Brand Spankin' Newb (I have camping questions)

[SunflowerRz]

My husband and I aren't planning on attending this year's Burning Man, but hopefully 2017 or 2018. I have some questions, as a newb. I've been doing a lot of in depth reading on the website and the from the guidebook I downloaded. I see a lot about Theme Camps and Villages. However, we will be a small group of 8 or fewer. We're going to have an RV, tent and hatchback car (although if it ends up just being my husband and me, we will only be in the RV). Would that be considered a theme camp? I guess what I'm asking is, are all camp sites theme camps? Is that just the name for a camp site in BRC?

Also, would something that simple require the layout plan to be submitted?

Do we get to choose where in BRC we set up camp or do they assign spaces?

I understand and am eager to contribute to BRC, but can we keep our camp site private and help the community while we are out on the playa by assisting other camps, gifting while we wander the playa and visit other camps, mooping, etc? In all likelihood, we will be doing a combination of exploring and finding a way to contribute at our camp grounds, I just want to know my options.

Thank you!

[Savannah]

My husband and I aren't planning on attending this year's Burning Man, but hopefully 2017 or 2018. I have some questions, as a newb. I've been doing a lot of in depth reading on the website and the from the guidebook I downloaded. I see a lot about Theme Camps and Villages. However, we will be a small group of 8 or fewer. We're going to have an RV, tent and hatchback car (although if it ends up just being my husband and me, we will only be in the RV). Would that be considered a theme camp? I guess what I'm asking is, are all camp sites theme camps? Is that just the name for a camp site in BRC?

Welcome to ePlaya!

Anyone can form a theme camp and call themselves what they want to, but the only ones who are Placed within theme camp areas at a specific address are the folks who apply formally, and have their applications accepted. Acceptance is based on a number of criteria.

http://burningman.org/event/camps/criteria/

Registration closed yesterday (late April is typical). Since you're planning to attend in 2017 or 2018, that will be no skin off your nose.

Also, would something that simple require the layout plan to be submitted?

If you want Placement within theme camp areas on the map, yes absolutely. And your application would have to include a lot of information about your camp and what you planned to offer.

Even a small camp that is organized and planning something awesome (lessons, giveaways, activities, theme nights, games, parties) can get placed. In fact, it's probably much easier placing a small but awesome camp where they want to be than placing a camp of 100 people.

Whether or not you get placement, there's no reason you can't camp in a non-theme area, put out a sign, and do your thing. If it involves food or certain drinks beyond the members of your own camp and/or large numbers of people, you need a cheap NV health department license, to prove you know safety guidelines. (That came about because camp-wide sicknesses have occurred as a result of poor food handling / dish handling.)

HOWEVER--there is plenty of room for non-placed camps.

Don't attempt to be a placed camp unless you're really sure you want to do that. Running a registered theme camp can be a lot of work. I wouldn't (generally) recommend it to a new person. Join a theme camp? Sure, if you like. Run one? That's trickier.

Do we get to choose where in BRC we set up camp or do they assign spaces?

If placed, you aim for the address they gave you, and follow any instructions regarding waiting and communicating w/ your placer. (Sometimes things change a little once people start arriving).

If not placed, avoid the shaded areas on the map you'll receive at Greeters (the map will also be available in advance online, probably), look for an empty spot that's not in the street (heh) and even then, talk to your neighbors before you set up. It makes for a harmonious week.

I understand and am eager to contribute to BRC, but can we keep our camp site private and help the community while we are out on the playa by assisting other camps, gifting while we wander the playa and visit other camps, mooping, etc? In all likelihood, we will be doing a combination of exploring and finding a way to contribute at our camp grounds, I just want to know my options.

Thank you!

You can decide to merely be a residential camp for yourself. You need not be a theme camp--you can just visit them when you like (and when they're open) and yes, wander the playa participating, gifting, biking, mooping and enjoying yourself.

It's easier not to run a theme camp your first year and just worry about Leaving No Trace, being radically self-reliant, and participating.

[SunflowerRz]

Oh! Okay. This clears a lot up. Thank you so much! We wont be doing a theme camp, in that case.

Do you have any recommendations for lower traffic volume arrival times? We don't want to be the last ones there to pick out a camping spot!

[EGAZ]

I have been told it is kind of a crap shoot. But here is a graph of last year. Realize the gates don't open until sometime Sunday. (not sure what time, sorry. Noon I think) The front ramp up I assume is showing Early Arrivals. Which are theme camps starting to set things up. One needs approval and an EA pass to do this though. The vets can clarify.

Arrival-exodus.jpg

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[gaminwench]

Arrival (and exodus) is part of the experience, yo.

Resign yourself to hours spent in an awesome queue of yummy folks.
If it is a short queue, consider yourself blessed.
If it is a long queue, consider yourself baptized.

Either way, embrace the queue.

and the dust.

[Savannah]

Arrival (and exodus) is part of the experience, yo.

Resign yourself to hours spent in an awesome queue of yummy folks.
If it is a short queue, consider yourself blessed.
If it is a long queue, consider yourself baptized.

Either way, embrace the queue.

and the dust.

Beautifully put!

And eldergeekaz's chart looks pretty accurate. Translating it into hours is the harder part. 3-5 hours wait on the way in is common during high traffic times, 6 hours (or more) during Exodus is also common. Have in the main cab of your vehicle: water and hydrating drinks, maybe some caffeine, protein-rich snacks, sunscreen, a pee bottle, for ladies: t.p. & a pee funnel (with an oval mouth, $3 at auto parts stores) and good tunes.

Entrance and Exodus are really what you make of them.

[EGAZ]

FYI: I pulled it from the census PDF...

[SunflowerRz]

I love it! Haha. A rite of passage of Burning Man. Thank you! It's good to know the average wait times. I can fix those into my plans.

[Savannah]

I love it! Haha. A rite of passage of Burning Man. Thank you! It's good to know the average wait times. I can fix those into my plans.

Add a few hours extra padding plus time to Reno if you're catching a flight from there.

I have never taken more than 6 hours to get out, but some of my friends have had 8 hour Exodus's. (There was an accident on the 2-lane highway). Dust storms or rainstorms can also close Gate on the way in.

[SunflowerRz]

My husband and I are planning on driving an rv from Texas. We're going to try to camp halfway there. So it'll be a two day trip there. Yipes! We're no strangers.to road trips though. An RV will be a major upgrade from other road trips we've taken.

[Molotov]

SunflowerZ--You might be pushing it to drive it in two days, but I don't know where you live in in Texas.

My route with my travel trailer from NE TX to Burning Man is from Gainesville TX straight north to York, NE, then jump on I-80 all the way to Fernley, NV. Other than a stretch in northern KS, it's interstate all the way and I don't go to Vegas or Reno-I do that on the way back.

I have made this run a couple of times: 2129 miles-it's longer than the direct route but driving time is only two hours more than the most direct 1774 mile route generated by Google maps. My diesel pickup gets better mileage on the interstate-so the 355 mile difference is probably a wash.

Day one: With relatives in Wichita (481 mile leg)
Day two: NE-WY state line rest area (584 mile leg)
Day three: UT-NV state line at West Wendover (591 mile leg)
Day 4: West Wendover to Fernley, NV-refuel, dump tanks, and top off water (378 mile leg)
Day 5: Fernley to Burning Man-95 miles.

[illy dilly]

Hey SunflowerRZ, Welcome to eplaya!
Thank you for asking a direct question and doing your research before hand! A lot of people show up with stupid questions.
Savannah covered it all very well.

And eldergeekaz's chart looks pretty accurate. Translating it into hours is the harder part. 3-5 hours wait on the way in is common during high traffic times, 6 hours (or more) during Exodus is also common. Have in the main cab of your vehicle: water and hydrating drinks, maybe some caffeine, protein-rich snacks, sunscreen, a pee bottle, for ladies: t.p. & a pee funnel (with an oval mouth, $3 at auto parts stores) and good tunes.

Entrance and Exodus are really what you make of them.

The only thing I would add about Exodus is a process called Pulsing. There are 6 lanes of traffic waiting to exit into one lay of highway. The process used to be one car each from lane 1, lane 2, lane 3, etc. Now we pulse, which is 30 (I think) cars from lane 1- wait for them all to get on the highway. Then, 30 cars from lane 2. This does make exodus much faster and organized.
Once lane 1 goes, all the rest of the cars in that lane pull forward. A lot of people turn their cars off between pulses (pulling forward) as it can take 30ish minutes to go through the whole cycle.
The issue that I've noticed is that people turn their car on, pull forward, then turn their car off right away. The vehicle is only on for a minute or two. Then repeat the process. Which kills their battery, because it does not have enough time to recharge since the last start. Its best to let the car continue to run for a few minutes after pulling forward so that your battery can recharge and be ready for the next pulse.

TL;DR- During exodus don't turn your car on, pull forward and turn it off immediately. Doing that too many times will kill the battery.

[Savannah]

The issue that I've noticed is that people turn their car on, pull forward, then turn their car off right away. The vehicle is only on for a minute or two. Then repeat the process. Which kills their battery, because it does not have enough time to recharge since the last start. Its best to let the car continue to run for a few minutes after pulling forward so that your battery can recharge and be ready for the next pulse.

That's good info, thank you--I have driven there twice now and was lucky enough not to encounter pulsing on the way out (I waited til the rush was over) but it's possible I will encounter traffic this year, and I wouldn't have known this.

[Molotov]

When waiting in the pulsing queue, is it considered bad form to blow your horn to wake up the dozing exhausted hippies in front of you to move their car forward? Or perhaps it's just better to bumper tap them or blow an air horn in their window...

[Roundabout]

When waiting in the pulsing queue, is it considered bad form to blow your horn to wake up the dozing exhausted hippies in front of you to move their car forward? Or perhaps it's just better to bumper tap them or blow an air horn in their window...

I wish somebody had done that for me in 2013. I fell asleep during the pause and when the pulse came all the cars behind me just went around. I was woken up much later by a ranger knocking on my window because my car was all alone in the middle of the playa road and it was getting dark. That exodus took me 12 hours.

[Captain Goddammit]

They probably did you a huge favor by letting you get some apparently much-needed sleep before getting out on 447!

[Savannah]

They probably did you a huge favor by letting you get some apparently much-needed sleep before getting out on 447!

Agreed.

[dragonpilot]

Some of my favorite memories are waiting in line getting in and waiting in line getting out.

[BBadger]

When waiting in the pulsing queue, is it considered bad form to blow your horn to wake up the dozing exhausted hippies in front of you to move their car forward? Or perhaps it's just better to bumper tap them or blow an air horn in their window...

donkey_kid.jpg

[illy dilly]

Some of my favorite memories are waiting in line getting in and waiting in line getting out.

Ditto!

We met some folks during exodus that had just moved to CO (our home town). The next year they stopped to help us out when our RV was over heating on the way to Bman. The 2 years after that we all put together a theme camp at our regional.

[illy dilly]

When waiting in the pulsing queue, is it considered bad form to blow your horn to wake up the dozing exhausted hippies in front of you to move their car forward? Or perhaps it's just better to bumper tap them or blow an air horn in their window...

I wish somebody had done that for me in 2013. I fell asleep during the pause and when the pulse came all the cars behind me just went around. I was woken up much later by a ranger knocking on my window because my car was all alone in the middle of the playa road and it was getting dark. That exodus took me 12 hours.

They probably did you a huge favor by letting you get some apparently much-needed sleep before getting out on 447!

Agreed.

I wonder if there would be a way to convert D Lot into a lasts minute nap spot before entering on to 447.
Or possibly just a pull off out of the exodus line to take a nap. A big sign that says
"Did exodus take longer than expected?
Are you tired now?
Do you need a nap before you kill yourself on 447?
Well, pull over here!"

I've had to take 30 minute power naps at the indian taco joint for this very reason.