Need some help understanding!

Tac420oma · Post by **Tac420oma** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:12 pm

Hey

I just found out about this event and am very interested in attending next year (2008). I have a few questions I need answered because I dont really understand much.

Questions:

1. How soon do they start selling tickets and how much are level one tickets usually?
2. Is it a friendly community, I am planning to go with just one person. Is this a good idea?
3. When you purchase tickets, do you have to make some kind of art installation, or can you just come as your normal self?
4. Is everybody friends with everybody there or are there groups that come there and party only together?
5. Is everyone dressed in costumes all the time, or does it come and go?
6. Whats the best way to know when the tickets go on sale?

Please let me know, I am really interested and wanting to find out more about this community. Email me at pmarszal @ aol . com or just reply to this post..

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:20 pm

1. I think they start selling in January, maybe February. Keep on top of sales at http://www.burningman.com where the announcements of sales and prices are made.

2. Very friendly. However, whether coming with that one particular person is a good idea is not something anyone can answer. Sometimes relationships fall apart on the playa, sometimes they get much closer. No one can predict. Do it and see. Don't worry - just go.

3. Nothing is required of you, and for your first time I recommend that you not plan on doing or being anything other than your normal self. If the event speaks to you, you'll have a better idea of what to do the next year. Just go.

4. Pretty much everyone is friends with everyone. There may be groups that party only together, but I haven't come across them. The places I've visited are happy to see everyone.

5. My personal opinion is that people are not dressed in costumes. They are dressed as they really are and would prefer to dress normally but cannot for a variety of reasons. Don't worry about costumes your first year. Just go and be your normal self, dressing accordingly.

6. Follow the Burning Man Web site at the link above.

We'll see you next year. You'll have the best time of your life.

Tac420oma · Post by **Tac420oma** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:27 pm

Phill,

Thanks for the great answers, while its my first year should i be looking for people that I can camp next to have a better time or should I just go and meet people there?

Another question is should I be worried about theft? I will be bringing a camera to the event. Is there any rules for photography at the event?

Its looks like a great time and another question is about the art vehicles? Is anyone allowed to jump on the and take a ride or how does this work? Do people set up acitvities to do and you just go right in and join or how does this whole idea work?

Let me know!!!

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:36 pm

Tac420oma.....

Maybe a little less 420 and more reading on your own.. Try this link from the main page then read it 10 more times then read everything else linked to the main page and then MAYBE you'll do ok on the deadly Playa.....

http://www.burningman.com/first_timers/

barnz · Post by **barnz** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:19 pm

TAC -
ibDave is right, the info is out there. Also, don't be too concerned about getting everything right - enjoy your first experience as your first. You have 50 more weeks to read info on the general Burning Man site as well as ePlaya. If you keep your eyes and mind open, you will be well prepared to take care of yourself when the time comes!

Burp! · Post by **Burp!** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:23 pm

I'll take a stab

1. How soon do they start selling tickets and how much are level one tickets usually?
>>Depends

2. Is it a friendly community, I am planning to go with just one person. Is this a good idea?
>>Perfectly acceptable, sometimes less of a headache, you'll make friends.

3. When you purchase tickets, do you have to make some kind of art installation, or can you just come as your normal self?
>>Yes. People will disagree with me here, but I look at it this way, it's like a big potluck festival, you are expected to contribute. would you go to a pot luck and just eat everyone's food, you'd feel a bit like an outsider. Now some will say to just make something or buy something to pass out to people. That's like bringing napkins to a potluck. Be creative, it doesn't have to be an art installation or some big piece of art. Think of something that will engage people. some sort of group project, game, test, there are so many options. Just don't bring napkins, we need more appetizers and main dishes. It's the interacting that makes it all fun

4. Is everybody friends with everybody there or are there groups that come there and party only together?
>>Both, people are people, but I will say that there is alot of folks, like myself who go to BM to be different, this includes being friendlier and more accepting. I find unlike most places in the default world, when a conversation sparks up at BM, people tend to shake hands, give hugs and introduce themselves more, I like that.

5. Is everyone dressed in costumes all the time, or does it come and go?
>Alot of folks dress up or make a playa outfit, sorta mad max meets Halloween er something. I've always been a bit of dressed down, avoid the flash type and therefore get called a yahoo alot (10 time burner). Do what you want and dress the way you want.

6. Whats the best way to know when the tickets go on sale?
>>Monitor this site

T.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:23 pm

Tac420oma wrote:Thanks for the great answers, while its my first year should i be looking for people that I can camp next to have a better time or should I just go and meet people there?

Hard to say. My suggestion is just go and play it by ear.

Another question is should I be worried about theft? I will be bringing a camera to the event. Is there any rules for photography at the event?

I have never had anything stolen, but I know others who have. Be concerned about theft, but not anymore than at home. There are rules on photography. See the Burning Man site for information on taking photos. Some people object to being photographed; some don't.

Its looks like a great time and another question is about the art vehicles? Is anyone allowed to jump on the and take a ride or how does this work? Do people set up acitvities to do and you just go right in and join or how does this whole idea work?

Jumping on and off artcars is allowed by some drivers and not by others. One person was killed a few years ago when she hopped off and was run over by the vehicle. There is legitimate reason for concern by drivers about people jumping on and off. My suggestion is to ask the driver (either by shouting or by appropriate gestures). If you don't get a clear affirmative, don't jump on.

On activities and other matters, just ask. If you get blown off and told no, smile, say OK, and move on. There are few general rules on joining in on activities, so play it by ear. If others are joining in, feel free. Watch what's going on around you and follow suit. It's a friendly community, but as with any group of 40,000 there are some less friendly people.

Let me give you a heads up on asking questions. I see no problem with it, but you won't find the answers meaningful once you're at your first burn. Nothing can prepare you for what you get into. All your questions will no longer be relevant, and the answers will no longer apply. Read all the guides, read all the posts, read all the Web sites. Nothing will prepare you for what it's really like. Just go and let it take over.

honeyfire · Post by **honeyfire** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:52 pm

ibdave has got it.
Read everything on the BM site, then read it again.
Keep reading it until you notice yourself thinking "MOOP" when you see trash and knowing whether something will melt on the playa without even having been there...
Then come out and on and share the experience.

hymal · Post by **hymal** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:31 am

HallÃ²!!!

I am a newbie and I have a couple of important questions to ask...first of all I am reading some of the FAQs but I still am not into it (it tooks a while to read all the entire stuff)...ups!! So I need some help to get some important points:

1) I read that BM doesn't provides water.... so, if I am coming from Italy (far far far away!) and I am by feet, how can I get some water to wash myself? I think it will be hard to carry some water if I won't have any vehycle..or if not , are there some natural oasis in the desert (ahaha it would be awesome!) ?

2) will there be some place that sells food? As restaurants or bars...or whatever... or should I provide it for myself?

3) Can I put my tent wherever I want, or there are some specifical places?

4) Can I rent a bike? Or anyway, are there free rental bikes ?

5) Where can I have some nice piddling? In the nature...or into chemical bathrooms or...... ?

Thank you!!

hymal · Post by **hymal** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 5:55 am

Ok.... I've read some of the important FAqs.. so what I understood is that:

-I have to provide food and water for myself;

- I have to provide a bike for myself;

- The only things sold are coffee, ice and tea

......jeeeeeee, it looks definitely riot!! It is not really a problem, but it needs a deep organization since I am coming from far away!! Any suggestions???

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:13 am

Hey, you're getting there.

Many burners travel from europe, rent a car or go in with other burners on a rental, hit the stores in reno for supplies before they head into the desert.

You will want to make contact with EuroBurners:

http://regionals.burningman.com/eu.html

it can be done.

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:08 am

You could check out â€œ Nowhereâ€

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:28 am

You might want to look around this website too.
http://www.blackrockburnerhostel.com/

hymal · Post by **hymal** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:58 pm

HeillÃ guys!! Thanks a lot for the suggestions, they will be precious to me and surely useful!! I will check it out to whole thing right now, and let's see what happens! On the next July I was planning to go to Portugal and then eventually I'll trip to BM if everything works!

Joining an european community is a good idea, I'll surely find nice people to come with me, maybe! Let's see!!

BitterDan · Post by **BitterDan** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:09 pm

You should definitely memorize the First Timer's Guide. That'll answer almost any question about the event.

To answer your questions:
1) I read that BM doesn't provides water.... so, if I am coming from Italy (far far far away!) and I am by feet, how can I get some water to wash myself? I think it will be hard to carry some water if I won't have any vehycle..or if not , are there some natural oasis in the desert (ahaha it would be awesome!) ?

Your best bet would be to purchase your water in Reno since that's most likely where you'll be flying in. You can get water at any grocery store in Reno and some even have extra supplies of water just for Burning Man. This year I brought 10 gallons of water for myself and I was there Monday-Sunday. While I didn't calculate any water for showering (i mostly use wet-naps on the playa) I still had 3 gallons of water left over. I believe the survival guide recommends 1.5 gallons of water per person per day. That should be adequate for drinking and bathing. 10 gallons of water really didn't take up very much space in the car and whomever you ride up with will surely expect that you are bringing your water with you.

2) will there be some place that sells food? As restaurants or bars...or whatever... or should I provide it for myself?

Nope. You need to bring EVERYTHING that you will need for a week in the desert. There are 'some' camps that are gifting food but I would not solely rely on that. There are plenty of easy-to-make single-serving meals available at the grocery stores (think Top-Ramen, Cup-O-Noodles, Canned Soups, etc). You can probably borrow someone's camp stove to heat your water if you don't have one. There ARE bars, however. Many of them and you won't have to buy a single drink from them. Oh Burning Man, how i miss you.

3) Can I put my tent wherever I want, or there are some specifical places?

Well, you can't put it 'anywhere'. There is a city grid (Link Here) and there are assigned areas for "Theme Camps". Other than those assigned areas you are allowed to camp anywhere on the grid.

4) Can I rent a bike? Or anyway, are there free rental bikes ?

This will probably be a tough one for you since you are coming from out of country. You could try to buy a bike from Craigslist.org when you arrive but it might be hard to coordinate. There are some bikes on the playa (called Yellow Bikes) that are free for anyone to ride around on. There are not enough of these to go around but you can try your luck. You could also just hitch rides on art cars as they pass by though it might take a while to get where you wanted to go (they are not taxi services).

5) Where can I have some nice piddling? In the nature...or into chemical bathrooms or...... ?

Definitely NOT in nature! You will only 'piddle' in the port-a-potties and you will only put toilet paper, piss, puke and poop down the toilets.

hymal · Post by **hymal** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:14 am

Yep, got it.

1)Definetely I'll need a car or a RV to come into BM, just to bring in the water and the food, which is pretty expensive too but necessary I think.
Or I could find some burners coming with their own bus and pick me up at Reno and buy togheter the necessary stuff in the city, as food, water & co!! Which would be more possible for me, especially if I am coming alone.
Mumble..

2)As for the bike it depends, maybe can be a good idea to buy some used bike at Reno, if the point 1 is satisfied... if not I'll try my luck with the free ones or maybe I can bring with me a skate-scooter ! Or I can just use my feet..

3) ok ok I won't piddle in the nature. But... what is a port-a-pottie?

Post by **AntiM** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:25 am

PortaPotty? That's what you'd call a chemical toilet? From the words portable and potty. Potty= toilet. Don't know how much colloquial English you know, so forgive the excessive explanation.

They're clean as such things go, I don't mind using them.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 10:41 am

1)Definetely I'll need a car or a RV to come into BM, just to bring in the water and the food, which is pretty expensive too but necessary I think.
Or I could find some burners coming with their own bus and pick me up at Reno and buy togheter the necessary stuff in the city, as food, water & co!! Which would be more possible for me, especially if I am coming alone.
Mumble..

While that is an option, I would recommend securing your own vehicle if you have the means to do so. For every 100 happy stories about these kind of arrangements working out perfectly, there is always one or two nightmares of being stranded, etc.

Other than not having to wonder if your ride will be there, you also have the luxury of being on your own time to do your shopping, head to Burning Man and head back, do a little sightseeing before or after, etc. Not having to rely on someone else's schedule is a truly wonderful thing.

2)As for the bike it depends, maybe can be a good idea to buy some used bike at Reno, if the point 1 is satisfied... if not I'll try my luck with the free ones or maybe I can bring with me a skate-scooter ! Or I can just use my feet..

You can hoof it, but remember, its a big damn place. Again, if the means allow for it, get a bike of some sort.

And AntiM covered the portapotty question.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:13 pm

Just my 2 cents but for newbies - the most important things to bring (IMHO) outside of participation in any form like helping out, clean up, respect, puck up Moop as you see it.

So my list in order of importance for BM and reasons why:

1. SHELTER - I am a light sleeper and need a place to crash Without a place to crash you will burn out, and be done by wednesday.

2. WATER - you cannot live on boozeahol for a week

BIKE - you will only see a fraction of BM on foot. You cant see it all on a bike, no way on foot.

FOOD - 4th on my list - I eat 1/3 of what I normally do in the default world. and I can eat anytime at home.

Personnal tips for newbies?
1. PACE YOURSELF - Burningman is what you make it. Much of the media thinks it is an alcoholic sex and drug fest and it can be if you make it that. It can also be a spiritual outlet to settle an upset soul. It can be a healing time for a loss, It can be a nonstop rave.

I wasnt in the mood for drugs, and only smelled weed a couple of times, didnt see anyone doing drugs (although I got to work with them as an ESD Medic after the fact) BM is like any city you wnat sex you find it etc...

So pacing yourself is critical. SOme newbies treat it like a party, one that they have never ben too and go at it at full bore. Problem is it lasts a week. Many newbies are drug into esd stations dehydrated, burned out and worse. That starts tuesday. and can ruin the rest of your burn.

2. Have the essentials with you even if you made other arrangements, many times people will have a falling out in camp and get kicked out, or want to bail - now what. that was your source of food, shelter, water etc...

3. Participate - BM is about participation, gift your time, talents, a song, etc. I love the singers at center camp, poets, stories, political rants.
Pick up Moop when you see it, help someone in need find help. beat the crap out of your friend at Thunderdome, Climb everything that is climbeable, collect swag and have a blast.

CLean up

later

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:27 pm

CapSmashy wrote:While that is an option, I would recommend securing your own vehicle if you have the means to do so. For every 100 happy stories about these kind of arrangements working out perfectly, there is always one or two nightmares of being stranded, etc.

Other than not having to wonder if your ride will be there, you also have the luxury of being on your own time to do your shopping, head to Burning Man and head back, do a little sightseeing before or after, etc. Not having to rely on someone else's schedule is a truly wonderful thing.

I have nightmare story.. it includes my shopping not getting done, my camp plans, evap pond, and public shower donation getting fucked. It ends with my being stranded after being ripped off. The ending was good but the ordeal was a bit too much at times compounded with my nerve pain and lack of meds and sleep dep. It really fucked with my burn something awful. While I will continue to promote co-op type stuff I HIGHLY recommend having a backup RSR plan in place. Next year for me will include my own vehicle or rental. If not I just won't be able to make it.

mereth · Post by **mereth** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:20 am

I have some concerns re: drugs. Has anyone ever gifted "green" brownies, sugar cubes with LSD, etc? Is this something I should be watchful for? I have no interest whatsoever in doing any kind of drug, alcohol, etc. I want to actually correctly observe what's going on, not through some drugged out haze. I'm very anti-drug, and will be a virgin burner going by myself (I'm a married female (husband is Ok with me going by myself)) and don't know anyone else to hook up with.

phil · Post by **phil** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:51 pm

You might want to start a new thread so you get people to read your question, as it's new and not related to this one.

I drink coffee and wine at Burning Man. Those are my drugs. This year was my twelfth, and I've never been offered drugs that weren't identified as such. My suggestion, if you are virulently anti-drug, is a simple "no, thanks" to any offers of food from sources you don't reliably know. Please, please, please, don't go into the long story of wanting to 'correctly' observe what's going on, being very anti-drug, blahblahblah. Nobody cares. Just a simple no thanks will solve the problem. No one will push anything on you.

Hang out here and read the posts. I started a thread called "easy ways to do Burning Man for individuals and couples":
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=15848
and lots of people have made very good suggestions, many of which are very different than my suggestions. I'd suggest reading them all and taking those which speak to you or apply to your situation.

After you've been here awhile, you'll get a feel for what goes on and whom to trust; you may find someone to share camping space with next year. Or not. Who knows? We'll see you next year, and I expect to read your paean posts about your wonderful, drug-free experience.

Valkyrie · Post by **Valkyrie** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 2:36 pm

I have had stories of people being offered things with mind-altering substances in them. If you are concerned with maintaining an unaltered perspective, the advice I've heard is to politely inquire what is in something someone's offering.

It's probably a bad place to be, though, if you're strongly anti-drug. While it's not forced upon you or anything like that, the signs are there and unless you're blind, you can't avoid it. If this offends you, then you'll probably not be enjoying yourself because it's all around.

ZaphodBurner · Post by **ZaphodBurner** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:59 pm

There was a time when drugs were cheap enough that people "dosed" each other for fun and profit. A pot brownie won't kill you, nor will it alter your ability to control yourself or appreciate your surroundings, but realistically nobody's gonna waste perfectly good drugs on strangers unless they have something more sinister in mind.

The only time anybody overtly offered me pot cookies, it was two teenage boys and it turned out one of them was a friend of mine's (a retired Major) kid. The look of recognition was priceless!

The reality is that you're probably much safer at Burning Man surrounded by drugs and tobacco than you are at most urban night clubs surrounded by aggro drunks. But if being -around- drugs angers you, you might want to stick pretty close to the police or hang out in Center Camp.

Some Egyptians put a couple of leftover cookies in our camp "tip jar" one year when they had to leave early . Whomever they had been talking to might have known what was in it, but food in the jar was considered fare game for the whole camp. I gave a cookie a whiff and ate it. Weeehyeooo, THAT was one hell of a lovely afternoon. In that case, though, they had been coming by all week so we knew them. It wasn't a matter of somebody saying "Hey, kid, want some candy?"

The only other times I've ever been offered anything there, it was clear what it was and I could say "no thanks", or it was clean. 99.99% of playa people, users or not, are cool with whatever you do. If somebody offered me a cookie or a brownie and I was worried about it, I'd take a nibble. Generally, ganja food tastes like ganja and mushrooms taste distinctively like freeze-dried mold. If you taste either, leave it alone. The nibble won't hurt you at all.

-zb

mereth · Post by **mereth** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:04 pm

Zaphod,

Appreciate it very much. I've created a new thread on this (per Phil's suggestion).

BTW, "10 out of 10 for coolness, but minus several million for good thinking, yeah?" is my new favorite line (or something like that) :)

Need some help understanding!

Need some help understanding!

Seriously, 90% of what you need to know is on the site.