Tactile, a new theme camp for 2009

chongman99 · Post by **chongman99** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:59 pm

Hi everybody,

I'm looking to start a new theme camp called Tactile. The gimmick of the camp will be a tactile room. It will be completely dark, be able to fit a few people, and inside we hope to put items that are interesting to touch. Grass, polished stones, hard granite, bicycle tires, human hair, whatever. And, we'll of course accept donations to the gallery.

Outside of the gimmick is an effort to experiment with different types of structures. I am thinking of building a hexayurt for the main tactile room. For my living structure, I will build another hexayurt and also encourage others to play with yurts, domes, etc. My room, which will be open to the camp, will also be air conditioned with a swamp cooler running off a small grid (2 to 4) of deep cycle batteries.

We may also build a geodesic dome shade structure and build a small community bar (not advertised in the guide).
We probably will coordinate in building a kitchen and sharing meals. I'm pretty low tech, so this just means some tables, coolers, and a camp stove. Sleeping quarters will be on your own, AKA radical self-reliance.

The goal is to have a camp that can accommodate up to 20 people. I only expect 3-5 people to do the main organizing before the event ; outside of that I just want some good reliable people to help out during the event. In that way, I would really like to encourage noobs, newbies, and virgins to join the camp.

I'm still figuring out the parameters of the camp. But one thing I want to avoid is flakes. I was once with a camp that had no camp fees and a huge flake factor. But, on the other end, the camps that ask for $100+ plus seems pretty excessive. I'm thinking that camp dues will be 2 bottles of alcohol, and a shared list of groceries, and maybe $20; or about $60 altogether if you want to other people to get the food/alcohol for you.

But I do think that I'm going to ask for a deposit of $100 that I return to you at the event when you come with the stuff you promised. If I'm going to plan a community where we depend on each other, I want people to take a stake in it. And I want people considering joining to know that other people are also taking a good stake in it.

*On reliability: I know that the playa is a great place to get lost, and I encourage that. So don't feel that I'm going to lock you in. But as the playa sometimes turns irresponsible people more irresponsible, I'm hoping to start out with a group that has their head screwed on alright. They'll at least flake out LESS and have some internal sensors about which tasks are ok to flake out on.

marck · Post by **marck** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:20 pm

Your camp idea seems contradictory. Not your tactile idea, but your search for campmates.

You said you think that camp due over $100 are excessive yet you are expecting to charge up to $160 per person for the opportunity to create a new theme camp. These are potentially people whom you have never met who will need to trust that you will not flake on them and will return their $100 deposit.

That trust will need to go both ways, I fail to see what guarantees you are putting up that whoever deposits their $100 would easily be able to get it back.

Please clarify, I thought that noobs, newbies, and virgins were all the same thing. If they are then why use the redundant terminology?

chongman99 · Post by **chongman99** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 2:41 am

You're right. The trust does need to go all ways around. I know I'm trustworthy, but nobody else does. So, if you want some proof, I'm happy to supply:

1) Contacts for the people I drove out to the 2008 burn, coordinated rides with them, guaranteed them space, and delivered.
2) Other burner friends of mine.
3) My home address and phone number.
4) My driver's license and SSN.

If that's not enough of a guarantee, let's talk. I'd be game if you sent the money to your mother and she sent me a note saying, "If Jane doesn't follow through on XYZ, I am to spend this $100 on a new dress." I'm not trying to get the money, just get participants to psychologically commit $100.

If $100 is steep for a deposit, let's talk about it.

The problem I'm trying to solve is flakiness. And the flakiness I've seen is usually more in the people who join a camp rather than in the organizers. Sure, lots of stuff fails on the playa, but the organizers tend to follow through on the effort and come as prepared as they can. Usually, they do much more and end up eating lots of the costs. (Though it's normal to overspend on the burn).

Listen, if you like the idea of the camp and don't want to trust me with $100, you probably shouldn't be part of the camp. Here's why. I like the story of a dominatrix who is asked by a sadist to play. The dominatrix says, "Ok. Give me your wallet." The sadist balks. "No. What does that have to do with play." Dominatrix replies, "If you don't trust me with your wallet, why would you trust me to tie you up."

I wouldn't want to pay a theme camp $100 deposit either. But I would want to know tat my fellow campers have all made the $100 mental commitment to the camp.

I'm making a roughly $900 investment (and my time) to build two hexayurts +AC and will be putting my time into developing the camp.

I'm mostly looking to stock the camp with people I know and can make contact with in the Bay Area.

There are free camps out there. These can be hit and miss. Not because the organizers aren't great; but because follow through of freeloaders can weigh things down. The ones that work screen well.

Camping solo is also great (I did this last year, it was great to be radically self-reliant).

It's also possible to spend less than $100 (outside of the cost of transport). Last year I did it with a cheapo tent I already owned, borrowed and old gear I had lying around, and roughly $100 of food and supplies.

But I'm looking for dependable souls who are 1) interesting in building the structures I discussed or 2) into the tactile room idea. I know you're out there. Get in touch with me. Also happy to organize with people who share my interests but don't necessarily want to join the camp.

===

yes, noobs, newbies, virgins are all synonyms. Used for keyword search purposes. Maybe for emphasis. Maybe just to bother your editor's eye. Either your nitpicking makes your perfect for this camp or you probably shouldn't join.

Thanks for making me clarify. I think it will scare away those with a passing casual interest, which is what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get a good group of people who have buy-in into Tactile.

I also don't mean that $100 is too much to spend for a theme camp. I did write that "$100 for dues is pretty excessive". I meant that from a personal perspective, not categorically for everyone. Many of the camps that ask for dues that high do big projects, like the giant domes, lots of fire performance, bars, etc. I really appreciate these and like them. I was blown away at the 2 story saloon some people built out at 10 o'clock and E in 2007(?). But I'm not very into *creating* spectacle of that size. That's part of the idea behind Tactile. Something unique (hopefully), memorable, and not driven by grandeur but small experience. My favorite playa experiences are sharing food with strangers and talking. Playing bocce. My playa gift was getting a massage therapist friend show me how to give an eye massage and a hand massage, and I gave these out to people I met and appreciated. For a camp focusing on the small experience, camp dues should be minimal, and I think I can pull it off at about $20 per person to cover common stuff. And that's the experiment I'm trying to build.

I searched for "yurts" and "tactile" in theme camp forum and didn't find anything, so I'm putting this out there.[/code]

nightingale · Post by **nightingale** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:37 pm

This tactile idea does sound interesting, keep me posted, though non committal at this point. I 'm not quite sure what I want to do yet. I have my own 30x 30 star canopy, to put my tent or tents under and will also have our own shower and evap idea. Actually I have most everything I would need, but am considering giving of my time for the experience.

"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music."

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:01 pm

Just a note, nightengale, theme camp questionaires have already been submitted to the llc and while the closure of May 31st is still a few weeks in the future, many theme camps are nailing down the gross parameters of their plans. You can always go by yourself or join the staggers, but if you hesitate you may be lost. Lost in this case not a bad thing, but if it's theme camping you want, then you might want to make up your mind soon.

nightingale · Post by **nightingale** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:12 pm

but community experience very committed...so this first time I may not be in a theme camp per se but may just give of my time or of my nursing skill to a theme camp. I am sure my giving will not be turned away.
thank you....and meeting very cool people is also my goal!
Sarah

"Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music."

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 2:30 pm

Logistics concrit on the Tactile Dome, specifically regarding the human hair.

Human hair is <i><b>really</b></i> MOOPacious.
Take a look at your list of tactile surfaces and think, "How easily does this disperse? What does it do when it loses structural integrity? Would wind dislodge it?" Yes, the wind gets everywhere, even in a closed environment.

The dome would help to contain it, though. Consider how long you're going to be on your knees, de-MOOPing the dome floor, on Sunday afternoon.

Consider changing out the human hair for horse hair. Human hair can be very fine, horse hair is a good bit tougher and less likely to break/scatter. Find a riding stable in your area, drop off a tall garbage can, and ask them to collect horse tail hair for you in it. Every time someone brushes out their horse's tail, they'll have a fistful of hair to toss in your container.

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:15 pm

ooh! i remember these things from halloween!.

will there be spagetti 'brains"?

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:43 pm

Peeled grapes feel like eyeballs !!!

I am not sure if changing the human hair to horse hair is the best choice...

I would counsider Ass hair as being more likely to feel human....from what I've heard, that is...............

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:35 am

I do no know if there are any blind people at BM But you could probably get some good Ideas from them. Ever try reading Braile? This, I think, is a highly developed tactile skill and the few that I have seen doing it seem to be very good at it, yet I cannot feel those little bumps well enough to even be able to tell the numbers at the automatic teller at the bank.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:20 pm

Why do they have braile on the atm at the drive-thru ?

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:02 am

So blind people can go to the drive through and use the ATM. It's PC. And required by federal regulation.

seeka · Post by **seeka** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:19 pm

Federal Regulation or standard issued machine? Why make a machine specific without brail just because the blind don't drive?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:22 pm

Oddly enough, many cars come with back seats. Seats that are perfect for seating the blind so that they can use the bankomat from the back seat. I mean, if you're blind maybe you want to be in a vehicle driven by some trustworthy fellow because you have difficulty in ascertaining if there are mugging thugs in the vicinity.

It's just a hypothesis. Maybe the braille is an evolutionary hangover like the hiccup and the path of the vas deferens.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:58 pm

seeka wrote:Federal Regulation or standard issued machine? Why make a machine specific without brail just because the blind don't drive?

So that those of us that leave the tags on the mattress have something to complain about ?

Tactile, a new theme camp for 2009

Tactile, a new theme camp for 2009

Idea...Tactile sounds interesting

camp-wise non commital,