Hello Burners!
After making a 2 week pilgrimage to Connect and Shambhala this past summer, I would like to up the score next year with Burning Man! Luckily I have a close knit circle of friends I was traveling with, and many of them are interested in doing a DIY stage and art installation with me. We are all first timers, what we have planned so far is renting a 26' uhaul truck to haul our supplies and shelter. What we are wondering has anyone had trouble passing the Amercian-Canadian border? Obviously we are not telling them we are going to Burning Man but we need to think of some kind of excuse to account for building materials and god knows what else. We are already planning on an outdoor fundraiser party, and have some budgets worked out. Sooo yeah, if anyone has some advice I would love to hear it!
From Canada Planning on Metropolis 2010!
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ambersolstice
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:54 pm
- Location: Winnipeg
In three years of going to burning man I have never had an real issue with boarder guards, going. I have had far more issues coming back into Canada. In 06 when I said I was going to an art festival I got a long look (us boarder guards) and they walked a drug dog around the car, had two cops look in the car but nothing major, although I had stopped in longview and had a fresh batch of beef jerky they took almost 300$ worth, I was planning on gifting it away but no. I basically got myself in trouble with them for not fully reading the beef ban. In 07 I had three Canadian boarder guards pull out almost everything of mine and go through it. When they found my air brushes they started asking questions about how much money I had make ect. Trying to explain to them that I spent the better part of 200$ on paint alone to give away just landed me with a ton of odd looks. (US boarder guards always seem to care more about drugs and if you are planning on doing business while state side). In 08 I had no issues at all here is how I avoided it… put a burning man sticker in my pass port, the guard chuckled looked at me the car and said drive safe.
One major way to avoid drawing attention if you want to avoid saying you are going to burning man, just say it is an art festival. Most of the guards I have come across know exactly where you are going just when you tell them a art festival. Out right admitting I was heading to burning man the past two years have brought me far fewer issues.
Main thing to do, is just be honest and relax. If you are anxious and avoid their questions you will just draw more attention to yourself. Keep your answers short sweet and make sure you have the basic questions covered in your head so you do not have to think about it.
One major way to avoid drawing attention if you want to avoid saying you are going to burning man, just say it is an art festival. Most of the guards I have come across know exactly where you are going just when you tell them a art festival. Out right admitting I was heading to burning man the past two years have brought me far fewer issues.
Main thing to do, is just be honest and relax. If you are anxious and avoid their questions you will just draw more attention to yourself. Keep your answers short sweet and make sure you have the basic questions covered in your head so you do not have to think about it.
"You can see everything and experience nothing, or you can see nothing and experience everything, it is what you make of it," Mist BM-06.
What Mist said. We came down for our first Burning Man this year- we are also Connect and Shambs veterans... no problems going down, but the dogs had a good run through of my car on the way back. I want to bring an art car down next year. There are loads of burners from Winnipeg, you should ask them about particular border crossings I think.