First Time Burner looking for appropriate camp

[juans_tripz]

Hey Burners,
Sorry if this is the wrong thread I'm new here. I've planned to attend burning man like twice before but it's always too much of a commitment for my friends. This year I'm gonna say F it and go solo. So for this reason I'm looking for a camp that i can join and be part of so that i have a good first burn. I'm aware that the survival guide is my best friend so I'll be sure to prepare accordingly using that. I would love to assist the camp in any needs as far as setting up and volunteering for activities and such. I don't know if it matters but I know all types of art is appreciated and welcome on the playa, I've been breakdancing for 10 years so this is a talent that i would love to share with fellow burners and use it to contribute to a camps' uniqueness and simply just for people to enjoy watching. Very open minded person and love new experiences and meeting new people. I feel like I'm sort of filling out a dating profile

As far as as joining a camp I have a few questions

1. is this the right forum to look?

2. I'm in NC (the other side of the country). I talked to the local burn organizers and there are no local camps just local burners. So i feel the ideal camp for me is one that that provide bikes, showers, and 1 meal a day. Am I asking for too much or do some camps provide these?

3. Do camps provide tents and stuff? My plan was to rent a SUV and get an SUV attached Tent so i can have my own little space but I'm not exactly sure how camps work.

4. I know camps stop accepting members after a certain time, am I at a good time to try to find one? And is it plausible that i find one before tickets go on sale?

Thanks for the help in advance!

[Sham]

*

https://burningman.org/culture/history/ ... eme-camps/
Welcome to eplaya. Lots to do and plan to go to Burning Man. It's a good time to start. Above is an alphabetical list of theme camps. Poke around and see which ones resonate with you. You can send an email to see what's involved in joining a camp. You'll have to sell yourself to the groups. (well, not literally)

You can also camp in the open camping area. It's almost as good as joining a camp since you'll have lots of fun and friendly neighbors. You'll share meals and probably will find someone with a shower. Bring lots of water.

In most camps, you're responsible for bringing your own infrastructure. Tent, sleeping bag, food etc. If you come across a camp with all the comforts of home, expect to pay dearly.

You also should consider joining your local regional burner group. You'll make some friends and possibly find a camp within that group to join up with. Look here: https://regionals.burningman.org/region ... h-america/

Good luck with your plans and we'll see you in the dust in just 6 short months.

[lucky420]

K, I’m gonna answer your questions to the best of my ability buttttt you really really need to read the guides. Eplaya is a great place to get more info but when you ask easily found answers to somewhat simple questions you may get some shit.

1. Yes this forum is a good place to try and find a camp. As it gets closer to burn time more camps will put out a call for more campers to join there camp. Some may be doing it now but that’s rare to find at this time. Camp leads aren’t really going to be reading every post of all the people looking for camps. CAMPS will post when they are looking for new people so be sure to come here and look in the appropriate threads. Check out reddit too although I think I see more posts here.

2. Yes there are camps that supply ALL your needs. They are called plug and play, YOU will pay a lot if money for a spot there. Some camps offer some of the things you’re looking for and not some of the things, dues are still pretty high but may be worth it for some.

3. See #2, it’s always better to bring your own gear if you can

4. See #1. There’s a camp called rootpile that was looking for local (Reno) burners but I believe they are out of one of the southern blugrassy states, maybe NC? Google them I think they have a FB page. Not sure if they’re taking anyone yet.

Ok now go read the survival first timers guide

[Savannah]

Bikes, showers, AND one meal a day is rather a lot to ask from a camp, on average. Most do not supply bikes at all. What you might like to do is prioritize 1-2 of those (say, a shower and a meal--or the shower alone). It's good to know what is most important to you and satisfy that first.

For example, I cannot be bothered to cook on the playa at all. I eat canned and vacuum-sealed/shelf-stable items. It's super easy, and then you don't have to be on time for meals or eat when you're not hungry. See the Food & Drink section under "realistic cooler-based menu plan" (google it + keyword eplaya if not easily found).

If you have a rented vehicle, the bike is not too hard to supply for yourself. Consider buying a beach cruiser style bike, and a rack (but make sure the rack doesn't obscure your license plate) or renting a cargo van and then you don't need a rack--you can bung the bike inside, and bungee it to the slats in the walls. When you get to the playa, the van can be your tent, even. Lots of people do van life . . .

[Papa Bear]

So... I'm just going to reiterate that you don't have to join a camp to attend and participate. Also, you can share your breakdancing skill in lots of places - you don't need to join a camp for that, either.

Here's an important point: theme camps don't exist for the purpose of making it easier for people to go. They exist for the purpose of providing something interesting and participatory to the rest of the city. In other words, they are a ton of work. While I camp with a theme camp most years, I don't recommend joining one unless the work you'll be doing there is something that really resonates deeply with you. If you're going to spend time on playa working, you want it to be a labor of love.

There *are* a few camps that will gladly take a whole lot of your money and promise you all the stuff you'll need, with no real work requirement. I'd recommend against them, for a few reasons.

For one, you're not really going to experience the fullness of the burn somewhere like that, and you're not likely to find a plug-n-play camp to be very cohesive - after all, the only thing they really care about is your money, and most people there are likely to be spectators rather than contributors.

For another, it's just not smart to rely on a camp to provide your basic survival needs. Even the best-run camp can have an off year (imagine what happens if the equipment or food truck gets broken into or totaled en route), and lots of camps aren't that well run. In fact, there have been instances where they were outright frauds, taking fees and unexpectedly leaving their customers to find food/water/shelter/etc on their own. So even if you join a camp, you'll want to bring the basics you need to survive yourself, even if you don't wind up using them.

Finally, I'd suggest not doing the SUV with attached tent, unless you want that SUV chock full of playa dust by the end of the event. It's wiser to use a separate tent (ideally with some simple shade over it) and keep the vehicle closed up as much as possible. You'll still get playa dust in it, but it'll be minimized.

[DavyRay]

I'm also in NC. Not impressed with any regional action here. I have attended four years. Will try to attend this year. I fly to Reno, and take the Burner Express to BRC. I do take all my stuff, but rent a bike in advance, to be picked up on site. Hey, call me or something. Local knowledge is always helpful.