what NOT to bring (and what we've found useful)

jbelson · Post by **jbelson** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:04 pm

I think we need a list of things that don't work out too well on the playa that we've learned through experience. This way we can avoid packing in too much crap.

BAD; Bacon or breakfast sausage. They're way too greesy and there's no good way to dispose of it, so you just end up trucking it back home with you.

Good: Bring a reusable cup (cuts down on garbage), and bring it out on the playa with you. If you happen to go to a bar it gives them something to mix a drink in for you.

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 2:58 pm

Good: camelback (and extra cup for water moochers), head lamp, clean clothes sealed in a bag to wear on the ride home, a quality water mister spray bottle (the ones that you can pump and charge up are great!), a rebar puller, knockout pills, pedia-lite if you get behind on your water, knee pads for construction, and of course zip ties, duct tape (gaffers tape is better) and rope.

Bad: awkward costumes, a mountainsmith backpack (they go around your waist, it kept pushing on my bladder, not a good feeling when you're rolling), don't work on anything on the playa that you can do at home

of course a good attitude and knowing friendly neigbors can fix most things.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:06 pm

Roomate(s)

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 4:13 pm

Drama, yours or others

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:02 pm

Watermelon.

No one wants a slice of your fucking 6 day old rotted melon.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:09 pm

Bring: lots of socks, scarf for dust-breathing, a big butt-pack, a leatherman or equivalent, your towel.

Don't bring: Expectations, any synthetic clothing (unless you'll exclusively use it at nite), anything that will shed in extended strong winds, "enough food for 3 full meals per day". You'll get by on 2 or less meals, and you'll probably not use even that.

Any goggles you get, try this experiment: wear them outside, during the HOTTEST part of the day, sit in the sun for about an hour, and read.
Note if your eyes get tired, the gasket gets sweaty, the lenses get fogged, or the band gives you a headache.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 6:39 pm

Brought but never used: jeans, sleeping bag, baseball cap, full loaf of bread, raw meat

The big no-no: clothes with corporate logos

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 6:16 am

Never used: wigs

Used a lot: garden sprayer. worked so well for so much we now have two, one is used exclusively for the patio umbrella misting system mounted to the four wheel bike's shade canopy.

Good gifts: Nice, heavy plastic goblets for the chronically cupless at parties. They're so pretty, people like them and tend to look after them better than disposable cups.

naga brain · Post by **naga brain** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:15 pm

Bring: That watermelon. But get one that's not quite ripe. And then have it 4 days in. It was a great mid day cooler, and introed us to the Canadians next door who were not Canadians

Shade, make it big and welcoming. There are those that do not and they will hang out there. Nothing better in the desert than an oasis.

Good water. It's totally worth it to buy the best water from one of those places that fills your canisters up. I drank more water than I would have ever needed to, and that was soooooo wonderful on the body.

Don't bring: bad attitudes, because if you do, one of my campmates will send you to the kitchen for time-out.

jbelson · Post by **jbelson** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:21 pm

bring: wind proof lighter. Your funky clothes or a comfortable costume. I didn't have any last year and I felt so out of place looking normal. A headlamp. Gifts.

naga brain · Post by **naga brain** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:27 pm

Bring: That watermelon. But get one that's not quite ripe. And then have it 4 days in. It was a great mid day cooler, and introed us to the Canadians next door who were not Canadians

Shade, make it big and welcoming. There are those that do not and they will hang out there. Nothing better in the desert than an oasis.

Good water. It's totally worth it to buy the best water from one of those places that fills your canisters up. I drank more water than I would have ever needed to, and that was soooooo wonderful on the body.

Don't bring: bad attitudes, because if you do, one of my campmates will send you to the kitchen for time-out.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:28 pm

LEAVE: Friends who think the event isnothingmore than a party/rave.

TAKE: Socks. Lots of clean socks and tee shirts.

And scotch. Lots of scotch.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 1:29 pm

Good scotch. Single malt.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 2:45 pm

like
Mac 24?

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 3:20 pm

Lag 24

gilmore · Post by **gilmore** » Fri Jun 18, 2004 11:57 pm

.
[quote]introed us to the Canadians next door who were not Canadians
[/quote]

and NOW I find out they let imitation Canadians into Burning Man...

Angel Ben · Post by **Angel Ben** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:58 am

Well, head lamps have been mentioned twice, but I'd actually put them on my NOT to bring list. They're useful, but incredibly annoying to anyone but you. It's natural to want to look at people's faces, and when you do this wearing a head lamp, you blind them. Strap a light to the handlebars of your bike instead. If you're just walking around, you don't really need a flashlight as long as you've got a couple of glowy things on.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 7:30 am

Angel Ben wrote:Well, head lamps have been mentioned twice, but I'd actually put them on my NOT to bring list. They're useful, but incredibly annoying to anyone but you. It's natural to want to look at people's faces, and when you do this wearing a head lamp, you blind them. Strap a light to the handlebars of your bike instead. If you're just walking around, you don't really need a flashlight as long as you've got a couple of glowy things on.

/\
The head light was very useful in o3 with no moon. They have there place. While your working in a tent or camper a flaslight has to lay below your sight. ANd it is shineing into your face. With the head lamp it go's where your looking. You are right about it shineing in others face tho. Before head lamps. There were two small lights mounted on a glasses frame. Scared the hell out of my friends when I first come across the camp grounds.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 7:22 pm

Bring:
Cup with lid that you clip on to your back pack or person
dry ice and a really, really good cooler
head lamp (led ones are the best)
Portable misting device (a little lavender or other essential oil makes these even more of a slice of heaven)

Don't Bring:
Ex wife/husband
Ex girlfriend/boyfriend
Expectations
Watermelon

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 7:33 pm

unjonharley wrote:
Angel Ben wrote:Well, head lamps have been mentioned twice, but I'd actually put them on my NOT to bring list. They're useful, but incredibly annoying to anyone but you. It's natural to want to look at people's faces, and when you do this wearing a head lamp, you blind them. Strap a light to the handlebars of your bike instead. If you're just walking around, you don't really need a flashlight as long as you've got a couple of glowy things on.

The head light was very useful in o3 with no moon. They have there place. While your working in a tent or camper a flaslight has to lay below your sight. ANd it is shineing into your face. With the head lamp it go's where your looking.

I encountered a fellow late one evening last year who was doing contact juggling lit only by his head lamp...it gave it a wonderful ethereal look.

theBrooke · Post by **theBrooke** » Sun Jun 20, 2004 12:06 pm

Chai guy has that right. DO NOT bring your ex-girlfriend! Seems obvious but we had been friends forever (and just friends for over 3 years). I thought it would be allright. I had a nightmare of a time in 02, ex and current really hated each other by Tuesday. Made the rest of the week kind of a chore.

Lesson learned.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:20 am

if I do bring an ex, do you recommend I store her in my large cooler with all the dry ice or floating in the cooler swill of my beer container?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:48 am

I can think of a few appropriate places to strap on cheap flashlights, but the middle of your forehead isn't one of them.

Nothing wrong with bringing exes to a vast wasteland in the middle of the desert. Just don't tell anybody where.

theBrooke · Post by **theBrooke** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:22 pm

Neither Stuart! Not in your camp, with your current woman, EVER. Serious drama will ensue. This is one lesson that's better learned by listening, swear.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:50 pm

brooke,

i think if you look more carefully at my post you might a joke in there.

anyway, my current woman does not do burning man so I am AOK right?

careacter · Post by **careacter** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 12:56 pm

I find that polymer crytals are a diamond in the rough.
they are jelly like beads that contract to three times thier size when soaked in water for a few minutes and stay cool for about a hour depending on conditions.

I have about a half a cup of these sewed up in a bandanna that i wear around my neck... it's really something i reccommend looking into.

http://sewing.about.com/library/sewnews ... rf0704.htm

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 2:13 pm

Fur lined butt plugs, it's way too hot.

emily86 · Post by **emily86** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 10:05 am

The weather may be sunny and hot. Or it may rain and be cold. Bring extra good walking shoes and socks Bring your art and anything else that will fit in your vehicle. You never know wht you may need. Ignore the person who talked shit about watermelon. The others were more accurate. People in the throes of working on their project need a little messy pink piece of wet food flesh. i have built many a structure and often forget to eat.

Leave: Uncomfortable costumes unless you are going to a specific camp event and have comfy clothes to change into.

Bring" A warm blanket that you can wrap yourself in around camp and don't mind getting dirty.

My first burn in 2000 was cold as shit. The last 3 were warm and sweet.

Remember...anything goes

shitmouse · Post by **shitmouse** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 10:20 am

stuart wrote: anyway, my current woman does not do burning man so I am AOK right?

bummer. keep shopping. --(JK stuart).

Post by **AntiM** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 1:01 pm

A sturdy camp cot has been ultra-helpful.

As anyone with a bad back knows, even sitting gets uncomfy, especially in low slung camp chairs ... lounging romanesque is sometimes preferable. A cheap cot will collapse if it gets used as a couch (and it will). We finally got one advertised as able to support up to 600 pounds, three or four goodly sized folks at least. I cover ours with a big ass throw, some pillows, and clamp a vinyl tarp over it when not in use to keep down the dust accumulation. The cot stays under the communal shade canopy or up in the flatbed trailer with the trailer tarp suspended as a second shade canopy. Great napping spot for tired campmates who don't want to climb into their tents mid-day, and a perfect place for me to lounge and issue imperious orders.

whip optional.

what NOT to bring (and what we've found useful)

what NOT to bring (and what we've found useful)

To bring, or not to bring...

what to bring/ what not to bring

what to bring/ what not to bring

Re: what to bring/ what not to bring

Leave/Take