How much camping space?

[Blonde Iguana]

Newbie here (I'm sure you could tell by the subject line). Anyway, I'm wondering how much playa real estate I can take up with my camp of 5 virgins. I plan to camp next to my large pick-up truck, with a big 8 person tent, 1 or 2 smaller tents, up to two shade structures and a good-sized evap pond. How much real estate can one group grab - are there boundaries, limitations, unwritten rules on taking up too much room, is it just first-come, first-serve?

[Tancorix]

If you are planning to camp inside the first 3-4 ring roads back from the Esplanade, you can almost forget about it. Those spaces are mapped out with villages and theme camps and the spaces are at a premium. But as you go farther out from the Esplanade things open up considerably and you will find plenty of room. From what I'm reading your camp sounds pretty normal for the number of people you have. And excluding the mapped spaces, the farther out zones are first come, first serve.

[nocturnal_steve]

I agree that the first 3 or 4 rings are usually reserved, marked off with construction tape and the such for large groups/themecamps/villages that camp together. I can understand this if groups have preplanned and chipped in for communal kitchen, generator and the such. These are registered theme camps and are so intittled, and from what I understand space is allotted to them by the BR LLC.

Mixed with these...and going further back are people that try to stake off space "cause their friends are coming later in the week". I've seen whole squares taped off/protected/others shooed away because someone closeby said "my friends are coming"", only for these spaces to remain vacant till about midweek. Than, by Wednesday or Thursday. no matter how much space you’ve tried to save what I call "the flow of the commons" takes over. Wanting to be close to the esplanade, newcomers start filling in every nook and cranny. It will seem like somebody is "imposing" as they park their SUV 5 feet in front of your tent entrance, blocking your view of the street. You might feel offended, like your personal space has been invaded until even later in the week more and more folks pull in, crowding your space ! But by Friday you will go with the flow, realize you can't stem the tide especially when that jerk with the SUV rolls up a fat one and shares his best stash with you, or that other jerk who boxed in your VW with his RV makes dinner and offers Pesto Pasta to everyone around him !

Finally, the exception to this is the outer two or three rings. This space remains uncluttered, you can stake your claim and mark it off with
gargoyles, lawnchairs, totems or whatever suits your fancy and these boundaries will be respected. So if your a bit claustrophobic, prefer country living to apartments, or really do want to save space for your friends coming later in the week head towards the outer rings ! Otherwise expect that others will be filling in the voids, and go with the flow....that’s what makes BM the community it is !

[Bob]

Just pitch your tent next to your car somewhere, measure the space, and multiply by five.