Gate minimums

ScoutDG · Post by **ScoutDG** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:43 am

My brother will be arriving a bit later than the rest of my camp, so he's planning to bring the minimum and just meet up with us there. So here's my question:
Do the people at the gate check to see whether they're satisfied that the people coming in have any particular items. E.g., will they say "it's Wednesday, so show us 7.5 gallons of water or you're heading back to Gerlach"? Or, do they just offer friendly advice and hope people feel that they've been fairly warned.

P.S. I've already heard from people who are extremely offended by the idea that each person driving through the gate might not be, individually, fully compliant with "radiacal self-reliance". E.g., my virgin brother should arrive fully prepared to endure endless 120 degree heat, torrential rainstorms, and nuclear warfare, without the slightest assistance from anyone else there. OK, I understand that perspective; now please understand that I don't care. So, he'll have some water with him, but if he doesn't find me I expect he'd head back to Reno and go home.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:17 am

In the 4 years I've went the gate staff has checked for:

1: Tickets
2: Stowaways.

Your mom is not working the gate so there's nobody there to police you on what you bring in or don't. It's nobody's business but yours if you bring 7 gallons or 150 gallons, Tecate over PBR, hopefully you get the idea. They just wanna get everyone with a ticket in as efficiently as possible while keeping the no ticket freeloaders out. Your friend will be fine.

Ivy · Post by **Ivy** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:05 am

I have been harassed at the greeters' before for a very similar situation. I was in a caravan with another car, the car was in line immediately in fornt of me.
There were three people between the two cars. I had three bikes on my car (I was the only person with a bike rack) and they had all the water in theirs. They do ask if you have enough water for your stay there, and i do believe that if they get the impression that you don't, they will turn you around. They asked me and I had to expain to them 3 times that I was with the car in front of me, that we had divided our supplies between the two vehicles, and that car had all the water. They were also on my case about the bikes, as they thought 3 bikes either siginaled stowaways in my car (um, yeah, two more people in an already packed Geo?) or that I was going to attempt to sell the extra bikes inside the event.

I just kept telling them that I was with the car in front of me. I said, "Feel free to go up and talk to them, and ask them if we're together." They didn't, but it finally shut them up.

I think your brother will be okay, esp. if he can say which camp he is with and where. But you might give him a warning that he could be questioned and not to be intimidated.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:45 am

I've been asked more often than not how much water I have. They never confirm it, so just have your friend tell them he's got 7 2.5 gallon boxes of water from safeway, a case of ginger ale, and a case of fruit juices. Why go through the hassle of having to explain that you're there already, and them demanding to know how he knows you actually got there, etc, etc.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:05 am

First of all, nobody should count on someone else for supplying ALL of the water. I'd recommend a 2.5 gallon suitcase, so he will not have to worry about it if he can't find you right away, or to keep the car or himself hydrated if he has car problems on the way up.

People do show up completely unprepared or with plans that conflict with the rules (such as trying to sell things, or steal things) and they may become suspicious if you show signs you might be one of those people. If you can answer their questions and show you are in fact prepared you should be able to ease their concerns. "I have enough water and gear for a couple of days. My camp-mates have brought the rest and are planning on setting up at 3:00 and Guess and are registering their location in center camp."

Post by **trilobyte** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:19 am

I've never been asked, but I've always arrived with the main crew hauling all the gear. Our campmates whose gear we hauled up never reported any problems, they just told them that the truck with the rest of the camp arrived before they did.

~Trilo~

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:24 am

Hmmm...I've never had any trouble with the gate to speak of and was never asked about water that I can recall. It's another one of those YMMV situations then.

Dork's got a point though...always keep an emergency supply just in case. Last year when I arrived in the dust storm I parked and didn't have to get out to raid the supplies until the dust settled.

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:30 am

I know there is a mention somewhere on official site about being turned away if you do not appear to be able and ready to thrive on the Playa.

water,shelter etc.

rio · Post by **rio** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:54 am

I'm in a similar situation. I have a friend who is already at the playa (volunteering) and he has enough supplies for me (this is his 3rd burn, so he knows what he's doing). Because of this, I'm traveling very light, only bringing personal basics. Will they give me a hard time at the gate?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:06 pm

Unknown. I'd say that you tell them the truth, and let gate make the judgement. If they don't let you in, work with a supervisor. My guess is that you are not an unique case and they will let you in, although there may be a pita factor.

adept · Post by **adept** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:11 pm

It says right on the ticket that you can be turned away if you haven't brought proper survival items. That said, I know there are many camps where most of the water is hauled by a large truck, so I know he won't be a unique situation. Personally I would bring enough for a couple days even if somebody was hauling large quantities for me.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:16 pm

one of those 2 adn 1/2 gallon containers might do nicely.

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:04 pm

Lie. :-> Why chance getting turned away.

Tiara · Post by **Tiara** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:53 pm

why lie? is it really so hard to pick up a couple of gallons of water at any convenience or grocery store?

Besides, as mentioned above, there are lots of reasons to have a couple of gallons with you--what if you have car problems and have to wait a few hours in the hear for help to arrive? what if you car overheats and you need to refill the radiator? what if you get a huge splatter on the windshield and need to clean it in order to see well enough to drive safely? what if it takes a few hours to find your campmates and you need to stay hydrated in the meantime? what if . . .

$3 worth of water can buy a lot of piece of mind.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:39 pm

why lie? is it really so hard to pick up a couple of gallons of water at any convenience or grocery store?

May I suggest reading the whole original question again? Note the penultimate sentence. Then note the last sentence.

Abraham Lincoln · Post by **Abraham Lincoln** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:59 pm

ScoutDG wrote:E.g., my virgin brother should arrive fully prepared to endure endless 120 degree heat, torrential rainstorms, and nuclear warfare, without the slightest assistance from anyone else there.

Harrumph! The playa is way more inhospitable than nuclear warfare; it's more like having a cluster-headache while being sodomized by a meathook as you do a line of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Abe knows this and loves every minute of it.

Abraham Lincoln · Post by **Abraham Lincoln** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 1:12 pm

To get back on topic, I haven't had any problems with the gate in previous years. They have asked and checked how well prepared we were, but our camp brings enough gear to survive the apocalypse so our preparedness was never questioned.

As for your brother, I think a few of the posters (Geek?) had the right idea to bring enough supplies to survive for a couple of days in case you run into any problems. Better to be prepared, eh?

There is no way I would personally show up without the capacity to be completely self sufficient for at least a few days in case something should become seriously fubar. No way I'd let anything jeopardize my burn.

Gate minimums

Gate minimums

Re: Gate minimums