Dear Burners...
Wile living and travelling around Mexico last year, i would come across
whispers of this incredible tempoary community... the Burning Man. I have been dreaming of attending this year, but im currently in the UK, so would have to fly in, i don't have a car, and renting one just for myself
seems like a bit of a waste.
Im 21, and have traveled to many parts of the world independantely, so i have no
problem going by myself, but its seems that i may have difficulties
at the Burning man... so my question is, what are the practicalities of arriving solo
and surviving at the burning man?
amor, paz y magia
Natalia
Lone traveler to Burning man
-
theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40312
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
Start poking around in this forum and find some of the packing lists, ect. You might want to look for Hageymon--he runs the international burner hostel at BRC and you can join his camp if you like. In the past he has been able to supply a place to stay, but as his nieghbors have complained about that he won't be able to use his house this year. He may set up a rideshare else where so you can drive someone else out there. There is a lot of good advice on this board, find it.
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
Hey Natalia,
You certainly wouldn't be the first person to attend the event solo from over seas. Let me see if I can help you outline a few issues.
1. Travel to the U.S.
So obviously you have to fly into the U.S. The closest international airport is in Reno Nevada, which is approximately 120 miles from where the event is located, in the the Black Rock Desert, approximately 10 miles outside of a small town called Gerlach.
2. Travel to the event:
Some people choose to fly into San Francisco, or Las Vegas, or other parts of the country and drive in. If renting a car is a problem for you because of expense or the lack of a drivers license (it may also be difficult because of your age, many car rentals companies require you to be 25). There are other options for getting to the event.
A. Green Tortoise- It's a private bus company that charges a fee to take you from San Francisco, California to the event. For an extra fee they will also proivde you with food and water during the event. For someone such as yourself who is coming solo from outside the US, I think this is a very desirable option. I have a friend that lives in SF and she loves Green Tortoise and has used them several times. Here is their website:
http://www.greentortoise.com/burning.man.festival.html
B. Ride Share
The event hosts a ride share board. You can post a request for a ride there or you can browse posts from people offering rides. I've known many people who were successful in doing this and people love to help others at the event. I've given several rides myself to the event for people who were coming in from out of town. You should have no problem obtaining a ride if you plan in advance. Make sure you ask the people offering the ride to allow time for you to stop by a store so that you can buy your supplies, like food, water, and such.
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/t ... share.html
C. Fly Onto the Playa
Yes you Black Rock City has it's own airport and you can fly in, be it in a very small plane. Advantage Flight Solutions offers flights from Reno to the Playa. If you utilized this service, I'd still imagine that you'd need to work out an arrangement with someone to bring your food and water for you (at least your water). But still it's do-able.
http://www.advantageflight.com/specials.html
3. Camping & The Logistics of Such
First, read the survival guide here:
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/
All you really need on the playa is a tent, some good stakes or rebar to hold it down, some rope, a sleeping bag , and possibly a sleeping pad. You can purchase all of this stuff at any big box retailer in Reno or wherever you decide to land. This is for camping solo. If you wanted to join a "Theme Camp" you could trade a little labor for hanging out in a nice shade structure. To learn more about theme camps, you can check out a list of them here:
http://www.burningman.com/whatisburning ... ill_5.html
Please keep in mind that these are LAST YEAR'S camps, not this year's. When this year's camp list gets published you can browse it and email camps that have an interest for you. Tell them who you are, what you can contribute artistically and socially and ask if they would like your help. Theme camps can be a great resource for you if you're coming from outside the U.S.
4, Burner Hostel:
I'm not sure what the status if the Hostel is for this year, never the less I know it's operator, Hagey Moon, is still helping people with information and such.
http://burnerhostel.tribe.net/
http://www.blackrockburnerhostel.com/
I hope this helps, it's a lot of info, so be sure to ask if you have any other specific questions.
You certainly wouldn't be the first person to attend the event solo from over seas. Let me see if I can help you outline a few issues.
1. Travel to the U.S.
So obviously you have to fly into the U.S. The closest international airport is in Reno Nevada, which is approximately 120 miles from where the event is located, in the the Black Rock Desert, approximately 10 miles outside of a small town called Gerlach.
2. Travel to the event:
Some people choose to fly into San Francisco, or Las Vegas, or other parts of the country and drive in. If renting a car is a problem for you because of expense or the lack of a drivers license (it may also be difficult because of your age, many car rentals companies require you to be 25). There are other options for getting to the event.
A. Green Tortoise- It's a private bus company that charges a fee to take you from San Francisco, California to the event. For an extra fee they will also proivde you with food and water during the event. For someone such as yourself who is coming solo from outside the US, I think this is a very desirable option. I have a friend that lives in SF and she loves Green Tortoise and has used them several times. Here is their website:
http://www.greentortoise.com/burning.man.festival.html
B. Ride Share
The event hosts a ride share board. You can post a request for a ride there or you can browse posts from people offering rides. I've known many people who were successful in doing this and people love to help others at the event. I've given several rides myself to the event for people who were coming in from out of town. You should have no problem obtaining a ride if you plan in advance. Make sure you ask the people offering the ride to allow time for you to stop by a store so that you can buy your supplies, like food, water, and such.
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/t ... share.html
C. Fly Onto the Playa
Yes you Black Rock City has it's own airport and you can fly in, be it in a very small plane. Advantage Flight Solutions offers flights from Reno to the Playa. If you utilized this service, I'd still imagine that you'd need to work out an arrangement with someone to bring your food and water for you (at least your water). But still it's do-able.
http://www.advantageflight.com/specials.html
3. Camping & The Logistics of Such
First, read the survival guide here:
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/
All you really need on the playa is a tent, some good stakes or rebar to hold it down, some rope, a sleeping bag , and possibly a sleeping pad. You can purchase all of this stuff at any big box retailer in Reno or wherever you decide to land. This is for camping solo. If you wanted to join a "Theme Camp" you could trade a little labor for hanging out in a nice shade structure. To learn more about theme camps, you can check out a list of them here:
http://www.burningman.com/whatisburning ... ill_5.html
Please keep in mind that these are LAST YEAR'S camps, not this year's. When this year's camp list gets published you can browse it and email camps that have an interest for you. Tell them who you are, what you can contribute artistically and socially and ask if they would like your help. Theme camps can be a great resource for you if you're coming from outside the U.S.
4, Burner Hostel:
I'm not sure what the status if the Hostel is for this year, never the less I know it's operator, Hagey Moon, is still helping people with information and such.
http://burnerhostel.tribe.net/
http://www.blackrockburnerhostel.com/
I hope this helps, it's a lot of info, so be sure to ask if you have any other specific questions.
Re: Lone traveler to Burning man
Natalia,natalia wrote:Dear Burners...
Wile living and travelling around Mexico last year, i would come across
whispers of this incredible tempoary community... the Burning Man. I have been dreaming of attending this year, but im currently in the UK, so would have to fly in, i don't have a car, and renting one just for myself
seems like a bit of a waste.
Im 21, and have traveled to many parts of the world independantely, so i have no
problem going by myself, but its seems that i may have difficulties
at the Burning man... so my question is, what are the practicalities of arriving solo
and surviving at the burning man?
amor, paz y magia
Natalia
Did you spend anytime in San Miguel de Alleande ?
I was Born OK the 1st Time....
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg
Don't bring defaultia to Burning Man, take Burning Man to defaultia...... graidawg
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, you have given me some stuff to think about, and reaffirmed my desire to come to BM, I don’t have any questions as of yet, but if I do il let you know.
San Miguel de Allende? Unfortunately not, I Spent a just under a year living in Mexico City teaching English, a few months living on the beach in Mazunte, and then 4 Months travelling the south of the country, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Caribbean etc. I didn’t get the chance to go north, that is a whole other trip that I have planed for the future, apparently it’s a world apart from the south.
San Miguel de Allende? Unfortunately not, I Spent a just under a year living in Mexico City teaching English, a few months living on the beach in Mazunte, and then 4 Months travelling the south of the country, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Caribbean etc. I didn’t get the chance to go north, that is a whole other trip that I have planed for the future, apparently it’s a world apart from the south.
Re: Lone traveler to Burning man
[quote="natalia"]Dear Burners...
(snip...) i don't have a car, and renting one just for myself
seems like a bit of a waste. (/...snip)
Natalia[/quote]
Hi Natalia,
I'm planning to fly in from the Netherlands to San Francisco and renting a car. One of the reasons I want my own car on the playa is to be independend, if I don't like it I wave goodbye and will spent the holiday someplace else. But another reason is that the playa is not your average lonelyplanet trip. Hauling in all the water and a cooler or two for food and cans and soda's for yourself for the week might require a car.
But for the list of posibilities of how to get there without a car... if you fly in to SF too,.. then you can hop on the Amtrax train to Reno and from Reno to BM.
marco
(snip...) i don't have a car, and renting one just for myself
seems like a bit of a waste. (/...snip)
Natalia[/quote]
Hi Natalia,
I'm planning to fly in from the Netherlands to San Francisco and renting a car. One of the reasons I want my own car on the playa is to be independend, if I don't like it I wave goodbye and will spent the holiday someplace else. But another reason is that the playa is not your average lonelyplanet trip. Hauling in all the water and a cooler or two for food and cans and soda's for yourself for the week might require a car.
But for the list of posibilities of how to get there without a car... if you fly in to SF too,.. then you can hop on the Amtrax train to Reno and from Reno to BM.
marco
-
AntiM
- Moderator
- Posts: 20301
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:23 am
- Burning Since: 2001
- Camp Name: Anti M's Home for Wayward Art
- Location: Wild, Wild West
You cetainly can Amtrax to Reno, but this gives the impression there are passenger trains out toward BM. There are not. You can arrange rides with individuals however, takes a little work beforehand, but it can be done.But for the list of posibilities of how to get there without a car... if you fly in to SF too ... then you can hop on the Amtrax train to Reno and from Reno to BM.