Does BM still provide shower truck? Why isn't there a desig

nebulachic · Post by **nebulachic** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:43 am

nated area?

I'm especially confused why no water/remnant shower pools allowed on the playa... damage to the ecology? Don't those pools dry up quickly?

Will there still be a truck that sprays water? How often does it operate?

I am thinking to just bring a bottle mister and mist myself a few times a day. I do this at the beach. Anyone else gotten away with using just a mister instead of showering???

EB · Post by EB » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:01 am

nebulachic wrote:Anyone else gotten away with using just a mister instead of showering???

There was one guy in '05 who almost got away without showering but he was flagged down outside the event by tribal police near Wadsworth.

(rimshot here)

Okay, seriously, the reason they stopped public pools/showers is that it's a health hazard. From a hippy's ass to your mouth, basically (no offense, Black Rock International Youth Hostel.) Second to a typhoid mary-type situation in a food camp, its probably the fastest way to pass along nastiness along the playa, or at least in the eyes of the Dept. of Health.

And, as has been written here (by Crypto, I think) the water from the water truck is taken from a nearby spring/aquifer (Frog Pond.) It's natural but it's not potable. That is, good enough to keep the dust down on the roads but I'd think twice before showering in it.

Me, as a foodie might justify hauling out a cooler of fine brie, I like to shower and stay clean out there. It's a nice recharge that establishes order in my universe. Others make do with misters/handiwipes/mud layers.

uncle sticky · Post by **uncle sticky** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:16 am

Those are water trucks for the roads! I never understood the whole chase the truck in a pool of slick mud thing. The best approach if you don't want to have a shower is a bucket/sponge bath. A small evap pond (black plastic) shoud suffice for a single person.

nebulachic · Post by **nebulachic** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:23 am

Evap pond... as in just lay some black plastic on the playa... or within some kind of container?

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:25 am

Use some 2x4's to make edges for the pond.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:54 am

uncle sticky wrote:Those are water trucks for the roads! I never understood the whole chase the truck in a pool of slick mud thing. The best approach if you don't want to have a shower is a bucket/sponge bath. A small evap pond (black plastic) shoud suffice for a single person.

Yeah! DON'T chase the trucks! Fucks up the road, and makes for a bumpy ride. Ive found a watering can works well. Or if you want to fork out $100 bucks or so, Coleman makes a propane powered shower system..Hot showers!

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:03 pm

We use a garden sprayer and washcloths. MyLarry does use a camp shower over the small evap pond to do his hair; I leave mine up or braided all week.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:19 pm

AntiM wrote:We use a garden sprayer and washcloths.

Louise and me, too.

[quote="AntiM" MyLarry does use a camp shower over the small evap pond to do his hair; I leave mine up or braided all week.[/quote]

I don't wash mine - but I don't have enough to worry about. The garden sprayer comes in real handy for lots o'stuff during the week at Burning Man.

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:23 pm

Larry doesn't either, but he likes a clean scalp. Personal quirk.

We have two sprayers, one for washing and general rinses, one for running our mister system on the bike.

Pink Daddy · Post by **Pink Daddy** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:08 pm

Wet wipes are heavenly. No mess, just throw them away.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:41 pm

nebulachic wrote:I'm especially confused why no water/remnant shower pools allowed on the playa... damage to the ecology? Don't those pools dry up quickly?

1--The BLM says so, and they are the landlords, who hold this land in trust for the nation.
2--Pools may or may not dry quickly. Soap residue is forever (or pretty damn close.)

JezebelinHell · Post by **JezebelinHell** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:03 pm

I shower maybe once or twice while I'm out there with my solar shower over an evap pit. The rest of the week it's all wet wipes. I did buy some No Rinse brand body wash and shampoo, but I'm yet to try it out. I'll let you guys know how it goes though.

Oh yeah, and chasing the water truck is gross, muddy, and a pain in the ass.

Craftsmn · Post by **Craftsmn** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:09 pm

Many new Burners seem to think a shower behind the water truck is some kind of initiation their first year. Luckily I am not much of a joiner.

For me, a camp shower maybe Thursday and handy wipes once a day before bed. The air is so dry I never feel sweaty and because of the dust we will always feel dirty........

There are also a few steam bath camps. This is a great way to sweat off the dirt and you feel great afterward. I hate to even mention them because they are really getting busy but we are here to help each other here on eplaya....right?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:17 pm

The water trucks, aside from carrying nonpotable water, add a "dust palliative" that gives the water an extra snot-like consistency.

But don't worry, it's biodegradable.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:27 pm

Bob wrote:The water trucks, aside from carrying nonpotable water, add a "dust palliative" that gives the water an extra snot-like consistency.

But don't worry, it's biodegradable.

They use "dust off" in the water? Ack... yeah, you REALLY don't want to come in contact with that stuff.

Snotty? Hmm... Nevermind. That's just fish spunk.

Badger

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:19 pm

capjbadger wrote:
Bob wrote:The water trucks, aside from carrying nonpotable water, add a "dust palliative" that gives the water an extra snot-like consistency.

But don't worry, it's biodegradable.
They use "dust off" in the water? Ack... yeah, you REALLY don't want to come in contact with that stuff.

Snotty? Hmm... Nevermind. That's just fish spunk.

Ahem!

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:21 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:
capjbadger wrote:
Bob wrote:The water trucks, aside from carrying nonpotable water, add a "dust palliative" that gives the water an extra snot-like consistency.

But don't worry, it's biodegradable.
They use "dust off" in the water? Ack... yeah, you REALLY don't want to come in contact with that stuff.

Snotty? Hmm... Nevermind. That's just fish spunk.
Ahem!

Present company excluded of course.

Badger

golgotha-a-go-go · Post by **golgotha-a-go-go** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:43 pm

Running behind the water truck has been a long-standing tradition at BM. I've been doing it gleefully since '97. Works for me. I can have a personal shower everyday in the default world. Can't run behind a water truck down my street where I live. It won't hurt you. Worrying about catching cooties might hurt you more.[/quote]

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:05 pm

The water trucks in '97 had more dead rats & disgusting gunk than last year, I'll grant you that.

Ever seen a dead rat staring at you out the drain hole of a water truck?

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:35 pm

Theres a reason it says NON POTABLE on the side.
Water trucks are used for all sorts of stuff. I have used water trucks for dust abatement to haul shit water, fertilizer, blood from chicken factories, sewer plants, and all sorts of nasty. Even the potable trucks used at BM arent registered by the state or certified by the department of health.

So - my adivce, dont try to clean yourself with the water from the dust trucks. IMHO you are cleaner before you shower behind a water truck!

EB · Post by EB » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:11 pm

Bob wrote:Ever seen a dead rat staring at you out the drain hole of a water truck?

No, but I had to toss roadkill into a gravel pit one summer working on a county chipseal crew. Last time I take summer job advice from my dad...

chiefdanfox · Post by **chiefdanfox** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:27 pm

mdmf007 wrote:Theres a reason it says NON POTABLE on the side.
Water trucks are used for all sorts of stuff. I have used water trucks for dust abatement to haul shit water, fertilizer, blood from chicken factories, sewer plants, and all sorts of nasty. Even the potable trucks used at BM arent registered by the state or certified by the department of health.

Is there an emoticon for vomiting into one's own mouth?

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:34 pm

Chief - this is as close as I could find on google!

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:20 am

nebulachic wrote:
I'm especially confused

There have never been "shower trucks"!
It's illegal to dump greywater onto the playa. That's why you need to contain your shower water.

nebulachic · Post by **nebulachic** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:18 am

[i]"Is there an emoticon for vomiting into one's own mouth?"[/i]

LOL!!!!!!!!!! There should be!!!!!!!!!!

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:21 am

You can probably find camps who'll share their shower if you bring a bucket of clean water and leave with the bucket filled with your dirty water. Don't rely on it but if you're thinking about not showering as an option it's probably a good risk that will likely come out in your favor.

Most people don't want to share because they don't want to deal with others water and mess. If you make it clear to some new friends that your presence will go unnoticed and you can adequately clean up after yourself, you should find the clean relief you would like.

I designed our camp shower to be shared by neighbors. Last year I set it up on the street, so we had many visitors bring their bucket, and take it when they were done. There were a few bad ones who left water or a mess, but it worked out pretty well. This year our camp has over doubled in size so I doubt we'll make the shower public.

By the end of the week we did form a line and I regretfully had to impose a rule that our camp wasn't to wait behind visitors. I hated having to do it, but the shower was our plan, which we didn't mind sharing when it didn't mean waiting in a line for an hour.

Intubater69 · Post by **Intubater69** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:10 am

theCryptofishist wrote:
capjbadger wrote:
Bob wrote:The water trucks, aside from carrying nonpotable water, add a "dust palliative" that gives the water an extra snot-like consistency.

But don't worry, it's biodegradable.
They use "dust off" in the water? Ack... yeah, you REALLY don't want to come in contact with that stuff.

Snotty? Hmm... Nevermind. That's just fish spunk.
Ahem!

ROFLMAO

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:13 am

Any camp can rent a shower truck.
Comfortable way to go.
You still have to conserve water.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:14 am

In '03, campmate showered by running after the truck Monday AM, slipped in the 'foot o' guck' left behind, twisted his ankle, and spent the entire week within one block of camp....DON'T DO IT!!!!

falk · Post by **falk** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:25 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:2--Pools may or may not dry quickly. Soap residue is forever (or pretty damn close.)

Someone in my camp talked to Earth Guardians about that. Their opinion was that if the soap is entirely organic (e.g. Doc Bronner's), and you add a dash of chlorox to your wash water, and spread it around thin enough to not create mud puddles, then they were ok with it.

Does BM still provide shower truck? Why isn't there a desig

Does BM still provide shower truck? Why isn't there a desig

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shower trucks?

Re: shower trucks?

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Water Truck

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Re: Does BM still provide shower truck? Why isn't there a d