Super handy guy's first burn ticket(s) question

[super schafe]

Hey!!

I decided to try to go for the first time this year. Of course, scoring ticket(s) is everyone's big concern. I signed up to volunteer thinking the stewards sale was a great way to get tickets. I read in the "stories about getting tickets" post they basically don't let first timers volunteer. Oh well.

So here's my pitch. I have extra vacation days scheduled before and after the main event and am available to help set up or take down whatever. I plan on renting a full size pickup to drive from Iowa. It will most likely be only me attending, so I would need a ticket and parking pass.

I grew up working in a family owned welding shop which evolved from a traditional blacksmith shop over the years. I can do metal work and carpentry very well. I currently work in the maintenance dept of a major food manufacturer working with 3 phase electricity and repairing all kinds of equipment. My ability to repair broken things is excellent and it has been said I can "glue air."

So what is the best way for me to attend? Do camps and art displays purchase extra tickets to offer people who want to help out, or will I have to try getting a ticket/pass in the main sale?

My ideal scenario is to arrive a few days early and/or leave a few days late to avoid the huge line.

Thanks for the advice!!

[Lonesomebri]

Register for the main sale. Follow the regulations for buying. Try to buy immediately as they go on sale. Register for STEP, get in on that asap if necessary. Do everything you can to get yourself a couple tickets.

Reach out to fb groups, regionals, keep up on here and on the other forums, there is always someone needing help.

No, you can volunteer your first year. You should. But your first year you are a unknown quality, intentions, but no track history. The Steward tickets, and most all tickets for volunteers are still bought, not given out. The opportunity to buy those tickets are offered to known qualities, past performance, future assurance. Offering tickets to anyone promising to do something, with no guarantee or past history, is dicey. If a person puts in a lot of time and effort, that can be measured, for future access to tickets. Getting directed tickets to purchase is based, mostly, on merit, and that is based on performance, less on intentions.

Continue to try to be a resource for any potential camp or art. If you're going, plan as if you are going. Put in all the effort to get a ticket. Having dates down is a big thing, being registered, following JRS, SPARK, eplaya.

Have you looked into truck rental, the hard numbers?

Anyway, good luck!

[Corvus]

Also -- and this is not made clear on the ticket info site -- the Stewards Sale needs a link, and the link is handed out by the various 'camp leaders' of theme camps to those they deem essential for their camp's success. If, as a Burning Man virgin, you can connect with one of these leaders and convince them you'll be an asset, you will get a link.

I would not count in this.

[super schafe]

I hadn't considered the unknown volunteer quality angle. I bet lots of people try this approach.

"Why does everything have to be so hard?" - Homer Simpson

[motskyroonmatick]

Are you cool? Do you get along with Hippies, Ravers, Drunks, Punks and Canadians? Stable around those you are attracted to while under the influence? Reliable? Self aware for self care and social cues?

Beyond the monumental task of getting a ticket any time before one week till the burn--Beware of rampant ticket scammers-- Its easier to find tickets and VP right before the burn than any other time. I assume you are thoroughly familiar with this---> https://tickets.burningman.org and have set up your burner profile with an email address that you have access to everywhere and check frequently.

To get in early you need a Work Access Pass and those are handed out by the Mayors of Theme Camps and other leads/Artists. It is a commitment to work until the work is done. Setup help is always good but a commitment to set up and strike through final MOOP sweep is the best. But you don't want to do that if maintaining a starry eyed vision of a permanent no work all play utopia in the desert is the memory you want to leave with.

As other wise comrades have said. Prepare like you are going. Start with rigorous self education. Google monkey hut and Hexayurt. Start thinking about your food strategy and how you will deal with your cooler grey water and your hygiene grey water. Google ePlaya(whatever subject) to learn about tried and tested ways and means. Don't bring tent pegs or rebar. Bring Lag Screws.

Keep posting here about the plans you are making.

[super schafe]

I'm very popular with all types of people... the sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads — they all adore me. They think I'm a righteous dude. As long as someone isn't trying to stab me to death, we'll get along just fine.

Got my Burner Profile set up a few months ago. "Super Schafe."

I've watched many of the videos from the British gal with dark hair. Those are super helpful!!

Looks like I will be in line with everyone else on opening day. I've heard if you arrive too early, you get sent to a secret waiting area, it is a bad place, and you do not want to be there. Realistically though, at what time should a person plan on arriving?

"Plan as if I am going" is good advice. I have most everything I plan to take already so I won't be buying stuff that never gets used.

I plan on tenting with a blow up mattress. I have tons of random steel in the welding shop I inherited. I'll never operate it, so I figure I'll make long tent stakes from some of that.

One question about the "Hexayurt." I enjoy sleeping in a cold tent. Other than being better insulated from the sun and heat, what is the advantage? Is it a dust thing?

Maybe I'll rent a minivan type of thing - better fuel economy. I own a full size truck, but don't want it ruined by the dust. Just need something big enough to haul at least 2 coolers - one of which will have wheels, a bike, 2 or 3 - 55gal water tanks, camping gear, solar panels, 1 or 2 12v car batteries, portable generator and fuel (not really sure I'll need this), some kind of tub for washing up in, a portable grill, etc. Plus other random crap that may be helpful: a fairly complete tool kit, random 2x4s, PVC pipe and fittings, trash bags, first aid kit, lots of zip ties, ratchet straps, rope, bungee cords, duct and electrical tape, cordless drill with wood screws, saw, big hammer, pry bar, bolt cutters, hobby grade super glue with baking soda (Super Bonus Points if you know why baking soda), epoxy, jumper cables, a car starter pack and maybe a gallon of antifreeze and a quart or two of motor oil. All that, plus a friend if I can convince someone to go with me - not likely. I've always been the guy who says "it's better to have it and not need it than vise versa." Maybe I'll save someone's day with the extra stuff.

I plan to hook a 12 volt pump to my water supply to have pressurized water for rinsing off with. I'll use military style cammo netting to build a shade structure, figuring the open structure will not catch too much wind.

I plan on bringing a lot of canned soups plus some meats and burgers to cook early on. Several big things of whiskey and maybe some moonshine from my still. The water from one cooler I plan on drinking. (My aunt used to say "You have to eat a ton of dirt before you die.")

I plan on using baby wipes to clean up with so I don't think I will create a lot of grey water from washing up, but I will soak it up in towels and hang them to dry.

That's all I can think of right now.

[Corvus]

[quote="super schafe" post_id=1223198 time=1677904247 user_id=139590]
Looks like I will be in line with everyone else on opening day. I've heard if you arrive too early, you get sent to a secret waiting area, it is a bad place, and you do not want to be there. Realistically though, at what time should a person plan on arriving?
[/quote]

That would be D-lot and it's not so secret, being right next to the will-call office. How bad it is depends on your sensibilities. On the one hand it's not like you get dragged out of your vehicle and beaten, but on the other you'll be sitting there watching people who timed it better go in ahead of you, kind of like Moses and the promised land.

It's LIFO -- last in, first out, so if you arrive at 6pm Saturday evening you're not only going to be sitting there until midnight, you're going to be watching the folks who arrived at 11:50 leave until your turn.

Don't think you can stop short and lurk in Gerlach, either. That is frowned upon. Honestly, it's kind of a crap shoot as you're not sure what the speed up the 75 miles of 447 is going to be. Just plan on waiting a while and make it into a party -- without the booze for the driver.

[Burnorburn]

Looks like I will be in line with everyone else on opening day. I've heard if you arrive too early, you get sent to a secret waiting area, it is a bad place, and you do not want to be there. Realistically though, at what time should a person plan on arriving?

That would be D-lot and it's not so secret, being right next to the will-call office. How bad it is depends on your sensibilities. On the one hand it's not like you get dragged out of your vehicle and beaten, but on the other you'll be sitting there watching people who timed it better go in ahead of you, kind of like Moses and the promised land.

It's LIFO -- last in, first out, so if you arrive at 6pm Saturday evening you're not only going to be sitting there until midnight, you're going to be watching the folks who arrived at 11:50 leave until your turn.

Don't think you can stop short and lurk in Gerlach, either. That is frowned upon. Honestly, it's kind of a crap shoot as you're not sure what the speed up the 75 miles of 447 is going to be. Just plan on waiting a while and make it into a party -- without the booze for the driver.

I do not recommend a tent unless you're on a tight budget. The tent gets very hot after 10am, and depending on how late you stayed out the night before, you could have a very hard time trying to sleep in.

Get a hexayurt and an AC if you can afford it. Of course, you will also need a generator or solar panels. Swamp cooler and figjams are other cooling options. Trust me, you really need a cooling solution.

[Elorrum]

Get a hexayurt and an AC if you can afford it. Of course, you will also need a generator or solar panels. Swamp cooler and figjams are other cooling options. Trust me, you really need a cooling solution.

No you really don’t. These things are nice and comfortable, enviable even, but do you also have a truck or way to transport a stack of 4X8 panels, and a place to store them at home along with your generator or solar array and batteries and ac? For a one-off vacation? The sheer volume of stuff and the cost being promoted in so many forums as necessary absolutely amazes me. You also don’t need an impact driver and lag bolts, I’m sure that will come up soon. Think of a camping trip. In addition to regular gear and food, you’ll need shade and all your own water and a way to leave no trace (trash and grey water you take with you.) It will be very very hot, but you can manage with daytime shade. You can buy ice there. Seriously, there’s a long tradition of not needing electricity and air conditioning and having a swell time.

[Burnorburn]

Get a hexayurt and an AC if you can afford it. Of course, you will also need a generator or solar panels. Swamp cooler and figjams are other cooling options. Trust me, you really need a cooling solution.

No you really don’t. These things are nice and comfortable, enviable even, but do you also have a truck or way to transport a stack of 4X8 panels, and a place to store them at home along with your generator or solar array and batteries and ac? For a one-off vacation? The sheer volume of stuff and the cost being promoted in so many forums as necessary absolutely amazes me. You also don’t need an impact driver and lag bolts, I’m sure that will come up soon. Think of a camping trip. In addition to regular gear and food, you’ll need shade and all your own water and a way to leave no trace (trash and grey water you take with you.) It will be very very hot, but you can manage with daytime shade. You can buy ice there. Seriously, there’s a long tradition of not needing electricity and air conditioning and having a swell time.

Of course, you're not going to die without a cooling solution. I've camped in a tent, without cooling, under a shade structure at BM, and it was just uncomfortable. Especially, if you like to stay up late and come back to the tent at 8am to sleep.

Now, if one is okay with torturing himself/herself to save, then that's their choice. Some don't have any other choice. Some are more frugal and don't want to spend money on a yurt, RV, AC, etc. and those are okay too.

Some spend thousands of dollars to go on this trip and have somehow justified the expenditure. Others will go with under a $1000 and manage to have a good time too. That's why I said get a yurt with AC if you can afford it, because to me it's worth it.

[Elorrum]

Even Larry said that having all you desire for comfort is no crime. I worry about the expectations new burners have, and the advice that it only works well at the high end of cost. It isn’t only the cost. It’s the lasting material nature of the items as well. Where do they go? If a person lives in an apartment, let’s say, they need a place to park an rv, store a hexayurt, a generator, a 70 lb. Kodiak. Etc. If a person flew in from a great distance, what do they do with these necessary things? The dumpsters in Reno after the event overflow with single use tents and shades, that were budgeted as the cost of the trip. Then there’s bikes.

One cooling solution, inexpensive, and with less material required, is to sleep at night, maybe get to bed before 3 am, and nap in a breezy shaded place if possible later in the day or early evening. Make a plan to look at the www guide and find a shady hammock somewhere. Have a couple all nighters and see that slice, have a couple good cool night sleeps, and see how you feel with that as well. It is a very pleasant sensation to emerge from a tent that is starting to heat up, and feel the lovely relative coolness of the morning. Drink coffee with neighbors and watch the passing show of the morning unfold. It’s a different way to do it, and as advice to a newbie, I’d say there are many.

To judge these approaches as simply a reflection of where one rests on a linear scale of affordability, is limiting the wide range of experience available there, and dismissing the responsible approach to managing one’s overall footprint. It isn’t about being so poor one has to endure torture at Burning Man.

[lucky420]

^^
+100

[chipper]

As other responses have said, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities for first-timers - both with official Burning Man Project departments as well as with the myriad of other art projects and camps which "magically" spring up (note: magically = hard-working humans). Most departments do have tickets and parking passes to offer to top volunteers, however typically these tickets are offered the year following completion of the volunteer shifts since signing up for shifts online is wholly different than actually showing up and working shifts while on playa.

It sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on being handy and prepping for camping. Have you looked into joining an art build? Or maybe one of the DPW departments?

Note that it gets extremely windy out there. Standard pop-up tents are a joke. A few years ago I watched a 23' long ~10' high wall get lifted by a crane. It caught wind and turned into a kite (or maybe a spinning top... or a rubber ball). I've seen 3/4" plywood which was laying flat suddenly become airborne and fly away. Or... even worse is when it doesn't fly "away" due to contact with other objects including car windshields and banks of portopotties. The portos did fall over.

Question for the masses: Is there a separate term/word to describe a knocked-over porto? I think there should be.

[super schafe]

I have a dome tent I plan to bring. It's aerodynamic-ish. Anchor it well and hope for the best. I'm sure I will have an awesome time, but don't know if I will go again since there are a lot of other bucket items to do. I don't want to buy a bunch of stuff I'll never use again. I bet the dumpster diving is awesome. Is there a "free to a good home" pile?

I plan to work on cardio this summer. It will do me good regardless. Outdoors in Iowa with 80-90 degree temps and high humidity should help me manage 100+ degrees with very little humidity.

When I filled out the volunteer form, I selected DPW and the airport. I'll just see what the options are when I get there.

[Elorrum]

I burned 11 times using a decent 6’ high dome tent with all its possible guy outs. I am wary now of responses about what is “just wrong” for the playa. It reminds me of a definition of what is sea kind and sea worthy: a ping pong ball would last in a storm, it’s not what you’d like to live in, but still it would be ok for endurance. Less expensive non-bombproof things may over flex or even need to be taken down before blowing apart, but they also may be fine. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time for a certain wind or dust devil, it doesn’t matter much what you have.

[some seeing eye]

To the OP this thread has gone beyond tickets to preparation.

For preparation I always suggest searching on the Interwebs for Burning Man packing list then expanding that to your own. They will be akin to a wilderness campout. Count on losing things, so yes you need more than one hat and more than one pair of goggles. The classic error is forgetting to pack your tickets! "Oops, I left them magnetted to the refrigerator at home."

I try to select large purchases to items I can reuse camping or for home. They can also be things you can buy used, sell used, share with friends rent out, or donate. Shade, carports, fossil generators/solar, camping trailers, that type thing.

I would not underestimate the possibility of costumes. But then with accumulating costumes you might wear them attending local burner events! Or, if you don't want to spend on them pre-playa/in your life, on-playa, you can experiment with the free costume camps.

And as always, meet your Regional https://regionals.burningman.org/.

[super schafe]

Yep. I realized I had strayed away from the original topic.