new to eplaya, need help with setting a theme camp

[vart41]

we went for first time on 2009 and although we loved burning, we think it could have been better if we were more organized and stayed in a theme camp with some lounge areas, showers, etc... for metropolis we'd like to create one, we are about 15 gay guys from california, and we had read all the info and requirements from the website, however would like to hear advices from experienced people on how to do it better... theme ideas? camping ideas? best time to go and come back, etc.. everything helps... love.. vart

[Captain Goddammit]

First, Shade. As much shade area as you can build. then, Couches. Couches are the shit at a BM camp. Hit up craigslist for free shitty old couches, or garage sales, whatever, and pick the lightest ones.
Get those two going, and start decorating, and you'll wind up with a great camp!

[bigbluedoggy]

Welcome to eplaya! Theme ideas? Camping ideas? Perhaps rather than look here for others to do the creative for you, you should consider joining in with a group that already has a bit more of their act together. One of the main ideals behind a theme camp is having a unique and creative idea for interactivity and then pulling it off with radical self reliance. Since you were there this year, you probably saw lots of pretty incredible ways to execute a comfortable and enticing camp. That's about the best lesson you can get: observing how its been done. Creating a theme camp can be a fairly major undertaking. You may want to focus on developing some standard camp infrastructure for a year or so before you take on the full interactivity aspect of executing a registered theme camp. Just a thought. Arrive early, stay late. Good luck with your plans!

[Sham]

we are about 15 gay guys from california

May I suggest that you add one more guy so you can pair off evenly!

[vart41]

thanks captain.. we'll look for all kind of couches and furniture that may work... @ big blue.. you are right about getting one or two more year of observing experience before taking the big responsability of a theme camp.. but then how do you recommend 15 of us can go this year?? do you think we may find a camp that will open the doors to all of us? how?

[vart41]

:D i like odd numbers... we may need to add more.. :)

[Captain Goddammit]

Don't worry about it! You don't have to be a registered, "placed" theme camp. You guys just show up with all your stuff, set up housekeeping, call your place whatever you want, and you're a theme camp!

Oh, I'll add one more basic thing you should do: Make a sign! Virtually anything can be a "theme camp", a sign is what makes it official!
Shade, couches, sign = Theme Camp!

[bigbluedoggy]

My recommendation would be that the 15 of you focus on assembling what you need to have a great camp for yourselves: shade, a shower and evap system, kitchen facility, etc. The earlier you develop a plan the sooner you can put the energy into getting it all together. Figure out what sort of shade structure(s) you want to build, study up on how people do the shower systems, create some lists of what you will need. There is a ton of info in this forum alone about all these topics and more. Go thru photos on Flickr or Photobucket and look at camp structures. See if any of them look like they are something you guys can handle. Without being a registered theme camp, you won't be able to access the playa until the gates open (not entirely true, but consider for your purposes that it is fact), but you are free to stay thru Tuesday before they come around and start chasing you out. Organizing a group is one of the largest challenges you will face. Seriously... good luck!!

[curiousgnate]

i agree that you should take some time before themeing it up! I camp with 100 people and we are not a registered theme camp. we have activities and are themey, but we don't want to deal with all the stuff that theme camps deal with. I have found that being totally prepared for myself to have a great week, enables me to then do what ever I want whenever I want. no scheduled meals, no camp dues, no having to set up and tear down camp stuff that isn't mine. i would also recommend having some of your group arrive as close to midnight on sunday as possible so that they can reserve your land. the hard part is everyone finding the spot. while unfortunately some cellphones worked at brc this year you can't count on them. I would recommend going with a place in mind after looking at the placement map, and then leaving signs for where you will be on the sign posts. I would also recommend camping near 830 and F which has a huge gay population. I love it there, the red light district rules! just some thoughts. oh yeah shade shade shade and more shade!

[vart41]

perfect!! I thought we had to be a registered camp to get a place... obviously I need to learn a lot more before trying to create a theme camp.
Thanks :D

[curiousgnate]

you do have to be registered to have a place reserved before you get there. But there is a ton of space that is not reserved that you can claim once on the playa.

[Ugly Dougly]

You don't have to be a "theme camp" in order to camp as a group.

A theme camp needs to be more than a place for a bunch of friends to hang out.

Send in a few of your boys in first to find a spot and begin setting up, reserving and planning for more to arrive. First come first serve.

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

JK

[theCryptofishist]

:D i like odd numbers... we may need to add more.. :)

yeah, I gotta say that five threesomes or one hell of a circle jerk would work just as well...

[theCryptofishist]

I'm just going to say that our village is already working on our theme camp registration form. This is maps and interactivity and decor and shade structures and theme nights and meet'n'greets and 189 other things. It's not that I think we're such hot shit* that you can't hope to compete, or anything, it's hard. It's hard and I'm not even doing any of the work. So count me as another vote for "a camp this year and theme camp down the road."
However, just so you know--not only are there radios and maybe cell phones (some of the discussion after this year centered on their simply not being enough call volume for a cell phone company to make money, so I'd not rely on that) but there's also center camp and Playa Info. You can right a message and post it on the bulletin board of chaos, and you can register on a computer where you're camping. (At night anyone who is there being helpful is probably a prankster.) So have a car or two of people at the gate and 12:15 am on Monday to join in the land rush.
If you'd like to have a couple of theme camp like activities, you can go round to your neighbors and tell them where you are and what you're doing. You can also go to places like the Booby Bar and act real nice and some of us might drop by and if we're impressed we might pass it around our village and to our patrons and you could get a word of mouth thing going. These are not meant to be commandments, but tossing out a couple of ideas that I hope spark more that you can use to "non traditionally" spread the word about your burgioning (virgining?) theme camp.
One more, last year there was an unofficial What/Where/When for camps that didn't make the early entry/placement list. I don't know if the Bacon is going to do it again, but it's not too early to ask Deb Prothero on this board if that's a possiblility.

*That's not completely true. Some of the Terminal City Denizens are hot shit indeed. The list includes but is not limited to: Captain Smashy, Mister Jellyfish Mister, B.B. Sue, Kernel Kilbuck, Helga, Esspresso Dude, Desert Duck, Apple Crisp, Purple Koosh and 2Numerous2List.

[theCryptofishist]

You can right a message and post...

True righting of a message includes grammar checks.

[oneeyeddick]

Along with checking your Terminal City member list ?

Out of 9 you listed, one never has been, one isn't going to be, and one maybe will be for the first time this year.
you can ignore me now, i am prolly just mad you didn't include me, but I understand as my name can be difficult to spell properly sometimes.

[theCryptofishist]

Along with checking your Terminal City member list ?

Out of 9 you listed, one never has been, one isn't going to be, and one maybe will be for the first time this year.
you can ignore me now, i am prolly just mad you didn't include me, but I understand as my name can be difficult to spell properly sometimes.

Okay. I've checked our *ahem* member list, Dick and you are indeed Hot Shitâ„¢ Certified under the Terminal City Self-Aggrandizing Act of 1812. Use your new status wisely, for evil and world domination, and not for good and world peace.

Bless you, my son.

[oneeyeddick]

Oh shit, now I stepped in it.

[motskyroonmatick]

This is how I deal with getting camp mates to camp after the land grab has been done and incoming people need directions to camp.

Pre playa prep.
4 plywood signs with arrows and camp name on them. Dark on light or light on dark coloring works best. Two arrows to the right and two to the left will cover any minimum situation. I would say 18" X 12" works well. You will need one U bolt set up that fits over a 2"x2"(actually 1.5"X1.5") for each sign(4). This will go in the middle of the plywood so you will need to drill 2 holes in each sign. The holes will be parallel to the ground so the U bolt will go around the vertical sign post on the corner of all signed streets. When you are at the lumber yard picking up the U bolts give them a quick check for fit on the 2"X2" you are picking up to make a camp sign with. The U bolt will need to go around the 2"x2" and through the plywood with enough room to thread the nuts on easily. Adding a bit of reflective tape or sticker to the finished sign will make it more eye catching at night to help camp mates find their way.

Show everybody in camp the finished sign in person or by digital reproduction before burning man so they know what to look for as they arrive.

Decide which side of the city camp will be on. Do you want to be near the Apokolipticans on the 3:00 side or near the Red Light District on the 9:00 side. This should be figured out well in advance so everyone knows to turn right or left at the Y.

Tell everyone to turn right(9:00) or left(3:00) at the Y according to plan. Quiz them if necessary and use 3:00 or 9:00 designators so that reading the map is easier. Also tell them that they can check with playa info if they can not find camp.

On playa
Find a good spot for camp using a pre made agreed upon contingency plan or just by finding a nice spot.
Once the camp has been secured figure out the exact address. Something like 830 to 845 on F, Man side. Center of camp at 8:38 and F.

Send a runner(or biker) to playa info and have them register the exact name and address of camp in the database.

At the same time if possible place the signs that direct your camp mates in. I start by going out to the outermost road by way of the spoke road that is closer to 6:00. Example: If camp was at 8:45 I would go to 8:30 and from there out 8:30 to the furthest out ring road.
I then choose a sign with a right arrow and bolt it to the 2"x2" sign post at about chest height so that it reads correctly when coming from 6:00 along the outermost road.
Then I return Up that street toward the man the intersection nearest camp where I select a sign that reads with an arrow to the left. I apply this to the street sign post pointing toward camp to be read as one drives up the road toward the man. This gets your camp mates to turn on to the road that camp is on.
Then I go to the center of camp and place both the remaining signs back to back pointing at camp on a 2"x2" that I brought and duct taped to a long piece of rebar that I pounded in to the ground.

This will yield a simple 3 turn directions in to camp.
Start by turning the correct direction at the Y
Turn on to the #ed street when you see the sign and stay on that street until you see the next sign.
The next sign will turn you toward camp on the named street where camp is. The final sign designates actual camp.

Clear as mud?

Oh and take the signs down for reuse next year as you pack up camp on Monday.