I can tell this is gonna' be abso-fucking-lutely great!

[III]

>Now I see why you were sayin I'll be fun to watch

i'm not sure you do.

that whole "no expectations" thing people keep telling you about? it's serious, and it's important, and it, more than anything else, can affect how good an experience you have out there. it could almost be described as a las of physics that the better you think it's going to be, the less you'll actuually enjoy it when it happens.

it's easy even for experienced people to break this rule. and they *know* it's coming. we're smart at hiding em, disguising them even from ourselves.

you're wearing you expectations so openly that they just scream "cruisin for a bruisin". the reason it's fun to watch is because no two crashes are ever alike...

[Kinetic II]

And don't forget to bring BOOZE! And LOTS of it!!!!!

When it comes to booze, follow the water guidelines....it's better to bring too much than not enough. How much is too much? You still have space for another bottle, right?

[PJ]

The most useful advice of all has always been:

Be a young attractive naked women.

Ignore it at your peril.

[ragnar1963]

There's nothing more adorable than an enthusiastic BM newbie. I hope that doesn't sound condescending, 'cause I don't mean it to be. E-playa comments and attitudes like yours, Tristan, are a shot in the arm reminding me just how wonderful being at BM can feel. That said. . . some aspects of the event can suck. "How well do I deal with unexpected unpleasantness?" is a question every first-time burner maybe should ask themselves. The weather, of course, can flare up. 98% of attendees are magnificently cool non-assholes, which makes encountering an asshole, if it happens, all the more scary and depressing by contrast. Friends can be difficult, friendships can get strained. Things can happen that make your theme camp or art project not turn out quite as envisioned. But if you can shrug off disappointments, deal with them, solve the problem and/or put it behind you, well. . . probably you will have just about as good a time as you expect.

[Don Muerto]

Really good advice.

So is being a young attractive female.

[TristanGabriel]

Be a young attractive naked women.

Does a kilt count?

[PJ]

Does a kilt count?

Of course. If an attractive young woman is wearing it.

[alice]

gee, lucky me.

if you guys only knew what it was *really* like to be a young attractive woman.......

[blyslv]

playa will provide.

thought I think the <i>experience</i> the burn will provide will be...breathtaking.....

George Orwell said that "language is a construct of reality". Reading your comments indicates to me that you still have a mindset of passivity. I do not mean to overly harsh your buzz, but I would caution you to be aware. Passivity on the playa is severly punished.

Have fun!

[PJ]

if you guys only knew what it was *really* like to be a young attractive woman.......

I myself couldn't handle the pressure. But feel free to post .jpgs

[Alpha]

Reading your comments indicates to me that you still have a mindset of passivity. I do not mean to overly harsh your buzz, but I would caution you to be aware. Passivity on the playa is severly punished.

I see nothing wrong with a first-timer heading out to the playa without an art contribution or even costume, if that's what you mean. The important thing, IMHO, is to engage who/what you find when you get there (others' art is supposed to be participatory, no?) and once you see what it's all about, THEN figure out whether next year is going to involve an active contribution requiring forethought.

I get this ugly feeling that people here are raising the bar too much for the noobs.

[PJ]

I get this ugly feeling that people here are raising the bar too much for the noobs.

I've seen too many first-timers crash and burn unnecessarily. Including the lowest-maintenance woman I've ever met. Having their expectations blow up in their faces resulted in none of them ever returning to give the experience a second chance.

[Alpha]

I've seen too many first-timers crash and burn unnecessarily.

In what way? Okay, the environment is harsh. Bring warm clothes, bring cool clothes, bring shade and water and salty food. Plan to survive for however-many days without assistance from anyone else.

The problem I'm having is that the old-timers here are going beyond that advice. I'd rather leave the experience open for the noobs to discover what it's all about, rather than brow-beat them into preparing for an arts festival that they know nothing about. Let 'em figure it out on their own, no?

[III]

>In what way?

generally in that they expect some sort of utopian culture, in which everyone agrees with them and shares their same ideals and desires, and works together to achieve them. it's not that sort of party. it doesn't even try to be.

or there may be other, unrealistic expectations that will never have a chance in hell of being met. you don't even have to define your expectations: just expecting everything to be amazing and perfect is bound to be a let down. you'll be too hot, and too cold. you'll get sore feet or a rash between your thighs. your bike will break, or get stolen. you'll get snubbed by a cute girl you try to just be friendly with. (or, if you're a cute girl, you'll get hit on by social incompetents who don't know when to stop). you'll want to take a picture of some great thing to show your friends back home, and all of a sudden be on the receiving end of a tirade about being a goddam spectator. you'll get busted for smoking pot. any or all of the above can serve to act as a major enough buzzkill that you won't give the event a second chance.

i'll agree with you that there's a difference between managing expectations, and expecting newbies to show up as full on contributers. it seems a first year is best spent alternating between walking around in awe, and dancing with glee everytime you realize that doing these things for yourself is not out of your own reach.

[blyslv]

I see nothing wrong with a first-timer heading out to the playa without an art contribution or even costume, if that's what you mean. .

No that isn't what I meant. I was just trying to highlight the notion I hear so much, typified by comments such as "it's all good" (no sometimes it's bad...) "the universe provides" (yeah, well sometimes it slaps you upside the head) ect. I agree with you. I don't care what anybody wears, or does, (as long as they DO something). And since the topic, at least how I read it, is expectation management I was trying to caution our intrepid newbie to not think in terms of what the playa or the burn or anything will provide (except playa foot and an overdrawn credit card). Much better to concentrate on what you can give or contribute or how you can participate, in my glorious, exalted personal, flawless, cogent opinion. (yeah, yeah I'm on new meds...)

I decided about 2 months before my first burn to go. I studied up on it and went. Since I am a pretty experienced outdoor funhog the camping aspects were not difficult for me, but I can see they might be daunting to some. But the short time I had to prepare meant that I arrived at the gate with few preconceived notions, but a good sense of the pratical realities. The impratical realities unrolled with the fullness of time.

I guess what I was trying to say was concentrate on the pratical aspects, don't bite off more then you can chew and force yourself into the habit of not expecting an ephiphany, insight or even a particulary good time.

Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel (see violent sex thread for more on this).

Trust in god, but keep your powder dry.

[DE FACTO]

gee, lucky me.

if you guys only knew what it was *really* like to be a young attractive woman.......

so what makes you think guys don't know what it's like to be a young attractive girl.

[Badger]

<howling>

[Don Muerto]

so what makes you think guys don't know what it's like to be a young attractive girl.

Captain, -we are detecting signs of intelligent life.

[Kinetic II]

so what makes you think guys don't know what it's like to be a young attractive girl.

Captain, -we are detecting signs of intelligent life.

Obviously I need to skip the shots, just give me the whole bottle of tequila. It's the only way that pic is going to look good. (Sorry Iso)

[DE FACTO]

Captain, -we are detecting signs of intelligent life.

yeah i know ....it sucks.
i've been sober the past few days.

[Don Muerto]

yeah i know ....it sucks.
i've been sober the past few days.

*rushes to fill out DE FACTO's rehab paperwork*

That was really funny, DE FACTO.

[TristanGabriel]

Alrightee then, here we go *sardonic grin*

Well, as far as the camping side, I'm gonna' be preparing for that untill it comes, I mean that I've read all about it on verious different sites (Burningman.com, Ari Fleisher's site, and a few other burn vet's sites.) and I know what others say to expect, and I'm gonna' prepare accordingly, and I realize that untll I actually come face to face with the playa, I'll not <i>know</i> what it's like.
As far as art, I, personally, would feel too much like a spectator if I didn't at <i>least</i> devise a costume. *grin*
Alright....apparently I've got to bugger off for a couple hours, but I'll finish later *grin*

[PJ]

This seems a good time to mention a bit of preparation-related irony. I get the impression that more people bemoan having brought excess stuff rather than not having brought enough stuff.

IRT what most people would consider to be costumes, in all these years I've never made/brought a single one. Not that I'm anti-costume--it's just not a priority.

I could argue that more people should bring a personal aircraft. The lack of cargo space and weight limitations enforces a certain amount of prudence. Touring motorcycles would be good too. Neither would be worth a damn if you're the theme camp provider, of course.

[TristanGabriel]

Well, in my experience as a hitchiker, I usually limit myself to what I can comfortably (or reasonably comfortably) carry on my back for 10 miles of average speed walking at a time, (This includes things like tent, sleepingbag, clothes, mess-kit, first aid kit, some non-perishable food, and a few miscellanious items such as a can opener, my swiss knife, sewing kit, maps etc.) Now I can see that on the playa I'm going to need a wee bit more than could be easily carried very far (Several gallons of water for instance) but not <i>only</i> am I going to be Ride-sharing there, and back, but I also have to realize that I'm probably going to be hitching <i>to</i> my rideshare (Which only implies that some of the things will have to be bought whereever my ride and I meet...a la water)

Rule of thumb for hitching:prepare only what you need...then discard half of it.

[PJ]

I can't recommend hitch-hiking to Burning Man. It's not practical to carry a week's worth of consumables (1.5 gal/person/day water, food, shade, tent, etc.). The spirit of radical self-sufficiency doesn't preclude cooperation with others. It does preclude mooching--so it's mandatory to plan accomodation for your water transport needs with the people sharing the transportation means well before the trip.

[TristanGabriel]

Nah, I didn't mean hitchiking to the playa, I meant to the location where I would meet my ride, which of course would be predetermined. What I meant when I said that was that I had planned on buying some of the other essentials (Such as several gallons of water) upon reaching the town/place I would be meeting my ride to the playa is all. I wouldn't venture to hitchike through the nevada desert if I could ever help it,. Lol. Nor with (as you say) THAT much gear.

[PJ]

Is it possible that your ride can pick you up at your house?

Note that heavy, bulky consumables can be acquired nearer the event, say, in Reno.

Not that you need much--100% of my food, clothing, cooking gear, tent, and sleeping bag all fits in one tall backpack. I've brought three people, their bikes, gear, and all consumables for the week in a personal airplane.

[TristanGabriel]

Well, I figure that there's not much I'll need that can't be carried with me, my tent fits nicely with my sleeping-bag, my tarp/shadepoles are all compact, and the rest is general survival gear anyway...Nothing more than it takes to hop trains (It was not an uncommon thing for me to carry a weeks worth of food all my clothing, tent, 1st aid kit and such in my pack.)

It's probably a better Idea to get water and other majorly bulky stuff closer to the playa, yes. (Appriciate the insight)

As far as a ride, that'll come together as the event nears...

[TristanGabriel]

My thread has been lost in the expanse of un-popularness. Bloody great.

Alright, now that the sillyness is over.
~Has a job as SEARS now, which can supply my burningman equipment needs! (At twenty percent off no less!) Of course we don't sell the quantities of alcohal that I'm destined to consume, but that's not a problem.

I don't know why I'm posting....just for the sake of posting perhaps?
And thusly I'll bugger off for a while....other duties call.

[Kinetic II]

PJ, your posts raise a good question. Since your airplane has a limited amount of cargo capacity, what do you bring? Do you sleep in the plane or bring a tent? Do you use the plane for any part of a shade structure or use a wing for attaching tarps or small shade structures to it?

I'm sure others would like to know because it might help them figure out what to leave at home. And I could use it so I could pull the front range at 70 mph and not slow down except at the Eisenhower tunnel. The less junk I have to carry, the better.

Tristan, your thread hasn't been lost. With 58 posts to 648 page views, your not exactly unpopular. Don't be discouraged. And you mentioned carrying a weeks worth of food in your pack. What do you carry with you? I'm scouring through Backpacking magazine and all kinds of websites and I'd like to see how your list matches what I've found so far.