How to Found, Start, Run, Destroy and Torch your own Burn Theme Camp!

[Lonesomebri]

It's been a couple years now. My old camp went on without me. it grew, and evolved. While there are many things I'd do differently, and didn't agree with, the people in charge are very competent and know what they are doing. I have friends and family still in that camp, because it is a good camp. So they went on, and my input was unnecessary and unwanted. I had some resentment towards the changes and the willingness of my friends to just go along, but it isn't my business anymore.

The camp, under the dedicated leadership, provided public shade and interaction, took care of its people, and is a camp in good standing. I just wasn't thrilled. They're festival people, I'm a dirty desert rat.

Then!!! 2023 shitshow. First off, news from the playa leaked out about hardships due to the rain. People asked me about my brother, out there on the playa, only his second time. Was I worried? I hadn't even thought about it. I told them, no, because he isn't some weak DJ douche out there with dipshits. Maybe he'd have issues with portas, but I knew he was with a good crew. No worries about food or shelter. I realized how solid the Camp people are.

Next, the best, some massive venting against Camp THREAT in a Reddit thread. They said we sucked. Now, while I had felt distance with the old camp, this affront stirred my loyal blood anew.

What a great read it was. At first complaints about being too loud. Okay. Then some stuff that simply was imagined and fabricated. There was a horrible sign up that some one had to steal after making themselves offended. A non mobile brick apparently kept hitting people in the head when they walked into it. How terrible that the camp wasn't set up for those peoples comfort. Repeatedly I had to ask if the brick hit anyone, or did they hit the brick? "I ran my head into a brick. this place isn't safe!" It's like they had never been to the Burn.

Hanging up bricks to hit heads on wasn't my idea. Then I remembered, it was. In decorating camp I always had things hanging, bones, antlers, chain, from the shade structure. It looks cool, and bumping your head is a very humbling experience. It keeps us real. No douche DJ or supermodel wants people seeing them bump their head like an idiot. I hang stuff up, later I'd accidentally bump my head on it, and it was hilarious, to me. It keeps you grounded, not always on top of everything and in charge. When I turned over camp I thought about that kind of absurdism, now not kept up by me. So I mentioned to the new boss, hand stuff up that people can bump their heads on, like a brick. One of the commentators asked me how it felt to have all that negative vitriol directed at me because the brick. It makes life Grand! This year Camp wanted to make a brick curtain. The old junior high school I went to was being remodeled so I slipped in and got some of the old bricks they were discarding. Sent them to the playa via Chicago shipping. Now people are mad at the bricks of my youth...

One of my issues is the Burn should not be a convenience. Even the activities and gifts should come with a beautiful effort. One time we handed out 1000 grilled cheese sandwiches, I wanted to add a small dab of Vegemite, not overpowering, but there. Oh no, what if someone didn't want the sandwich then!!?? Must provide. Look, I've been gifted warm "booze" in a plastic cup a quarter full of dust. I could taste the grit. I was thankful. There's art out there loping off fingers, and some putz is complaining because they walked into a stationary brick?

So that thread brought me back to loving Camp. And along with the complaints from wimps, there grew a steady stream of compliments and praise. The thread took a turn.

Praise that the Camp held it down during the rains, offering the neighborhood hospitality and community. Praise that the music wasn't all EDM, wasn't cliche, was variety. Praise for the feeling of Burner culture, cacophony, irreverence, fun. One person saide the highlight of the Burn was Camp THREAT taking a wheelbarrow campfire down to Center Camp at night. Another mentioned that a conversation at a different camp touched on THREAT, and how THREAT were a loose lot, then a couple people proudly spoke up and said "that's our camp!" Kickass. No shame. In the game! And on and on.

I had felt defensive at first, on a good way, and now proud. Still out of the game, but seeing reverberations

[some seeing eye]

What a great saga!

[VirginBurner24]

One of my babies.... They grow up so fast. Proud to be a part of this!

The Camp OGs reaching out to the newbies.

"Hi virgin blood! If you are a virgin to the burn, this post is directed your way. As one of my gifts to camp and to you, I will help guide you pre burn. Once you are there, it's your stage, and I will give no fucks.
I need to know who is a virgin and has an actual ticket. I will be setting up a "popping cherry" FB chat and a few meetings leading up to the burn.
I promise that you will want some guidance from a burner. It does not matter how much fucking research you do on burning man and all the survival guides out there, YOU ARE NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT IS COMING!
I will help with survival items, transportation guidance, tools and resources, etc. The first Monday we are at the burn, I am also gifting a tour of the city to you and the public virgins, so that your asses don't get fucking lost without H2O on the playa.

Any questions, please reach out to me. Or don't."

2024?