1st Timers: 1 Question, 1 Answer

Post by **Sham** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:25 pm

First timers sometimes have very basic or awkward questions that they wish to ask. I had so many misconceptions my first year, but was afraid to look foolish and ask anyone.

This thread will be for any first timer wishing to ask anything related to the Burning Man Festival---no matter how basic, trivial or foolish it may seem.

I hope the format to be:

Question: Are there concession stands where I can buy food and drinks?

Answer: No, there are no type of carnival concessions here. At Center Camp you can buy coffee and other type of hot drinks only.

Any veteran can feel free to answer the questions.

Montanarchist · Post by **Montanarchist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:12 pm

Question: The wind is supposed to be really bad; but, is it bad enough to rip the awning off of my Airstream? Should I plan on bringing a back-up shade structure?

phil · Post by **phil** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:26 pm

montanaprometheus wrote:Question: The wind is supposed to be really bad; but, is it bad enough to rip the awning off of my Airstream? Should I plan on bringing a back-up shade structure?

Yes.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:51 pm

phil wrote:
montanaprometheus wrote:Question: The wind is supposed to be really bad; but, is it bad enough to rip the awning off of my Airstream? Should I plan on bringing a back-up shade structure?
Yes.

add to the yes, that, it's almost impossible to predict what direction the wind will come from at any one time.

Major Krash · Post by **Major Krash** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:55 pm

ygmir wrote:
phil wrote:
montanaprometheus wrote:Question: The wind is supposed to be really bad; but, is it bad enough to rip the awning off of my Airstream? Should I plan on bringing a back-up shade structure?
Yes.
add to the yes, that, it's almost impossible to predict what direction the wind will come from at any one time.

or when the sudden winds will occur (although morning and afternoon are often windy, as the Playa is heating up and cooling down). It can be absolutely still for days, then out of the blue sky a viscous dust storm whip up with very little warning. Always assume when you leave camp a dust storm will hit.

Montanarchist · Post by **Montanarchist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:01 pm

Question: I love to run through the woods on my property nakkid, but am a little nervous about doing it in front of a bunch of strangers, am I just being paranoid or are there legal and/or other concerns I should be aware of?

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:15 pm

...run nekkid!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:21 pm

gaminwench wrote:...run nekkid!

what GW says.......nudity is very accepted in BRC, and even encouraged.

I guess you could try a "test run" in your hometown main st. to see how comfortable you are with it in front of strangers........but, I bet the outcome would be negative. Just guessin' though.

Montanarchist · Post by **Montanarchist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:47 pm

ygmir wrote:
gaminwench wrote:...run nekkid!

I guess you could try a "test run" in your hometown main st. to see how comfortable you are with it in front of strangers........but, I bet the outcome would be negative. Just guessin' though.

Yeah, rural Montana isn't know for accepting that kind of thing.

Montanarchist · Post by **Montanarchist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 2:51 pm

Question: I of course don't do drugs nor does anyone I know but I have this friend of a friend who wants to come, who I suspect does. He of course won't be staying in my camp, but should he have a separate tent/structure to store/use his stuff in?

Major Krash · Post by **Major Krash** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:00 pm

montanaprometheus wrote:Question: I love to run through the woods on my property nakkid, but am a little nervous about doing it in front of a bunch of strangers, am I just being paranoid or are there legal and/or other concerns I should be aware of?

No legal concerns with nudity - it is not very common (unless it is hot), and never required...

however avoid public sex acts (you can get ticketed)

Major Krash · Post by **Major Krash** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:03 pm

montanaprometheus wrote:Question: I of course don't do drugs nor does anyone I know but I have this friend of a friend who wants to come, who I suspect does. He of course won't be staying in my camp, but should he have a separate tent/structure to store/use his stuff in?

be aware of this board's Terms of Service (ToS), the conditions which you agree to operate when you signed up...

You agree not to use the Service to:

post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any Content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

Questions like this (how can I break the law and not get caught) will almost never be answered, and should not be asked in a public forum...

however, there are many LEO's from Federal, State, and Local jurisdictions, many of which are actively looking for illegal drug use. Drug dogs have been used, and sweeps of teams looking (sniffing) for pot use are common. Be warned if you do illegal drugs, you may get caught...and if caught, you will be prosecuted...

Post by **Sham** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:09 pm

montanaprometheus wrote:Question: I of course don't do drugs nor does anyone I know but I have this friend of a friend who wants to come, who I suspect does. He of course won't be staying in my camp, but should he have a separate tent/structure to store/use his stuff in?

If your friend wants to risk that kind of stupidity, then let them deal with hiding their drugs all by themselves.
As a rule, there are no searches unless there is probable cause. If they must do this, caution is the rule of the week.

Montanarchist · Post by **Montanarchist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:11 pm

Thanks for the answers guys. I'll step aside and give someone else a turn.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:04 pm

montanaprometheus wrote:Thanks for the answers guys. I'll step aside and give someone else a turn.

Is the "friend of a friend" riding with you?
Consider, if they pack drugs with them, and, they're with you, you can get popped, too.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:23 pm

some have a neighbor who is never around, and has a tent he never uses. Let's call him Dave. Who's tent is that? Dave's. Where is Dave? Dave's not here.

graidawg · Post by **graidawg** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:26 pm

I haven't asked this question because i dont't want to look Really stupid.
As this year is a rite of passage i want to emphasise my rootless nature by shifting camp every night or simply carrying everything with me - however there isnt any way i can carry a weeks water with me, is ther any kind of storage area i can leave what i simply cannot carry with me?

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:39 pm

please dear god let page 2 come soon..

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:42 pm

graidawg wrote:I haven't asked this question because i dont't want to look Really stupid.
As this year is a rite of passage i want to emphasise my rootless nature by shifting camp every night or simply carrying everything with me - however there isnt any way i can carry a weeks water with me, is ther any kind of storage area i can leave what i simply cannot carry with me?

No. Not unless you have a car and you return to it every couple of days.

Your idea is interesting, but there's a whole lot of stuff going on all around you. An hour or two every day to strike, camp trudge to another spot, negotiate its use with neighbors, and put camp up again might be time wasted. Especially if you're not used to the heat. (Something I don't expect brits to be.) And if you don't know where your gear is when you're drunk, it could get ugly.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 4:43 pm

graidawg wrote:I haven't asked this question because i dont't want to look Really stupid.
As this year is a rite of passage i want to emphasise my rootless nature by shifting camp every night or simply carrying everything with me - however there isnt any way i can carry a weeks water with me, is ther any kind of storage area i can leave what i simply cannot carry with me?

stay where you are,,,space runs out fast....and this is the desert!

Major Krash · Post by **Major Krash** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:32 pm

graidawg wrote:I haven't asked this question because i dont't want to look Really stupid.
As this year is a rite of passage i want to emphasise my rootless nature by shifting camp every night or simply carrying everything with me - however there isnt any way i can carry a weeks water with me, is ther any kind of storage area i can leave what i simply cannot carry with me?

who is to say you cannot have a "depot camp", a small tent that can be closed off to hold your water stash...come back to it every day or so...

or, just buy a bag of ice once a day from Artica, set it on your head while you set in the sun and enjoy the sights, and catch the drippings to drink...

(well, something like that at least)

dragonpilot · Post by **dragonpilot** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 5:49 pm

graidawg wrote:I haven't asked this question because i dont't want to look Really stupid.
As this year is a rite of passage i want to emphasise my rootless nature by shifting camp every night or simply carrying everything with me - however there isnt any way i can carry a weeks water with me, is ther any kind of storage area i can leave what i simply cannot carry with me?

There's no common secure storage area for anything. If you choose to decamp everyday you might have to make more than one trip to reposition all your supplies. Perhaps some kind soul will gift you their strong back to help you move.

My guess is that you'll find the perfect spot with awesome neighbors on Day 1 and stay put. Don't forget, you are free to move about the area at will exploring every nook and cranny. Daily decamping will consume lots of energy and time...but whatevah!

Post by **Elderberry** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:12 pm

junglesmacks wrote:please dear god let page 2 come soon..

I don't think you are supposed to snark in this thread, even after the first page.

JK

graidawg · Post by **graidawg** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:21 pm

Thanks for all your replies, seems the experienced voice is Don't move around! the reason for my asking is I have always been a very basic camper, take the bare minimun, other people always have stuff they are willing to share the use of (like cooking fires not water or booze).
junglesmacks; I dont mind a snarky reply - sometimes they are helpful too

Post by **Sham** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:52 pm

How the hell did I double post?

Post by **Sham** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:53 pm

jkisha wrote:
junglesmacks wrote:please dear god let page 2 come soon..
I don't think you are supposed to snark in this thread, even after the first page.

JK

I really hope that 1st timers feel comfortable asking any foolish, crazy or stupid questions here and can get a real answer without being embarrassed. Sometimes it's a small detail that can be confusing, and how do you go about getting an answer on it?

Humor and some nose tweaking would be fine, but let's make this a nice civilized thread.

junglesmacks · Post by **junglesmacks** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:13 pm

No, I agree. That one reply will suffice as my snark contribution

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:37 pm

Okay I have a question about coffee. How the heck do you get a french press clean enough to use again without running water? I was sure I'd have to settle for drip but lots of people on here talk like using a french press on the playa is no big deal. Are y'all carting out copious amounts of grey water or what?

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:53 pm

MyDearFriend wrote:Okay I have a question about coffee. How the heck do you get a french press clean enough to use again without running water? I was sure I'd have to settle for drip but lots of people on here talk like using a french press on the playa is no big deal. Are y'all carting out copious amounts of grey water or what?

a small weed sprayer should work.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:55 pm

MyDearFriend wrote:Okay I have a question about coffee. How the heck do you get a french press clean enough to use again without running water? I was sure I'd have to settle for drip but lots of people on here talk like using a french press on the playa is no big deal. Are y'all carting out copious amounts of grey water or what?

clean?
other than knocking the big stuff out......well........I guess we all have our levels of clean.