People Seeking Camps 2016

[BoyScoutGirl]

Welcome to eplaya, Magooey. You got this. You're doing your research, making plans. If you feel you need some in-person advice, try the regional network: http://regionals.burningman.org/regionals/. This is also great for finding potential campmates, though camping solo is often spoken of highly as a first-timer experience. Regardless, when you arrive on-playa, take a few minutes (or hours!) to say "hi" to your new (potential) neighbors. If you don't like the vibe, you can find another place to pitch the tent. But mostly likely they'll become your new friends, and your place will begin to feel familiar, maybe even like a home-away-from-home.

Your nursing skill and experience, plus what seems to be a down-to-earth attitude, would be desirable to most camps. It's likely the Emergency Services Department camps are full, but it might be worth contacting them anyhow.

I'd love to invite you to the Lamplighters, but we filled up in late spring. Still, do come by Lamplighters in Center Camp. We have a great lounge will all sorts, open 22 hours a day. You can also join the procession to light the city, if you like.

[ZigZag]

Hi there, welcome to eplaya.

I will be 64 in December and am also going to my first burn. E-playans have been so very helpful and this site is a wellspring of knowledge.

I am camping solo having come to the conclusion that is the best way for me to experience my first burn. I am volunteering and participating wherever I can and I want the freedom to do what I want without camp obligations or drama. That's my choice of course and though every time I think I am ready, I think of 10 more things to do! They say the virgin's first burn begins long before showing up at the gate and I believe it.

Good luck in your prep. Hope to see you on the playa.

[Mansoon]

Hey, I saw your post, and I think you might be interested in us, Anat's Love Camp. we're are very mixed group, of all ages, so you wouldn't be the oldest one in camp by far. One person is a decade or two older, down to about early 20s. No kids this year, I think. Many vets, but we take in plenty of newbies (Burngins).
We have a very sort of mixed mission, and so there's sort of a "little bit of this little bit of that " aspect to the camp but one thing we're definitely not is a sound camp. So, while there might be music played for a few hours doing the dance lesson, it won't continue far into the night and into the early dawn.
I can send you the smaller ad we usually post for prospective campers, point you to the much longer one that goes into great detail or put you in touch with Anat, our camp lead and namesake. It's actually posted here on ePlaya, but I think some of the info might be a little outdated.
Let me know if you're interested.
Mansoon

[BBadger]

A lot of the preparation stuff is just a refinement of creature comforts people decide to bring to make their trip less stressful. If some of the stuff people make and bring seem overwhelming, remember that most is not necessary to have a good time. In my first year I just had a tent, no shade (except a tarp we threw over our tents), and enough water/food. The following year we brought other things and had a better, and different, time on playa.

I'd suggest just getting your water, food, shade, shelter, and stuff like lights and a bike. That basically means: 1) enough water/drinks, 2) enough food, 3) shade that won't blow away (e.g. monkey hut or carport staked down), 4) shelter that won't blow away (e.g. staked down tent), 5) a bike and lights to be able to visit stuff.

That's about it.

After that (and fitting it in the vehicle), you're pretty much free to attach yourself to any camp, if you want to join a camp. People will help set up your camping arrangement if you need it, and you'll make new friends and have a good time. You can join camps that have more involvement in projects or other stuff, but you shouldn't feel that it is a requirement.

[gaminwench]

Welcome, Magooey!

A fun option, since you like to take care of others (pfluffer, in my playa world), would be to set yourself up as the neighborhood 'Mom'.
Once you've got your own camp set up in some random spot, reach out to the other solo randoms around you and create your neighborhood 'Mom' space. A pedicare station would be an excellent start (be sure to add vinegar to the foot bath)! Serve pickles and you're golden!

[trilobyte]

Hello and welcome to the board - I'm moving this discussion to the Camps & Villages board, since that's a better fit for 'where do I camp' threads. Take a look through the boards for camps that may be open to new members, check the published theme camp list.... or just form your own camp. Good luck!

[trilobyte]

Hello and welcome to the board - I'm moving this discussion to the Camps & Villages board, since that's a better fit for 'where do I camp' threads. Take a look through the boards for camps that may be open to new members, check the published theme camp list.... or just form your own camp. Good luck!

[Mansoon]

Re: New Burner 64 Female ISO a place to call home

Quote

PostFri Jul 29, 2016 10:43 pm
A lot of the preparation stuff is just a refinement of creature comforts people decide to bring to make their trip less stressful. If some of the stuff people make and bring seem overwhelming, remember that most is not necessary to have a good time. In my first year I just had a tent, no shade (except a tarp we threw over our tents), and enough water/food. The following year we brought other things and had a better, and different, time on playa.

I'd suggest just getting your water, food, shade, shelter, and stuff like lights and a bike. That basically means: 1) enough water/drinks, 2) enough food, 3) shade that won't blow away (e.g. monkey hut or staked down), 4) shelter that won't blow away (e.g. staked down tent), 5) a bike and lights to be able to visit stuff.

That's about it.

After that (and fitting it in the vehicle), you're pretty much free to attach yourself to any camp, if you want to join a camp. People will help set up your camping arrangement if you need it, and you'll make new friends and have a good time. You can join camps that have more involvement in projects or other stuff, but you shouldn't feel that it is a requirement.


Well, there's always going to be some disagreement about joining camp or not. And the truth is, it varies somewhat depending on who you are and the circumstances. Camps are not always full of drama — I've had very little drama that actually involved me for many of the years I've been in camps, at least none I was aware of. Now, of course, I've seen and heard of some high drama in big camps, but I've also seen high drama in ones that were small as 2 or even 1 person.
Camps can have lots of resources, showers, kitchens, bikes, including knowledge that you just would take many years to develop on your own. They can have people who help you out with things that you totally forgot or didn't know to bring. They also can provide natural associations with others, and some chance to get to know them. I met my woman in a camp, and made good friends that I've gone to visit outside of the playa. And I've also met people that I never met again, but we had a nice week together . When you're on your own, you might have a random encounter with any number of people. But it's very hard there to really meet again and again.
As for the idea of setting up outside of a camp and just attaching to them? That seems very unlikely to work well. Most of the time, at the registered theme camps with prime spots, you'll just be told "we're all filled up." You're probably, with different camps, welcome to come by, but not camp there. There's about a thousand spots already marked for registered camps. There's little flags in the ground to mark their boundaries, so you really not supposed to be inside of those unless you're part of the camp and they do have have the right to ask you to leave if you're camping in their area or even get the Rangers to move you.
I've been in my camp when some guys tried that and our camp leader had every right to have them tossed and almost did it. She just worked it out with them in the end. It's not just the people there contributions fees. It's also that the person may have an idea about using camp resources, without having contributed like everyone else.
Let's not get it wrong — one of the missions of Love Camp is to show some love for wayward souls. But, there's also another side. Let's call it the Bernie Sanders effect.
"Hey, you want to be one of us?"
"No, I don't want to be one of you, I don't want to chip in, I don't want to do what you do or be part of your group. I just want to camp on your outer edges, occasionally interact when it's convenient for me, and when I need resources and help, can I have some? What, that doesn't make you 100% happy?"☺
But it's also a matter of if the person leaves piles of stuff there, messes up the area, the Camp will get stuck with the blame for it. There's a thousand registered camps, and they're given better placement or situations because they're either judged to be, or trying to be, good citizens. But if we random, unaffiliated people just leave a mess, how will the cleanup crew know it.
And it's also the fact that if something happens to you as a line figure, you don't have any good connections to help you. I got a ride out one year from a guy whose brother had been unlucky enough to be one of the very few arrested that year. His brother needed my help to help take down his camp in less than a day and pack it up. Because there was almost no one else around really would have been able to help.
I also had some friends last year tell me that some people in the back of our camp, who didn't interact with the rest of the camp much, almost left a day early and missed the temple burn because they just didn't know about it. They just didn't know that was going on a whole other day, and they had already packed up all their stuff. My campmates were able to give them shelter so they didn't have to unpack and set it all up again , take them out, and have a nice night with them because they were campmates and they saw them about to make a mistake.
If you're just a stranger in a lone tent, there's almost no way to know what you don't know. Admittedly, it's survivable there, even without a tent . I'm pretty sure that some people just sleep in Center Camp during the night. Even though there's still stuff going on and people wandering through at all hours.
I ended up doing it alone on the last day my first year, left alone after everyone else in our small unregistered camp left and took the kitchen, the shower, the shade structure, and most of the supplies. I didn't know how much I've missed them until they actually gone.
The next year, I ended up camping alone for the first few days by accident, when someone who was supposed to leave me the camp address was too high and wrote down the wrong block.
Had to end up getting some help from neighbors, who took pity on me . I ran into some other friends, and we went and got another spot far in the back, which was not ideal, and we were still missing any number of things until we eventually found our campmates late in the week. moved again on Friday morning. I could survive both instances, but it definitely wasn't the same as being in a camp has been. For me, anyway.
No matter how much you read, or think you know, there's always new things to learn. My girlfriend started going the same time as I did, 2008, but I just told her some stuff a month ago that she didn't know and she's doing ranger training this year.
The saying at the burn is safety third. Third, not first. This is because of the emphasis on living in the moment and participation. Which is what camps do, and what they provide a chance for people to do. There's many ways to interact, and volunteer, but when I interact with people in my camp, I know that I will likely see them again, and get a chance to know them, perhaps. If you volunteer, in the medical facilities, or say, with the Rangers, that's not necessarily the case. You help, but they come and go.
I've gone many places in Black Rock City alone, run into many interesting people. But some of the most interesting times that have stuck with the longest have been because of Camp, talking to people, getting to know them. I once got invited to a wedding there because I just happen to be near someone.
If you said that you are a loner, who can be extroverted, I think that a camp situation might be a better fit for you. Especially if you're the kind of person who also enjoys the part of a party where they get to help out others, and is not used to camping alone in a desert.
You are in a giant city, no doubt, and there are many helpful people about, but there's so many things you can't possibly integrate into your consciousness, even if you read it somewhere in a mass of things on the web, and if you're anxious, a camp can help you realize if you need to be, and alleviate those fears if you don't. That way you can pick and choose how you interact. Then, the next year, if you have a lot more knowledge, it's a lot easier to do that rather than just hoping and praying you get it right this time.

[Mansoon]

Hey, saw your post and I think our camp still has some room.
There are some longer descriptions out there, some of which are a little outdated, but here's the short version that our camp lead, a woman named Anat, posted recently.

It's Anat and I would love to have you in my camp, Anat's Love Camp.
We have great location, kitchen, shower, fresh food, a stage and a dome for healing
Call me anytime, 510-4146064. I am in Berkeley, CA.
Or email me at anatomi@earthlink.net, find Anat Shamash on Facebook, or skype anat2be.

Luck and hope to see you on the playa!
Mansoon

[Mansoon]

Hey, saw your post and I think our camp still has some room.
There are some longer descriptions out there, some of which are a little outdated, but here's the short version that our camp lead, a woman named Anat, posted recently.

It's Anat and I would love to have you in my camp, Anat's Love Camp.
We have great location, kitchen, shower, fresh food, a stage and a dome for healing
Call me anytime, 510-4146064. I am in Berkeley, CA.
Or email me at anatomi@earthlink.net, find Anat Shamash on Facebook, or skype anat2be.

Luck and hope to see you on the playa!
Mansoon

[Mansoon]

Hey in case you missed our posts, I think our camp still has some room.
There are some longer descriptions out there, some of which are a little outdated, but here's the short version that our camp lead, a woman named Anat, posted recently.

It's Anat and I would love to have you in my camp, Anat's Love Camp.
We have great location, kitchen, shower, fresh food, a stage and a dome for healing
Call me anytime, 510-4146064. I am in Berkeley, CA.
Or email me at anatomi@earthlink.net, find Anat Shamash on Facebook, or skype anat2be.

Luck and hope to see you on the playa!
Mansoon

[[tv:]]

CAMP Help WANTED:

Hello Dusty Travellers! Tomas Verde & Googley 3rd Eye need a little help in order to have our ideal Burning Man experience. Myself & my crew (10-12 peeps) are looking for a place to set up camp on the 10:00 side. We We have much to offer and will be self-sufficient once this need is met. In a perfect world our 'pod' would be nestled in a larger camp between 8/9 & A/E. We need 50' of frontage & 50'x60' total. Besides bringing our FUN vibes we can help with cargo to/from the playa, labor, other resources or a financial contribution. We have our own early entrance passes, several small mutant vehicles, two cuddle puddles, plenty o' shade, our own shower (or not) as well as a coconut meal plan, BUBBLES, and magic rubber chicken necklaces.

Please share, reach out if you can help and think pretty thoughts.

Love, light & laughter, [tv:]

[Molotov]

Have you considered volunteering with the Emergency Services Department at Burning Man? We are always in need of experienced medical types, and there are awesome ESD camps with various levels of amenities, from basic DIY and a place to pitch your tent, to camps with a meal plan and showers.

You don't have to work very many shifts, which gives you plenty of time to participate in the wonder that is Burning Man.

Time is short, but it might not be too late to get on board for 2016. http://esd.burningman.org/

[Ratty]

Magooey Welcome to eplaya. I'll keep it short. I'm 64 too. I camp alone and have a ball. Don't be afraid. Would you go to an event in the city alone? If the answer is yes then lose those inhibitions and come on along. Cover the basics of food, comfortable sleep, shade during the heat of the day. (This can be anything from a couple of umbrellas and the back hatch of your van to an elaborate structure.) Water and some gear are essential. Join the party solo or pay to camp with strangers and hope they are your style of people. There is no correct way to burn. If you are approached by a camp be sure and vet them. Look at the member that contacted you and search their postings. Google the name of the camp with eplaya in the search and then with burning man in the search. We'll hug you in person later.

[misfit]

>>>>Have you considered volunteering with the Emergency Services Department at Burning Man?<<<<

ESD prefers that you have at least one (1) year of playa experience before volunteering. but keep us in mind for next year. enjoy BRC....

[Magooey]

Thanks for the replies everyone with so much useful information! I did research the ESD first thing and saw they want non virgins, so I did not reach out to them.

I found a village and I think it's a good fit. I hope I can find ESD and see how they are set up in case it's a fit for next year.

This year I can take care of feet and act as a Human Xanax for anyone who happens across my path that needs it. It's nice to know such a well-equipped ESD is on site--that way, those of us used to blood and syncope, dehydration and non-pleasant outcomes of recreational substances can try to reassure and keep people calm until the "real" medics arrive.

I'm feeling more and more confident as my "stuff" accumulates. I am just focusing on necessities. Tent/Shade/Water/Food/Bike/Sunscreen and everything else on the list. Decorations can wait til next year or maybe find me. I wonder if one can actually just wear beige and get through an entire BM unadorned? It could almost be fun to try~lol.

Love and thanks to you all who replied here and in PMs. I am very excited!

Magooey

[GreyCoyote]

Magooey, I just want to point out that regardless what you wear (or dont wear!), in just a few hours everyone is the same color from the dust: Black Rock Beige!

[BoyScoutGirl]

Don't let the popular photo collections on the internet fool you - plenty of people focus on comfort and convenience over costumes. Like beige? Great! Go for it If you arrive and are suddenly struck by a hunkering to wear something totally different than what you packed, there are camps that gift wonderful, crazy thrift shop finds. Regardless, I think most burners are grateful to their past selves for time spent planning sensible shoes and both warm and cool practical outfits.

If you're really keen on volunteering, you might check out the Zendo Project, which focuses on support of people undergoing "psychedelic and psychological challenges." On the other hand, it's perfectly okay, and even recommended, to not schedule volunteering shifts your first year. Wander the city and playa without the constraints of having to be somewhere at a particular time and see where that takes you. If you feel a sudden desire to give back (as most do), there are many impromptu ways to volunteer, from hugs to picking up MOOP to offering to bartend at your new favorite bar.

[Aurelia]

Welcome
Come and hang out I would like to meet you ...breakfast any day
xoAurelia

[LAtoBRC]

Hi everyone! We're 2 females new to Burning Man and 2 males who are returning and we're looking for a camp to join. We have an RV already reserved/rented which we can bring, or we're willing to pay for an RV if it's already provided by the camp. We'd prefer to be part of a camp than on our own in the Playa. We're fun and willing to contribute to the camp! Please message me with details if you know of anything. Thanks!

[BlackRockPianoLounge]

Tell us more about you please...

[cheesecake]

Hey family! Me & my partner are looking to join a camp. I am Turkish and he is Israeli/Palestinian/English Last year we were involved with the Temple build in Oakland, and camped with Dreamers Guild. This year we would love to be a part of a cool camp with easy-going people, hopefully <100ppl. It would be great to be in a central location We are looking to have shower facilities and electricity. Along with the camp dues, we would be happy to contribute our skills (my partner is great with electrical stuff and we are both very handy in general). We would love to come and join from the 26th of August. Please let me know if you have any leads! Thank you!

[Mansoon]

Hey, saw your post and I think our camp still has some room.
There are some longer descriptions out there, some of which are a little outdated, but here's the short version that our camp lead, a woman named Anat, posted recently.

It's Anat and I would love to have you in my camp, Anat's Love Camp.
We have great location, kitchen, shower, fresh food, a shade structure for tents, a stage and a dome for healing.
Call me anytime, 510-4146064. I am in Berkeley, CA.
Or email me at anatomi@earthlink.net, find Anat Shamash on Facebook, or skype anat2be.

Luck and hope to see you on the playa!
Mansoon

[develdevil]

Hey there. We are two experienced burners from NYC in search of a camp to join.

Ages 33 and 22. I usually camp solo out in H & I, but last year we tried a theme camp and liked the social aspect of it, so we would like to do that again. Life has been quite hectic in the months leading up to the burn, so we haven't been able to even look for a camp. Hopefully it's not too late!

Last year, we came to the playa as really (really) close friends, but the sweet suffering that the Playa induces managed to pull us even closer together. We shared some amazing times and on Wednesday night, huddled in our tent after a legendary ..uhh.. voyage, we both admitted to each other that we were madly in love.

This upcoming burn is very special to us because it represents the anniversary of what we consider to be the start of our relationship, and because it is the last burn either of us will be attending for several years. Life.

A bit about us: we're both extremely chill people. We love helping others, being snooty about craft beer, having sex, getting naked, and other deviant activities. We're not really hardcore party people, but we know how to have a good time. I am a product manager for an internet technology company and they manage a doctor's office while applying to medical school.

We're looking for a camp that would be a good fit for us - hopefully filled with people with similar interests, liberal leanings, and mischievous inclinations. We're definitely not mooches - we handle responsibility well and look forward to contributing to the camp. My traditional playa gift is a shitload of cinnamon rolls and brownies, distributed throughout the week.

Who wants some?

[trilobyte]

You and any prospective host camps should probably make sure you read this post, and have the necessary permit for public food service.

[Mansoon]

And what more perfect place to spend an anniversary, or to distribute baked love from, than Anat's Love Camp? There are some longer descriptions out there, some of which are a little outdated, but here's the short version that our camp lead, a woman named Anat, posted recently.

We have great location, kitchen, shower, fresh food, a shade structure for tents, a stage and a dome for healing.
Call me anytime, 510-4146064. I am in Berkeley, CA.
Or email me at anatomi@earthlink.net, find Anat Shamash on Facebook, or skype anat2be.

Not sure when we'll close registrations but we're still open, for now. Luck and hope to see you on the playa!
Mansoon

[JeepneyArtCar]

Hi Cheesecake!

We are a 30 person camp with a Filipino-theme. We have an art car and hosting 3 pop up dinners. We are a diverse camp who love meditation, yoga, fitness, and transformation.

Our amenities include private porta, shower/dressing room, 2 Honda EU7000, community dome, and a shade structure for tents.

Email: jeepneyartcar@gmail.com

[north40nm]

After having abandoned all hope, I scored 2 tic 1 vp at the OMG sale...
This is great as I missed last year, this is not so great as my regular crew isn't going, not a one of em...
So, I'm 2 time burner, on a solo run (unless one of them steps up to the plate and grabs my spare ticket)
So, I may be looking to find a group that wants to invite a handy feller, I have an f350 pulling a 24' trailer (100 gal h2o in trailer, and 50 gal in barrel in truck, emergency call use "potty" (40 gal black water & 40 gal grey) also galley and b-b-q, and a generator (that I have actually never used at the burn) can haul lots as the trailer is a toy hauler (8x8x6 space)...
Jus a thought ifin anyone is interested.
Playa name is Chief, I am a merchant marine chief engineer,and "have tool, will travel "
Any see y'all out ther SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mojo]

Welcome Chief! Sounds like you are super prepared to help out anyone who meets you. There will be many. Good luck, and Happy Burn! I am so glad (as a former Navy wife) that you were one of the very few that succeeded in the OMG sale.

[Vapour]

Welcome Chief! I hope you have a fantastic burn this year. I didn't have luck in the OMG sale, but I had an awesome theme camp offer for me to stay with them and buy one of their directed sales tickets this year today.. so I will see you there!