punkette229 wrote:I have never been to the desert, and it is just myself and my room mate. We don't know what we should bring for shelter. Which is better RV or tent?
In my humble opinion (IMHO), if you can afford it, an RV is definately the way to go. You may feel a little "separated" from your neighbors, but you will have a private space out of the wind and dust to sleep, cook, shower, have sex, do your "recreationals", etc. Also, two words,
Air Conditioning! Last year, I threw in with two other guys to rent an RV in Vegas for Bman. The RV rental was about $1500 for the full week, plus about another $400 or so in gas round trip. Admittedly a little pricey, but worth it.
Last year was my first burn; the main thing that I had not fully anticipated was the harshness of the environment, especially
The Fucking Playa Dust. Imagine an environment that is temperate to hot in the daytime and fairly chilly, 40's - 50's are common, at night.
Add to this already harsh environment, the fact that
the wind can kick up a cloud of playa dust at any time of the day or night, which it frequently does, and you'll get an idea of just how harsh it is.
The playa dust is ultra-fine, think talcum powder, and it is alkaline. Over time, not right away, it sucks the moisture right out of your skin. If you're covered in playa dust, and start to sweat, it then forms an alkaline solution that can, again
over time, "burn" your skin. The shit literally gets
everywhere.
If you can't afford to rent an RV, and you don't have the time or inclination to build a geodesic dome, as robotland suggested (BTW, he's right about a dome being the best shelter - other than an RV, IMHO), you can still be relatively comfortable in a tent, as
long as you're properly prepared. You'll want a tent that you can zip up tight as a drum, with no exposed mesh. Realize too though, that without a shade structure, you're going to be sleeping in a sauna tent as soon as the sun comes up.
Also, if you're "tenting it" you'll be essentially sleeping in the dust, unless you bring a raised air mattress. Even then, you'll want to cover all your gear that you don't want getting dusty with a sheet of plastic or fabric everytime you leave your tent.
All this having been said, I definately think you'll get more than your $200 worth out of your experience at Burningman. Also, if you do your homework, i.e., read and re-read the survival guide several times, search "RV's", "checklists" etc. here on the eplaya, ask the old timers - just like you've done, and then use all this information to
be well prepared; you'll be relatively comfortable and will have a great time.
...but it seemed like such a good idea at the time...
This will be my first time to burning man and I was wondering what I should expect, what I should wear, what food stuffs I should bring. Where do I camp and hows does that work out? 
How may people should I bring with me? Can anyone give me a better idea of what I should be expecting? Plus whats the Burning Man experience like? Is it worth the $200 I just spent? 
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