Getting Out of the Playa

kmatthews812 · Post by **kmatthews812** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:53 am

I have a flight from Reno to home that leaves at 1:15pm on Monday. How hard will it be to make this flight?

I figure I need to get out, go to a dump somewhere to ditch my trash, return our UHaul rental truck and take a cab to the airport. We have to do this all in time to get to the airport by noon, to play it safe.

What time do you think we should be driving away from our campsight to make this all happen?

ps. I'm a first timer so I have no idea what I'm doing :)

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:56 am

plan for a 4-5 hour wait in line to get from dust to pavement.

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:59 am

I'd leave by 6 am. Figure a 2 hour drive that gives you 4 hours to get everything else done with probably a little time to spare. The airport may be crowded as it is the last day of a holiday. If you've never been to the Reno airport, it is rather small and really easy to navigate...

zorro sings · Post by **zorro sings** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:28 am

kmatthews812 wrote: ps. I'm a first timer so I have no idea what I'm doing :)

Well you know enough to ask and many times that is enough.Forget 6 am unless you want to pay a big cleaning charge for the truck..You need to be at the airport by 11:30/12.Count on at least a 2 hour(probably generous) Exodus wait at that time.A two hour drive back to Reno ,30 minutes at the dump and another 30 checking in your very dusty,and now liable for large cleaning fees,truck.Throw in 30 minutes of driving in Reno, a gas stop unles you want to pay $4.50 a gallon and you have no margin for error and a frenzied,costly last hour of your experience.
You can figure out the logistics.If I were you though I would budget $40 and an hour of time to the Alamo Truck Wash. Tack on two more hours for comfort and 3 am looks best.

Token · Post by **Token** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:29 am

Book a room in Reno for Sunday night.

Leave BRC sunday afternoon/evening.

Shower for at least two hours in your hotel room.

Hit a buffet at a big casino. Pig out.

Get up early Monday morning and wash n detail the hell out of the rental.

Shower again.

Return rental.

Cab out to the airport.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:31 am

Remember, you can get the boy out of the playa, but you can't get the playa out of the boy.

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:33 am

i stand corrected

Token · Post by **Token** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:43 am

Exodus line can be anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours, depending on the mood of the heard, and how many old VW and School buses break down in the line.

447 can be anywhere from 2-3 hours or a half day, depending on the number of accidents and/or fatalities.

This is why anyone trying to catch a flight out should give themselves a good 24 hours to take care of business in Reno before the flight.

If you are lucky you get the shower and feast in Reno and don't loose your truck deposit.

If you are unlucky you get to make your flight all filthy and icky, loose your deposit and end up an emotional wreck.

Your choice.

p.s. (edit): If you leave Monday morning, odds are you miss your flight.

kmatthews812 · Post by **kmatthews812** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:44 am

Wow. Thanks for the answers. You guys are great.

What's the deal with the cleaning charge on a UHaul? First I called Penske and they won't rent to burners at all. They said UHaul will but their trucks are falling apart. I took my chances with UHaul, but I have a feeling they will screw me over somehow.

Other than a detailed wash and clean of the truck, how can I avoid UHaul screwing up my week?

trystanthegypsy · Post by **trystanthegypsy** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:44 am

pack up during the day on sunday and leave directly after the temple burn. shower at the truck stop, have some breakfast, drop your stuff off as soon as the place opens, go to airport, sleep in waiting area. much better than rushing and risking missing your flight, plus you will have a much shorter/cooler exodus line up in the dark.

Token · Post by **Token** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:50 am

kmatthews812 wrote:Wow. Thanks for the answers. You guys are great.

What's the deal with the cleaning charge on a UHaul? First I called Penske and they won't rent to burners at all. They said UHaul will but their trucks are falling apart. I took my chances with UHaul, but I have a feeling they will screw me over somehow.

Other than a detailed wash and clean of the truck, how can I avoid UHaul screwing up my week?

Any rental company can screw you if they choose. All have a "no off road use clause". BRC is off road use.

Return it cleaner that when you got it and your odds of maintaining sphincter virginity vastly improve.

zorro sings · Post by **zorro sings** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:13 am

lucky420 wrote:i stand corrected :oops:

Actually you gave them a drop dead time which,in the ways of the Playa,is useful.

As far as U-Haul.Cancel and go with Budget.In Reno on Gentry.Good rates,Burner friendly and if you take it to Alamo there will be no cleaning charge.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:16 pm

You're not out there yet? Most of us are posting directly from the playa now!

Playa Foot · Post by **Playa Foot** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:22 pm

Change your plane reservation to Wednesday and take your time leaving the playa, your boss will understand.

dinks · Post by **dinks** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:27 pm

I left at 4am sunday morning and made it back to Reno around 9:30am. Had I left at 5am It may of taken me till noon. So my advice would be to either leave right after the man burns on Saturday, get a room in Reno and wake up early to start cleaning.

Or, get a different flight.

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:31 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:You're not out there yet? Most of us are posting directly from the playa now!

Crap! I am so behind the 8-ball. Must leave now!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 8:21 pm

Sail Man wrote:
Ugly Dougly wrote:You're not out there yet? Most of us are posting directly from the playa now!

Crap! I am so behind the 8-ball. Must leave now!

noting Sailman getting ready to leave........

bm_cricket · Post by **bm_cricket** » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:12 pm

Token wrote:...Shower for at least two hours in your hotel room.

Hit a buffet at a big casino. Pig out.

Get up early Monday morning and wash n detail the hell out of the rental.

Shower again......

That's sage advice.

After the first long shower you have an uncontrollable urge to sleep but you are hungry, so your new clean self heads straight for the nearest food.

Cooky · Post by **Cooky** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:23 pm

I concur with the advice to leave Sunday and spend the night in Reno. If you choose to leave after sunset take the caution about cows on the road seriously. They hang out on the pavement at night for the warmth and it's one hell of an expensive and time consuming problem if you hit one.

A few ways to lessen your chances of issues with your truck return:

Alamo Truck Wash -- Yes! and be sure they spray the roof and the undercarriage. Keep the receipts as proof.

Be sure to clean out the box of the truck.

Take pictures with a date and time stamp of the truck when you pick it up and when you return it. Good if you have to fight a claim down the road.

Be sure to do a physical walk through with the rental agent when you return it. Get their info so you know who it was and when it was.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 8:43 pm

> Alamo Truck Wash -- Yes! and be sure they spray the roof and the
> undercarriage. Keep the receipts as proof.

Where is Alamo Truck Wash? I find Alamo Truck Stop, which doesn't mention a truck wash and Sierra Sid's TA Truck Stop does mention a truck wash. i want to have the undercarriage of our van blasted after we get off the playa.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:19 pm

Hi y'all,

So, our daughter has a Redeye (1am) flight back to school on Monday out of Salt Lake City (9 hours away w/o stops). My sweetie is having a FULL FREAK OUT about what time we should leave. Let me add that we are bringing our own camper--no need to clean it or return it.

I'm thinking we pack up our shade structure, chairs, tables, camp kitchen etc. into the truck & hitch up to the camper the afternoon before the burn. Come back, sleep a bit, then pack up the daughter's tent, bikes, clean up MOOP, and hit the road 9-ish.

Or, we pack up EVERYTHING into the truck & camper & clean up before the Burn and plan to leave right after--with no sleep. (Did I mention the 9+ hour drive? And that my sweetie is 51?).

Thoughts?

Post by **Eric** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:50 pm

Bling- personally I would plan on leaving Saturday afternoon- we left a few years ago at around 2pm on Saturday & were in Reno in about 2 hours. Not only did we not wait long in Exodus- we were Exodus! No other cars. Totally stress free exit.

It's a holiday weekend, travel times may take longer than you think, plan according.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:52 pm

That would work. But we definitely want to see the Burn (it's our first), so we need to leave sometime after it. But earlier or later? What hours between, say 2am on Sunday and 9 am on Sunday are likely to be least busy?

Post by **Eric** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:02 pm

anytime after the man burns there is the potential for long lines. Anytime. Right after, 2 hours after, 12 hours after......

Have your camp completely packed & ready to roll before you head to watch the Burn, and watch the Burn from the Esplanade (you can't see the Fire Conclave through the crowd anyway). Right after the Man falls, head to vehicle & leave. That way you might make it out in decent time.

I've watched the man burn from the Esplanade every year I've been there since '05. It's been sooo much better than it ever was in the crowd.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:05 pm

Thanks! I believe it--and our camp is right on Esplanade anyway. At our regional burn, I was amazed at how HOT it was, and staying back farther seems like a good way to go.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:08 pm

Okay, new plan: Move the truck & camper to the gate (can we even do this?) before sunset. Walk back to Esplanade and watch the burn. After the burn, head back to the car and drive to Fernley. Get a room, shower, sleep for a few hours, THEN drive to SLC when the sun's up.

Thoughts?

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:10 pm

Last year we packed everything up, ready to go and slept for a few hours after the burn - but left just after sunup - no lines at all. A few hours later makes a HUGE difference.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:10 pm

Inner playa to gate is quite a hike.

Bling · Post by **Bling** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:16 pm

Mojojita wrote:Last year we packed everything up, ready to go and slept for a few hours after the burn - but left just after sunup - no lines at all. A few hours later makes a HUGE difference.

That's EXACTLY what I wanted to do, but my sweetie was completely freaking out about waiting. Fishy, I did figure it's a bit of a hike to the gate. Does anyone know how far it is? A couple of miles?

Playa Foot · Post by **Playa Foot** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:34 pm

Don't bother with moving the car out to the gate, that is usually the end of the line anyway and you will be gaining very little. There will be a lot of foot traffic on the Black Rock City streets so you may consider moving your truck to one of the outer rings but even that may be overkill.

Getting Out of the Playa

Getting Out of the Playa

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