I still don't understand blue flags and placed vs. unplaced

[Fade Monkey]

Everyone says that if there are blue flags surrounding a campsite, then it's placed and you shouldn't set up camp there. Ok ... but this has always struck me as confusing. Image you have a placed camp surrounded by flags:

flags1.JPG (10.1 KiB) Viewed 3029 times

... and an unplaced camp next door:

Flags2.JPG (12.12 KiB) Viewed 3029 times

Now imagine that next door to the unplaced camp is another placed camp. Now, there's a problem. The open area NOW looks like it's a placed camp because it's surrounded by flags! How does it work when there are two placed camps with an open area in between??

flags3.jpg (16.23 KiB) Viewed 3029 times

[bigbluedoggy]

Corners have double flags and there are single flags placed along edges. So if an area is not placed it will not have the single edge marking flags. Also, a placed camp will have a yellow flag in front with the camp number on it. unplaced areas will not have that flag.

[Fade Monkey]

So - that helps a lot... Just to update the picture, this is the right way to look at it?

If I'm driving along a road looking for an open spot, I should be looking for a spot between double flags with NO yellow flag in between them or between a double flag and the edge of the road (this would be an open corner lot, which probably doesn't exist ... but theoretically).

Some camps have fire or access roads along a side - if open campers look to camp between double flags, we're not going to end up camped on an access/fire road (not a radial), right?

Fade

[Ratty]

I always approached it under the assumption that it is solid placed camps one after another. In other words, when you finally get to a street far enough back that there are NO flags, you can set up camp. Take a look at the 2018 moop map. Only the spots with no name are open camping.

https://journal.burningman.org/2019/04/ ... ntability/

The placed camps took up every inch until H street. If it's not occupied when the gates open, (that is if nobody from that camp has shown up), it's fair game. If anyone from that camp has been formally placed on their spot you can't camp there.

[mgb327]

I think most all of the areas will be flagged, begging for a small spot will be the theme this year for us open campers. Soon it will be walk-in only unless you do a placed theme camp. If I sound like I am pissed, I am. They want only registered theme camps, us lesser people are simply out of luck. Last year it was very difficult to find anything open early Sunday, this year will be flagged all the way out.

[ACfromSAC]

Last year it was very difficult to find anything open early Sunday, this year will be flagged all the way out.

Last year we got in less than an hour after gates opened & we had a hard time finding a 20 foot wide sliver of open land to set up our small camp. As much as I worry it may result in conflict with my burn neighbors, I feel like I will have no choice but to pay no attention to the plots of land that have been marked off by random trinkets left strewn about holding land for people that are nowhere to be found. Hopefully we can make friendly with whoever shows up later.

[Jackass]

This year's land acquisitions by open campers will consist of pure piracy and the certain possibility of fisticuffs between the frustrated parties.

The Us vs. Them sentiment is alive.

[maladroit]

We'll be a small camp around 7 & B and have some extra space. Since we ran into the no-space problem in open camping last year, we will not hunt for campers online but instead go to the outer rings on Sunday or Monday and try to find some lost-looking awesome people to invite.

[Ratty]

We've been on E, F, or G streets for the last few years. We just flag down the friendly looking folks in cars, (not RVs), and direct them in behind us or in our space now that we are a placed camp. I don't know if many people will be trolling B street.

[maladroit]

Yeah that's why I mentioned we'd be going to the outer rings looking for campers.

[FIGJAM]

Right after gates open, there is space on the corners next to the portos.

I did this 2 yrs and it wasn't bad on H street.

Meet lot's of people in the mornings, and restock tp for the "pottie project".

[ACfromSAC]

Right after gates open, there is space on the corners next to the portos.

Maybe I'm being posh, but I can't bring myself to camp near the portos. I've experienced too many afternoon wind gusts wafting the smell of other people's hot shit into the air to do it. They are definitely prime targets for open land... but shit.

[FIGJAM]

H street has never been bad (maybe by 10 and 2).

Only got a wiff when they got pumped out.

Otherwise......nothing.

[Token]

It’s not the odor, it’s the constant slamming of the spring loaded doors that’s annoying as all hell.

[Molotov]

It’s not the odor, it’s the constant slamming of the spring loaded doors that’s annoying as all hell.

Only for the first few days. After that most of the doors get ripped off the hinges, and the smell dissipates easily, born aloft on the gentle breeze.

[Lonesomebri]

At the local hardware store I believe I have found a way for myself around all the confusion.