Deep Playa Potty Map?

[metal450]

Last year, someone posted a great map of all the porto locations out in deep playa - the "Unofficial Burner Map" only shows 2 by the music area & 1 by the temple, but I'm pretty sure there were more. I thought it would be handy to print & bring a few copies along, both for myself and to hand out as a gift...but now for the life of me, I can't find it again.

Can anyone confirm that there are more than just those 3 potties in deep playa? & better yet, has anyone seen the map I'm talking about? :/

[trilobyte]

There generally are, and with a very small amount of practice, you don't need a map. By day, a big bank of potties is easy enough to spot, and by night, porto banks are marked by blue light. On your first night (or two), take a few moments to check out the light at the end of the bank on portos close to home, once you learn to recognize that they're easy to find on the playa (they're all the same color, and they don't blink).

[metal450]

with a very small amount of practice, you don't need a map

Respectfully disagree. This will be my 5th burn, and I've often had difficulty finding them at night. On bike it's not as much of an issue because you can get around quick, but if you're out walking in deep playa the distances are vast, those lights are very dim, and at a distance it can be really hard to differentiate them from a similar light on a parked artcar or a stationary light off in the distance. Porto lights can also be obscured by parked artcars, etc. It's even worse if you're walking around in a group, you think you see a porto light, you drag everyone with you but it turns out to be super far away or not a porto at all. Thus, my request for a map. I *know* I saw one somewhere last year...

[lucky420]

A map is a good idea. At night my vision is really bad and all the blinks lights can look the same

[mgb327]

Lucky, I think I see your problem here...the blue porto lights don't blink....you do.

[trilobyte]

The respect is appreciated, and you're welcome to disagree, but they're there, and they're easy to find on foot or on bicycle (though when moving, I stop to get my bearings). I'm not using special potty-finder gogs and I've never had a knack for finding the magic sailboat or Waldo or any of those other kinds of things. For me they were unknowable locations, until I realized that the lights were constants that I could learn to recognize. In my opinion it's probably less work than printing and packing a potty map, followed by the usual guesswork of locating yourself on a printed map at night. Good luck with whatever route you take, though.

[lucky420]

The respect is appreciated, and you're welcome to disagree, but they're there, and they're easy to find on foot or on bicycle (though when moving, I stop to get my bearings). I'm not using special potty-finder gogs and I've never had a knack for finding the magic sailboat or Waldo or any of those other kinds of things. For me they were unknowable locations, until I realized that the lights were constants that I could learn to recognize. In my opinion it's probably less work than printing and packing a potty map, followed by the usual guesswork of locating yourself on a printed map at night. Good luck with whatever route you take, though.

Respect to you trilo but my eyesight is shit especially at night, even with corrective lenses and a cornea replacement . I’ve found it easier to carry a funnel and a bottle.

Hey mgb, want some juice?

[Ratty]

This is not where you will find a pottie map. Go up to the top of the page. Go to the burning Man web page and search porta potties. Open up a few threads until you find an email address for someone who knows. Probably sanitation.

[lucky420]

That’s why we were asking here first...

Ffs ya can find almost anything else here.

Playa info at center camp would most likely have this info

[Captain Goddammit]

You pretty much need to learn to scan and look for and recognize them.
Maps sound like a good idea until you get out there late at night and the map lacks a “you are here” icon... rendering it fairly useless.
Hell there didn’t used to be any deep playa portos at all.

[motskyroonmatick]

At night I look for the spot that looks like a shadow. Since the banks are about 8 feet tall they block all low light and since there is light backing nearly everything at night even in deep Playa this works well for me. Then I verify by checking for the blue lights.

[MyDearFriend]

Friendly warning: pack a map if you want to, but don't rely on it, as United Site Services sometimes has to move the portos (at request of the Health Department!) in order to meet sanitary requirements. Last year they removed 2 banks of portos from the inner playa, fuuuuuuuuck, on the Thursday of Burn Week. Serious ass pain for everyone, including the folks who are following a map, but sometimes that's what has to be done.

[metal450]

Oh wow, thanks that's good to know. Maybe that's why they don't just officially distribute a map of all the deep playa potty locations!

[BBadger]

Instead of a map, why don't you just bring along a binocular/monocular? Even a camera with zoom will do.

[metal450]

1) Takes up more space than a tiny piece of paper
2) Every person in your group would need their own (unless you're always together)
3) Can't be handed out as gifts to help others
4) Can still be difficult to locate in a sea of moving & stationary lights
5) Can be obstructed by parked tall artcars or art installations, etc

Map just tells you where they are without having to hunt...

[Captain Goddammit]

Except if you’re out in deep playa the paper map isn’t gonna tell you where you are.
The lenses will help find your way.

[metal450]

A paper map give you an idea of approximately where you are, based on landmarks. Obviously its usefulness would depend on where the toilets actually are, but yes, there are many situations in which it would be useful.

[Captain Goddammit]

Such as, say, when you’ve got nothing else to roll a joint in.

[jcliff]

Thank you for not pissing on the playa! Not sure if this option would be horrifying to you, but are you aware of Travel Johns? They have a plastic open mouth at the top attached to an 10" or so cylindrical slim bag with a non-toxic gelling agent in it. You pee in it and it immediately forms a gel....no spilling and no smell. The little funnel top fits over lady parts. Unless you're urinating like a race horse they can take 2 pees. You could pop it in a ziploc bag and dispose of it when you get back to your own camp. I hate the non-recyclable aspect of them, but they are good in a pinch.

[metal450]

Lol yeah...all different/interesting solutions to needing to go to the bathroom in deep playa, but ultimately not the purpose of this post. I was just hoping to find someone who had seen or knows where I could find the map, that's all

[Ratty]

I thought of Travel Johnny too. I carry one in my pack and my car when traveling.

[Captain Goddammit]

After many years of it, the basics of what’s been said is how it’s done:
Scope it out during the day and have a general idea where they are.
At night, you look for the dark patches and try to see if there’s a little blue light at each end.
That’s really what works.

[playakaya]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewe ... 90161&z=15

Might also be a helpful response.

[Krokodyle]

I thought of Travel Johnny too. I carry one in my pack and my car when traveling.

Indeed, I cannot recommend these enough to carry with you juuuuuuust in case. Unused, they're very compact and are pretty durable while stored in a pack. Used, they do a very good job in absorbing and containing urine (racehorse-level quantities can be a bit problematic, though).

But, yeah, it's all about looking for those two blue lights and adjusting for the potential angle you're viewing them from.