Your secret tip you are now ready to reveal?

[unjonharley]

Don't bring any food that needs to be cooked. I only bring food that tastes good cold or can be left in the sun to warm up. I eat like a king (burritos, shrimp, fresh pineapple and canteloupe, etc) and have no dishes or fuel or any other crap to deal with.

Pull the clip-on belt off a pair of outdoorsy pants. After putting on sarong, clip the belt around it. No more sarong flying off in the wind.

/Less camp = more fun time.
You have it right. Been eating without cooking a lot lately. Just to see what stuff I like. Bout all I need is a cutting board and a knife. Still not where you are but trying.

I have a giant shoe lace with one of those spring loaded thing. Throw on the sarong ajust the shoe lace.

[PORN&EGGS]

Keep your EGGS cool and your PORN hot.

[raspberrymeeegs]

Olive oil/bit of sugar and socks

wear them to bed, wake up in the morning with bewdiful feet. The sugar exfoliates them in the socks...sure its a bit messy but my gawd your feet will love you

[geekster]

Everyone always says to leave expectations behind and I know that the concept is hard to "get" especially for newbies ... but that is really the number one thing to having a good time at Burning Man. Part of the reason is that expectations are disappointment seeds. If you go in there with a lot of them, one or two are bound to sprout.

Another reason is that there is just so much to see and do and be a part of that you might not get around to doing that thing you wanted to do so be in a place in your mind where it is okay if you don't do that.

Maybe you have an expectation of an experiance that involves someone else but you find that they get distracted by something and you get distracted by something else ... that really needs to be okay too.

Honestly and sincerely ... don't make the event into this big ole huge thing ... just let it be what it is. You will have a shipload more fun that way. And if you do find yourself being disappointed, it might help to think about what expectations are the seeds of that disappointment and maybe you can let go of them and have a good time anyway. Just be ... just let it be.

[Ugly Dougly]

On one hand we tell newbs to participate not to spectate, to try to bring something to the event instead of standing around looking at stuff.

On the other hand, we tell them not to have expectations, pay light, etc. It's enough to drive a man sane!

[Das Bus]

On one hand we tell newbs to participate not to spectate, to try to bring something to the event instead of standing around looking at stuff.

On the other hand, we tell them not to have expectations, pay light, etc. It's enough to drive a man sane!

Exactly. We had a newbie on our list that was asking about what kind of 'gifts' to bring. I suggested to not even worry about it. (And this is a person that is bringing his gift of music to the playa.) People don't understand that your presence in itself is a gift. It's such a hard concept to get across, until you experience it first hand. So we do need to give newbies some slack. Hell, my first year I brought a bunch of plastic glow in the dark little alien thingys! But you know what? I didn't even give one of them away. They ended up in the trash.

[Tiahaar]

ok, this could go here or in the food thread but my secret tip is my new favorite morning food: chocolate oatmeal. mix a packet of instant oatmeal, I like the apple cinnimon, with 1/2 cup hot water in a cup and let it set up for a few minutes. then add a packet of hot chocolate mix (no extra water). very very good!

[diane o'thirst]

Tiahaar, you're a genius. I have both instant oatmeal and hot cocoa mix packed. Shall try that.

Another food-related tip: crushed saffron threads in your top ramen. Yoom-a-lish.

[theCryptofishist]

Hell, my first year I brought a bunch of plastic glow in the dark little alien thingys! But you know what? I didn't even give one of them away. They ended up in the trash.

Oh poof. I know I am once again showing my addiction to flashy crap, but I would have liked an gid alien.

And I still say that that stuff can always be given to elementary schools or nursing homes or the like for art supplies!

[unjonharley]

Hell, my first year I brought a bunch of plastic glow in the dark little alien thingys! But you know what? I didn't even give one of them away. They ended up in the trash.

Oh poof. I know I am once again showing my addiction to flashy crap, but I would have liked an gid alien.

And I still say that that stuff can always be given to elementary schools or nursing homes or the like for art supplies!

/
Any glowy thing is good. Dumb asses move around in the dark without lights. I still have a knot on my forhead from "running" into some one in the dark. I was age nine. Knocked my ass out. Split his head open. WE lived way out in the country. So the other kids mom had to sit on him and sew his head up.

[geekster]

Let's see ... last year pre-event I ran into a piece of t-stake that was sticking only 24 inches or so out of the ground while riding my bike across the playa. It wasn't marked. I tried to go back and find it when it got light but never did ... it's a big playa. But it fucking hurt.

Then the next night I ran into a couple more t-stakes that were markers on the side of the road. Now you would think I would have better sense but pre-event at night it can be kindof hard to tell where the side of the road ends and the playa starts. I suppose that is why they put those stakes there ... but hey, can you spritz em with a little white paint or something? I had a light ... I had a bike ... I had a buzz ... wham ... then I had a lump on my head.

If you drive anything into the ground it is always best to cover it so someone doesn't gash themselves but it is also a good idea to mark it with something that can be seen so people don't run into it to begin with. Same with guy lines ... tie some fluorescent tape on them or something to make a streamer so someone doesn't ride a bike into it and decapitate themselves.

[unjonharley]

Has anyone tried those tubes from the camping section?

THey can be filled with say peanut and dispensed like tooth paste.

[capjbadger]

Let's see ... last year pre-event I ran into a piece of t-stake that was sticking only 24 inches or so out of the ground while riding my bike across the playa. It wasn't marked. I tried to go back and find it when it got light but never did ... it's a big playa. But it fucking hurt.

Then the next night I ran into a couple more t-stakes that were markers on the side of the road. Now you would think I would have better sense but pre-event at night it can be kindof hard to tell where the side of the road ends and the playa starts. I suppose that is why they put those stakes there ... but hey, can you spritz em with a little white paint or something? I had a light ... I had a bike ... I had a buzz ... wham ... then I had a lump on my head.

If you drive anything into the ground it is always best to cover it so someone doesn't gash themselves but it is also a good idea to mark it with something that can be seen so people don't run into it to begin with. Same with guy lines ... tie some fluorescent tape on them or something to make a streamer so someone doesn't ride a bike into it and decapitate themselves.

That reminds me... Who was the damn nut that stuck a bunch of concrete footprints out in the middle of the playa without any lights on them?? Damn near wrecked my bike on one while riding one night. Got lucky and saw it with my headlamp at the last second and dodged. I though those open playa art pieces were supposed to be lit?

[djzip13]

For newbies and people who lose their minds: A black sharpie pen and the back of your hand. Honestly, I write the address and name of our camp on the back of their hand so when the get lost, they can remember where it is ... or at least have something to ask someone for direction.

There is nothing worse than when someone's experience is tainted by the night they got lost and couldn't find there way home.

[unjonharley]

For newbies and people who lose their minds: A black sharpie pen and the back of your hand. Honestly, I write the address and name of our camp on the back of their hand so when the get lost, they can remember where it is ... or at least have something to ask someone for direction.

There is nothing worse than when someone's experience is tainted by the night they got lost and couldn't find there way home.

/
Mom & I did that to the kids when they were very young. WE never lost a kid. (had 6) And a couple of them were just like me. Never looked where i was going.

[Das Bus]

Food Question:

Has anyone ever tried premaking mac&cheese, freeze it, then reheat on playa? (stove top or baked?) I'm wondering if this will work.

Two weeks ago I had a ton of leftover spaghetti. I kept it in the frig, then reheated. It was BEST when I fried the leftovers on the stove. (I actually preferred it that way) That's why I'm thinking mac & cheese will work too.

[Kinetic IV]

Sharpie has mini-pens now that are attached to small carabiners that work great for what Unjun suggested and around my area they were $1 a piece.

As for the Mac & Cheese idea I was recently gifted one of those Food Saver vacuum seal repackager things...I was thinking of trying that for hauling some precooked food out there. Cook it, seal it, then on the playa I can heat up some water, drop the bag right in and voila! I have a no fuss meal.

[unjonharley]

Each year I find it harder to move stuff around. This mostly by one hand. The other is my cane hand. At Black Rock City I can just ask a passer by and it's done with a smile.......Any way those 5-7gal water jugs are 40-60lb. I have a very large cat. The jugs that the litter comes in are two and three gal. That's 16 to 24lb. Much easyer to handel, They stow easy and are disposable at the end of the trip. To get a water tight seal. Place a sandwitch bag over the top. Frozen the small ones are the right size for the food cooler.

[Ugly Dougly]

MREs and Ensure. That is all.

[Plaid]

Pull the clip-on belt off a pair of outdoorsy pants. After putting on sarong, clip the belt around it. No more sarong flying off in the wind.

Pod Belts... a heavy-duty belt with useful attachments (and many places to attach more things). At all times, I have water, lighter, pen, paper, trading cards, utility knife, camera, cell phone (cept on the playa), and money (cept on the playa) and more... I also have (ON RETRACTABLES, amazing things), my chapstick, lighter, pen, utility knife, and spare car key (so it never has to leave my belt... no losing keys on the playa!).

I love mine so much, it's become my purse in the normal world... and I've become friends with the makers (Burners, too). http://www.podbelt.com

I don't know if they can still fulfill orders in time for the playa... might be able to bring them to the playa for you (they camp in Gigsville)... but totally worth it.

Plaid

[Hoolie]

The taut-line hitch.

[Kinetic IV]

MREs and Ensure. That is all.

The latter I have every day now. But if you have a source for relatively fresh and not exorbitantly priced MRE's would you please share it? The guy I bought my MRE's from no longer carries them, the other place I went to broke the items out separately so what used to cost $6 is now something like $10 each.

Also I can't buy case quantity as I simply don't need that many...

[Davoid]

[unjonharley]

The taut-line hitch.

/
/
/ Works great. Thank you. Will be using it a lot.

[Eric]

Pod Belts... a heavy-duty belt with useful attachments (and many places to attach more things). .... http://www.podbelt.com

I love my PodBelt. It almost never comes off me on the playa, day or night.
This year I finally added the canteen pod so I can ditch the bota bag I usually carry for my water.

[Hoolie]

The taut-line hitch.

/
/
/ Works great. Thank you. Will be using it a lot.

You're welcome. It's one of my favorite knots. I use it all the time.

[geekster]

Mine is the midshipman's hitch

http://www.answers.com/topic/midshipman-s-hitch

I use it for guy lines as it is very easy and fast to re-tighten as the lines stretch or expand from temperature.

Might even be the same knot.

[geekster]

tri-sodium phosphate (available in the paint section of your hardware store, might be called TSP) makes neon fabrics and whites glow MUCH brighter under blacklight. Add a little to the wash. It isn't really great for the environment, but using it once a year won't be bad. Phosphates are generally banned from washing detergents because they are a nutrient and cause algae blooms but one individual using it once or twice a year isn't like an entire city using it every day. If you are worried about it, put the water on the lawn, the plants will love it.

[Dork]

The taut-line hitch.

I see your taut-line hitch and raise you one Zeppelin knot

[geekster]

An endless loop recording of someone pissing really confuses the hell out of people in the potty line ... for about 5 minutes or so ... frustrates them even more if there is a short break and then it starts all over again.