Okay you "experienced" burners, tell us vergins so

BlackRockCowboy · Post by **BlackRockCowboy** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:56 am

The point of this thread is advice and pointers for newbies. I mean, not the things I can find in the survival guide(I have read it for 5 years now). I want the one thing you won't go to BM without, the best little hint you can pass on or a trick of the trade so to speak....

Think of that sex talk with your kid....what would you want him to know that you didn't and had to learn the hard way. (Clarification, the sex talk thing is an example not a literal question!) (Of course, if you have any sex advice feel free to private message me....pictures and diagrams are welcome too.....LMAO)

chiefdanfox · Post by **chiefdanfox** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:07 pm

a ticket

kittydoomdoom · Post by **kittydoomdoom** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:42 pm

Food choices are the biggest one for me... planned to cook "real" food every year, did maybe once each burn. We ended up bringing a lot of stuff back unopened. Not this year!

Most of the time, it's a must eat *right now* situation. Varying kinds crackers, chips, tortillas, peanut butter, trail mix, just add water goodness (hummus, miso, instant mashed potatoes), heat on dashboard/boil in bag (canned anything, indian food, rice), granola bars, cereal, meal replacement drinks, etc.

Add electrolytes of some kind to your water even if you think they are disgusting. Get over it. It WILL make you feel better then you can go back to something yummy.

Go explore at every opportunity.

Also, bring three times the number of socks you'll think you'll need.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 12:57 pm

> Think of that sex talk with your kid

Dad never had that sex talk with me, and I don't have kids.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:04 pm

A squirt bottle to cool yourself mid-day and food and drink that is salty and/or acidic - it helps cut the alkali of the playa. Bloody Mary's are ten times better on the playa. Tortilla chips and salsa are wonderful. Make a point of hanging out with your neighbors for a while relaxing. One of my VERY favorite things there is peach tea mixed with lots of ice in a giant glass - AAAHHHHHH - so popular in my camp that I now mix it in giant containers.

thisisthatwhichis · Post by **thisisthatwhichis** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:15 pm

BACON!!!!!!!!!

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:36 pm

thisisthatwhichis wrote:BACON!!!!!!!!!

Ahh, be still my heart.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:42 pm

mojo wrote:
thisisthatwhichis wrote:BACON!!!!!!!!!

Ahh, be still my heart.

Freaks....um can I have some?

ConnieH · Post by **ConnieH** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:47 pm

Dill Pickles :)

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:52 pm

Then there's Mozy - salty and sweet at the same time..... (licks his face)

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:57 pm

Search is your friend. All those topics are discussed in depth all over this place, you just have to look.

There wont be any guides on the playa.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:14 pm

mojo wrote:Then there's Mozy - salty and sweet at the same time..... (licks his face)

Snuggles bunny~

OK here is a real tip.

Take a sarong and soak in a bowl of water doesn't need to be cold.
Ring out most of the water save for when the sarong drys out.
drape the sarong over the back of your shoulders and down your arms.
It will cool you quick and for a good while in the heat of the day.
just re-wet when dry.

I have actually felt cold when I first put the sarong on, this was in the heat of the day at 3:00 in the afternoon

This cooling technique came from Pinemom in 2006

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:20 pm

MozyBonz wrote:
mojo wrote:Then there's Mozy - salty and sweet at the same time..... (licks his face)

Snuggles bunny~

OK here is a real tip.

Take a sarong and soak in a bowl of water doesn't need to be cold.
Ring out most of the water save for when the sarong drys out.
drape the sarong over the back of your shoulders and down your arms.
It will cool you quick and for a good while in the heat of the day.
just re-wet when dry.

I have actually felt cold when I first put the sarong on, this was in the heat of the day at 3:00 in the afternoon

This cooling technique came from Pinemom in 2006

I can get the same effect by putting my balls in a bowl of ice.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:23 pm

wedeliver wrote:I'm a topless, shirtcocking, yahoo hippy!

I would expect no less....LOL

oscillator · Post by **oscillator** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:25 pm

Be sure to pick up some of those pills that help combat Playa Attention Deficit Disorder (PADD).

If they are out of them @ Center Camp, just ask around.

\osc

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:32 pm

My advice is that Black Rock City is noisier than you can imagine. They say bring earplugs, which most people don't do (figuring they'll pass out so what the hell, right?). I bring those things that the people at airports wear who are bringing in the planes to wear to get to sleep. Yeah, they fall off during the night, but by then the ambien has kicked in. So figure out how much noise tolerance you can accept at night, increase it by several orders of magnatude, and plan accordingly. I remember one time about five years ago I was in the walk in camping part, away from everything, and trying to sleep under the stars. The WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP from the damn trance camps kept we awake until past 5 a.m. I finally gave up and went back to my RV at BDC&WB and slept until noon. Trust me, it's noisy out there.

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:22 pm

Dr. Pyro wrote:My advice is that Black Rock City is noisier than you can imagine. They say bring earplugs, which most people don't do (figuring they'll pass out so what the hell, right?). I bring those things that the people at airports wear who are bringing in the planes to wear to get to sleep. Yeah, they fall off during the night, but by then the ambien has kicked in. So figure out how much noise tolerance you can accept at night, increase it by several orders of magnatude, and plan accordingly. I remember one time about five years ago I was in the walk in camping part, away from everything, and trying to sleep under the stars. The WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP from the damn trance camps kept we awake until past 5 a.m. I finally gave up and went back to my RV at BDC&WB and slept until noon. Trust me, it's noisy out there.

If I remember you used to make a bunch of that loud noise, boom boom boom, or were you framed?

DrPeffer · Post by **DrPeffer** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:32 pm

Lip balm. High SPF. And bring an extra one, in case you lose the first. Then, bring a third, in case you lose the second one.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:11 am

I can't live without my large camelback with roomy pockets. I find it really helpful to have a place for my cig butt tins, lara bars, lip balm, saline, smokes, flashlights, extra batteries, multitool, bandannas, pain meds, minor first aid stuffs and the like.

You'll get differing opinions on hyration, some folks HATE camelbak type packs and opt for water bottles. This is OPINION and you should use what you are more comfortable with.

Same goes for dust protection.. I use bandannas and my regular glasses. Some of our softer gentler community members prefer ski googles dust masks. Every time I bring googles I find them to be too much of a pain they get too dusty to see out of too fast. I just use a wetwipe from time to time to wipe my face and squirt some saline in my eyes and nose.

I also tend to go with good hotweather boots and BDU style trousers when not going light with a sarong. Having those extra pockets is real helpful to contain your moop (trash) and to hold any schwag you might get along the way.

Aside from whats already been mentioned bring rubbers n lube if you plan on being sexually active on the playa. Its not the 60s anymore.. you don't want to come home with a gift that keeps on giving.

Also when you find yourself with a cokehead style nosebeed don't freak out, just jam a chunk of babywipe up there and try to use more saline. I use lip balm on the edges of my nose and lips to ease the cracking.

Burnjel is nice to have if you plan on getting burnt out there. Help sooth the skin and all that.

Mosin · Post by **Mosin** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:51 am

I would tell newbies to make sure to retain at least a bit of safety awareness and "common sense" on the playa (I know, a bit of an oxymoron!) lest their BM experience/s get tainted/ruined or worse by some negative interaction with a "fellow" Burner or Law Enforcement.

For example, just because the drunk guy who showed up earlier at your camp to party and just crawled into your tent is wearing bunny ears and has a cool Playa name doesn't mean he isn't a rapist.

And just because the naked hotty who just skipped into your camp is asking for "Ecstacy or other psychedelics" doesn't mean s/he isn't a cop. In fact, it means s/he is a cop for certain. (Or at least a total fucking idiot.)

The fact that you really love your favorite jacket (backpack, camera, bike, bling, stuff, crap, etc) and are at the Burn with other Burners does not mean it won't get ripped off or accidentally taken by someone if you leave it unattended. If you really love it, consider leaving it at home if its loss or damage is likely to bring on a bad mood/vibe. And if you really need it (i.e. because it is fucking freezing out) consider keeping an eye on it while skanking in that rave tent.

Would returning from the burning of the man to find that stuff from your trailor/rv--however insignificant-- had been ripped off by a "fellow burner" or "neighbor" viscerally bug the fucking shit out of you and change your head space? If so, consider lovingly telling your friend who says you're paranoid to fuck off and secure your good vibe with a simple turn of the key.

I could go on and on and I won't...I think the point has ben made. I wish I could just say "No worries! Enjoy the bacon!" but as one who hates when the lameness and/or disrespect of others (or their sallaried jobs as LEOs) puts a damper on my High Holy Holiday/s, I say excercise a bit of common sense and awareness in defense of those positive experiences/vibrations.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:56 am

Don't wear underware..... it might give you monkeybutt rash.

SpacemanSpliff · Post by **SpacemanSpliff** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:50 am

Bring a camelback, a backpack, a hobo bindle, or sew a lot of large pockets on to everything you own. Take your life with you every time you leave camp. Assume you're not coming back until dawn. Every time you leave, you should have a good supply of water, something to munch on, lip balm, a dust mask, goggles, a cup, and anything else you will want (cigarettes/lighter/ash tin, sunblock, a warmer layer of clothing, camera, gifts, etc). The last thing you want to end up doing is either a) not doing something you want to do because you have to stop back at camp first or b) ending up across the playa, waterless, and REALLY thirsty. Having everything on you allows you to go with the flow much better. And really, doing what you want, when you want (within reason) is the key to enjoying your experience on the playa.

And don't live your life by the what/where/when guide. About a third of the events were never going to happen in the first place, and another third end up not happening despite previous planning.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:58 am

Be sure to pick up some of those pills that help combat Playa Attention Deficit Disorder (PADD).

If they are out of them @ Center Camp, just ask around.

PADDERALL, THE PO-MO DRUG OF CHOICE!

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:54 pm

Pre-prepared food! Either stuff you make up at home ahead of time or instant packaged stuff, like the chips and salsa that have been mentioned.
Instant gratification when you're tired and hungry is a good thing.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:00 pm

Never take advice from strangers on the internet.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:52 pm

Never light up in someone elses dome without asking first....this goes with cigs and pot or anything else that requires a lighter.
It's just not good manners.

Also, if you are running around nekkid with your ass sweating, bring a towel with you to sit on
when sitting in a seat that is not yours to begin with.

I know this isn't against the law, but it should be, dammitt.

Playa Tom · Post by **Playa Tom** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:35 pm

Single ply toilet paper. The porta potties arefrequently without and a roll you can use and gift to others is almost as valuable as bacon.

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:03 am

oneeyeddick wrote:Never light up in someone elses dome without asking first....this goes with cigs and pot or anything else that requires a lighter.
It's just not good manners.

Also, if you are running around nekkid with your ass sweating, bring a towel with you to sit on
when sitting in a seat that is not yours to begin with.

I know this isn't against the law, but it should be, dammitt.

YES! I'm horribly allergic to smotpoke, sends my asthma into overdrive. Don't smoke in my shade structure or I will yell at you in a most unpleasant fashion. At least until I start wheezing at you in a threatening manner. Ciggies do the same thing to a lesser degree.

We had to toss a camp chair after a drunken naked visitor earned the playa name of "Skidmark". Euw. Sweat would have been preferable.

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:12 am

Playa Tom wrote:Single ply toilet paper. The porta potties arefrequently without and a roll you can use and gift to others is almost as valuable as bacon.

That made me think, has anyone ever tried bacon instead of toilet paper??
Is bacon dual purpose?

(i don't mean to fry up toilet paper, I mean to wipe and leave a nice greasy feeling behind... (ouch the puns) oh shit, now I can never eat bacon again.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:19 am

after doing your mooping, and waiting for exodus, take your time on the way out, stop by pyramid lake, PAY THE 5$ and go swimming...

it's glorious.

did i mention PAY THE 5$ do NOT cheat the paiutes, it's worse than bad karma...