New Orleans, Oklahoma...and Now Burning Man. 1st Timer.

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 5:47 pm

Hey all!

I just moved to Oklahoma recently with my g/f. We came from New Orleans and will be attending BM 2010! My g/f attended in 2008, but this will be my first time. I'm insanely excited about the prospect of watching this community explode into such a lively experience and then vanish.

I'm a huge fan of alternative communities - and I'm not talking about the gay and lesbian community, but of actual, alternative physical communities. Ones that are based around a unique ideal, a concept, a radical notion. Communities that use different forms of currency, energy, share, and explore new ideas. Not neccassarily communes, but a new form of unique closeness with a heavy dose of individual Liberty applied to it.

Anyway, I guess the easiest way to describe myself and what I'm into is; an ex-goth kid who became a police officer...resigned and turned into a political activist with a love for alternative energy, unique forms of currency and drives a school bus turned Zombie Response Vehicle.

That's about it in a nutshell, LoL.
I'm realllly looking forward to Burning Man and have given some thought to this year's theme - Metropolis.

I have only one response to that; Dark City.

It's not the greatest movie by any stretch, but if you've never seen it, it's worth watching especially as it relates to the idea of 'Metropolis'

See ya'll soon!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 7:15 pm

Oh damn. The new kid makes me look like a piker. Everyone will see through my pretense at importance, now.

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:57 am

I'm not sure you COULD come off as pikey hanging around the tactical mini-van I saw in pics. LoL That thing rocks.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Dec 30, 2009 10:32 pm

Wellâ€¦ From New Orleans to Oklahomaâ€¦

I guess I should say, â€œIâ€™m sorry?â€

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 1:46 am

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

JK

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 11:50 am

[quote="LeChatNoir"]Wellâ€¦ From New Orleans to Oklahomaâ€¦

I guess I should say, â€œIâ€™m sorry?â€

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:06 pm

Wowâ€¦ homes from shipping containers is a very cool project. Iâ€™d enjoy hearing more about that. And youâ€™re right, the life in the county isnâ€™t that bad. Iâ€™d not trade it, myself at least.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jan 01, 2010 11:12 am

Unfortunately, home in the country would be quite complicated for me...

archeolojust · Post by **archeolojust** » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:18 pm

Are you part of the Zombie Squad? I hear about it often, but know very little.

You sound pretty awesome! Hope to see you there. It will be my first time, as well.

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 1:59 pm

No, I'm not part of Zombie Squad, although I occasionally drop into their forum to peruse. For the most part, the members there are psuedo-survivalist, arm-chair commandos. There is definitely some great information there - for both zombie lovers and 'survivalists' alike, but I prefer to hang around www.alpharubicon.com - it's an invite only forum with a public side, as well. A very close, tight-knit group of preparedness oriented individuals from all walks of life.... I just happen to be the biggest zombie freak on there. LoL

ZS is kinda of like a 'lite' version of the Rubicon. Rubicon members must back up what they say. If you make a claim, such as Product X is better than Widget Z, than you have to be able to show experience, proven field use, benefits, etc before anyone will take you seriously and that's why I love it. New products, ideas, and ways of doing things are proven and reliable. We also get together several times a year for massive campouts.

It's about the only thing I can relate to what Burning Man is - we build an entire city in the middle of nowhere for a few days, and then disappear, leaving no trace. We have electricity, running water, doctors and medical stations, Safety Team, classes, experts in various fields, and massive dinners. It's a blast! The only problem IS; the group tends to be quite conservative in nature. That's the drawback. But, I still find it enjoyable!

I've learned a LOT about alternative energy from some of the members who have tested, built, and are currently using massive alt energy projects. That is one thing I hope to bring to Burning Man and will be making a post about it soon. With one of the core components of BM being "Radical self-reliance", I've not seen much alt-energy in pics of the Playa.

Even basic, simple solar or wind setups seem to be lacking. I might be mistaken, but I don't see too many out there. Even something as radical and interactive as a 'grey water turbine', where burners carry their greywater (a few gallons) up a tall scaffolding tower and pour it down a funnel which drops onto a water wheel below, spinning it - and creating power! Yes, this would be miniscule power, but if the idea is taken several steps further, you can see the potential for "radical self reliance" PLUS offering a service/gift and interactivity!!!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 6:13 pm

If you don't know about the Alternate Energy Zone, those are the people most visably doing stuff in the power generation arena. Although not the only ones.

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 7:18 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:If you don't know about the Alternate Energy Zone, those are the people most visably doing stuff in the power generation arena. Although not the only ones.

Like I said, I could TOTALLY be mistaken; I have not been out to the playa - only drooled upon the pictures and stories that friends share with me.

Obviously, most pics are focused on an art piece or person, not so much "the typical RV or tent camp" where you might see several solar panels or a turbine. Either way - I plan to bring a few variants of alt power, offer some advice or get people thinking about innovative ways to create power.

And I had heard there was one camp in particular that focused on this topic. Thanks for the heads up - I'll have to mark them down as a "must stop by", as well as Terminal City!

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:53 pm

LeChatNoir wrote:Wowâ€¦ homes from shipping containers is a very cool project. Iâ€™d enjoy hearing more about that. And youâ€™re right, the life in the country isnâ€™t that bad. Iâ€™d not trade it, myself at least.

What he said! I've been curious about this for awhile now, I know where I can score a container for cheap and I have a lot of friends and family with land I could put it on, they've agreed to tolerate my squatting in exchange for work, tree cutting and irrigation ditches and the like... Maybe I'm deranged but living alone off the grid, cut off from the rest of the world, at least for a short period of time, has always appealed to me!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:16 am

How cheap?

Better to get insulated if you can.
I have a design for insulating one if you want it.
I suggest an attic for heat shielding too.
I have a design for that.

There are some more effective security measures for these too.
Internal electric locks are available.

lonestoner916 · Post by **lonestoner916** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 1:46 pm

Around two grand, give or take a little, and not including the cost to move it of course. Security wouldn't be much of an issue, but insulation is a great idea, and some sort of rudimentary power would be good, so I could install a window unit AC, but I could probably get by without it.

There's some good stuff here: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green ... ouses.html

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:27 pm

gyre wrote:How cheap?

Better to get insulated if you can.
I have a design for insulating one if you want it.
I suggest an attic for heat shielding too.
I have a design for that.

There are some more effective security measures for these too.
Internal electric locks are available.

There are some really great innovations in 'ceramic paints' for containers and similar structures. No, I'm not talking about pottery! These were initially developed for NASA's heat shields; to protect them upon re-entry. They are essentially nano-ceramic beads embedded into the paint. You can't see them after painting, but they create very amazing insulation with a simple coat of paint! I'm talking R values of up to 6 or 7 with a layer of PAINT! The huge, itchy pink stuff in your attic right now provides anywhere from 13-25 R value, depending on how many layers (I'm guessing closer to R value of 15 in the typical home), so you can see how effective this really can be.

Add some simple wood/plywood layer to the exterior OR interior and you've boosted your insulation another 3 points. Do you want a true shipping container home? Want to stud it and sheetrock it? Add various types of insulation, such as recycled denim jeans and you've boosted it another 5-15R value. There is also DIY stuff out there such as 'papercrete' - a stucco like application that is made from recycled newspapers and phone books! You now have a shipping container, sheetrocked and painted - with a potential R value of well over 30. To save money, you needn't space your studs on 16" centers - you could move them as far apart as 24-28 inches depending on the applications, such as wall hangings, paintings, load bearing, etc. That will bring your interior costs WAY down on lumber.

To create a more modern, industrial look, you could even leave parts un-sheetrocked and leave the exposed, painted metal. By applying the ceramic paint to both the interior and exterior, you have an R value of 5-6, if not more - plus any siding that you apply on the exterior.

It all depends on how much money you want to invest in your new home or how 'bare bones' you can make it. Quite frankly, a basic shipping container home being sold in Mexico - an 8'x40' box with decent materials, sheetrocked and studded, bathroom, and modest kitchen sells for about $5,000 - 6,000 USD and it is like a MANSION to some of these blue collar workers down there. We're talking wooden floors, energy efficient windows, fridge, stove, etc.

Imagine what YOU could do with some free land - ask your friends, family, neighbors, etc.... ONE shipping container, and a few hundred bucks + Craigslist! Within a month or two, you could have a very, very comfortable, modern, stylish place to call home with well over 320-340 sq ft of space. That's a typical studio apartment that in some cities rents for well over $800 a month. Want more room? Got a better job? Saved up some scrip? Buy a 2nd container - join them side by side and you have a 650 sq ft apartment that is WIND PROOF, FIRE PROOF, HURRICANE PROOF, potentially AIR TIGHT if you wanted, and nearly indestructible! You can rest assured that burglars won't easily steal your belongings, IF they even realize it's a house!

These containers were DESIGNED to withstand horrid sea storms, salt water, years of wind and sun... and remain water tight.

Stack them, make a 2-story condo! Build a compound in an H-shape in order to enjoy a private 'courtyard'.... the possibilities are endless.

Brand new containers can cost around $4,500-5,000 with gently used ones averaging $2,000-3,500. Several companies will lease them, rent-to-own, or make a deal with you if you buy more than one. With some of the land deals I've seen on Craiglist and owner financing, you could be living on your own 'ranch', 'compound', 'metal earthship', condo, whatever you want to call it in a very short amount of time and up front money. Because let's face it - we're broke. LoL

Business idea - Build an entire apartment complex out of containers. One company in Europe constructed a university's new dormitories out of containers!! Imagine the potential profit AND the ability to help offer AFFORDABLE housing, whether it's in a middle class area OR low income.

Containers rock. Period.

Thanks for reading. LoL

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:51 pm

Hey Hayden, this is Elliot from the Skoolie forum. A friend of mine is interested in building a shipping container house one of these days. He'll be camping with me in Terminal City. See you On The Playa!

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:57 pm

Elliot wrote::D
Hey Hayden, this is Elliot from the Skoolie forum. A friend of mine is interested in building a shipping container house one of these days. He'll be camping with me in Terminal City. See you On The Playa!
:D

Hey there! You're the one with the raised roof bus, correct? I'm working on a lot of different projects right now - my foremost ones being shipping container home construction and working on my Zombie Bus for Burning Man and a "western US roadtrip".

By the time BM rolls around, I will have a lot more hands on experience with the effects of insulating paints and living in a container! Can't wait to see the bus AND Terminal City. Sounds like a cool group camping there.

I'm *hoping* to get a decent spot not toooo far away but I've never been. I'm relying on my g/f to point me in the right directions for a camp spot!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:35 pm

Yep, school buses work well as Burning Man "tents", and even better with the roof a couple of feet higher than stock! There is a school bus thread here on ePlaya also, intended for burners to learn the basics -- look for "School bus 101" under Q & A, Tips And Tricks, or whatever that category is called.