Hi every1, newcomer here.
Im thinking of going to BM, but the only problem is i will b coming over from the UK and am looking for some preperation help. i have a list of questions and any help would be much appreciated.
1.as im coming from the UK i will only have about a 20Kg bagage allowance on the plane, so what would be the essential things for me to bring.
2. is it easy to get hold of alcohol/food and water at BM as i wil probably not have enough room for anything like that?
3.would it be advisable to rent a car to take to BM for the week?
4.do u need to take much money?
5.is it easy to get around if i dont have a bike?
6. is it easy to pitch up tents etc in the desert, i didnt think this was possible. lol
im sure i have more questions but that will do for now. :D
must say burning man looks incredible and i cant wait to go
peace 8)
please help me! (especially any1 from UK whos been to BM)
Click on the Burning Man logo at the left and look for the link that says "First Timer's Guide"
Spend a couple of hours reading what you find and looking at pictures of campsites. Then come back with some less basic questions.
You can buy all the camping gear, food, water, and alcohol you want as you drive to the event from whatever airport you land in. You won't be able to buy anything but ice and coffee during the event.
Spend a couple of hours reading what you find and looking at pictures of campsites. Then come back with some less basic questions.
You can buy all the camping gear, food, water, and alcohol you want as you drive to the event from whatever airport you land in. You won't be able to buy anything but ice and coffee during the event.
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AntiM
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welcome! I am assuming you've begun reading the survival guide, it has many answers to some of your questions. Read and reread it! I will mention several things here, but don't have the links handy. I will try to add them as I get them, but don't rely on me. Most of what I'm talking about is in the JRS ... do sign up for The jackrabbit Speaks, an info-packed newsletter. And if you dig and read on the main site, you will find a lot to think about.
Plenty of people come in from overseas. Many try to join up with others to pool resources, or find a camp to join. This takes a little networking. There are plenty of Brit burners, you will want to make contact with the UK regional.
You cannot buy food and water AT Burning Man. This is done in Reno, which is where you fly in. A rental car is a good idea, as the playa is about 130 miles north and very isolated. No trains or buses, unless you can get on the BioBus. I don't have details on that offhand, but the info is floating around here somewhere. If you rent a car, you must also make sure you know how to keep it dust-free. and if you rent a car, you would likely find someone else flying in to split the costs. as for driving out, just run over the rabbits. Really, that's in the survival guide.
You need no money AT Burning Man, unless you want to buy ice, or a coffee at the Center Cafe (meh, skip the coffee). You can probably get by under $100 for food and water if you eat simply, and booze is cheap in Nevada. You are, of course, over 21 if buying liquor. There are packing lists in ... yeah, the survival guide.
Tents in the desert? well, yes. You can pitch a tent nearly anywhere. The playa is flat and hard, think of a talcum-dust covered parking lot more than a sandbox. Dust, not sand. If you are planning to buy a trent at this end ... well, read all the tent threads you can find, there;s all sorts of advice. Have you ever been camping? don't laugh, many newbs have not and don't have a clue where to begin pitching a tent. I'm fat, slow and old, and I can set up our tent!
You can get around without a bike at Burning Man, although seeing some of the art in the far flung places is easier on wheels. Not at all mandatory, and what will you do with the bike afterward? Try Desert rat rentals.... I know he's been taking orders from travelers.
You'll get some snarky replies here, but don't let the eplayans get you down. Keep reading and rereading not only the survival guide online, but also the recommended reading.
Plenty of people come in from overseas. Many try to join up with others to pool resources, or find a camp to join. This takes a little networking. There are plenty of Brit burners, you will want to make contact with the UK regional.
You cannot buy food and water AT Burning Man. This is done in Reno, which is where you fly in. A rental car is a good idea, as the playa is about 130 miles north and very isolated. No trains or buses, unless you can get on the BioBus. I don't have details on that offhand, but the info is floating around here somewhere. If you rent a car, you must also make sure you know how to keep it dust-free. and if you rent a car, you would likely find someone else flying in to split the costs. as for driving out, just run over the rabbits. Really, that's in the survival guide.
You need no money AT Burning Man, unless you want to buy ice, or a coffee at the Center Cafe (meh, skip the coffee). You can probably get by under $100 for food and water if you eat simply, and booze is cheap in Nevada. You are, of course, over 21 if buying liquor. There are packing lists in ... yeah, the survival guide.
Tents in the desert? well, yes. You can pitch a tent nearly anywhere. The playa is flat and hard, think of a talcum-dust covered parking lot more than a sandbox. Dust, not sand. If you are planning to buy a trent at this end ... well, read all the tent threads you can find, there;s all sorts of advice. Have you ever been camping? don't laugh, many newbs have not and don't have a clue where to begin pitching a tent. I'm fat, slow and old, and I can set up our tent!
You can get around without a bike at Burning Man, although seeing some of the art in the far flung places is easier on wheels. Not at all mandatory, and what will you do with the bike afterward? Try Desert rat rentals.... I know he's been taking orders from travelers.
You'll get some snarky replies here, but don't let the eplayans get you down. Keep reading and rereading not only the survival guide online, but also the recommended reading.
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Sail Man
- Posts: 4523
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Tents will need to be secured down big time as they can fly away! 
Flying in may make bringing or acquiring rebar difficult, so at the least stop at wally world and get alot of 12" tent spikes. Consider putting all of your stuff into the tent to help hold er down. You should also plan on shade shelter, easier done if you hook up with some buds to go into that together. Even better if you can join a theme camp, they'll probably already have that taken care of. Goggles were mentioned, also bring a dust mask, anything from the cheapo paper ones from your local hardware store to gas masks have been used. Bring lots of water. Planning on eating hot food? Consider a stove or a large magnifying glass (requisite snark per Anti M)
And the dust she mentioned? Alkaline, and a desiccant. Bring something acidic like vinegar to spritz with and give ur feet a soaking in, they will love it. Here is a great website loaded with info etc. Read it as well as the survival guide, many times. Oh, and btw, welcome home
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html
Flying in may make bringing or acquiring rebar difficult, so at the least stop at wally world and get alot of 12" tent spikes. Consider putting all of your stuff into the tent to help hold er down. You should also plan on shade shelter, easier done if you hook up with some buds to go into that together. Even better if you can join a theme camp, they'll probably already have that taken care of. Goggles were mentioned, also bring a dust mask, anything from the cheapo paper ones from your local hardware store to gas masks have been used. Bring lots of water. Planning on eating hot food? Consider a stove or a large magnifying glass (requisite snark per Anti M)
And the dust she mentioned? Alkaline, and a desiccant. Bring something acidic like vinegar to spritz with and give ur feet a soaking in, they will love it. Here is a great website loaded with info etc. Read it as well as the survival guide, many times. Oh, and btw, welcome home
http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html
Excuse me Ma'am, your going to feel a small prick.
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Algorithms never survive the first thirty seconds of patient contact
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Algorithms never survive the first thirty seconds of patient contact
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theCryptofishist
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Ahem. Sailman, I wouldn't assume a brit knows that "wally world" means walmart. Also, you can go to Home Depot (Despot) for rebar which is probably as bad a company as Walmart, but at least it's not the biggest in the country. Yeah WM does what it does well, but I don't like it and I've earned the right to be a crank. There's also camping stores of some sort.Sail Man wrote:Tents will need to be secured down big time as they can fly away! :shock:
Flying in may make bringing or acquiring rebar difficult, so at the least stop at wally world and get alot of 12" tent spikes.
Get off my lawn!
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
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falk
- Posts: 415
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- Location: Silicon Valley
- Contact:
Re: please help me! (especially any1 from UK whos been to BM
Oh, man. You are going to fraking die out there. Mid-September, the moop patrol will be sweeping your bleached bones into a dustbin.kj19 wrote:... is it easy to get hold of alcohol/food and water at BM as i wil probably not have enough room for anything like that?
... 4.do u need to take much money?
Ok, in the interest of not making any more work for the moop patrol than absolutely necessary:
Dork speaks truth. Read the online guides.
You need to bring everything you need, especially water, when you come in. You need to pack all your trash out. You cannot buy anything inside except coffee and ice.
I think your best bet is to arrange to have someone meet you at the airport, take you into town to get water, and give you a ride into the event. I have no idea if you can reserve a car for that week anywhere near Reno.
Oh, and you need to buy your tickets in advance.
There are a bunch of burners in the UK. They have a pretty active mailing list called playadust. I'm sure they'll have good advice for you.
You can find the mailing list on their website: http://euroburners.org/wikka/HomePage
You can find the mailing list on their website: http://euroburners.org/wikka/HomePage
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LostinReno
- Posts: 649
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- Location: 4:30 & G
Re: please help me! (especially any1 from UK whos been to BM
[quote="falk"] I have no idea if you can reserve a car for that week anywhere near Reno.
Oh, and you need to buy your tickets in advance.[/quote]
Reno has all the major car rental agencies, first...if you plan to rent a car: A) I would make the reservation now as it is a big holiday weekend in the US and we have several other events going on the same weekend in the Reno/Tahoe area.
B) I wouldn't advise telling them where you are taking it. Everybody in Reno is very aware of Burning Man. Chances are they won't rent it to you or if they do, they will jack up the price for cleaning. Playa dust gets EVERYWHERE.
This will also be my first year at BM but I've spent lots of time at the Black Rock over the years. AntiM put it very well that it's like a parking lot with Talcum powder all over it. We camped one night up there last May and there is still playa dust in my Xterra almost a year later. Plan to spend some time cleaning before you return the car.
Oh, and you need to buy your tickets in advance.[/quote]
Reno has all the major car rental agencies, first...if you plan to rent a car: A) I would make the reservation now as it is a big holiday weekend in the US and we have several other events going on the same weekend in the Reno/Tahoe area.
B) I wouldn't advise telling them where you are taking it. Everybody in Reno is very aware of Burning Man. Chances are they won't rent it to you or if they do, they will jack up the price for cleaning. Playa dust gets EVERYWHERE.
This will also be my first year at BM but I've spent lots of time at the Black Rock over the years. AntiM put it very well that it's like a parking lot with Talcum powder all over it. We camped one night up there last May and there is still playa dust in my Xterra almost a year later. Plan to spend some time cleaning before you return the car.