.
Collectively, you can stop flogging the Virgin.

You ask. There are decades of experience answering.

[The Rod]

actually, a good download recommendation would be hi-fidelity recordings of some of your favorite non-electronic music. bring a pair of noise canceling headphones for when you need a little respite from the disco techno cacophony

[Wigwam]

Gunny,

I sent you a private message.

[Token]

Aww, Wigwam doesn’t want to share.

Ok Gunny, yes, there is flavor here and it can be a bit snarky.

You are doing fine, asking lots of questions and getting good answers.

Let me circle back to one eye opener that triggered a few eye-rolls

Gunny6172 wrote:

Food, water and shelter? I thought that is what the cost of the ticket was covering...

Really want to make this clear - a ticket and vehicle pass grant you entry through the gate. Nothing else is included.

You must bring everything else with you to survive the 10 days in one of the harshest environments available to us in the US.

Death Valley in the summer is probably worse, but that’s semantics.

Now, a retired Gunnery Sargent like yourself may have all the skills and tools need for this kind of environment, especially if you were deployed to any active theater we had since 1990 … there were plenty desert deployments …

The one big difference with Burning Man - zero logistics support.

You have to bring everything with you, then pack it all out.

You will have access to the following:

Latrine - the beloved porta-potty or JOTS. TP provided and deliberately the worst single ply sandpaper version. Apparently it is necessary to prevent clogging of the honeypot pumpers.

Ice - one of the few things you can purchase on the Playa - Department of health mandate.

That is it!

No trash cans, no gray water collection, no nuthin.

So, please, keep asking, keep learning.

I promise, it will be fun!

[Wigwam]

All excellent things to remember, to be sure. Also, no dumping grey water on the playa if you happen to find yourself in need of a shower. I agree, read, read, read and then prep your butt off. Remember, experience is the one thing you never have until just after you get it...