Couple of Burner Express questions

[AlexMN1984]

Hi, I have a couple of questions regarding Burner Express. First, when does it normally sell out? I'm camping with a village this year, and since placement hasn't been finalized, I don't know if I'll have an EA pass. If I don't get one, I'd like to do Burner Express on Sunday. I'm just wondering if Burner Express from Reno on Sunday will likely sell out before placement is announced? I'm leaning towards buying a BE ticket for Sunday and just eating the $68 if I can get in Saturday. Speaking of eating, my second question is how does the grocery store stop figure into the luggage allowance? Will my groceries count against it? Edit: found the answer to my second question in the BE FAQ.

[PlayaPatrol]

How exactly are people supposed to get one week of food, water and camping supplies on green tortoise or the burner express transport bus? How are they getting all their stuff from the drop off point to their campsite that may be a mile away? No room for carts and wagons onboard. No everyone can or wants to camp next to the bus depot. Its impossible unless they are tied to an existing theme camp who will transport their stuff. Thats the huge flaw in the bus transport schemes.

[gaminwench]

Actually, one of our eplayans sets up camp next to the BRC bus drop-off and assists those arriving with their schlep. Thanks, Joe!

[Sham]

Burners are an incredibly resourceful group. Given a problem, they will figure it out.

[Jovankat]

Here's a detailed account of how a guy did it in 2012

[Elliot]

PlayaPatrol.... As I understand it, each Burner Express bus is accompanied by a luggage truck.

[crease]

Been reading through the FAQ on Burner Express but it doesnt give you a definitive allowance on what you can bring. Im struggling to visualise what that allowance looks like. Has anyone road it before that can shed a bit of light on what would be seen as the 'standard' carryon amount?

Also this may sound silly but would getting the 11am bus make a huge difference than sitting around for the 12:30pm + 1 hour shop bus?? Happy to do all my shopping before setting sail if it will get me there before nightfall.

[FIGJAM]

Well, nightfall is at about 7:30 if that's any help.

[Ratty]

Last year I worked a 6 hour shift at the bus stop as a Greeter. (I'm talking about at the burn). It was on opening day. By 10 pm a very small percentage of the expected busses had arrived. Don't count on the schedule. They will most likely improve every year but it's still a burner bus not Greyhound.

[Popeye]

Been reading through the FAQ on Burner Express but it doesnt give you a definitive allowance on what you can bring. Im struggling to visualise what that allowance looks like. Has anyone road it before that can shed a bit of light on what would be seen as the 'standard' carryon amount?

Also this may sound silly but would getting the 11am bus make a huge difference than sitting around for the 12:30pm + 1 hour shop bus?? Happy to do all my shopping before setting sail if it will get me there before nightfall.

If you are flying in I doubt you will be able to bring everything with you. Pack for weight on the plane and volume on the bus. In other words keep your bags under 50?? pounds for flying then cram everything you can into the number of bags you pay for on the bus. Use big duffle bags, I found a golf club bag that works great. Even has wheels.

[crease]

Last year I worked a 6 hour shift at the bus stop as a Greeter. (I'm talking about at the burn). It was on opening day. By 10 pm a very small percentage of the expected busses had arrived. Don't count on the schedule. They will most likely improve every year but it's still a burner bus not Greyhound.

Ok thats good to know, the 2-3 hrs specified in the FAQ is a bit deceiving but I suppose theres no way they can predict the traffic.


Ulisse: Im planning on ordering all my gear online and collecting it at Walmart in Reno, so the flight wont be a problem. The Burner Express FAQ doesn't give you a measurable allowance i.e weight or size so its difficult to know whats acceptable. I'll probably purchase extra baggage anyway if needs be.

[Ratty]

Taken from the FAQ on the BE site.

Q. Is there a limit on the amount of gear I can bring?

A. Yes. The standard luggage allowance is up to two (2) items, and one carry-on item. Each piece of luggage may not exceed 62 linear inches (length + width + depth). For travel between Reno and BRC you have the option to pay a $20 fee each way to bring an additional two pieces of luggage (for a total of four pieces of luggage and one carry-on item).

[Lourent]

Hello there! I wanted to know if anyone has information on how long the Exodus usually takes on burner express? I have a plane to catch from San Francisco at 9:25 pm on Monday so I was thinking of taking the B&E on Monday at 6 am, would that be enough time? I know that Exodus is much dependent on weather condition and the amoount of cars exiting but any time estimates from past experiences would be much appreciated!

[Ratty]

Laurent, Welcome aboard.I'm sorry but I don't think that question can be answered with any set amount of time. You could make it out to the Hwy in an hour and get stuck there for 6 hours due to accidents. You are heading towards San Francisco on a major holiday so there will be unpredictable traffic all the way there. Are your plane tickets flexible? Do you have a back-up plan where to stay if you miss your flight? These would be good things to consider. I hope you have the best burn yet.

[Eric]

I have a plane to catch from San Francisco at 9:25 pm on Monday so I was thinking of taking the B&E on Monday at 6 am, would that be enough time?

In theory that should give you plenty of time (even if it takes 12 hours you'll be to SF by 6pm), but theory sort of blows up on the playa. While BE avoids the normal Exodus lines, it still follows the rules for Gate, and that could end up closed due too an Amber Alert (which has happened), or a white out (again, has happened), or maybe even another freak rain storm (has happened). Once you're past Gerlach you have the really long drive on 447, which is two lanes and I don't think the bus will be passing unless it's a really safe area. All it takes is getting stuck behind an incredibly overloaded vehicle going 20 mph to double your travel time (has happened), or getting stopped if there's an accident and you have to wait until you can clear it safely (has happened). Once you're on 80 past Reno, you'll be dealing with all the holiday traffic heading back to Sacramento & the Bay Area.

tl:dr - maybe. If you want to be absolutely sure, take the last Sunday bus, which will also give you time to clean up and get some sleep.

[ecoita]

So based on this conversation, would it be safe to say if I catch the 12pm Burner Express and heads towards SFO for a 12am flight, I should (in theory) be to catch my flight? (yes, its 12 am flight departing to arrive my destination at 9am)

[Just_Joe]

So based on this conversation, would it be safe to say if I catch the 12pm Burner Express and heads towards SFO for a 12am flight, I should (in theory) be to catch my flight? (yes, its 12 am flight departing to arrive my destination at 9am)

"We recommend you allow ... 8 hours from BRC to San Francisco."
Eight hours seems about right with no traffic, but like Eric said an accident or slow moving car can change things quickly.
They haven't yet announced where the BXB depot in SF will be, so figure time to debark and then get to the airport.
Most of our people took the 6am bus last year to SF. Our camp was broken down and packed, as were many, and I think if I were traveling on the bus I'd rather get in it at 6am while it was still cool vs. hanging around the shell of BRC with no shade. For us, it's not like Sunday night (Temple Burn) is a late night or anything.

[ecoita]

Most of our people took the 6am bus last year to SF. Our camp was broken down and packed, as were many, and I think if I were traveling on the bus I'd rather get in it at 6am while it was still cool vs. hanging around the shell of BRC with no shade. For us, it's not like Sunday night (Temple Burn) is a late night or anything.

Yeah I'm thinking that since this will be my first burn, I won't be backing at night, missing the final burn, trying to sleep, etc. Plus being up before 6am to head on a bus? That's not my strong point. Just suck it up and leave at 6am?

I see the advantages (certainly would make the flight, cool, sleep) but I'm thinking that by the time I wake up, pack-up I should have plenty of time to hit the bus early, rest and have a decent window to return. I could see 9:30/10pm as the latest arrival (with 2+/- hours grace), which even if running late should allow me enough time? Airport at that time of the night wouldn't see busy, but I've never been through SFO.

[Ratty]

If it were me...I would start worrying now about missing my plane, worry for 2 months, worry all the while I'm at the burn and have several near heart attacks on the drive back. Either change your flight or leave earlier. Is it so bad to be stuck in SF for a day? Couch surf.

[ecoita]

OK, I hear ya! Initially I was thinking of waking up that early... ughh. Seeing that the night will be coo-coo anyway, I reckon an afternoon nap, staying up all night, then packing in the morning/leaving on the 6am bus will do the trick. Then I could sleep on the way back.

At least it sounds good while I type. But I hear you - Don't bet on everything working out as planned and put extra buffer time in there. And my brother just moved to SF, so it won't be so bad at all.

Thanks!!!

[spacetime]

OK, I hear ya! Initially I was thinking of waking up that early... ughh. Seeing that the night will be coo-coo anyway, I reckon an afternoon nap, staying up all night, then packing in the morning/leaving on the 6am bus will do the trick. Then I could sleep on the way back.

I was on an early bus Monday morning last year. It is an early morning. Don't let the departure catch you by surprise, be sure you start packing up early on Sunday.

One thing I didn't realize going in last year was that Sunday and Sunday night are fairly chilled out. People are packing up. I sort of wanted it to keep going.

I had a tendency to want to leave a lot together so I'd have a place to stay. This left me scrambling a bit.

If you're getting up this early, plan to break camp early Sunday. If you're thinking of being out and about late, you basically need to be able to pick camp up on your back and walk away at 5:50am.

Good luck! Please post about your experience on Burner Express after the burn.

[Ace of Kittens]

Chiming in late - I've taken the 6am BRC > SF Burner Express bus twice now, left Monday @6am. I stayed up all night to take it - rough but my camp was already gone, so it didn't much matter. Both times, I was at home in SF (my own house) by 3pm. The bus bypasses Exodus and is off the playa in about 10 min. Then there is traffic until Reno, but it's still like 10,000 billion times better than Exodus in your own car or truck.

I absolutely LOVED the bus. Both times, I was able to simply relax and not have to worry about anything. I was able to go back to work on Tuesday, feeling rested.

Anyway, just my two cents.

[danibel]

Chiming in late - I've taken the 6am BRC > SF Burner Express bus twice now, left Monday @6am. I stayed up all night to take it - rough but my camp was already gone, so it didn't much matter. Both times, I was at home in SF (my own house) by 3pm. The bus bypasses Exodus and is off the playa in about 10 min. Then there is traffic until Reno, but it's still like 10,000 billion times better than Exodus in your own car or truck.

I absolutely LOVED the bus. Both times, I was able to simply relax and not have to worry about anything. I was able to go back to work on Tuesday, feeling rested.

Anyway, just my two cents.

I love this endorsement and someday I would like to try the bus. I just have to figure out how to get all the stuff out there without having to bring it myself!

[NikkiG]

This will be my 3rd year taking the bus. I left last year on a 6am Sunday bus and I was in Reno by 8:35am. The airport had a bike return corral, so I was able to drop my bike off with no issues. My flight was leaving around 4-6pm so I had plenty of time to freshen up in the bathroom before boarding my plane. I plan on doing the same thing this year. I bought another ticket for the 6am bus in hopes of beating the traffic yet again. And yes, once again, the bike corral will be available for me to drop off my bike at the airport.

Ive never had a problem with the Burner Express. It gets me back and forth to the event with no issues. Its the airport you should be worried about. My first year was a migraine and a half. My flight was canceled at the last second, and I was forced to by another ticket at the last minute, so I could board my cruise ship. I wrote all about that fiasco on eplaya 2 yrs ago, so search for it. As for getting your stuff from the drop off points to your camp, I would say this....hope and pray for assistance. If no one helps you, be prepared to carry small pieces of your stuff at a time. Im personally bringing a handcart, but I don't expect it to be of much use on Sunday due to the soft playa sand...js

[DavyRay]

This will be my 3rd year taking the bus. I left last year on a 6am Sunday bus and I was in Reno by 8:35am. The airport had a bike return corral, so I was able to drop my bike off with no issues. My flight was leaving around 4-6pm so I had plenty of time to freshen up in the bathroom before boarding my plane. I plan on doing the same thing this year. I bought another ticket for the 6am bus in hopes of beating the traffic yet again. And yes, once again, the bike corral will be available for me to drop off my bike at the airport.

Ive never had a problem with the Burner Express. It gets me back and forth to the event with no issues. Its the airport you should be worried about. My first year was a migraine and a half. My flight was canceled at the last second, and I was forced to by another ticket at the last minute, so I could board my cruise ship. I wrote all about that fiasco on eplaya 2 yrs ago, so search for it. As for getting your stuff from the drop off points to your camp, I would say this....hope and pray for assistance. If no one helps you, be prepared to carry small pieces of your stuff at a time. Im personally bringing a handcart, but I don't expect it to be of much use on Sunday due to the soft playa sand...js

I am flying to Reno from the east coast, then taking the Express. I don't know anything about a bike corral at the airport. That sure sounds great. I guess I should be asking the bike shop about that.