REALLY...stupid question...

haolegolucky · Post by **haolegolucky** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:27 am

We can enter at 12am on the 28th ya? So essentially midnight on the 27th, drive in the dark, find a space to camp (or our camp we are with in my case) and set up gear?

I know, I know...really stupid question but ???

*smack*

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:59 am

Not a stupid question at all.

You could do it that way, but finding a place in the dark can be frustrating and dangerous. It is DARK. Also, if you end up in theme camp real estate or the middle of someone else's camp, you'll have to move. Not fun. I believe there's overnight temp parking, get through the gates, park yer butts, rest until dawn, and then hit your bikes to find a spot. Lets you chat up potential neighbors.

We time entry for sunrise, even though we have front runners and know where we're camping. We've done it the midnight way and even though we knew our place, it sucked asswater.

haolegolucky · Post by **haolegolucky** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:32 am

thank you
:)

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:03 am

On the other hand, I find stumbling around in the dark has a charm all its own.

Token · Post by **Token** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:37 am

I’m going to agree with AntiM 100% and then tell you why I ignore her excellent advice.

From the time we hit Empire, our energy level hits the roof. There is no sleeping until the heat of the next day.

Setting up camp in the cold of the night is much easier provided you have good lighting.
Getting your shade up before the sun shines is a good thing.
Winds are often lighter at night since there is less heat convection.
Bikes are still locked down to the truck and this is the last time the whole crew will be in camp at the same time.

So, here are some tips for avoiding nighttime dangers.

There is a great map of BRC posted on the BM web site. Print it and bring it with you. Mark the location on the map where you want to camp then use the outer most street on the ring to get there. This is good to do for day or night arrival.

Beware of rebar stakes in the ground. Keep a sharp eye for those nasty tire/foot slashers. Many folks are not done with their camp builds and there will be allot of poorly marked rebar around. Stay on the streets.

Take it extra slow. You have arrived, no need to rush. If some yahoo is tailgating you, let them pass and collect all that stray rebar for you.

Find your spot, figure out where East and West are so you know where the morning sun will cook you camp, park. Roll down your windows and blast some tunes.

Get your stuff out and start pounding away on that shade structure.

If annoyed neighbors come to complain about the noise, apologize profusely, hand them some ear-plugs and tell them to fuck off. This will make for great conversation in the morning.

It’s Burning Man; live a little, danger and all.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:14 am

I'm going to agree with Token 100% also. Hey, YMMV. That's what makes it all so interesting.

sunn · Post by **sunn** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:08 am

We arrived at night last year and ended up setting up in the morning...yes,it kind of sucked to sleep in the car the first night, but on the other hand,we took a ride on our bikes for awhile and that was great.

We plan to arrive earlier this time however!

safetythird · Post by **safetythird** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:15 pm

Last year we arrived in the middle of the night. It was a bit of challenge finding our village since there was only a couple people who arrived before us. We were lucky enough find some other early arrivers still awake and they pointed us in the right general direction.

I was really cracked out from the drive so we loaded up a few beers and took a stroll to pay our respects to the man. Got to play on Goliath all by ourselves, checked out other large projects still under construction and generally had a good time.

We are a bit of an exception since we were there early to setup our village. If we didn't already have a camp placed I'd probably park in the temp overnight and do the same. Seems like it would give you an idea on where you'd like to setup the next day.

S3

leftbraindp · Post by **leftbraindp** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:52 pm

My 1st year at the burn my roommate and I rolled in around 3am... we knew the general area we were supposed to meet the others, so we drove close, parked, then walked around to find it... we got to meet some great people camped near us that way, and after several beers, a walk to playa info and back, getting to see saturn through a really good telescope, we found our camp...

Last year we got in just at dawn, which I thought was great, there was light to see the streets, but it was still cool enough for an hour or two to get some stuff set up before the heat of the day...

Hoolie · Post by **Hoolie** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:45 pm

AntiM wrote:I believe there's overnight temp parking, get through the gates, park yer butts, rest until dawn, and then hit your bikes to find a spot. Lets you chat up potential neighbors.

I think this is the way to go if you arrive after dark. Last year, we arrived after sunset, and not only was it getting dark fast, the wind was howling and the sand was blowing. We just parked, pitched a tent, and hunkered down for the night. The next morning, the wind was gone and we were greeting by clear skies and a shining sun. We took our bikes and scouted a camp location...much more pleasant that driving around. We found a sweet spot to camp and all was well.

Post by **trilobyte** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:11 pm

Only roll the windows down and start blasting if you're down with your car getting playa-fied (even when the dust isn't blowing, it gets everywhere)...

Otherwise, I agree with what's been said. My recommendation for night-time camp building is to position your vehicle(s) in such a way that you can use your headlights to illuminate the site while you build your shade structure.

~Trilo~

Remark · Post by **Remark** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:35 am

I'm also an "arrive at midnight set up in the cool dark" person. Its just some how very relaxing to me. Takes me 3-4 hours to do about an hour worth of work. Calm before the storm thing?

Work graveyard in real life, probably has something to do with it all.

for light; cheap propane lantern, awesome. Fun to walk up on someone with the latern while they're setting up a tent holding a pen light in their mouth. They love the light and the hand with the tent (I love the beer they sometimes offer).

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:30 am

Night arrivals have a mystique all their own. You've been lumbering along the freeway lo many hours, suddenly all is quiet as you glide to a stop, with your hazard lights blinking, stopping short of the outskirts of BRC to get you bearings. Exit the car like an Apollo astronaut. All is quiet in the alien landscape, but your car's blinkers like a steel cricket. You wander away from your craft to get your bearings, in search of the nearest camp (hoping that they know where they are), or any nearby marker in the baked earth. A cool breeze springs up and you glance up at the mad splash of stars covering the sky. The growing city before you is likewise a crazy mix of glittering jewels. Somewhere in the distance, a generator hums. You sit on the ground, dazzled by the realization that you are sitting where - in a few days - will be the buzzing center of the Weirdness Festival that you've been anticipating for many months. For now, things are quiet, and you stop briefly to cherish this moment before finding your campsite, a square of cracked earth like many others, that you will soon mark with your own unique vision.

Yeah, like that.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 12:05 pm

The previous post hits it dead on. I prefer late night arrivals too. And if you've come prepared the darkness is not an issue.

Rockdad · Post by **Rockdad** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 12:33 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:Night arrivals have a mystique all their own. You've been lumbering along the freeway lo many hours, suddenly all is quiet as you glide to a stop, with your hazard lights blinking, stopping short of the outskirts of BRC to get you bearings. Exit the car like an Apollo astronaut. All is quiet in the alien landscape, but your car's blinkers like a steel cricket. You wander away from your craft to get your bearings, in search of the nearest camp (hoping that they know where they are), or any nearby marker in the baked earth. A cool breeze springs up and you glance up at the mad splash of stars covering the sky. The growing city before you is likewise a crazy mix of glittering jewels. Somewhere in the distance, a generator hums. You sit on the ground, dazzled by the realization that you are sitting where - in a few days - will be the buzzing center of the Weirdness Festival that you've been anticipating for many months. For now, things are quiet, and you stop briefly to cherish this moment before finding your campsite, a square of cracked earth like many others, that you will soon mark with your own unique vision.

Yeah, like that.

Perfect...

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:17 pm

While I'm happy that arriving in the dead of night has a mystique for the arrivers, I have to report that having some knucklehead try setting up camp in the dark hours of some morning that erupts into a screaming fight between some guy and some woman over how to do it has not been the highlight of _my_ burning experiences. And I've lost count of the number of times those midnight campers were there when I woke up in the morning and nobody in our theme camp knew who was sleeping in that tent, and they were _not_ in the camp they thought they were.

Okay, so I'm grumpy. Arrive at night, enjoy the experience, but don't wake _me_ up and be in the right camp. Sheesh!

Rusted Iron · Post by **Rusted Iron** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:13 pm

Ah, last year's Happy Homecoming Dust in the Wind... I remember it well. Got seperated from the rest of my caravan, just after the gate. I headed for the place we agreed we'd camp and everyone else headed for a place that was free of wind.

I ended up spending the night in the driver's seat, while they set up camp, (in an area that was wonderfully light on dust for the rest of the week.) See, it wasn't all bad.

At sunrise, the Rat car hunted me down and guided me home.

Sometimes plans are best abandoned.

Silver 2 · Post by **Silver 2** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:46 am

but don't wake _me_ up and be in the right camp. Sheesh!

but don't wake _me_ up
Bitch, moan, whine; in '04 I was at the end of Hushville's foot path and right across from the potties (still have my pottie watcher laminate). Twice people woke me up on purpose (calling into the tent) to ask where they were and this at around 5-6 am, joy.

Be in the right camp AND don't assume that you can just join up with anybody that strikes your fancy. Same year, swung by my place with friends to re-supply at about 3 and here is a couple setting up right on top of Hushville's footpath. I went into Hushville greeter mode, 'Hi, this is Hushville, are you registered? and have your Hushville sign?' Long story short, Hushville doesn't have many rules but registering is one of them and they had decided at the gate that Hushville was the place for them. When I said that they couldn't stay they pointed out that we had lots of room; i.e., the footpath. I pointed out that even if they were registered they couldn't set on on the damned path. My friends were highly amused.

Pointed them to free camping.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:19 am

Rockdad wrote:...

Perfect...

<3

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:22 am

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:33 pm

Nighttime is a great arrival time. I'll be at Gate at midnight this year. Setting up in the dark is great and bring lights like everyone says - burning headlghts for set up is frustrating. Four lanterns to mark your camp boundaries and to give you good all-around light kicks ass. If it's windy, you might want to wait on camp set up and just go hang out at Gate or Greeters and help or meet people and make new friends all night. You're there!!!! Have fun. Passing out beer and winecoolers at Greeters can make you very popular.

REALLY...stupid question...

REALLY...stupid question...

The other side of the mystique