Questions

electrolux · Post by **electrolux** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:18 pm

I would say go for the road trip if that's what you want to do. Somehow it seems like cheating to fly. As you get closer and the scenery gets more and more desert-like and your excitement builds.
Ok so my drive is 'only' about 20 hours, but manages to be filled with many (mis)adventures (border crossings, cows on the highway, fried brakes). Oh, and in 2002 I hallucinated while driving north up 447 after the event due to lack of sleep (otherwise I was sober). I'd advise against that. But it's all part of the fun. I'd say at least 80% of Vancouver burners do the driving thing, so it can't be that bad. It is SO much easier to bring the stuff you want/need this way. I'd try to find at least one other driver, though, because after a while you can go crazy without a break.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 7:58 pm

Just since we are on the subject of driving. I highly reccomend that you NOT attempt to drive on 447 at night. It is an open grazing area and cows are often found in the middle of the road. The road has many rolling hills making it easy to out drive your head lights and be surprised by a cow or vehicle broken down on the side of the road (the shoulder is incredibly small). Also, arriving in BRC at night is a huge pain in the ass (trying to find your theme camp or worse trying to find a place in open camping). So my advice is that if you find yourself driving at night stop off in Reno and get up early so you can drive with the benefit of light.

Bob A · Post by **Bob A** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:34 pm

I'm planing on driving out for my first year too and am having the same thoughts and questions. I know I want to drive as part of the experience but, Do I drive it alone, find other people heading out. and share the ride or setup a convoy with other people. I do know I want to drive it and I've got plenty of time to get there and back. One thing I've got going for me is I'm gonig to be pulling a camping trailer I'm restoring so when I get tired I'll just pull over at a rest stop or truck stop and climb in the back, It'll be like pulling my own motel room with me.

dj_john69 · Post by **dj_john69** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 10:09 pm

I'm only in Reno BUT we always convoy to the Playa...its just safer. Also, get some 2 way radios to stay in contact while driving if you don't have a cb.

~John

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 7:10 am

Kamp Kalamazoo drove out to BRC in '03, in an Xterra pulling a Y'allhaul trailer with dome, bikes and toys....from southwest Michigan to BRC, mostly on I-80, was 2100 miles and took us two looooong days, even with three drivers. What we rustbelters had forgotten about was exactly how much of the west was either dead flat or at a perpetual 6 degree incline....(no Kevin Bacon, either!) Be prepared for long, slow climbs that may tax the capacity of a heavily loaded vehicle with trailer- there's not much like that country back east! Beautiful country though, especially once you get out to the Great Salt Lake and beyond....Don't leave SLC with a half tank!
Ain't nothin fer miles'n'miles, and we came WAY too close to running dry!
We took three days to get back, savoring hotel showers each night, and STILL came home dusty! Power on, Bob A!

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:09 am

> (the shoulder is incredibly small)

Or nonexistent. There are places on 447 where you *can't* pull over. At
all. There are other places where the shoulder looks OK, but it's soft
gravel or dirt. I was really glad to have 4WD three or four years ago
when we pulled over to make sure the flapping thing in the trailer wasn't
actually coming loose. No 4WD and we would have been waiting for
someone to come pull us out.

que.f.o. · Post by **que.f.o.** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 12:32 am

The buildup of anticipation as you drive towards the playa is a wonderful thing. Great tunes, great food, great times ahead. Fortunately, it's only about 10 hours from Portland. We do it in two pieces though. Leave on Sunday afternoon and spend the night camped close to natural hot water. Soaking is a joy. Up early, maybe soak again, off down the road. Arrive at the gates about 2PM. Anticipation fulfilled...for the time being.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Mon Jan 26, 2004 10:52 am

que.f.o. wrote: Arrive at the gates about 2PM. Anticipation fulfilled...for the time being.

And the Gate is happy to see you too!

As to the shoulder, do NOT drive into the shoulder. It is soft gravel, and your chances of getting stuck are high. It looks so inviting and smooth, but resist the temptation. We were in a BIG ASS truck and pulled over to help a couple girls in a compact car. We pulled out our boards and shovels and got them out, only to discover we were stuck now. So we got out again (already exhausted) and dug out dum-ass out of there. It was a LONG ending to an already long couple days of driving.

RobbiDobbs clear

CadyMae · Post by **CadyMae** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 2:26 pm

Thanks for all the tips and feedbacks and advice. I have a much longer list of bad airport trips than I do bad road trips. For ex. I was in Nassau Bahamas a few weeks ago. The trip took 12 hours to get home. Mind you I live in Tampa Bay, 2 fifty minute flights away. I could have SWAM to miami and rented a car faster than it took to fly. Never mnd the power-tripping dingbats at security who felt the need to touch every single thing in my carry-on luggage. And the stupid no smoking after you pass through security only to find out your flight's been delayed 3 farking hours and then you have to go back out to get food and then go BACK through security and have the morons rip all your stuff out of your bags again. Frankly after that trip I might never fly again. I'll take my 24 hour road side assistance, cell phone and rental car over those airport people any day!

Juju · Post by **Juju** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 1:41 am

I live in LA, 12-14 hours from BRC. I've been going the last 3 years, and last year was the first time I was actually able to enjoy the journey to and from home, mostly because *I* was the one driving. We stopped along the 395 at several spots and just enjoyed the scenery. I got to finally visit Topaz Lake, and dip my feet in the Walker River. The journey was so much more enjoyable because I gave myself time and thought of it as a road trip.

I'm toying with the idea of packing my camping gear last, and spending a night in the forest near Bridgeport or Walker before heading into Reno in the morning. We made friends in Reno this fall, so I know where I'll be staying on the way back to LA also.

My point is, it's worth it to enjoy your journey as much as the destination.

III · Post by **III** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:35 am

>>spending a night in the forest near Bridgeport or Walker

if you take the s6 route, benton hot springs is about 1/2 between l.a. and black rock, and has campsites right next to your very own natural spring hot tubs. if everyone starts doing it, it'd get a bit crowded, but last time i stopped there there were only a couple other people, and none of them burners.

DE FACTO · Post by **DE FACTO** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:14 am

I'm placing this question under this thread because it is a question and I did'nt want to create another thread just for this question. (also there does'nt seem to be any topics about treated woods and apples that are outgassed more of formaldahyde than any decent grade MDF under this thread.)

Some burner friends of mine and I were wondering if there is anyway to find out if the camp we are naming conflicts with another came that already has the same name ? Or better yet, is there a list the we can go to so we make sure to avoid the same name problem? Maybe a thread could be developed showing the possible theme camp names and themes.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 11:17 am

Try linking to the main BM web site where the registered camps will be listed at some point.

marnen · Post by **marnen** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:06 pm

Tiara wrote:
Chai Guy wrote:Burning Man can be a physically and emotionally exhausting experience and a several day road trip following the event may be more than you bargained for.
I'd second Chai Guy's advice, unless you have *lots* of extra time to make your way home.

I plan to stay in a hotel in Reno Sunday and Monday nights (I'll be leaving Sunday night to avoid the Exodus Jam). That will give me a chance to sleep, shower, shave, and eat before starting back across the country to NY. I did this last time I went (I flew that time), and it worked well.

Best,
Marnen

marnen · Post by **marnen** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 1:08 pm

Chai Guy wrote:Just since we are on the subject of driving. I highly reccomend that you NOT attempt to drive on 447 at night. It is an open grazing area and cows are often found in the middle of the road.

Oh, get real! I drove 447 at night both ways in 2002 -- no problem at all. Just observe the speed limits and be alert.

Best,
Marnen

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 2:27 pm

I'm all about driving to the playa rather than flying in for a few reasons. First is that you generally need to bring a lot of stuff. I also kind of like the road trip. I'd really like it if I wasn't the type to constantly worry about breaking down in the middle of nowhere... while on that thought I'll say to all drivers that in addition to making sure your rig is in shape you also should avoid unnecessarily punishing your vehicle on the way. It's a long, hilly, isolated drive and usually you're loaded to or beyond capacity.
Holding your foot on the floor and pulling long grades as fast as possible is when you're gonna overheat or lose your transmission, etc. Every year I end up stopping to help someone on the side of the road.
Let off the gas a little, shift down, and go easy on your jalopy. Try not to kill it.
The bigger and heavier your setup is, the more important it is to go easy on it.
This rant is for the lots of people who never find themselves driving a heavy vehicle and pulling a heavy trailer full of mannequins, couches, water containers, motorized butterflies, etc. other than heading for the playa.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:22 pm

Hi!

A group of us (the number at this time is uncertain-- at least three people, maybe eight or more) are hoping to make it to Burning Man in 2005 (considering our level of organization and resources, 2004 is out of the question!). We will be driving from Madison, Wisconsin.

What I gather from this thread is that we should allow a few days to get there and back again, and maybe should take more than one vehicle, in case of mechanical problems. (If we wind up near the higher end of the spectrum number-wise, multiple vehicles will obviously be mandatory, unless someone buys a bus!) Anyone here travelled roughly the same route: Madison, WI to BRC? How many days should we allow? What are good places to stop along the way for food, gas, rest, etc.? I, personally, have never been to that part of the country, and I am not certain about the experiences of the rest of our group.

Thanks!

Brian (who might wind up being the primary planner of the trip...

)

amphitrite27 · Post by **amphitrite27** » Thu May 06, 2004 1:26 pm

also for people w/ rentals...and own cars...although more rentals.

Budget in some nice cleaning of the vehicle. Its cheaper to get done yourself, then to turn in your playafied vehicle to the company.

I thiink last year we found a place that did it for 20 in Reno, but we then had to pay them an extra 20 to get the duct tape cleaned off and the whole car done in time to get to the airport.

this is one reason i'll be driving...last year the two people i went with flew out of reno at two, we left black rock at six am, and they still almost (by ten minutes) miseed their flight. leave plenty of time to say goodbye to the city and reorient to everyday life.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Thu May 06, 2004 2:23 pm

I wouldn't say bringing two cars in case of mechanical problems is a necessity. You'll consume twice as much gas and if one breaks down, it will still put a big damper on the trip. The only reason to take the extra vehicle is if you have too many people and too much gear to safety fit in one.

I'm not sure about route, but going to maps.yahoo.com and mapping from Madison to Reno should give you a general idea. Add a couple of extra hours for the jaunt up to BRC from Reno. Figure 12 hours of driving per day at 60MPH or so, depending on your vehicle and load.

I haven't gone that specific route but have gone all the way through Nevada and through North Dakota to Wisconsin. As long as you're on a relatively major highway, there should be no problems finding food and gas at least every 100 miles, and there's usually plenty of notice when you're about to hit one of those long stretches. Keep some snacks on hand and don't let your gas guage go below 1/3 unless you know you're about to hit a major city. Make sure the car is in good shape, carry a full size spare, etc. Stop as needed for rest and relaxation. There's plenty of cheap roadside motels and rest stops.

Are you SURE you won't be able to go this year? There's plenty of time to plan and try to save up for gas money.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Thu May 06, 2004 6:47 pm

I found out that the second hand laptop I have has a route planing program on it! Unfortunately, the program seems to insist I should take the one road that the survival guide says to stay off of unless you really like to get flat tires...!

I'm rather certain that, baring some miracle, I can't make it this year. I've been slowly losing money each month (due to quite a bit of misfortune in the year 2002), and have been having to borrow money from relatives in order to make ends meet. Plus, I barely trust my car to get me to anywhere in town-- taking it into the desert in NV is out of the question! (Not to mention that it would almost certainly take the opportunity to dump its coolant and/or oil onto the playa before I could get any sort of ground cloth or bucket underneath it!)

Basically, I am hoping that I will eventually find better employment (currently only getting $7.10/hour, and Madison isn't particularly cheap to live in for a city of its size!) and make enough of a dent in my debts by 2005 to be able to go.

The friends I am planing on going with have already made plans for August (they are planing on going to GenCon-- although I don't recall when it is scheduled for in August). It is their mini-van we plan on carrying most of our stuff in.

Plus, I really want to try to build a yurt and some other stuff...!

OTOH, I would really be disappointed if bar cars get banned before I can go..., something about taking a tour of the playa with a cold drink in hand appeals to me!

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Thu May 06, 2004 7:46 pm

BAS wrote:OTOH, I would really be disappointed if bar cars get banned before I can go..., something about taking a tour of the playa with a cold drink in hand appeals to me!

The Playa Cruiser, making dreams come true, here to serve you.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Thu May 06, 2004 8:47 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:
BAS wrote:OTOH, I would really be disappointed if bar cars get banned before I can go..., something about taking a tour of the playa with a cold drink in hand appeals to me!
The Playa Cruiser, making dreams come true, here to serve you.

Yep, the Playa Cruiser is exactly what I had in mind!

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu May 06, 2004 8:49 pm

The Playa Cruiser, making dreams come true, here to serve you.

I'm thinking a three hour tour.......

Booker · Post by **Booker** » Thu May 06, 2004 9:10 pm

http://oldbbs.burningman.com/index.cgi? ... [email protected]

That'll get you some info and email addresses. Possibly some of the same people will get on this board as time gets closer.

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