Planning for 09 - Virgin!

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:21 pm

Okay, there are already a million virgin burner threads but I at least wanted to start one off by saying thanks everyone for the advice. I've been lurking over the last month or so gathering tidbits of info and glimpses into getting there.

It's been a huge help.
I'll be driving all the way from South Carolina, with a trunk full of gear to survive the week on. Also should be stopping in Salt Lake City to pick up about 100-150lbs of dry ice for some goodies I want to hand out around the playa.

The only thing I'm still trying to kind of figure out - I'm coming alone, don't know anyone ahead of time - but would still like to be part of a camp out there. I'm clueless as far as themes, finding people, etc... whatever I'm part of I would love to make better. Any advice for that?

Thanks again.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:39 pm

Hi Underscore, welcome to ePlaya!

You are doing the right thing, reading and learning here on the forum. And it is even possible to wind up joining a camp by meeting people here online.

Don't overlook the main web site -- tons of info there.

As for the dry ice, make sure you read the Dry Ice "sticky" thread. Transporting dry ice several hundred miles in a car is a bit iffy. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide (the fizz in bubbly beverages), and as the dry ice turns back to gas, the gas displaces air. So it is possible to suffocate in the car -- and you would probably never know it; just get drowsy and crash. So make sure you have very good ventilation in the car. (If you have the A/C on "max" or "recirc", you are not getting ANY fresh air into the car!)

See you on the Playa!

Post by **Elderberry** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:46 pm

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

JK

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:06 pm

Thanks JK and Elliot

and re: Dry ice - Yeah, the DI sticky thread was a great source of info - I'm still way early in the logistics stage. SLC is still 8-12 hours from the playa (depending on the line when I get there) - I had planned on leaving there Sunday and getting in right after the midnight opening, but the catch - where the hell am I going to get that amount of DI in SLC on a Sunday? Nowhere.

I'm torn between the setup I have envisioned, or giving up on missing most of that first Monday.

Anywho - I'll put some more thinking into it, I have months and months. Is it sad that I've never been and yet looking soooo forward to it already?

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:11 pm

What's the main thing that's drawing you to burningman? That might give us a clue as to which theme camp you'd like...?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:13 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:What's the main thing that's drawing you to burningman?

*It better be a giant magnet...*

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:17 pm

In my part of the world, many grocery stores sell dry ice. It costs more than at a commercial outlet, and you may need to go to several stores to get enough, but you should be able to locate such stores in advance thru the internet and by telephone.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:19 pm

[quote="Ugly Dougly"]What's the main thing that's drawing you to burningman? That might give us a clue as to which theme camp you'd like...?[/quote]

Well 1) I've got a ridiculous craving for bacon.

and 2) For me - I've been wanting to come for about 4 or 5 years now. I live a super boring life, or have really. This trip (not just BM, but getting there, getting back) is going to end up being really personal for me. I have no expectations other than to not disappoint myself by getting out there. I love the concept of just doing things to do them - not worried much about inhibitions or what others are thinking, creating a sense of community and being able to go to the harshest place with whatever I can get out there and surviving. The theme of this year fits in really well - I'm going to be evolving myself and hopefully those around me I meet as they'll be evolving me. /endramble.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:45 pm

Also just decided that I'm going to make a hexayurt + some flat pack furniture. Looks like it'll do better on dust/comfort, not to mention I like the idea that it's built on the cheap and from basic materials.

I don't think I'll have any problem finding people to give me a hand to get it together when the time finally comes?

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:29 am

No, probably not.

And I bet you'll find the trip out and back as fun as the event itself.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 2:21 pm

underscore, welcome to eplaya. Try this link for dry ice info:

http://www.dryiceinfo.com/

That link shows 2 places to get it in the reno/sparks area.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:52 pm

underscore, welcome to eplaya. Try this link for dry ice info:

http://www.dryiceinfo.com/

That link shows 2 places to get it in the reno/sparks area.

Hey, thanks for the link - Unfortunately I won't be coming through/around the Reno area - The last major city I stop through is SLC. There's also some stores in and around Battle Mountain and Winnemucca that I'll pilfer on Sunday on the way in.

Also - As I've lurked the site - you're from my home state and mentioned fudgies - where from up north are you? I grew up in the northern suburbs of metro Detroit, but my family has just shy of 200 acres around Onaway.

Daddy-O · Post by **Daddy-O** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:26 am

Don't worry underscore you won't be coming alone. Last year there were 50,000 people coming.

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:02 am

There is little in Battle Mountain by way of supplies. Best you can do there is free coffee at Donna's Ranch.

Winnemucca has a large Mal-Wart, there are always burners in the parking lot. We have stopped there once, but only because the trike blew a tire as it sat on the trailer and we wanted a back-up to the back-up. We do take a break at the Flying J, nap for the drivers. They know about Burning Man and haven't been major asswipes ever. Refuel at the Pilot in Carlin, generally lower prices. There's booze in the supermarkets in Nevada, try Wendover, easy in and out to the interstate.

Fernley has markets and truckstops and a new ... Lowe's? Home Depot? One of those big box places. Not 24 hours as far as I know. Fill your tank at Love's or the Pilot before heading north off I-80 onto 447. Be cool in the truckstop, you're not on the playa yet. The girls without underwear annoyed the clerks. The guys who smelled as though they'd just toked up caught the interest of the K-9 unit. Do not plan on filling up with water at the Love's, that tap outside tap is non-potable and it is rude to suck up the local's water. We just haul our water all the way from Utah, less of a hassle for us in the long run. Obey the speed limits through the small towns... to the letter, if not under. The cops are looking for excuses to pull burners over... income stream for the smaller sheriff departments. If it says 25 mph, it means 25, not 30 or 28 or 26. 25!

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:30 am

Daddy-O wrote:Don't worry underscore you won't be coming alone. Last year there were 50,000 people coming.

Touche' :D

AntiM wrote:There is little in Battle Mountain by way of supplies. Best you can do there is free coffee at Donna's Ranch.

Winnemucca has a large Mal-Wart, there are always burners in the parking lot. We have stopped there once, but only because the trike blew a tire as it sat on the trailer and we wanted a back-up to the back-up. We do take a break at the Flying J, nap for the drivers. They know about Burning Man and haven't been major asswipes ever. Refuel at the Pilot in Carlin, generally lower prices. There's booze in the supermarkets in Nevada, try Wendover, easy in and out to the interstate.

Fernley has markets and truckstops and a new ... Lowe's? Home Depot? One of those big box places. Not 24 hours as far as I know. Fill your tank at Love's or the Pilot before heading north off I-80 onto 447. Be cool in the truckstop, you're not on the playa yet. The girls without underwear annoyed the clerks. The guys who smelled as though they'd just toked up caught the interest of the K-9 unit. Do not plan on filling up with water at the Love's, that tap outside tap is non-potable and it is rude to suck up the local's water. We just haul our water all the way from Utah, less of a hassle for us in the long run. Obey the speed limits through the small towns... to the letter, if not under. The cops are looking for excuses to pull burners over... income stream for the smaller sheriff departments. If it says 25 mph, it means 25, not 30 or 28 or 26. 25!

This is really good advice for anyone coming from that direction and it should help me a lot. Thanks a ton. Hopefully early Sunday morning I'll get the rest of my bulk provisions in SLC and then plan a stop in Winnemucca for any last minute supplies. I maaaayyy attempt to cart all the dry ice (150-200lbs) all the way from South Carolina, I might lose about 20-30 pounds via the trip, but it'll be contained in a small external tow along trailer (outside of the vehicle so I don't die).

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:41 am

There is now a superwalmart in Fernley, and it is open 24 hours.

Feel free to never wear underware, anywhere.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:41 am

Underscore:

Think really hard about NEEDING to bring frozen goodies from that distance - that's a LOT of dry ice, and a big expenditure. There are a lot of people giving away frozen goodness out there.

With that said, I do always bring a big dry ice freezer chest but I cook for about 30. There are a lot of variables on how long your ice will last, no matter how much of it you bring and how well you wrap it, so be ready to get rid of everything if you suddenly discover that your ice has all evaporated.

Since you are a first timer, you really do get a pass on having to bring gifts. Or, you may want to try something that uses regular ice, which you can replenish daily on the playa. (Milk & cookies)

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:02 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:There is now a superwalmart in Fernley, and it is open 24 hours.
....

You gotta be shittin me. I saw Anti-M said something about big box in Fernley, when we lived in silver springs, 10, 11 years ago there was only the one Smiths Food Market in Fernley where we did all our shopping. Although they were doing a little building on Alt 80 going to Fallon.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:19 pm

Smith's ???......maybe you mean Scolari's, i might be wrong but i lived there for a short while 7-8 years ago.

Wal-mart is right by the I-80 east onramp, can't miss it, Lowes is next to it.

Post by **AntiM** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:29 pm

Mal-wart makes me cry.

Dry ice? We tried it one year, pain in the ass. We don't need anything that frozen. It carbonated our ice cream anyway. But then, we're pretty much dry kitchen campers, limited menu based on the addition of boiling water.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:16 pm

mojo wrote:Underscore:

Think really hard about NEEDING to bring frozen goodies from that distance - that's a LOT of dry ice, and a big expenditure. There are a lot of people giving away frozen goodness out there.

With that said, I do always bring a big dry ice freezer chest but I cook for about 30. There are a lot of variables on how long your ice will last, no matter how much of it you bring and how well you wrap it, so be ready to get rid of everything if you suddenly discover that your ice has all evaporated.

Since you are a first timer, you really do get a pass on having to bring gifts. Or, you may want to try something that uses regular ice, which you can replenish daily on the playa. (Milk & cookies)

I have been tossing this back and forth in my head for awhile now, and fortunately still have quite some time to figure it out. The idea initially is just to get as much dry ice as possible out there. I'm not actually going to be freezing anything until I actually buy it from my last stop before the playa. Then I'll be doing the cooler rotation thing, etc... My schedule really screws me on being able to purchase dry ice closer, and it's just simpler for me if I cart it from the get-go. The cost isn't going to crush me, if I do a good job and minimize the sublimation, I'm losing 20/30$ worth of dry ice at most. If something fails and I lose all of it, then the only expense lost it the dry ice, sucks - but won't kill any goodies along with it.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:21 pm

Also... as far as coming in from the east. I'm looking at taking I-80 to NV-49 (Jungo Rd?) all the way to Gerlach.

Is this a bad idea for some reason? I'm going to be in a xover suv with a little trailer on the back.

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:21 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:Smith's ???......maybe you mean Scolari's, i might be wrong but i lived there for a short while 7-8 years ago.

Wal-mart is right by the I-80 east onramp, can't miss it, Lowes is next to it.

Oops, my bad. East side of town just before the freeway. I knew it started with a "S"

wedeliver · Post by **wedeliver** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:25 pm

underscore wrote:Also... as far as coming in from the east. I'm looking at taking I-80 to NV-49 (in Winnemucca) all the way to Gerlach.

Is this a bad idea for some reason? I'm going to be in a xover suv with a little trailer on the back.

Are you reading the information provided or are you going to blaze your own trail to BRC?

I suggest you read the guide, especially pay attention to any info about Jungo Road BEFORE you take your car and trailer on it.

You can find pavement all the way to the Playa and pavement is good.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:28 pm

underscore wrote:Also... as far as coming in from the east. I'm looking at taking I-80 to NV-49 (Junga Rd?) all the way to Gerlach.

Is this a bad idea for some reason? I'm going to be in a xover suv with a little trailer on the back.

That is a dirt road(jungo), washboard in a lot of spots, big sharp rocks that like to give flats, you will be going really slow in a lot of places due to your trailor, towing a trailor on Jungo is not recommended, the road gets pretty hokey when you are near Gerlach.

I towed a 8 foot U-haul from Winn. to BM several years ago on Jungo with a 79 toyota truck, and I think it would have been faster going the paved way, it definately would have been less stress.IMHO.

underscore · Post by **underscore** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:00 pm

I read the guide and remembered something about a back road, wasn't sure if it was the same one. Looks like I'll be changing my route to follow I80 farther south. Thanks everyone :D