camping and other q's

timp · Post by **timp** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:27 am

I'm unfamiliar with how camping works, so I have a couple questions...

firstly, I've been kicking around the idea of getting an old 1970's VW Camper Van and am wondering if they're allowed to use for camping (i mean, it's small... it's pretty much a microbus with a bed)... obviously not for driving around as an art car or anything of that nature...

also, what can be expected of camping? I'm aware it's in the middle of the desert, so I'm sure it's going to get hot (just how hot?)

lots of sunscreen will be required (i'm of Irish descent, yay for pale, easily burnt skin), is water/shower/bathroom easily accessable or are these issues that I'll need to find solutions for ahead of time?

same with food, is there any available or do I need to worry about supplying that and beverage for myself?

I understand that it's a community built on helping and sharing, and that we all need to give as much as we receive, so what kind of things should a n00b such as myself be aware of?

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:59 am

Survival guide, survival guide, survival guide!

Read it, then read it again, then 10 more time just for good measure.

You can find it on the Burning Man website.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:40 pm

timp wrote: is water/shower/bathroom easily accessable or are these issues that I'll need to find solutions for ahead of time?

same with food, is there any available or do I need to worry about supplying that and beverage for myself?

Yes, you will need to bring your own food and water. You might want to take a few weekend camping trips when the weather gets better, just to have some practice.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:53 pm

I brought my nice 90 VW Westy Syncro camper for my first year, in '04
and I am still trying to get the dust out of it.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:22 pm

why bother, sky? That's nostalgia you got there.....

seelivemusic · Post by **seelivemusic** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:55 pm

I've toyed with bringing my portable loveshack, a 1972 Westy but other than being a visible leo target, I'd be afraid that the heat and traffic from exodus would kill my aircooled engine. I would be extremley pissed if I blew a head trying to get up to speed after being in traffic for hours.

I have seen quite a few vws there and I always wonder how they manage that. And yes, even tho I'm from Boston I am aware of what an oil cooler is like I see in So Cal.

Leaving before Monday just isn't an option, my crappy pickup it is!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:09 pm

There was/is a VW bus camp. Chai Guy used to camp with them.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:22 pm

skygod wrote:I brought my nice 90 VW Westy Syncro camper for my first year, in '04
and I am still trying to get the dust out of it.

\/
after the first year i do not clean my 90.. sides i like the cats paw prints on the dash..

super tuned it this year a got 21mpg pulling 1200 lb trailer/load..

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:11 am

Your VW would have no problem, if you left in the evening, or do what I saw one fella do, and bum a tow from a larger truck. He had a tow bar hitched it up to a truck that was willing, and let him pull him all the way to the road, unhitched and went on his way.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:06 pm

timp wrote:I'm unfamiliar with how camping works, so I have a couple questions...

>SNIP<

also, what can be expected of camping? I'm aware it's in the middle of the desert, so I'm sure it's going to get hot (just how hot?)

lots of sunscreen will be required (i'm of Irish descent, yay for pale, easily burnt skin), is water/shower/bathroom easily accessable or are these issues that I'll need to find solutions for ahead of time?

same with food, is there any available or do I need to worry about supplying that and beverage for myself?

I understand that it's a community built on helping and sharing, and that we all need to give as much as we receive, so what kind of things should a n00b such as myself be aware of?

Last first - don't worry about bringing stuff to share your first year. Just come and be there. You'll find out what you can share and get ideas what to bring based on your experience. Bringing stuff is not required, so if you don't want to give stuff away, don't.

On food and drink, my recommendation is to bring all you'll need for your time at Burning Man. You likely will be given meals and won't eat all your food, but you can't count on that. And your uneaten meals can be shared later when you have new-found friends over.

There are portable toilets; almost all the time they are useable. There are no public showers or baths. If you want a shower or bath, bring your own. It's possible someone will have a shower available, but you cannot count on it. Bring whatever you will need for yourself.

If you don't know how to camp, I urge you to start camping now. You need to work out the problems before you get to the Burn. You won't know what the problems are until you have camped. You need shelter (tent, van, RV), shade, food, water, and a way to cook your meals. You need to be as completely self-sufficient as possible, as nothing is for sale on the playa and the nearest stores are miles away and difficult to get to.

As someone else suggested, read the BMOrg survival guide:
http://www.burningman.com/first_timers/
for links to many helpful online articles. Louise and I have articles for newcomers at our Website:
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html
including links to articles by still other participants.

Nothing you read will prepare you for the event. You are starting at a good time to be prepared. Practice camping, practice cooking on your camp stove, practice some more.

We'll see you at the 2008 Burn. You'll have a wonderful time.[/url][/s]

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:25 pm

The best thing you can do as a newbie is hook up with someone that has been there.

Barring that - read, read and read some more. Do some research on Eplaya the answers to your wuestions are more than likely already here.

enjoy - see you soon.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:31 pm

Do NOT underestimate the value of a good shade structure!!! And be certain to test out everything before you get to the desert! Being prepared is an extremely good idea.

skygod · Post by **skygod** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:24 pm

Being comfortable is the small art on the playa.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:30 pm

Welcome Timp! ...and all others just coming aboard here!

I know how tempting it is to post questions soon after discovering a forum. But most of your questions have been answered before, so I recommend you spend some time reading. This is a HUGE forum, going back many years, all right at your fingertips.

As for camping vehicles, I use a big old school bus that I outfitted with bunks and bathroom. Correct, you will leave your vehicle parked for the duration of the event.

Shade. Note giant tarp over bus and tied to two other sturdy vehicles.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 6:51 am

timp wrote:I'm unfamiliar with how camping works, so I have a couple questions...

Refreshing honesty, but a shock considering Pennsylvania's beautiful camping opportunities! Get out there- you'll like it! (Can you tell my dad's a park ranger?)
Whatever woes betide Michigan's economy lately, I still have to remember that I'm blessed with the ability to jump in my car and drive for ten minutes in ANY direction and be somewhere camp-worthy.
As far as Burning Man Camping is concerned, anything goes. I lean towards over-extravagant geodesic contraptions, but have friends that prefer a simple backpacker tent. It's all good. The less you bring, the less you'll have to shake out later!
Skygod's comment about The Small Art of Comfort is well-noted; As I'm fond of saying, "It's the little things that are small". A little shade with a snack and a Tasty Beverage after an afternoon of dusty tromping and brain-filling? Priceless.
Dang...is it August yet?

BitterDan · Post by **BitterDan** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:21 pm

I typically bring more to BM than I would just camping for a week. Shit gets dusty but a couple of days of cleaning resolves that. As far as shelters goes, Geodesics are probably the nicest (ok, well RVs are the nicest but that's cheating) because of their openness (lofty ceiling makes it seem bigger). Pre-built geodesics can be quite expensive though and unless you are handy enough with a sewing machine to make your own cover then it might price you out of that market. The best thing about them is that they will last for years and years to come.

Our dome is a little too big to be "my" shelter so I always bring a tent (our dome is 30 feet). This year I am actually looking into bringing a portable backyard shed. It's about as big as a cabin tent but with 2" steel supports instead of the 1/2" fiberglass.

If space and weight are an issue then you should just get a tent and some sort of shade structure to go over it (make sure it's sturdy though since the winds whip up to 70mph on the playa). If you are planning on returning to the playa year after year then go ahead and build a nice dome.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:44 am

...And you don't need to drive a Westy to car-camp. I've been sleeping in my Element the last couple of years without complaints. It's easy to rig shade around something as wind-resistant as a car, and if it's gonna be as dusty as it was last year I'd rather sleep in something with gasketed seals than zippers.
One technique that I experimented with to satisfying results in '06 was buiding a partial geodome around the car, made from zipstripped cardboard tubes- It was plenty sturdy, and at week's end I simply cut and removed the plastic strips and burned the tubes. Big Lesson Learned: I didn't allow enough room at the rear of the car for the tailgate to swing open completely, and ended up smacking my head on it constantly.
The imortant thing to remember is to allow an airspace between car and tarp or shadecloth to allow the heat to dissipate. I used crosspieces (longer, heavier cardboard tubes) bound to the roofrack for mine. Observe how the sun tracks in the sky relative to the direction your car's pointed, and extend the overhang more on the sunward side, and you won't have to mess with it constantly throughout the day.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:23 pm

> buiding a partial geodome around the car, made from
> zipstripped cardboard tubes

_Excellent_ idea! May I inquire as to the weight, dimensions, etc. of the tubes? I'm thinking they're stronger than the tubes I'm looking at right now that had holiday wrapping paper around them.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:41 pm

Burningman would not be my first choice for a first time camping trip. It is rough out there for those that are experienced at the best of times. The environment is constantly trying to kill you, bring plenty of water and make sure you have a babysitter. You really should read the survival guide and ranger manual at the least.

Token · Post by **Token** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:52 pm

Guys, it is just a stinking camping trip in the high dessert. No one is trying to kill you. Ice is sold at the event. There is a monster sized public shade structure called center camp...

Fer devils sake, if you park your car at the right angle and pitch a small solo tent just right, you get shade for all but a couple hours in the day.

Don't go making like we are doing something extraordinary here. In 96 it may have been dangerous. Today, I can get better medical care at BM than I can in Los Angeles.

BM is a tourist destination these days...

/bitter

camping and other q's

camping and other q's

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Re: camping and other q's

Re: camping and other q's

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