Hello!
I'm going this year for the first time, driving alone since I can't arrive till Wednesday or Thursday. What makes me a tad bit nervous is being able to find my friends! Any pointers?
People don't really know where they will camp until they arrive, right? And once I get there, can I drive my car to wherever my friends end up being camped (if I find them, that is), or is driving around restricted?
thanks!
First timer going alone...how will I find my friends??
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Sham
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Hi acirx and welcome. My guess is that you will never find your friends, for the simple reason that you are lost on the "Introduce yourself" thread. This is the tips and tricks place.
OK, so you're here, let me help. You will have no phone sevice or other way to communicate on the playa. You may wish to get a map of the city beforehand and try to figure out where they will be camping ahead of time. Have them choose a street or intersection to meet up with you. There are 50,000 people in 7 square miles, so planning would be a good thing. You can drive your car to the place where you are going to camp, but then you must park it for the week. You have a bit of breathing room while driving on the marked streets, but you can not ever drive on the open playa, unless you have a permit. The streets will be marked in alphabetical order, and like the face of a clock. (ie: D Street and 7:30) You may even plan on having them leave a note for you on a particular intersection post, as to where they are camped, or meet them at a certain intersection at a predetermined time. This is all playa time, so it may be within a few hour period.
Maybe someone else has a better idea, but no matter what, you will find them eventually.
Again, welcome, kick off your shoes and make yourself at home!
OK, so you're here, let me help. You will have no phone sevice or other way to communicate on the playa. You may wish to get a map of the city beforehand and try to figure out where they will be camping ahead of time. Have them choose a street or intersection to meet up with you. There are 50,000 people in 7 square miles, so planning would be a good thing. You can drive your car to the place where you are going to camp, but then you must park it for the week. You have a bit of breathing room while driving on the marked streets, but you can not ever drive on the open playa, unless you have a permit. The streets will be marked in alphabetical order, and like the face of a clock. (ie: D Street and 7:30) You may even plan on having them leave a note for you on a particular intersection post, as to where they are camped, or meet them at a certain intersection at a predetermined time. This is all playa time, so it may be within a few hour period.
Maybe someone else has a better idea, but no matter what, you will find them eventually.
Again, welcome, kick off your shoes and make yourself at home!
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Ranger Genius
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That's one plan. Here's another: fuck 'em. Make new friends.AntiM wrote:Since they arrive first, they camp, then go to playa info and register the camp address. You go to playa info (can drive near to it, but not into Center Camp area), find the camp address, then drive slowly to camp.
Good luck!
“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”
Playa info was virtually useless last year, either down or so busy you couldn't get to a machine.
Use it, but also post a notice on the board.
Have an area arranged to post in.
On playa info, be sure to post your own info, as well as the message to your friends.
You can also plan a general area to camp in.
The more open this area is, the more successful this will be.
When the main camp is set up, put signs on the street.
They must be strong enough for the wind, and large enough to read at night, and best if double sided.
A huge sign away from the road may be invisible at night.
Happens all the time.
Use it, but also post a notice on the board.
Have an area arranged to post in.
On playa info, be sure to post your own info, as well as the message to your friends.
You can also plan a general area to camp in.
The more open this area is, the more successful this will be.
When the main camp is set up, put signs on the street.
They must be strong enough for the wind, and large enough to read at night, and best if double sided.
A huge sign away from the road may be invisible at night.
Happens all the time.
That's what I did my first year.Ranger Genius wrote:That's one plan. Here's another: fuck 'em. Make new friends.AntiM wrote:Since they arrive first, they camp, then go to playa info and register the camp address. You go to playa info (can drive near to it, but not into Center Camp area), find the camp address, then drive slowly to camp.
Good luck!
The camp I was going to camp with made every preparation, and forgot to register at playa info.
I found them due to their excellent signage....three days later.
But I did find them.
I was quite happy where I was by then.
The camp I stayed in, also forgot to register at playa info.
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Sail Man
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Yup, you'll be in the midst of 50,000-ish potentialsRanger Genius wrote:That's one plan. Here's another: fuck 'em. Make new friends.AntiM wrote:Since they arrive first, they camp, then go to playa info and register the camp address. You go to playa info (can drive near to it, but not into Center Camp area), find the camp address, then drive slowly to camp.
Good luck!
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
The first year I went alone. I knew one other person who was going up early. I knew what village he was camping in and found several people who knew him, I left a message with them about where I was camped. I checked back the next day and still couldn't find him. On the third day he found me in the middle of a white out while I was hanging with some neighbors.
It took three days but I'd say it's possible if you know where they will be camping. Just start asking neighbors.
It took three days but I'd say it's possible if you know where they will be camping. Just start asking neighbors.
Rawr!
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Ranger Genius
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Feeling a bit guilty about my snarky response, so here's the actual answer: Have someone take their laptop to center camp and email you the address and description of the camp. There is WiFi there as well as several other locations throughout the city. A resourceful person can also find other methods of communication with Defaultia.
“We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.”
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dragonpilot
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Have them put up signs ala Burma Shave from the Greeter Gate, except with their camp's name (they WILL have a camp name, right?) with little arrows leading you all the way to their camp.
There's little possibility of the winds blowing them down or anyone taking them as souvenirs, so this is a good idea....no?
Or, have them send up a tethered helium balloon from their camp. Only make sure the balloon is a very special, predesignated color so you don't get it confused with the other 1,550 tethered balloons.
Or, have them fire off sky rockets at varying intervals near your arrival time to direct you to camp. NOTE: this won't work well if you arrive on Burn Night...and, oh...I just remembered fireworks are illegal, so this might not be such a good idea.
There's little possibility of the winds blowing them down or anyone taking them as souvenirs, so this is a good idea....no?
Or, have them send up a tethered helium balloon from their camp. Only make sure the balloon is a very special, predesignated color so you don't get it confused with the other 1,550 tethered balloons.
Or, have them fire off sky rockets at varying intervals near your arrival time to direct you to camp. NOTE: this won't work well if you arrive on Burn Night...and, oh...I just remembered fireworks are illegal, so this might not be such a good idea.
Don't bore your friends with all your troubles. Tell your enemies instead, for they will delight in hearing about them.
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Lord Of Ruin
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Ok, a couple of comments.
All the suggestions here are pretty good. The key is to agree to do multiple things, not just rely on one or two.
Another thing....find a sign or some other thing that your friends can put out on the edge of the road where they camp. At that time of the week, saying something like "On Evolution, between 5 and 5:30" might not be enough as camps bunch up.
It's perfectly plausible to have such clear directions and still walk right by them. If you have arranged beforehand to put a small realty stype sign at the roadside, you'll find them much easier.
And in keeping with BM tradition, you could always chuck all the suggestions and solve it by throwing money at the problem:
Behold teh Garmin Rino. FRS radio with GPS navigation. Has a feature to set up to be able to have the GPS of one be blt to use the radio to query the other and guide you there. Normally used on ski runs, etc to join up with your party throughout the day. You'd just arrange a particular time for them to turn it on/monitor it and you'd have no problem.
All the suggestions here are pretty good. The key is to agree to do multiple things, not just rely on one or two.
Another thing....find a sign or some other thing that your friends can put out on the edge of the road where they camp. At that time of the week, saying something like "On Evolution, between 5 and 5:30" might not be enough as camps bunch up.
It's perfectly plausible to have such clear directions and still walk right by them. If you have arranged beforehand to put a small realty stype sign at the roadside, you'll find them much easier.
And in keeping with BM tradition, you could always chuck all the suggestions and solve it by throwing money at the problem:
Behold teh Garmin Rino. FRS radio with GPS navigation. Has a feature to set up to be able to have the GPS of one be blt to use the radio to query the other and guide you there. Normally used on ski runs, etc to join up with your party throughout the day. You'd just arrange a particular time for them to turn it on/monitor it and you'd have no problem.
The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion - W. Blake (attribution corrected)
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Ugly Dougly
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If you get in early, FRS is probably a good idea. Later on, as more hippies arrive, the radios are useless for anything more than entertainment, IMHO.dinks wrote:In 2007 we used a cheap pair of FRS radios. We just agreed in advance on what channel and a general time frame to start listening.
In ye olden days, there was a physical bulletin board where real-life paper signs were attached. Guess we're too advanced for that now.
Find a theme camp that you guys are interested in and contact them when you arrve. This can be your mutual point of contact even if you don't camp in the same spot.
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Fire_Moose
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Ugly Dougly
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I agree with the "do several things" approach.
Arrange to look in a specific area. If they're planning to camp at 7 and H and they end up in 9 and J, tell them to post the sign on the 7H post directing you to where they are.
I went to a rather large event several years ago. We agreed to meet at 4:20 (am AND pm) every day at a certain location. You could arrange to meet at the coffee stand at center camp. Or at the right hand of the man. If you schedule several times, you increase your chances of meeting up.
Some people had cell service last year. Although I hate the idea of it, you might be able to leave/receive a message.
The bullitan board is usually covered and hard to find what you're looking for. Again, send messages by being specific on that you'll post/look at the top left (or whereever) of the board.
Have them tell their neighbors to be on the lookout for you too. Their neighbors might be at camp when they're not. One of our neighbors put out a bucket on the road with a sign for a friend meeting them later on in the week.
Good luck!
Arrange to look in a specific area. If they're planning to camp at 7 and H and they end up in 9 and J, tell them to post the sign on the 7H post directing you to where they are.
I went to a rather large event several years ago. We agreed to meet at 4:20 (am AND pm) every day at a certain location. You could arrange to meet at the coffee stand at center camp. Or at the right hand of the man. If you schedule several times, you increase your chances of meeting up.
Some people had cell service last year. Although I hate the idea of it, you might be able to leave/receive a message.
The bullitan board is usually covered and hard to find what you're looking for. Again, send messages by being specific on that you'll post/look at the top left (or whereever) of the board.
Have them tell their neighbors to be on the lookout for you too. Their neighbors might be at camp when they're not. One of our neighbors put out a bucket on the road with a sign for a friend meeting them later on in the week.
Good luck!
Those are some good suggestions so far. I'd like to add: when you know the size, color, make of travel vehicle, tent & shade, & of any distinctive lighting, signs or flags, be sure to exchange these details with your friends before both of you leave town. If you know you're looking for a green van & an acre of jungle netting, or 3 teepees, a tall dome & an __-foot RV covered in yellow faux fur, or 5 of those square canvas tents & a tiki bar, it can be a lot easier to find someone's camp.
People seeking friends often cite the name of the camp (which often wont ring a bell), but if they can describe what they're looking for, there's a much better chance for me to help out. Odds are, I'm already using those visuals for landmarks myself.
You might also post a whiteboard at your camp shade & have them post one at theirs, so msgs can be left if no one's home (common).
People seeking friends often cite the name of the camp (which often wont ring a bell), but if they can describe what they're looking for, there's a much better chance for me to help out. Odds are, I'm already using those visuals for landmarks myself.
You might also post a whiteboard at your camp shade & have them post one at theirs, so msgs can be left if no one's home (common).
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Ugly Dougly
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Louise and I have brunch with a friend every year, and he camps in the same truck, same shade, same tent, and same rickshaw ever year. He drops by our camp when he's set up and either tells us or leaves a note where he's camped (on D about 5:45 for example). We hop on our bikes the appointed day, and we ride back and forth on D between 5:30 and 6:00 time after time looking for his camp, even though we know what gear he's got. Sheesh! It's _very_ hard to find people's camps even when you know where they are.
Everybody's truck is the same shade of playa, the shade is playa, the tent is playa. Our best bet is spotting the rickshaw, but he sometimes has it where it's not readily visible or he's out for a quick run somewhere.
Everybody's truck is the same shade of playa, the shade is playa, the tent is playa. Our best bet is spotting the rickshaw, but he sometimes has it where it's not readily visible or he's out for a quick run somewhere.
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StevenGoodman
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Knowing their vehicles is very good, especially if it is distinctive. First year I went the camp had a Uni-mog (not Space Cowboy's) which made it a lot easier to find.
Also, they could leave you a message at a known Theme Camp, which should be easier to find.
Now, I like the idea of them sending you an email. Have them mark their location on the aerial photograph from the previous year; and then email it to you. WiFi is available in various places.
Martini Steve
Also, they could leave you a message at a known Theme Camp, which should be easier to find.
Now, I like the idea of them sending you an email. Have them mark their location on the aerial photograph from the previous year; and then email it to you. WiFi is available in various places.
Martini Steve
Playawaste Raiders and Megaton Bar and Grill
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mdmf007
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All Sage Advice -
My 2 cents. When making a sign, make it ugly and utilitarian - good looking hand made signs will all disappear as souvenirs.
Meeting at a landmark at an appointed time each day is a good trick as well.
Playa info works, but can get real busy.
The farther out you plan on camping - the more reliable it is to get that particular spot. The city generally fills from the inside out - there are exceptions though.
You can also leave a note with the ESD stations on their white boards at 3 and 9 - they are small and they fill up with meaningless shit quickly.
or as someone said - make new friends!
My 2 cents. When making a sign, make it ugly and utilitarian - good looking hand made signs will all disappear as souvenirs.
Meeting at a landmark at an appointed time each day is a good trick as well.
Playa info works, but can get real busy.
The farther out you plan on camping - the more reliable it is to get that particular spot. The city generally fills from the inside out - there are exceptions though.
You can also leave a note with the ESD stations on their white boards at 3 and 9 - they are small and they fill up with meaningless shit quickly.
or as someone said - make new friends!
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theCryptofishist
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