Burning Man on the cheap

[DrYes]

Hiya. I'm looking to put together an article on how to do Burning Man as cheaply as reasonably possible while still having fun and being reasonably safe.

I found this closed thread from 2009 that was a good start - viewtopic.php?f=78&t=28514&start=30 - but was hoping there might be some folks here who make a real art form out of being efficient when preparing for the playa.

Thanks for any assistance!

[some seeing eye]

I would prefer to see Burningman world changing.

[Elderberry]

Isn't that an oxymoron?


Though one year I remember a guy that just came with whatever he could fit in his backpack. He slept anywhere he could, ate anywhere some camp was serving food, hid his drugs in our cooler (that scene wasn't pretty when we discovered it), and had one hell of a good time. I cant remember how he got his ticket, but I'm sure he didn't pay for that either. Can't get much cheaper than that.

[Lonesomebri]

This could be real fun if carried to the cheapest conclusions. How to sneak in or manifest a ticket while stinking up the will-call line, what body parts to reveal for maximum hitch-hiking appeal, what's the best technique for scamming a ticket out of someone for free, sleeping in Center Camp for a week, utilizing the guide and posted free food giveaways, how to recognize a forming queue out on the open playa, best ways to sit down on a couch and ingratiate into anothers camp without detection, arranging "you buy, I fly" ice runs, volunteering in areas that collect tips, picking up costumes from the camps offering them as gifts, seeking out and securing cold beers and iced mugs from the coolers of unsuspecting camps, looking like a sherpa while grabbing like a tweeker, and on and on. Good luck!

[digital]

Just learn to suck the golden teat of the ORG.
The milk is sweet and oh so delicious!

[pink]

For a real answer, there was one new guy who wrote a detailed description of how he did the burner bus with only the requisite luggage & camped solo. So you might want to check his post (look for the bus feedback thread) here on eplaya. He did it pretty inexpensively.

[Ratty]

You might be thinking of Spacetime. He wrote at length of his first experience. I think the thread was was called Burner Bus Impressions.

[digital]

My answer was real.

The ORG offers numerous 'temporary hire' positions on playa. Some include a free ticket and meal pass.

Doesn't get much cheaper than that (though it can be a ton of work). I ended up making money last year. Well, minus fuel.

[Elderberry]

I think this the post Ratty and Pink were referring to: viewtopic.php?f=286&t=71830&p=1047028#p1043968

[theCryptofishist]

My answer was real.

The ORG offers numerous 'temporary hire' positions on playa. Some include a free ticket and meal pass.

Doesn't get much cheaper than that (though it can be a ton of work). I ended up making money last year. Well, minus fuel.

The information that it is possible to work for the ticket and meals is out there, maybe even more awareness than "open secret", but I think things work out better for the event and for the volunteer if that's not the incentive. We had this discussion recently, I forget where.

I suppose that you could sleep on the art and stay in center camp all day for shade...

You could also buy your playa provisions all year round, taking advantage of sales as they come by. I'm not going to advocate saving a gallon of gas whenever you buy some, though.

[digital]

The information that it is possible to work for the ticket and meals is out there, maybe even more awareness than "open secret", but I think things work out better for the event and for the volunteer if that's not the incentive. We had this discussion recently, I forget where.

I missed that discussion; maybe I should keep my mouth shut.

The main point being there are means to make the event less expensive through back-breaking labor and a good work ethic. Of course volunteering should be for volunteering in itself but if you put in the time and energy it is possible to burn with very little out-of-pocket expense.

I might be shooting myself in the foot but given the recent transition to non-profit maybe this secret should be more openly available. Personally, I feel certain crews such as DPW and Gate deserve a few more perks than they currently receive. The least the ORG could do is provide tickets and meals to people who dedicate their time to making the city infrastructure function.

Since this is now drifting off-topic I will duck out.

[some seeing eye]

I must object entirely to this thread and replies on attending cheaply.

Basic costs are the ticket $200-400, lost wages $400+, camping items $200+, transportation $50+ and food $100+.

There are many more desiring attendees than tickets. What are you specifically contributing to the event by this thread? And other ePlayans by their answers? You are welcome to elaborate.

[Lonesomebri]

I was pointing out that one cheap way of doing it was to be completely annoying, un-ethical and a drain on society. That's what I contributed.
But I can understand letting someone who IS going to attend know that they do not need to buy into a camp, rent an RV, put out the big bucks.
Last year it seemed that so many new people thought joining a camp was a requirement or something.
Though I can understand not wanting to encourage people to attend who think that it's a cheap week out.

[theCryptofishist]

So, all threads must specifically contribute to the event?
What a load of hooey. For some people, eplaya in general contributes to their own experience of the event. And the threads of advice, and the threads of drift, and the threads of community building are all a part of that. You cannot tell the effect of any particular thread. And you don't know what pulling any particular thread out of the tapestry will do, but you know pulling too many can only weaken it.

[DrYes]

I wrote this based on the advice I got and read about the last couple days:

http://www.burn.life/burning-on-a-budget.html

[Jovankat]

I must object entirely to this thread and replies on attending cheaply.

Basic costs are the ticket $200-400, lost wages $400+, camping items $200+, transportation $50+ and food $100+.

There are many more desiring attendees than tickets. What are you specifically contributing to the event by this thread? And other ePlayans by their answers? You are welcome to elaborate.

The number of desiring attendees number is going to continue to grow no matter what, is encouraging economic diversity in that pool really a bad thing?

I thought the 10 principles were supposed to be an all the time thing, not just once you'e through the gate. Surely we can at least be radically inclusive in crowd waiting in line to try and get a ticket?

[LionsNzebras]

As new burners, or wanabe burners, I have to say that doing it on the cheep is a good thing. However.....

when I\WE say "on the cheep"
Were more interested in where to get deals on say masks, or what other people use as good cheep masks, suggested anywhere from a bandana to 3m from home depot all thew way up to playalung.
Where to buy the last bit of snacks before we leave never never land for the desolate.
Where to gas, where to camp, where to hang out with fellow burners on the way down, where to meet new and interesting people on our journey.

However what is cheep to me, is not cheep to you, or vs versa.

Personally, doing it the way the thread suggested is in my (lion's) opinion not the way to do a good burn.
What is the person contributing as a whole? they are being a burden on the entire festival.

When you read the 10 principals, and I have read them 42 times, at least, trying to figure out what exactly they mean to me and how to incorporate them into my life and first burn, to get the whole experience, or as much of said experience as I can.

But perhaps that is the point entirely, what it means to me, is not what "it" means to you, or them, or him or her.

Not that I can speak from actual experience, just vicariously through you, the burners and every scrap of reading I can get my hands on.
One of the things I am most looking forward to is meeting some of you in person, and having these amazing conversations in person, listening to everyone's view and opinions.

I love volunteering at these type of events, yes to get paid and recognized is even better, but its not the reason I choose to do it, sure it would take a little financial burden off of me, but hey if I truly want to do it, ill save for it. I always perfer to work security, or flip burgers in trade for something, thats just how the world works not that I like it that way.
We flipped burgers for 3 days at one festival in the canteen shack, in 30C weather just for a premium spot to camp, and free tickets. (we camped behind the owners house! and the grass was so soft hehe)
After flipping burgers for 8-12 hours your almost done for the night, by the time you eat and clean up, take in one or two stage shows your ready for bed, because 7am comes early. Especially when your feeding 30 thousand people 3 times a day.

So...its a lot of ranting\chatting and I apologize for such a long post but it kind of brings me to this:

If the person is contributing, self reliant, surviving on what they have, I would be happy to give them a meal, guide them the best I can, or at least try and point them in the right direction, and If I cant do this whats the point of being human at all?

[LionsNzebras]

I wrote this based on the advice I got and read about the last couple days:

http://www.burn.life/burning-on-a-budget.html

I would love to read this, but this link is broken.

[VultureChow]

Hmmm. Interesting thought experiment.

My tips:

1)Freecycle - You can get lots of good things on freecycle. In particular I would look for your major items there. Tent, Sleeping Bag, Cooler. The type of things people replace and then throw out the old one.
2)Lists - Make your list early and for all that is holy, keep to it. It's tempting to find cool things and new projects and gifts and go way overboard. List discipline is important.
3)Be creative - Look at Ratty's thread about repurposing your old clothes and things into something fun. You could probably get an extra tent on freecycle and rig a shade structure from the poles.
4)Don't be afraid to leave something behind - You need a hammer to pound in your tent stakes. Guess what. There are thousands of hammers already at Burning Man and most people are happy to lend you theirs. Don't bring a hammer. That goes for lots of tools, seating, etc.
5)Buy what you like, not what's cheapest- I know this sounds wrong, but if you don't like powerbars, don't buy them to survive off of no matter how cheap they are. Buy what you like, just buy a lot less of it. Also treat yourself. Buy one nice bottle of booze. Or a luxurious blanket. Or moisturizer. Whatever gives you the most pleasure. It does wonders for you when your hot and tired and uncomfortable in your small tent.

Finally: NO GIFTS!!!!- I know this is antithetical to what most people tell you, but don't bother with the gifting. YOU are the greatest gift you can give. Be kind, and helpful and thankful and fun. The city is full of artists and the greatest gift you can give us is your open appreciation of our art. If you feel the need to gift something, share some booze, or food or a poem or song. Swag is fun, and gifting it is fun, but my finest memories have been of the people who stop by to talk to me about my art or outfit or whatever.

Also, as an aside, camp dues can be an excellent and cheap way to burn. The right camp will help you find ride shares, people who will help you haul stuff, warm meals and security.

[unjonharley]

Don't look to me to feed and shelter your sorry cheap ass...

I wouldn't piss on a scrounger if he's was fire..

I'm into sharing with with sharers.

[digital]

I wrote this based on the advice I got and read about the last couple days:

http://www.burn.life/burning-on-a-budget.html

I think this is an excellent post and I hope you continue to exand on it, eventually including links to necessary items on the cheap. I like your approach of providing various tiers of burning and details of each. Excellent work.

Don't look to me to feed and shelter your sorry cheap ass...

I wouldn't piss on a scrounger if he's was fire..

Oh, come on, man. Where are your hippy ideals? Don't you know the love of mother earth dictates you should provide for me when I'm too lazy and cheap to provide for myself? On that note, I'm expecting you to bring me a brand new bike next year, and keep it tuned up, because, man, it's such a pain to bring my own. Also, could you decorate it as well? I need to put my limited funds into pot and booze. Thanks in advance.

[trilobyte]

Great piece, DrYes, and congrats on the site - nice work!

[forty_eight]

From the glossary:

Evaporation Pond: What people build to evaporate their grey water. Since you can't just dump grey water on the playa, you need to either haul your dirty water to a portapotty and dump it

Is this a legit practice?

I read recently that the portapotty servicing camp will take your water for a fee, but that seemed like potentially old info from the Earth Guardian site.

[unjonharley]

From the glossary:

Evaporation Pond: What people build to evaporate their grey water. Since you can't just dump grey water on the playa, you need to either haul your dirty water to a portapotty and dump it

Is this a legit practice?

I read recently that the portapotty servicing camp will take your water for a fee, but that seemed like potentially old info from the Earth Guardian site.

Think about this... 68 000 people dumping there gray water in the port-a-pots..

NO!!!

[vargaso]

Two ways of approaching it: being self-sufficient or relying on "the playa provides" mindset. Either is valid, to my mind. There's so much surplus food on the playa that one could argue NOT bringing any is contributing to less waste. Also, Burning Man is already a cheap way to spend a week surrounded by the most amazing art and entertainment to be found on the planet. $400 bucks for 7 days of that? Cheap.

If you're going the self-sufficient route, you can do food and shelter for $200 - $300 for the week for 2 people. If you already have camping gear, subtract $100 from that range. Thusly:

• hang some tarp off of your car for shade
  buy used camping gear (tent, Coleman camping stove, cooler, water container, that's all you need)
  $5 for breakfasts (2 boxes of Safeway Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal)
  $5 bucks for lunches (make a large container of pasta salad with chopped up kilbasa, always lasts the week between my wife and I)
  $40 for dinners (buy Mountain House freeze-dried meals in bulk on Amazon)

[forty_eight]

Think about this... 68 000 people dumping there gray water in the port-a-pots..

NO!!!

are we gifting constructive criticism or moral outrage here?

lol

but yeah, the USS camp might be the place for that extra gray water!

http://earthguardians.net/lnt_practices_water.htm

Pay to Dispose. During the event, you can take your graywater containers to the United Site Services camp. (Ask directions at PlayaInfo.) They will charge you $1/gallon to accept it.

[Savannah]

I outlined in the "I'm humpbacked and poor..." thread how I burned for between $1,000 and $1,200 my first time. (It's been a while, so these days the tickets are $100 more, but I also own all my own camping gear now.)

ETA: I merely linked this initially, but the link couldn't be followed.

can anyone help me understand the extra $1,000 conservative estimate on costs? i get gas and food, but food i have to pay wherever i am so no additional cost there, gas i get. what am i missing?

A very fair question. I confess, my first Burn was on a shoestring, so whether or not you can do it on the cheap entirely depends on what kind of person you are, what kind of comforts you require, how realistic you are, how many miles away you are, how you're getting there, what skillz you have, if you're going with friends who can split costs, and the resources you already own or have borrowed.

My first burn lined up like this:

* Ticket: $300 (ish?)
* Gas (Rideshare): $200 (high estimate)
* Food and Liquor: $150 (high estimate. Brought very little booze & ran out; was shy & therefore found it almost impossible to get a drink)
* Tent: Free (borrowed)
* Costumes: Already owned (though not sufficient for the coldest nights; it was a huge bummer to dress plainly on Burn night)
* Miscellaneous Camping Supplies (1st Aid, Sunscreen, Tools, Etc): $200-300)
* Water: Not sure ($30?)
* Bike: none. Would have been really nice to have a cheap one. Oh, well.
* Shower: None. Baby wipes and 1 improvised shower. I smelled okay considering, but this was the hardest to go without, & have been better prepared since.
* Shade: borrowed from people I was camping with. Very important.
* Ice: none. I didn't chill a damned thing. To this day I chill only champagne, shelf-stable milk, etc; never cook there, and bring foods that are tasty cold or sunwarmed and am perfectly happy. I've got stuff to do!
Film: $50

(Unexpected things that eat money that did not affect me but have affected friends: speeding tickets or other police stops up to several hundred payable on demand--if on an Indian reservation, injuries on the way or during the event [these include broken bones, kidney stones and heat exhaustion], insurance for out of state shenanigans, passports, vehicular breakdowns, forgotten event tickets--or other items bought on the way. I strongly recommend having a credit card with you, to back you up--or advance you cash--and to call the company to warn them before you travel. It helps avoid them freezing your account if there are expenses they think are suspicious, and of course it's just you buying a riding crop in Denver . . . as one does.)

Anyway, the above itemized list is how you do it for cheap. It's not impossible. But . . . I had an oddly good attitude, lucky good health, a rideshare, determination, and absolutely zero expectations (not because I was wise or zen, but because I had known about the event for two months when I decide to go, and this was 11 years ago and consciousness about the event was far more narrow than it is now).

So . . . if you are self-aware and realistic, handy, optimistic, have friends or travelmates, some supplies, and networking abilities, you can absolutely do it on the cheap, but ePlayans have understandable concern here any time someone with very limited resources posts about wanting to attend (for the first time) without knowing what a money pit the event can be if you're not careful, or how hard it can be if your expectations are high, or you need certain comforts.

Hope that helps. Godspeed.

Other tips for Burning Cheaper:

* If you have kind friends or family who buy you gifts, add camping items to your online Wish Lists for holidays and birthdays. Prime items would things you might have trouble affording on your own, or might buy cheaper versions of if they weren't gifts, i.e. tents, cots, coolers, or camp furniture.

* Email local friends and relatives regarding collecting their old wheeled luggage, or semi-abandoned camping equipment they might lack space for in the garage, and might actively enjoy letting go of.

* Hit up thrift stores for washables--clothes, folding furniture, etc. Padded folding chairs with vinyl seats make great camp chairs (you won't sweat as much on folding chairs, because they don't envelop you) and can be cleaned super easily with a little spray bleach.

* Buy throughout the year so you can wait for sales/coupons, and don't need Rush shipping.

* Explore Ratty's thread about clothes:
Start with what you have. It's easier and cheaper.
viewtopic.php?f=279&t=53078

* Use military surplus or military issue online, especially for pod belts (assemble your own) and goggles. Either are easy to decorate on your own if you've a mind to.

* Resist the fear of being conspicuous if you are not blinged out 24 hours a day, showering daily, or sleeping in an expensive RV. About 50% of the people on the playa sleep in tents & bathe with garden sprayers and baby wipes. No one cares how much money you've spent.

[shroom]

I camped in a tent. My largest expense was driving across the country from Georgia. I think the gas, nightly stops, food, etc cost more than my BM tickets and supplies. I'm sure I still did it cheaper than a lot of folks.

[Jovankat]

Think about this... 68 000 people dumping there gray water in the port-a-pots..

NO!!!

are we gifting constructive criticism or moral outrage here?

I can't speak for what Unjohn was conveying but I've definitely seen Robbidobbs rail against this practice. The portaloos are emptied on a schedule that's based on their regular usage. Dumping a whole lot of grey water in them would fill the. Up quicker than they could be emptied.

[DrYes]

I wrote this based on the advice I got and read about the last couple days:

http://www.burn.life/burning-on-a-budget.html

I think this is an excellent post and I hope you continue to exand on it, eventually including links to necessary items on the cheap. I like your approach of providing various tiers of burning and details of each. Excellent work.

Thanks, appreciate it. The whole site is very much a work-in-progress in my spare time. I'll keep chipping away adding more info.

The links to necessary items on the cheap is a potentially controversial one though. For instance, I had links to Amazon to buy the tent and cooler I use, but after a conversation with the very friendly media relations coordinator at BMORG I removed those links. They had nicely asked if I'd remove brand names entirely but I declined as that's valuable info and that way I am recommending a product I've actually used. I recognize what a semi-empty gesture removing the link to Amazon is given that someone can just google the tent name and buy it easily enough, but de-commodification is a pretty big grey area anyway. I guess this way I'm not choosing which vendor they buy it from, at least.