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

[Tiara]

Hi Tristan!

Welcome to the eplaya. (Don't let the naysayers get you down--they all mean well.) I think your attitude is great, and if you keep reading all the camping/packing/survival advice you find, you should be plenty prepared for the event by next August.

[PJ]

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...

Some long-time B.Man aviators sleep in their planes, but I pitch a tent under one of the wings. (Some camp in town in friends' theme camps, some pitch tents and shade structures in the walk-in camping area. Aviators' preferences vary.)

I bring a tent and rely on the airplane's wing for shade. The shade isn't huge so I use a rug and a camp chair and move them as necessary. I bring bottled water in 5-gallon containers (normally used for office water dispensers). I bring 1-1/2 gallons per person per day. Food is mostly dried stuff, with a few treats included so it doesn't get boring. Cooking utensiles are of the backpacker-type. A ordinary mountain bike (one per person). Navigation charts, books to read, CDs to listen to enroute. Poi and fuel. I'm not big on the costume thing but some passengers have been--there's plenty of room for them. I wear the same outer clothes for several days, typically, and bring jackets and raingear suitable for any possible Playa weather.

It would also all fit into an old VW with nothing towed or stored atop the roof.

I've not brought complex art projects nor large shade structures. Last year I also brought ~180 lbs. of giveaway prize beer for The Great Semi-Authentic Finnish Wife Carrying Contest, and a megaphone.

The T-210 is one of the larger single-engine personal airplanes, and those with smaller and or lower-powered airplanes couldn't bring that much beer--but all the rest of the stuff should fit in the average personal aircraft easily. The last two years I've left one of the airplane's six seats at home; this makes loading and unloading easier especially if there's only one person. I take the front wheel off the bikes and bag them in 55-gallon garbage sacks.

[TristanGabriel]

Food for a week in a backpack? No biggie, assuming you don't eat like a horse, which normally I do, but I can ration when need-be. A good staple (that I've found anyway) is Ramen. It's got a good bit of carbs (supply energy of course) can be eaten with no preparation, or can be cooked as normal for a decent tasting meal. Now of course one cannot survive on carbs alone, protine is a big factor, how to transport meat products that are compact enough to get into a pack while keeping them from spoiling.
Now, there are a few different methods of doing this. There are of course, non meat protine sources (Contact your local Vegan shop for Ideas!) My personal favorites are salted or cured meats, such as <i>real</i> jerkys....salted canned meat, kippers (or their slightly more common but wholeley less appetising cousins....the sardine) Now, while on the road normally, any 20oz bottle will do for water, as it's easily refillable, or a 1gallon bottle for long freight train rides....but as was aforementioned, carrying a weeks worth of water to the playa in a backpack is virtually impossible.
Other things to carry....Mess kit (military style)
Rope/string,
notebook
Survival kit Including such things as firestarters, first aid kit, space blanket, mirror/razor (I know, that part sounds bad...) etc...
clothes
sleepingbag,
Reletively compact tent....
spare sandals (For those days when socks and tennis shoes would rot your bloody feet off)
Hat
Raincoat
Duct tape
Ok...my brain's still waking up....I haven't even had a smoke yet....so I'm not to blame.
Be well....I'll be back.

[Jane Eric]

You're gonna need tent stakes.

Don't go barefoot, wear socks with your sandals. You'll thank me later.

[TristanGabriel]

Yeah, thanks for the reminder!
*Adds tent stakes to his list with a smile*

Again insomnia plagues me...one would think I would be used to it by now eh?

[Jane Eric]

Big ass tent stakes. And insomnia is a valuable tool on the playa.

[robbidobbs]

Pre-burners are so cute, aren't they? The more advice you dispense about BM, the more these pearls turn into dog biscuits to them. Yummy! Bottom line: Trying to explain BM is like threading the universe thru a needle. Sit tight, grasshopper. You'll get yours soon enough, and there's just no way to rush this one.

And don't throw baby wipes in the potties!
(That made me feel empowered. Thanks for puting up with me guys.)

[TristanGabriel]

so yeah. I'm happy that there's support out there *smile* and I also do appriciate the wary advice *nod* I really don't know what to say at the moment...

Saw tomb raider 2 today...good show. god loves a fit woman *grin*

[Isotopia]

so yeah. I'm happy that there's support out there *smile* and I also do appriciate the wary advice *nod* I really don't know what to say at the moment...

Saw tomb raider 2 today...good show. god loves a fit woman *grin*

Hi Tristan and welcome.

Do NOT use *smile*, *nod*, *grin* or *giggle/chuckles* and we'll not tear your sweet, virtual, neck off at the waist.

Bob will occasionally use *sigh* but then, Bob's our King and he does it to annoy his subjects.

Hope this helps.

[Jane Eric]

And whatever you do, stay away from the fucking smilies.

[Badger]

No shit.

[JezebelinHell]

Nothing brings down the wrath of God like emoticons.

Didn't read through this whole thread, but if no one's mentioned it yet, get a camelbak. They come in so very useful.

[PJ]

if no one's mentioned it yet, get a camelbak. They come in so very useful.

I prefer an actual camel, but tastes vary.

[JezebelinHell]

Camels, while useful for getting around on the playa, are very difficult to fit into your car. Putting them on a leash and having them follow while you drive is generally considered bad form, and will bring down the wrath of the hippies, which I believe involves dousing you in patchoulli oil and making you eat tofu.

[PJ]

Putting them on a leash and having them follow while you drive is generally considered bad form, and will bring down the wrath of the hippies, which I believe involves dousing you in patchoulli oil and making you eat tofu.

Ever seen what happens when patchoulli oil and clothing man of all-natural fibers do when hit with a flame thrower? No worries, they won't get within 30 feet. Try to stay upwind, though.

[Alpha]

Bob's our King

*snort*

[JezebelinHell]

King of the Bog of Eternal Stench?

[robbidobbs]

I'm not a fan of camelbaks, and I've lived out at the work ranch for a couple months, so I know all about "rehydration detail". I don't like the taste of plastic, don't like the sucking habit (infantile IMO), and when I want to drink water, it's by the quart -- even gallon, so camelbaks are just too wimpy for my agro tastes.

Just a minnit, I'm drinking water...
Now WHAT can I do for you?

[Flux]

don't like the sucking habit (infantile IMO)

Hey, wait just a dad-blame minute here!

[Kinetic II]

I really like Bob but being a King is a bit much. King of shade structures? Maybe. Bay Bridge replacements. Yeah. But I'll stop there.

And what's wrong with the cute smilies? Someone went to all that trouble to code that stuff and nobody uses them. Come on, give in to the dark side. Use the smilies. I mean look at 'em sitting over there, blinking, winking, getting all red faced, crying...they want attention.

You guys can feed the trolls yet you won't give the smilies any attention. What a group.

[Isotopia]

I really like Bob but being a King is a bit much.

Get your heretic ass back down in the dungeon.

[Green Wood]

Oh I can't wait!

[Green Wood]

so yeah. I'm happy that there's support out there *smile* and I also do appriciate the wary advice *nod* I really don't know what to say at the moment...

Saw tomb raider 2 today...good show. god loves a fit woman *grin*

Hi Tristan and welcome.

Do NOT use *smile*, *nod*, *grin* or *giggle/chuckles* and we'll not tear your sweet, virtual, neck off at the waist.

Bob will occasionally use *sigh* but then, Bob's our King and he does it to annoy his subjects.

Hope this helps.

I always liked Bob!