New Burners '07

BigRedNW · Post by **BigRedNW** » Sun May 20, 2007 6:07 pm

Hi everyone!

It's the first time on the Playa for the boyfriend and I. A good friend finally broke down my resistance and we are heading to the playa for the week in August.

I'm looking for advice on costumes, food, etc to take along. Any suggestions are welcome.

See you all on the Playa.

Nick Collide · Post by **Nick Collide** » Sun May 20, 2007 7:27 pm

Boy, are you ever in the right place!

By now you have probably noticed that there are 51 pages of topics (just in this section!) covering nearly anything you can think of to get a head start on preparing for the playa. I say *nearly* everything because folks come up with specific questions now and then and find other great folks ready and willing to help them out.

Welcome. You're gonna love it here.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:10 am

Welcome home!
There's a boatload of advice here.
Do a search for the keywords you want to investigate.
Being comfortable in a hot, and cold, and dusty alkali environment with no amenities is the trick.
After you do that, then maybe you can find ways to help and amaze your neighbors.

harley1200 · Post by **harley1200** » Wed May 30, 2007 12:42 pm

This will be my first time too although I've been "preparing" for this for at least 5 years. Anyway, I don't have advise but just wanted to say hello and maybe we can meet for coffee or wine or tequila or...?

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:04 pm

Since this year's REAL theme is "Monkeys!" ( the Green Man thing is just to throw the noobs off track ) costumes are pretty easy .. all you need is a monkey suit. And since you are only there for a week, eating is REALLY pretty easy. A case of Beef-A-Roni and 2 boxes pf prunes should be all you need. Seriously. It really is that simple.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Wed May 30, 2007 11:55 pm

although I've been "preparing" for this for at least 5 years.

Please enlighten some us on how one prepares for years to attend a week long vacation in the desert.

Hell, I've never spent more than four hours per year deciding what to bring and how to pack.

I'm genuinely curious.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Thu May 31, 2007 8:11 am

harley1200 wrote: I've been "preparing" for this for at least 5 years.

Oftentimes anticipation is the greater part of an event.

harley1200 · Post by **harley1200** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 8:31 am

[quote="Isotopia"][quote]although I've been "preparing" for this for at least 5 years.[/quote]

Please enlighten some us on how one prepares for years to attend a week long vacation in the desert.[/quote]

Somehow I don't believe you but what I meant was planning to go but something has always come up,hence the preparing within quotation marks.

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:13 am

New burners must wear these earrings:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6045947

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:23 pm

One thing I would suggest for new burners is to realize that while BRC might be a gift economy, it isn't a socialist utopia. Mind the "radical self-reliance" aspect. Arrive with enough stuff to keep you warm at night, enough water, and enough food. DO NOT expect that someone is going to give you those things and you can simply show up with a backpack and leech off the others at the event.

You don't really need all that much to survive a week. Your diet can be pretty crappy, your body will take it for a week. You aren't going to gain 600 lbs or clog your arteries because you didn't eat the perfect well-balanced diet for a few days. Those maladies are caused by year round lifestyle choices or genetics. You actually CAN survive a week on veteranary grade primate feed if you have to, a person has really done it before. The point there is that there is no excuse. A case of Chef Boyardee carbs in a can and some roughage of some sort (dried fruit works) while not providing the most exquisite cuisine, will get you through the week. AND you don't need ice for it or a cooler.

If you really want to, you can be 100% completely self-sufficient without having to drag a tractor-trailer load of crap out there.

PLEASE ... aim to be as self-sufficient as possible and do NOT come out there with expectations of living off of someone else or lots of someone elses. This is one field that is pretty much barren of lillies. Nothing out there but dust.

phil · Post by **phil** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:41 pm

See
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html#perennialGuides
for information for first timers, second timers, and old timers.

See
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html#renoResources
for links to where to get all your stuff in Reno.

RINGMASTER · Post by **RINGMASTER** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 2:22 am

last year was my first year and we went with the intent of packing light but keeping it efficient.... taking it all in... and then knowing first hand what to do the next time around.

we stocked up on cup'o'noodles, granola bars, water, cereal (makes a great snack in small sandwich bags) and a couple of MRE's.

while we did have some great neighbors who insisted on feeding us, we brought everything we needed, and by keeping it simple, we could focus on the event, and not meal preparation and cleanup.

my advice to anyone new is keep it simple on the first go round! this is year 2 and i'll let you know if our slightly more elaborate plans this year prove foolish!

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:17 am

RINGMASTER wrote:last year was my first year and we went with the intent of packing light but keeping it efficient.... taking it all in... and then knowing first hand what to do the next time around.
>SNIP<
my advice to anyone new is keep it simple on the first go round! this is year 2 and i'll let you know if our slightly more elaborate plans this year prove foolish!

I think that's excellent advice.