Burning Alone

[mdmf007]

First time burner. 27/f/nyc. Thinking of traveling alone. Any serious opinions on this?

If you go alone - you wont be a stranger. There is no shortage of good vibes and there are some serious upsides - some being:

1. Your on your schedule! no one to wait for to get ready or to whine about their feet or "its too far"
2. Spontaneity is awesome! wandering around alone has netted me some of my best memories in life at TTITD - not just in the default world.
3. No commitments! You can do what you want. Stay in the furry bar all night and there is no one to get back too.
4. You DO NOT have any lightweights to babysit (ask the mods about this lightweight - or better yet, not. )
5. No one to make a mess in the tent, car, rv, box truck...

Re camping on a flatbed? what? if your renting - rent a minivan. Lots of room with the seats folded up and its got AC if you need it. Get some sheets to black out the windows at goodwill or silver reflective fabric at one of the box stores.

Have a blast, and make friends.

[Savannah]

First time burner. 27/f/nyc. Thinking of traveling alone. Any serious opinions on this?

If you go alone - you wont be a stranger. There is no shortage of good vibes and there are some serious upsides - some being:

1. Your on your schedule! no one to wait for to get ready or to whine about their feet or "its too far"
2. Spontaneity is awesome! wandering around alone has netted me some of my best memories in life at TTITD - not just in the default world.
3. No commitments! You can do what you want. Stay in the furry bar all night and there is no one to get back too.
4. You DO NOT have any lightweights to babysit (ask the mods about this lightweight - or better yet, not. )

On the upside, Mdmf007, we've learned that you have a tremendous singing voice.

[some seeing eye]

We have been having a big debate (really a small debate) on solo first time virgins - join a camp or go solo? It runs in parallel with the to costume or not debate.

But I would say that it should be pretty easy to find and meet other burners in NYC - there are quite a few. Start now and get invited to their parties and maybe make some long time year round friends. A good place to start is http://regionals.burningman.org/regiona ... /new-york/.

[ruebear]

Hi Gloww

I too may end up going by myself since my husband still hasn't gotten a ticket and we aren't near any regionals :/ I'm a 25 year old female and virgin burner. I really don't want to miss out on this opportunity since I have a ticket but i too have the same concerns as you. Hope it works out for you

[Captain Goddammit]

I too may end up going by myself since my husband still hasn't gotten a ticket and we aren't near any regionals :/ I'm a 25 year old female and virgin burner.

uh oh

[Ratty]

Ruebear, You come camp with me. I'll protect you.

[some seeing eye]

Just about anywhere in the world, there are burners you can find by social media, or person to person in person connecting, even where there is not a regional or large regional campouts, decompressions and recompressions.

With the many years of the event, people are always flexing in and flexing out. So they may have excess burning man supplies. They certainly have experiences to relate.

So connect in person before the event!

(Even if you decide to camp solo)

[ruebear]

haha, what is that supposed to mean Captain Goddammit?

[FIGJAM]

Virgin burner going solo can lead to relationship problems!!!!!

[Ratty]

Figgy no. Get your head out of that rut. My husband has never been there and will never go. If your relationship is strong before you attend it will be fine. If not, oh well, you were looking for a spouse when you tripped over that one.

(Sorry Ruebear's husband. I hope you get to come along.)

[Captain Goddammit]

There is such a thing as a BRC Hall Pass, which works fine for some, not for others. It's up to you to decide.

[FIGJAM]

Figgy no. Get your head out of that rut. My husband has never been there and will never go. If your relationship is strong before you attend it will be fine. If not, oh well, you were looking for a spouse when you tripped over that one.

(Sorry Ruebear's husband. I hope you get to come along.)

I said "can", not "will".

We all know how much the experience can change our perspective and haven't we read this scenario many times before?

It was a warning and comment on what I thought the captain meant.

[Aurelia]

so glad that you get it Figgy

xoA.

[some seeing eye]

Aren't there some BM relationships threads? Maybe that is a better place to discuss?

Relationships are important! But maybe not the direction we should immediately jump into on introductory logistics threads?

[mdmf007]

First time burner. 27/f/nyc. Thinking of traveling alone. Any serious opinions on this?

If you go alone - you wont be a stranger. There is no shortage of good vibes and there are some serious upsides - some being:

1. Your on your schedule! no one to wait for to get ready or to whine about their feet or "its too far"
2. Spontaneity is awesome! wandering around alone has netted me some of my best memories in life at TTITD - not just in the default world.
3. No commitments! You can do what you want. Stay in the furry bar all night and there is no one to get back too.
4. You DO NOT have any lightweights to babysit (ask the mods about this lightweight - or better yet, not. )

On the upside, Mdmf007, we've learned that you have a tremendous singing voice.

OMG - this gets better........ ( I drank so much in such a short time I went into the future that afternoon)

[ruebear]

Thank you Ratty! You're so sweet and fingers crossed, he'll get a ticket. and everyone, have a little faith.
I know, I'm young but I wouldn't jeopardize my marriage for some short lived fling (I'm sure people have said that before and not followed through).

But really, loyal women still exist. But I digress. I'm more worried about someone slipping something into my drink. I read having a sippy cup is good as well as watching people make your drink although, what if the drink is already laced with something? How would I know? i could stick to just drinking closed drinks if that's an option out on the playa which would mean mixed drinks are out of the question?

[Captain Goddammit]

A burner from way back, with the DPW since the beginning that we knew as "Bob the Couch" (because his avatar picture was a couch) used to say he didn't accept drinks from anyone unless it was in an unopened can.

[Zubeneschamali]

Same thing I tell my kids, one who is same age as you: Don't accept drinks from strangers. 99.9% of the time its all good. Don't be that other statistic.

I love all the bars out there, but honestly its been years I've had a drink at a bar I don't know. But for the following reasons: (a) I know what I like and what I'm in the mood for. Rarely does that mesh with whats being offered. (b) I like my drink mixed a certain way. (c) I like mine with a lot of ice. So instead of being a tool at someone's bar, I carry my own.

[Ratty]

Last year was the first year I carried a little flask. I loved it.

[ruebear]

Thank you everyone

[skippy3k]

This is a bit of a thread drift, but the last few posts mentioned accepting drinks from strangers. For years, my wife and I would go to various camp bars, carefully watch them pour our drinks and thought we felt safe. This weekend we were at a private party in a club and she got roofied. By whom, we have no idea. Nor do we know what the intent was because no stranger ever tried to pick her up or talk to her. We knew many of the attendees. We can only assume it was just for kicks to watch her, or the person ended up focusing their attention on someone else. (After a long scary night, she ended up being ok. Huge parts of her memory of the evening were lost however.)

So the point of the story is spiked drinks can happen. This year we will only be accepting closed containers on the playa. Be careful everyone.

[maladroit]

Watch out for medication interactions, too. If you're taking allergy medication (even the non-drowsy kind) then one drink can feel like four, and you might think you've been roofied. Don't even try it with anti-anxiety meds.

[Savannah]

Thank you Ratty! You're so sweet and fingers crossed, he'll get a ticket. and everyone, have a little faith.
I know, I'm young but I wouldn't jeopardize my marriage for some short lived fling (I'm sure people have said that before and not followed through).

But really, loyal women still exist. But I digress. I'm more worried about someone slipping something into my drink. I read having a sippy cup is good as well as watching people make your drink although, what if the drink is already laced with something? How would I know? i could stick to just drinking closed drinks if that's an option out on the playa which would mean mixed drinks are out of the question?

I dislike sippy cups, so I simply keep my cup in my hand or swinging from my clothes on a carabeener, emptied.

I generally stick to drinks from trusted friends only, and bring a stock of my own stuff.

If I get to open the bottle or have my own can--that's cool, too.

Booze hits hard on the playa, so a proper meal beforehand and careful hydration--before, during and after--are key.

[Captain Goddammit]

Hey little girl, want some candy?

[some seeing eye]

As CG has pointed out that burners can solo, it is not mandatory to join a camp. And although I suggest costumes, I mean at least throw a creative hat or jewelry into your clothing mix (take a look at camp group photos for a range of BM attire).

In the same way, you don't have to drink at bars to have fun. There are about 900 placed camps. They are all required to be interactive. The easy way is to have a bar. The purpose is to create a situation where strangers can chat. But you don't have to drink to chat. There are many other interactive experiences offered by the camps beyond the basic bar and there is a huge "What, Where, When" guide that captures a fraction of what you might experience. So if you don't want to worry about people altering your drinks, bring your own, including and especially at the large dance parties. I think in my quite a few years at the event, the only time I sat at a bar and sampled what they were serving was once at an absinthe bar with about 30 homemade ones. Gifted food, two tacos, one snow cone and I think one cup of tea. None of my camps has had a public bar, or really much of a bar at all. The center camp also has coffee and wimpy lemonade for sale, it is not adulterated.

[ruebear]

As CG has pointed out that burners can solo, it is not mandatory to join a camp. And although I suggest costumes, I mean at least throw a creative hat or jewelry into your clothing mix (take a look at camp group photos for a range of BM attire).

In the same way, you don't have to drink at bars to have fun. There are about 900 placed camps. They are all required to be interactive. The easy way is to have a bar. The purpose is to create a situation where strangers can chat. But you don't have to drink to chat. There are many other interactive experiences offered by the camps beyond the basic bar and there is a huge "What, Where, When" guide that captures a fraction of what you might experience. So if you don't want to worry about people altering your drinks, bring your own, including and especially at the large dance parties. I think in my quite a few years at the event, the only time I sat at a bar and sampled what they were serving was once at an absinthe bar with about 30 homemade ones. Gifted food, two tacos, one snow cone and I think one cup of tea. None of my camps has had a public bar, or really much of a bar at all. The center camp also has coffee and wimpy lemonade for sale, it is not adulterated.

Thank you, this all useful information as well as everyone else's comments. Thank you all!

[Gunslinger]

DO IT!
I went solo my first burn back in the good ole days when you could buy a ticket 2 weeks before the event.
Not much has changed in the way I do things. Other than I bring a shade structure, Solar panel and batteries, and 2 coolers now instead of one. And better shoes.

Theme camps can be fun, and I've been invited in, but they can also be poorly run or chaotic depending.

I kept it minimal.

First burn:
My beloved Volvo 240 (RIP baby girl)
15 gallons of water.
Beach cruiser bike & lock.
Fancy lights for bike like EL wire and such.
Springbar tent.
Tarp.
Garden sprayer as shower.
Towel.
Medium sized cooler.
Deli sandwich fixings (I don't eat a lot in the desert, but drink a ton)
Canned food and camping stove.
Jar of pickles.
More alcohol than the local pub.
A few warm clothes.
A few costumes & beachwear.
Sunblock.
My fire spinning tools and fuel.
Open mind, and things from the survival guide.

And I came back alive... so will you

[Ratty]

And I came back alive... so will you

I wonder if they 'camped alone' last year. I absolutely love the feature that shows similar threads. Get in the Way Back Machine and help these folks.