the jitters of a first time burner

[pullbeard]

hello everyone,
my name is hari krishna. i'm from india.
after trying for 4 years to get a ticket to bm, i.e., staring at that walking green man to take me to the next step, this is the first time i managed to get a ticket.
now i'm looking at planning the whole thing and coming from abroad definitely seems an expensive, tough and mind-boggling affair.
i am planning to fly from london to san francisco - that is the only thing i'm clear about.

apart from that everything's in the air.

i looked at the burner express ticket costs - sf to brc and back. that will be $260 round trip plus additional cost of water and bike.
then i looked at booking a greyhound from sf to reno for something like $20, and then reno to brc on the burner express one-way for about $89. double that if i book a return.

the costs seem staggering. maybe i'm wrong?

then i'm thinking the only thing in terms of food for me as a solo burner will be a ton of granola bars and some dry fruit. cooking is out of the question. do you think it'll work?

also, i'm thinking of buying 5 5-gallon collapsible plastic containers for water, which i will have to buy on the burner express at an additional cost? do you guys think 5 gallons is enough for the stay at brc.

bike - i don't where to get it and for how much and where to return it.
and tent - i need to buy a 'sturdy' tent (based on the wind warnings i read) but then i have to find a way to sell it as i will be backpacking to south america after bm - for my second time.

so much to figure out.

more importantly - should i do it solo? should i join a camp?

what do you guys think?
please let me know.

[TT120]

........the costs seem staggering. maybe i'm wrong?

Nope, you're not wrong. It's expensive. You can minimize it some, but it's gonna drain your bank account.

.......then i'm thinking the only thing in terms of food for me as a solo burner will be a ton of granola bars and some dry fruit. cooking is out of the question. do you think it'll work?

That will work but it won't be an enjoyable experience. There are ways to cook with minimal tools. A jet boil and some dehydrated food is one option and will taste like a gourmet meal after burning for a few days. These would take up very little room in your bags. Sometimes you run across camps that serve food but not always and you can't really count on that to sustain you.

.......do you guys think 5 gallons is enough for the stay at brc.

No. You'll want 1.5 gallons per day. It was hot as hell last year and I went through 14 gallons by myself.

.......bike - i don't where to get it and for how much and where to return it.

There are bike rental places out there but don't have any names for you at the moment. Keep searching, you'll find them.

.......and tent - i need to buy a 'sturdy' tent (based on the wind warnings i read) but then i have to find a way to sell it as i will be backpacking to south america after bm - for my second time.

This is one of the tough things for people from overseas have to figure out. Maybe just get a little backpacker tent for the burn and just keep it for the South America trip.

.......should i do it solo? should i join a camp?

The eternal "join a camp or go solo" question.....You'll get many different answers here. I went solo my first time and then joined a camp the next year. I would suggest going solo your first time so you're not tied down to camp duties, schedules, and shit like that. You're going to be in sensory overload for many days and you ain't gonna have time for that.

[gaminwench]

Contact Elliot for the playa bike.

[AfricanFire]

The biggest thing with the tent isn't so much the actual tent, but how you stake it down. A small backpacking tent works just fine, as long as you have either rebar or lag screws to attach it to the playa.

If you do take the Burner Express in to BRC, you could camp at HOVerlandia which is the camp for Burner Express riders right at the bus depot - the advantage here is that you won't need to haul your gear across the city (and back again), and you can buy water from Burner Express which you will be able to fill up right there.

Here's a thread from someone who stayed in HOVerlandia and set up a basic shade structure over a small tent.
viewtopic.php?t=70367

Regarding food - I'd advise you to broaden your food options. You're going to get mighty tired of eating just that. There are many other options for non-cooler / no cooking required food.

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to ePlaya!

[Popeye]

Yes, BM is expensive, there is no way around that.
You might be able to find a ride share from SF. I'm guessing that you are in London? There are quite a few Burners from there, try to hook up with them and you might be able to catch a ride. https://www.facebook.com/groups/587875118037551/
Check the Burner Express site, I think there is a difference in the amount of baggage you can take from SF and from Reno. SF does not stop at a store, Reno does. You only have 1 hour at the store.
Take some water on the bus. Shit happens and you may not be able to pick up water on arrival. 1.5 gallons per day is reccomended, You will be there for 7 days so 10 gallons. Supplement with melted ice if needed.
If you forget everything else TAKE ELECTROLYTES.
The cheapest cooking stove I have found is https://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-10-0 ... e/20369794 one bottle of propane should be enough. Available at many stores. Pick up a fying pan and a small pot at a thrift store.
Food shouldn't be a problem, people have been cooking for thousands of years. You can too. Think about how to keep perishables cold and what you like to eat.
As Gaminwench said talk to the naked bike guy about a bike. Do it now before they are all gone.
If you spend the night in Reno check out https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... HWoNwFR6rd
If you go solo you will force yourself to plan and you will learn things you didn't know you needed to know. Don't worry about making mistakes. It will be fine.

[AfricanFire]

Don't know this group at all, so I can't vouch for them, but this showed up recently and might be useful

viewtopic.php?f=523&t=86782

[AntiM]

Welcome Aboard.

Yes, this is expensive. You can do it though! There's already some great suggestions.

[Token]

Board Handle: PullBeard
Name: Hari Krishna from India

First post with well formed paragraph breaks and punctuation hitting just about every popular topic in all the wrong ways.

Reminds me of that German crew with the perpetual motion machine energy gizmo and the fraulein “discipline so very strict” routine.

I’m ‘a gonna make some popcorn and smell some feet if you don’t mind. Socks be afoot.

[pullbeard]

thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. i really appreciate it.
i have taken note of all your helpful suggestions and links.
there's no other way for me but to figure this shit out.
see ya'll there.

[Zubeneschamali]

Yah mon, google a bunch of shit like "first time burner" and "newbie burning man" and "should I join a camp". You'll get it. Its good that you're here, you got this thing and you've pretty much figured out step 1: this shit costs money, bitches.

[Savannah]

Google "Green Tortoise Adventure Travel". They leave from San Francisco, and if I were an international traveler I would give them a shot. Note: I don't know anyone with the company or anyone who travels with them, so this is not any sort of recommendation or endorsement, just another possibility. They provide food, water, bus transport and a camping spot.

And yes, Burning Man is pretty pricey and a LOT of logistics . . . but you can probably manage it.

Welcome!