Over-Stoked First Timer, Naive?

CornStar · Post by **CornStar** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:32 am

Howdy! So Ive been hittin festys for a while and more or less understand the culture. Obviously BM is a culture of its own, but Id like to think I halfway know whats up. Got a few Questions tho. People say dont walk around barefoot, whys that? People say bring sunscreen; i havent worn any yet this summer and work outdoors in 90+ weather full time, is it really THAT crucial. Say i wanted to drink alcohol conistantly thru out the week and often drink first thing in the morning, will i die or get heat stroke or whatever? Even if I pace myself and drink hella water? Do vehicles get searched on the way in? Like am i gonna hafta hide my booze or can i be stacked to the roof without question? Any other advise ... because my friends expect ill get lost for a few days and they wont see me. I like to have fun & meet people & dance, but is there any reason to hold back on my impulsiveness if I havent burned before? Let me know, set me strait ... Im looking forward to meeting you all :)

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:26 am

Hey CornStar!
Playa dust will fuck your feet up..feels nice and powdery,,but will suck any moisture you have in your feet. Sunscreen, because you're in the high desert...tend to cook real well up there. Drink lots of water..Ive survived being pickeled on the playa, but stay dry the first 24 hours. Yes vehicles get searched...completely. Why would you need to hide booze? Don't card you at the gate. Explore, but stay grounded...NO expectations. You remind me of my pet rat...and thats a compliment! have fun! and welcome home!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:00 am

You might get carded if they think you're under 18 at the gate, not for alcohol, for entrance.

Unless you made the Atlanta Pop Festival or the Isle of Wight with Hendrix, this is a bit different.
Unless you live at 4000 feet, you'll be dealing with altitude too.
You may find alcohol isn't really needed here.
It's much weirder without it.

thirt33n · Post by **thirt33n** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 4:11 am

...i've found that if i don't ignore my feet and clean'em and chuck some lotion on there then they adapt quite well.

if you're all over the place barefoot for over, like, a few hours then you'll most likely have some problems.

playa feels good on my feet.

say hello to the garbage goat at riverfront park. he sucks.

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:42 am

Itâ€™s the sort of place just sleeping can be so dehydrating it can take half a day to re-hydrate. Alcohol and mixers like Coke donâ€™t re-hydrate they dry you out more and alcohol can mess with your temperature regulating systems. You may not even realize how much your sweating because it evaporates instantly pulling all the electrolytes out of your body in the processes. The talcum fine dust is highly alkaline and gets everywhere, it pulls the oils out of your skin and dries you out more. The calluses on your feet if your not careful will dry out and form deep painful some times bloody cracks. The effects of the altitude until you are acclimated may not be noticeable or you may feel disoriented or get a throbbing headache, or maybe that's just the drying out,.....Iâ€™m only slightly over stating things, itâ€™s not an environment to take lightly.

Weâ€™ve been pretty lucky for the past few years and not gotten enough rain to make every thing a muddy mess, with accompanying humidity. I rather like the dust storm white outs they add to the surreal nature of every thing , you may not care for living in a dust mask and goggles.

So why would anyone do this? The environment in my opinion helps to bring people together kind of a us agents the hardships kind of thing. There is also a very different kind of force of nature than most of us from the green world are used to and the stark beauty is a wonderful canvas for a true work of art to play out.

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:31 am

this is not a festival, it's a cult.

the Cult-ure is much different than say Bone-a-roo, the kangaroo fucking fest in austrailia, or Coach-Hella which is just about fine leather goods and Purses,

no, this is about BURNING MAN, and trust me, if you dont wear sunscreen, you will find out JUST HOW THEY MAKE BEEF JERKY, or at least how Ed Gein did it.

read the survival guide until you can recite backwards, to the tune of "man of La Mancha"....only then will you be ready, grasshopper.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:56 am

don't' forget the "Deep-in-the-Sheep" festival in Montana.........

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:17 am

Get some Drano and pour it on your feet, see how you feel.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:30 am

Simon of the Playa wrote:this is not a festival, it's a cult.

no, this is about BURNING MAN, and trust me, if you dont wear sunscreen, you will find out JUST HOW THEY MAKE BEEF JERKY, or at least how Ed Gein did it.

..only then will you be ready, grasshopper.

Ed Gein: now, there's a tailor..............

CornStar · Post by **CornStar** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:11 pm

Awesome, thanks for the input thusfar. So shoes are the safe way to go . . . i cant say i necessarily own many shoes, especially those that would be playa-worthy. Any recomendations for cheap footwear? i prefer not to wear socks, but once again is that necessary? i was thinkin maybe pick up some crocs or cheap sandals ... would that cut it, or am i gonna need a sturdy pair of shoes. You say they do check cars but they dont care if you bring alcohol or liquor, as long as you are of age? Also the 25th's my birthday ... anyone want to come to a birthday party? Just throwin that out there. Thanks again, you're all great people.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:17 pm

Mostly what they are looking for when they search the car is people sneaking in without tickets.
I'd bring a sturdy pair of footware--you'll be walking a lot. Have socks available. You might not need them, but they don't take up a lot of room and if you do need them, they may not be available. Crocs around camp are okay.

bigbluedoggy · Post by **bigbluedoggy** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 11:04 pm

My buddy and first playa lieutenant wears Crocs with socks pretty much everywhere, including on the playa and he swears by them. But the socks part is critical!

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:29 am

Sunscreen is because most of us will get burned if we don't wear it. Some people will do just fine without it. I've gone barefoot for a few hours at a time but mostly wear shoes and I shower with soap and water daily and I've never had foot problems. I've also seen people who didn't go barefoot much and had huge dry cracks. Bring shoes in case you need them but you can try without. I drink twice as much water as I drink alcohol when I drink. In the morning I chug 24 oz. water a few times before I leave camp and carry water with me. Every time I'm going to have a beer I chug 24 oz water before. I still don't pee that much. I feel pretty good out there that way. Be as impulsive as you want as long as you're not interfering with other people. Dancing and talking to people is great. Groping without permission isn't ok. Not that I think you would, but I'm just covering the bases.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:26 pm

yeah Corn. Bring all this stuff. Unlike any other festival.. you WON'T be able to run to the store easily if you find you are in dire need of something. And mostly likely you will be in dire need of something. I do some other festies and they are "childs play" next to BM.
I can't say enough good things about new socks on the playa. I buy socks once a year... Aug. 15th. :-) and moisteners for your eyes and nose. ahh... sun block . Yes ! LOTS of water. example, Last year I got caught in a dust storm and had the WORST sore throat after. I didn't have any lozenges.. it sucked.

MissNev · Post by **MissNev** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:23 pm

Welcome CornStar! Abandon all preconceived notions! I've never had any problems with my feet out there, but I've seen some nasty ones. I've been known to go barefoot in my camp and around to visiting close by. During the day, I wear Birkenstocks without socks or other open shoes. At night, I wear socks and shoes or boots. I wash my feet every day and put on lavender balm. Before putting socks on for the night, I wash my feet again with water and lemon juice, then apply more lotion or balm and I'm good till the next day. Just pay attention to any early warning signs. I try to be good about the sunscreen, but I'm not overly anal about it. Again, I've never really had a problem. I'm pretty fair skinned, but I'm a native to these parts and I seem to adapt pretty well to the environment. I do, however, keep myself quite hydrated at all times. I try to drink one for one on water/alcohol. Be sure to look us up when you get out there! We are a very warm and welcoming chill space and neighborhood bar.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 3:02 pm

Miss Nev!!!!!!!

Where are you planning to put the Liver's End this year? I will bring you a load of the Indiana Kids from Impending Doom!

willyloafofphora · Post by **willyloafofphora** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:03 pm

[quote="Simon of the Playa"] or Coach-Hella which is just about fine leather goods and Purses,
[/quote]
Good description but you forgot about the designer sunglasses.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:00 pm

You'll be fine, pilgrim.

MissNev · Post by **MissNev** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:17 pm

Hey Mojo! We just wouldn't know how to exist without those lovely Indiana Kids! Can't wait!!! We are going underground again this year...never, ever registering again! We will, however, post at Playa Information when we arrive. Our hope is to be where we have been in the past...3 or 4 streets out from the Esplanade (Dart/Edsel) between 5:30 and 3:30. We look forward to serving you and having you improve the overall appearance of our bar!

Harpman · Post by **Harpman** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:30 pm

The playa dust is as fine as talcum powder, extremely alkaline and will dry out the bottoms of your feet causing the dreaded PLAYA FOOT.
So, anything that can protect the bottoms of your feet is all that's required. moisturizer is good too. Some people have elaborate procedures involving vinegar and lemon juice and stuff. I can't be bothered, a little Vaseline intensive care lotion does the trick for me.

And oh yeah, there are two kinds of people in the world;
Burners
and those that are not Burners

Welcome home.

moshe! · Post by **moshe!** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:37 pm

Its totally going to suck this year! See you in the med tent!

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:08 am

Cant wait to see the Med Tent!! loved it three years ago!! So whats your spin on the vinegar water thing? Had my feet washed with that stuff by a medic...after making a nice gash in the bottom of my foot. Seems to be some debate.

MissNev · Post by **MissNev** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:11 pm

The vinegar neutralizes the alkali playa. Lemon juice works just as well and, IMO, smells better. Plus, we use lemons for the bar and they are readily available.

This Woman · Post by **This Woman** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 9:53 am

ugly dougly said it best.

It's good to read and ask and consider advise given. But you'll be fine...better than fine. Fan-fucking-tastic fine. And if you get a little playa foot or can't find yer mates for a few days, well, that just adds to the experience.

And do come by the Livers End. The oldsters don't commonly say so, but we live on newbies. We suck your awe and delight like vampires. Its a symbiotic relationship though - we'll massage your playafeet w/vinegar, lemmon juice, lotion...whatever.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:00 am

CornStar wrote:Say i wanted to drink alcohol conistantly thru out the week and often drink first thing in the morning, will i die or get heat stroke or whatever? Even if I pace myself and drink hella water? Any other advise ... because my friends expect ill get lost for a few days and they wont see me. I like to have fun & meet people & dance, but is there any reason to hold back on my impulsiveness if I havent burned before? Let me know, set me strait ... Im looking forward to meeting you all

Ahhhhh, welcome home grasshopper. My best advice is as follows:

1) Once you have set up your camp, get the help of someone who has been there before to determine your exact playa address.

2) With a sharpie, write your playa address on your forehead, arm, hand, or anywhere that will show and be obvious.

With these two things accomplished, the Rangers will know where to deliver you. Give your camp mates lots of big presents in advance so maybe they will let you sleep it off without the usual pranks played on the drunk/dehydrated guy.

Finnegan · Post by **Finnegan** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:58 pm

The vinegar trick really does work. I recommend doing a good foot soak/moisturize every day. Twice on sundays.

Then come by the Booby Bar, 3 and A-hole, and say howdy! I'll buy your feet a drink.

Oubliet · Post by **Oubliet** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:08 am

I always bring 2 spray bottles:

-one filled with vinegar
-one with plain water

Multiple times a day, I'll vinegar my hands thoroughly, neutralizing the playa dust that gets in all the cuticle areas. You can see the alkali fizzing.

Then, I'll spray plain water to rinse the playa dust off, so it doesn't just "sit" on my skin.

Then I apply a good moisturing lotion, like Curel, and let it soak in well. Sometimes, I'll even add some Bag Balm to really seal the skin with a protective layer.

Putting gloves on helps keep you from re-playafying your hands.

Doing all this might seem a bit much, but after a week out there, my hands stay a ~lot~ happier (less dry and cracked) than they would if I did not take care of them.

moesy · Post by **moesy** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:35 am

I wore boots all week and never had a problem with my feet. I also brought Dr. Bronners with us and as a gift to my camp mates and visitors I would wash their feet and then dust them with tea tree powder. (I would leave the basin out and let the water evaporate, Yes, I love and respect the Playa!)

There were several types of shoe gear among us and I will say that the people in sandles without sox def had some issues with drying. The Bronners helped immensely.

As for sunscreen, I live and die by it, fair skinned, red head!! Ocean Potion is a fantastic zinc sunblock, I highly recommend it for those that need sun protection. FYI if ya'll didn't know, the only thing that REALLY blocks sun is Zinc...... As mentioned in a previous post by another Burner, some folks will do just fine without it, others turn into crispy critters in no time!

lost · Post by **lost** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:12 pm

mojo wrote:
1) Once you have set up your camp, get the help of someone who has been there before to determine your exact playa address.

2) With a sharpie, write your playa address on your forehead, arm, hand, or anywhere that will show and be obvious.

Nice one Mojo- this is the BEST advice I've read on this board so far. (see my login? That's because that's how I spent ALL of BM 2008)

Not that being lost isn't fun sometimes, but occasionally I would like to be able to make it back to my own tent...

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:03 am

sharpie markers are for yahoos.

come by camp mankind research unlimited and we will gift you a REALLY FUN INTERNAL DOODAD which will make tracking your whereabouts and condition SO MUCH EASIER.

welcome, and evolve, you fucking hippies.

Over-Stoked First Timer, Naive?

Over-Stoked First Timer, Naive?

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Re: Over-Stoked First Timer, Naive?