Footwear

[Wigwam]

DerbyDave,

Swing by. I'll give you the first shot. Maybe it's trial by...no, I just can't say it. It's too easy.

[maladroit]

The ritual is complete, the virgin has been sacrificed. We shall enjoy a rich harvest of dust and oontz and drama this season.

[chuckularone]

Well... That was quick! Blink my eyes and the sacrifice is over!

[Savannah]

Well... That was quick! Blink my eyes and the sacrifice is over!

They grow up so fast . . .

[late]

@derpydave

Search found 2726 matches: boots
Search found 3116 matches: shoes

They weren't jumping on you, just telling you basic forum etiquette, namely, search it first before you ask a question that's been asked thousands of times.

At the least, add your specific questions to an already existing forum post.

Have a good burn!

[FaeTora]

I've been reading up on what type of footwear to bring. The one thing that didn't get mentioned much is sneakers. Will a good pair of sneakers be good as my main thing to wear? Are boots better? Sneakers just seem like theycd be easier and lighter on your feet.

I usually wear my police issued boots, but I have worn wedges and heels. Whatever you feel comfortable on a hike, wearing in the desert is fine. Just remember clean socks. I usually also let my feet air out after my morning shower and then use moisturizer.

[DerbyDave 18]

Maybe that's one of the reasons I'm going..to get over being too sensitive, which everyone from friends to my shrink have said that I can be. Being bipolar doesn't help with that particular issue either. So go ahead and give me hell so I can work on it.

[Lonesomebri]

I don't know about everyone else, but these shoes really worked for me in Thunder Dome.

ProperFootWear.jpg

[DerbyDave 18]

I'll get boots, I'll get sneakers and I'll get sandals and hopefully I won't destroy my feet.

[caffeineslinger]

Anything new you might want to break in a little bit. I've already started wearing my playa footwear in rotation.

[DerbyDave 18]

I'm not going anywhere. I've been told by my friends, my family and my various shrinks that I can be oversensitive at times. Probably being bipolar doesn't help even with the meds. So maybe dealing with this is one of the reasons for going to this thing. So when you see me give me a hard time so I can get over myself.

[maladroit]

We're not going to give you a hard time for no reason, you'll have to work for it!

[Roy333]

asked and answered a million times! I'm glad you are excited, but there should be some amount of research you do on your own dear.

Thanks for the non-answer to show you have been around longer than DerbyDave and others who have not had the chance to read the entire ePlaya board. That was so helpful.

[tamarakay]

asked and answered a million times! I'm glad you are excited, but there should be some amount of research you do on your own dear.

Thanks for the non-answer to show you have been around longer than DerbyDave and others who have not had the chance to read the entire ePlaya board. That was so helpful.

Thanks for the input. This was in response to multiple posts by old dd here, all of which were very very simple easy to find answers. A lot of them. I also make the point that if he was struggling with these simple things I was worried about the rest of his set up. I suggested that he go camping at a state park to give it a whirl as he mentions he had never done that either. So, I guess this is my nice way of saying stfu unless you know the whole story. Drink some water and eat a clif bar.

[willisdeanrules]

I'll be wearing thigh high tiger boots. Rawr bitches.

[MikeGyver]

I bought a pair of thrift store boots, put good insoles in, wore them to work for a few weeks and have worn them for 3 burns with 0 issues. Find something comfortable and stick with it.

Im very saddened that my friend talked me into cleaning them last year for a defaultia costume so 3 years of playa dust will need to be reapplied this year.

[SquirrelHead]

Thanks for the input. This was in response to multiple posts by old dd here, all of which were very very simple easy to find answers. A lot of them. I also make the point that if he was struggling with these simple things I was worried about the rest of his set up. I suggested that he go camping at a state park to give it a whirl as he mentions he had never done that either. So, I guess this is my nice way of saying stfu unless you know the whole story. Drink some water and eat a clif bar.

Wait.......we get cliff bars with our spankings? This day keeps getting better and better!!

Also, I wear Doc Marten boots pretty much the whole time. Brings tons of comfy socks!!!

[SquirrelHead]

I bought a pair of thrift store boots, put good insoles in, wore them to work for a few weeks and have worn them for 3 burns with 0 issues. Find something comfortable and stick with it.

Im very saddened that my friend talked me into cleaning them last year for a defaultia costume so 3 years of playa dust will need to be reapplied this year.

OH THE HORROR!!! You never clean the playa dust off the playa shoes!!!!

[MikeGyver]

I bought a pair of thrift store boots, put good insoles in, wore them to work for a few weeks and have worn them for 3 burns with 0 issues. Find something comfortable and stick with it.

Im very saddened that my friend talked me into cleaning them last year for a defaultia costume so 3 years of playa dust will need to be reapplied this year.

OH THE HORROR!!! You never clean the playa dust off the playa shoes!!!!

I know. Im ashamed.

[DerbyDave 18]

Tamarkay, I really hope I run into you while I'm there. From what you've written I can tell you're the type of person I would normally want nothing to do with. It would be an interesting meeting to say the least.

[gaminwench]

DD:

I'm teaching Singing for Scaredycats
(I have no idea if this fits your personal make-up, but on the off-chance ... )

at TamaraKay's on

WEDNESDAY, 11-12:30

and i would love to see you there, participating.

Really, I just want to check on your feet ...

[Canoe]

Tamarkay, I really don't care if you think I'm not good enough or ready for this or will be able to handle the experience. Your approval means nothing to me. ...

And in the end, your approval means nothing to any of us. What does matter to us is that people attending don't get hurt, yourself included, and that your mistakes don't fuck up other's Burn.

...we honestly want everyone to be prepared so as not to be a drain on the community...

And it's not just a drain on the community on-playa, there are real risks. Given that

... I will manage to get to this, get through it and I'm pretty sure have a great time despite the fact that I'm pretty much a city slicker with no experience in this sort of thing..ever. ...

your experience level is nil, yet your first experience is going to a harsh physical environment. That's like being a couch potato and deciding you're going to take up running so the first thing you do is enter the Boston Marathon. And then it could even be a hard year on the playa (75mph+ winds, 95F+ or even 100F+ temps, or down to temps in the 30's), if you haven't done adequate research or adequate preparation and a successful execution on the playa (your shelter screw-up could blow across the city and injure someone or cost them their life!!!) and if you're not capable of dealing with a harsh physical environment, and an environment that can be mentally and emotionally taxing, then you're at risk and you could easily be putting others at risk. So when we see the simple/easy/widely-covered issues missed, we worry about the important ones.

...But you have asked several of the really simple ones to find answers too. Makes me really worry about the rest of your setup.

... I will manage to get to this, get through it and I'm pretty sure have a great time despite the fact that I'm pretty much a city slicker with no experience in this sort of thing..ever. That's why I'm asking so many questions and I have been reading posts and doing searches and googling my brains out every day. ...I guess this is a lesson in the whole radical self reliance idea I've read about here because that's what I plan on doing from now on. Relying on myself, not you people.

If you haven't done your homework and preparation, you will not have a good time. Self reliance isn't just "a thing", it's necessary. There will not necessarily be someone able to save your ass. Read the disclaimers on the back of the ticket.
If you have not read the Survival Guide, drop everything else and go read it. All of it.

Seriously consider taking the advice to do a weekend in a state park. Even an overnight in the nearest campground. Or even setup your tent in your backyard for a night or two. If you can't do those, then clear a space in the middle of your living room and setup there; live in it and learn to use your equipment. ANY practice you can get will give you a better chance, and allow you to better access if you are ready for this. If you try and can't yet manage/handle the camping successfully, then sell your ticket and start planning/practising for next year.

P.S.

• Make sure you have medical coverage, and that it includes covering the cost of MedEvac.
• If you get to BRC, be aware that one of the larger issues that end up burdening Medical on the playa, and regularly requires people be evacuated back to civilization for treatment, is people who go off their meds... Don't. If you have issues on-playa, get to medical. Find out in advance where the various medical locations are at BRC.
• Make sure you carry your ID, ticket, contact information, camp location on-playa, your medicine and medical information with you at all times.
• Make sure you understand about dehydration and playa-condition. Bring something to add to your water to ensure your electrolytes are kept up (Emergen-C powder packets are cheap for 30 packet boxes at WallyWorld).

[tamarakay]

[quote="DerbyDave 18"]Tamarkay, I really hope I run into you while I'm there. From what you've written I can tell you're the type of person I would normally want nothing to do with. It would be an interesting meeting to say the leas

I am easy to find. You might be surprised.

[Netty58]

Hey DerbyDave dude. Netty here - another Newbie. I wore canvas high tops last year that had a rubber toe box. I was bike free so did A LOT of walking. That rubber toe box got hard as concrete - wouldn't bend. Spent the majority of my burn in rubber Teva sandals. My feet sighed with relief. I made sure I washed that lovely dust off my feet at least once a day with vinegar and water (melted ice is positively orgasmic on hot dusty tootsies). A cat tray makes an excellent foot bath. Also make sure you put sunblock on your naked feet.

But that was just me. I saw lots of people out there in converse high tops who weren't hobbling. So what do I know. What everyone else said. These good folks are THE resource for information. Perhaps next time, offer what you've learned before you ask for help. Just saying. Have a super day.

[misfit]

>>>> I was told that old timers can be disagreeable and unpleasant and I'm seeing that in many cases that appears to be true.<<<<

DD, the ones giving you a hard time probably got beaten up in school and punched in the hallways for no reason.
the playa is nothing like eplaya. people are generally kind and helpful. on eplaya the ignore button can be your best friend.
as far as your question goes, I wear palladium boots for work and play, sandals work for lounging. sometimes its easier to answer the question and let it die, than go through 2 pages of, "go search the answer yourself". which usually leads to unhappy newbie. I'm pretty sure they have the self reliance thing down.
have a great burn DD.............

[Canoe]

... the playa is nothing like eplaya. people are generally kind and helpful...

Key word there is generally.
And more so IF you've done your homework and IF you've already tried and IF you're not being a jerk.

But sometimes on the playa, all bets are off. Some veterans on the playa believe in teaching a lesson in self reliance. Like the people who will give you and your gear a ride to the playa, but not a ride home. Even if your gear includes a trailer. Or they'll take your gear to BRC for you, dump it somewhere, and now you have to find it before it walks. Or give you a ride to the other side of BRC on their art car, but now you have to walk back (you should take water with you everywhere anyway). Or they'll intentionally give you bad information if they feel you've failed on "IF you've done your homework and IF you've already tried and IF you're not being a jerk".
(if you're on-playa and having a hard time mentally or emotionally, let them know, so they don't write you off as a jerk)

The best plan is to have a plan and be self reliant.
If you're doing that (and sometimes if you're not), and still need assistance on-playa, most people at BRC will go tons out of their way to help, or tons of people help a little bit so you get tons of help.

[theCryptofishist]

Does anyone else find it utterly astounding that Tamarakay is being razzed for being a mean, snarky oldtimer? When she's one of the sweetest, kindest, most nurturing presences on the board?

Seriously, not only is the eplaya not the playa, but on eplaya there's a spatial distortion that happens when you map three-dee people to two-dee medium and you can't tell the snarks, from the boojums, from the pussycats.


(I'm either a snark or a boojum. I'm not telling you which.)

[caffeineslinger]

Does anyone else find it utterly astounding that Tamarakay is being razzed for being a mean, snarky oldtimer? When she's one of the sweetest, kindest, most nurturing presences on the board?

This surprises me as well. Especially when there are several others much more deserving.

[tamarakay]

Hush you guys, you are blowing my cover. It's kinda fun to be considered snarky

[tamarakay]

once upon a time, when I was exhausted from rescuing a very needy camper, a very wise village mate told me "we won't let her die, but let her suffer. She'll do better next year or she won't come back."

So, while I do help people who have emergencies, I do let unprepared people suffer a bit. Hard for a mama type to do.