Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:56 am

I've been trying to get a hold of some camps, but I haven't gotten any responses as of yet and am getting worried since there are only 3 weeks or so left 'till our gathering. 2 of my friends got into Snow Koan camp, but unfortunately there was no space for me- so now it'll just be me. Snow Koan camp is part of Nectar Village which I would still like to be a part of, but none of the camps that belong to the village have been responding to my e-mails. With this is mind I am very open to other camps. I am a respectful college educated 24yr old male, originally from NYC, but have lived all over the world and am currently living in New Mexico. I do like to party, am a night owl, am a dancer, love to be primitive, am fond of tribal wear, am a seasoned psychonaut (this does not translate to "my main goal is to be strung out and do tons of drugs"- it means "I'm an explorer of the inner corridors of my mind and love being privy to interconnectedness that exists between us") and a big time adventurer. I however try not to be obnoxious, don't like making scenes and tend to get along with everybody. After all it's only a week and we need to make the best of it. This will be my first time at BM and have a pretty good sense of what to expect, but I'm sure I'll be met with surprises as most people are. If anyone reading this can think of a camp with space that I should message that would be compatible with me, please please please share your thoughts. As far as a camp goes where I'd be paying a fees (it seems that most are around $300?) I would expect showers, shade, food and all the basic necessities plus other amenities (a camp that offers a place to charge camera batteries and such would be a bonus, but definitely not a requirement). Just mainly looking for other mature, fun loving, travelers to develop friendships and share good times with

Thank you for your time- any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:01 am

You sound like a great guy; but it sounds like you are expecting a lot at this late stage of the game. Surprising that Snow Koan camp shut you out, especially since they let your two friends in. Did you all reply together or say you wanted to join as a group?

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:15 am

No they had applied first early on and got in and then tried to get me in, but there was no space

I admit I started my quest to find a camp a little too late (I fell into old habits and procrastinated)- so either it will work out some how and I will find something or .....well who knows what'll happen...hopefully if I think positively it'll work out.... at least that's what they used to tell me in grade school

MissNev · Post by **MissNev** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:37 am

Wow! Good thing you don't expect much! Pretty much just the basic comforts of home? Not to be overly snarky, but perhaps you should read the Survival Guide and pay particular attention to the part about "radical self reliance."
We always have room for new campmates, but we won't feed you, bathe you, or be your mom. Feel free to pm me if you want more information!

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 11:50 am

Well - your comment was a bit snarky- nor am I looking for a mother- but honestly for a camp where I'd be paying 300+ bucks for I certainly hope they'd provide the basics and a little more, no? Ideally I'd like to pay to have to have those basics covered so that I don't have to lug that myself, but if worse came to pass I would definitely join a more primitive camp and be happy. What I'm looking for is a camp that offers what I previously stated that still has room. Thank you for the offer though- I might just be messaging you if I don't hear back from the camps I messaged.

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:23 pm

Not to sound snarky, but from my experience having been a mayor of a village (Barbie Death Village) if your friends got into a camp and there was no space in the entire village for one more person, you might want to do some self-reflection and see why oh why nobody could squeeze you in. We would have been happy to have you in our village if your friends were there too (we'd make them responsible for you). I'm more than just a little surprised Nectar Village doesn't have any more room. I mean, I've been there and I can assure you they've had lots of room left over in the past. Just saying.

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 12:50 pm

Well I'm not sure if the entire village is out of room, but the camp they're in is (Snow Koan). I've been messaging some of the other camps that make up the village, but I haven't heard back from them. I'm hoping somehow I can be squeezed into one of the Nectar Village camps- maybe I'm being too impatient? I'm sure there is it at least one space open in one of them. I messaged camp Bumblepuss (part of Nectar village) about a week ago, but still haven't heard back. I wish I could just call somebody and speak to someone directly, but I rarely see contact info that has more than an e-mail or a general form to fill out. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:21 pm

Go for orphans two. They will have a shade structure. It's in this subforum. You'll make friends and if you come back either you'll camp with them again, or you will have a track record and will start this process earlier.
Good luck.

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 8:36 am

Thanks for the advice!!

sierra_kink · Post by **sierra_kink** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:47 am

You're asking people to take time from their busy last minute prep (which they have been doing for months) to entertain getting to know you and taking you in. A theme camp has a theme that you should be passionate about and contributing to pre-playa. Your time might be better spent preparing for radical self-reliance. Camping alone at BM is FAR from the worst thing in the world! That would also give you a chance to meet many camps and find a place that fits you and visa versa. In fact I think everybody should camp alone at least once... especially if you're that interested in self-exploration. Just my humble two cents...

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:00 am

There's only so much you can know about a person based on corresponding via e-mail. I doubt that many people who join a camp are in constant contact with their camp leaders throughout the year (and for some it's simply a last minute decision- while other's I'm sure are really involved- I reckon it's a mixed bag)- especially when the deadline for many camps that I've seen was just barely a week ago. I realize that if I don't find the camp I'm looking for I will have to join one of the more primitive camps or do it myself, but that wasn't what my post was about. It was about finding an open space in a more developed camp- if there is a spot in one, great, if not I'll have to manage. I realize it's late in the game- I don't need to be reminded of that fact- now for next year I'll have a better idea on how to prepare myself. You make mistakes, you learn and grow.

pizzamancer · Post by **pizzamancer** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:31 pm

Hamtonguepies wrote:I realize that if I don't find the camp I'm looking for I will have to join one of the more primitive camps or do it myself, but that wasn't what my post was about. It was about finding an open space in a more developed camp- if there is a spot in one, great, if not I'll have to manage. I realize it's late in the game- I don't need to be reminded of that fact- now for next year I'll have a better idea on how to prepare myself.

Really? You might deign to grace the doors of a 'primitive' camp with your presence? Why don't you sell your ticket on ebay and get a hotel room in Vegas, they might have the service you are looking for.

Maybe there is a reason why camps with open spots aren't talking to you

Dr Jet Sinister · Post by **Dr Jet Sinister** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:40 pm

pizzamancer wrote:
Hamtonguepies wrote:I realize that if I don't find the camp I'm looking for I will have to join one of the more primitive camps or do it myself, but that wasn't what my post was about. It was about finding an open space in a more developed camp- if there is a spot in one, great, if not I'll have to manage. I realize it's late in the game- I don't need to be reminded of that fact- now for next year I'll have a better idea on how to prepare myself.
Really? You might deign to grace the doors of a 'primitive' camp with your presence? Why don't you sell your ticket on ebay and get a hotel room in Vegas, they might have the service you are looking for.

Maybe there is a reason why camps with open spots aren't talking to you

+1

Post by **Savannah** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:46 pm

Maybe after asking all the hot girls to the prom he's going to find a primitive camp and whip off her glasses and let down her hair and goddammit, she's beautiful!

(And has showers, shade and food.)

Good luck, hamtonguepies! You're young & strong and can hack it solo if you have to.

silkkat813 · Post by **silkkat813** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:21 pm

Good luck.

If people are snarky, you must admit it is annoying after spending many months preparing and prepping for something, and then people come in at the last minute looking for the work to be done for them?

If you can't stay with Nectar Village, look elsewhere. There are a few camps posting on here looking for members. You don't have to stay close to your friends. Even if you did, you might not see them all week. Instead of looking for a theme camp or spending $300 to stay with people you don't know, try to get a few people together and share resources. Baby wipes make great showers and if you really want a real shower, go to the human carcass wash.

sierra_kink · Post by **sierra_kink** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:34 pm

OK maybe you brought that little backlash on yourself. Frankly, you lost me at "I'll have to manage." But I don't want you or anybody else reading this to think that the playa is full of elitist snobs. My whole point was: embrace your situation. You don't NEED a theme camp to have the best burn of your life. Don't try to make your first burn something that it's not. The playa does not conform... you do. You WILL be the playa's bitch for a week. You can manage through the dust storms or embrace them... and even acquire a taste for playa dust. Don't be discouraged. Just go with it. Your spot is waiting for you even if it does not present itself now.

Post by **Savannah** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:45 pm

Pointed out most recently by Dragon Pilot: a garden sprayer "shower" in a kiddie pool (spritz, scrub, spritz-rinse) generates so little grey water that it can evaporate (for one person) without a separate evaporation pond. A new uncontaminated water sprayer is only about $20. A concrete mixing tub, an alternative to a kiddie pool, can be picked up in the same place--perhaps one of 3 Reno Home Depots--that would have a garden sprayer. Toss bleach and a watering can into your shopping cart and by the main Burning Man site's "grey water" standards you can even sterilize and scatter a cup or two of grey water on the road, if you are fewer than 5 people.

(Note: rapid evap does not work with a solar shower bag, which results in 6 inches of standing water that goes nowhere fast. For a bag with 1-2 gallons, one would need the evaporation pond searchable on the main site under "grey water".)

My point: you don't need a camp to be clean. And that's not just for hamtonguepies' benefit, but for the benefit of any girls (or boys) he meets, and anyone within the sound of my keyboard.

silkkat813 · Post by **silkkat813** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:48 pm

sierra_kink wrote:You WILL be the playa's bitch for a week.

Thank you. I've been trying to make gifts for my friends and been trying to come up with T-shirt ideas for some. I think "Playa's Bitch" will make a nice one.

sierra_kink · Post by **sierra_kink** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:53 pm

[quote="silkkat813"][quote="sierra_kink"]You WILL be the playa's bitch for a week.[/quote] Thank you. I've been trying to make gifts for my friends and been trying to come up with T-shirt ideas for some. I think "Playa's Bitch" will make a nice one.[/quote]

I want one!! Can I be your friend?

delinquent · Post by **delinquent** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:00 am

Quick question,

If you can't think of anything better to say than "I'm not your mother" or "if no one has said they want to camp with you, maybe you are ugly/stupid/fat/worthless", why would you waste your time at all?

So much animosity towards people who are curious about their first burn, and towards people who haven't got tickets, and people who haven't got a theme camp to join...

How about you all fuck off and start your own festival where you can sit around and talk about how good you are for knowing so much about burning man festival?

Thank you. I just had to get that off my chest.

Post by **trilobyte** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:13 am

There's probably a reason why the camps you're seeing are all charging so much for dues. Oh yeah, you're looking for some fairly pricey amenities. Shade for a single tent can cost a couple hundred bucks (carport style), and bigger structures (that larger camps would use)... wait for it... cost even more. Plus showers (which require logistics and prep and probably maintenance too) and, yeah, that stuff gets pricey. Plus there's the cost of hauling it in and out and all those things you may not have considered and don't want to invest the time in doing yourself (not judging, just pointing it out).

You have the option of going 'lower rent' and reconsidering the amenities that mean the most (or what parts of your camp experience that you're willing to take care of yourself), keep looking (and by keep looking, I mean read these boards and reach out to the camps who are posting that they're still taking applicants), or go solo.

Good luck!

Hamtonguepies · Post by **Hamtonguepies** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:04 am

Thank you for your response delinquent- I appreciate it a ton as it was probably one of the only supportive response I got. Honestly I don't see why so many people took such a negative attitude to my question. I was just curious and wanted to figure out my situation and not get berated by a ton of people who don't know me in the process. I certainly try not to be this judgmental and condescending with people I know, let alone strangers. However I realize that through my lack of preparation I might of screwed myself out of an ideal situation at BM like a more developed camp that I am willing to pay for to not lug everything myself since I will probably be ridesharing/hitch hiking to the event (but if I have to I will manage- it's just a preference- we all have them). I am disappointed at how many of you reacted at just a simple, innocent, non-loaded question- I certainly hope this isn't the mentality of most of the burners attending. I thought this was supposed to be a "let's help each other out" kind of community- and no before you turn this into something else that does not translate into "I want to be helped out and not help out at all". I like the idea of community in a non- traditional environment- this is why this event appealed to me. I'm tired of society as it is as a whole and want a little break from it- as do many who attend I imagine. I'm hoping most leave the negativity behind and just bring acceptance, creativity and love. There is so much nastiness in the environments that we live in on a day-to-day basis- this on the other hand should be a working Utopia... or at least I'm hoping it will be.

[quote="delinquent"]Quick question,

If you can't think of anything better to say than "I'm not your mother" or "if no one has said they want to camp with you, maybe you are ugly/stupid/fat/worthless", why would you waste your time at all?

So much animosity towards people who are curious about their first burn, and towards people who haven't got tickets, and people who haven't got a theme camp to join...

How about you all fuck off and start your own festival where you can sit around and talk about how good you are for knowing so much about burning man festival?

Thank you. I just had to get that off my chest.[/quote]

silkkat813 · Post by **silkkat813** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:22 am

Here is a camp for you:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Orphan-II ... 9092206557

silkkat813 · Post by **silkkat813** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:23 am

silkkat813 wrote:Here is a camp for you:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Orphan-II ... 9092206557

opps nevermind.... looks like they stopped recruiting yesteday.

BUT if you weren't wasting time on ePlaya asking people to look for you, you could have found that camp yourself.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:40 am

Oh bloody hell. My responce was direct, simple and helpful. But it wasn't supportive, so I get thrown in with all the other baddies. Ask these people how nasty I can be, and consider you got off light. And really and truely, I don't treat you like a special little snowflake, because I am not your mother.

pizzamancer · Post by **pizzamancer** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:20 pm

Hamtonguepies wrote:However I realize that through my lack of preparation I might of screwed myself out of an ideal situation at BM like a more developed camp that I am willing to pay for to not lug everything myself since I will probably be ridesharing/hitch hiking to the event

I thought this was supposed to be a "let's help each other out" kind of community- and no before you turn this into something else that does not translate into "I want to be helped out and not help out at all".

You know what? It does translate into that actually. It flat out says, "Hey! unlike you who prepared months in advance and invested your time and money into infrastructure, food, logistics, and tickets, I have done none of these things, yet feel entitled to them, so please take my money and allow me to mooch off your preparations. It is my first burn, so you will also need to hold my hand and teach me about radical self reliance and LNT, because from the way I post on eplaya, I really don't have a clue."

Seriously man:

I would expect showers, shade, food and all the basic necessities plus other amenities

Expect? You can expect to be thirsty and dusty and that the Jots will be out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Amenities? That is a joke right?

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:25 pm

pizzamancer wrote:
Seriously man:
I would expect showers, shade, food and all the basic necessities plus other amenities
Expect? You can expect to be thirsty and dusty and that the Jots will be out of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Amenities? That is a joke right?

I guess that's relative. Amenities are important to me too. But the difference is, we spend a ton of money AND a hell of a lot of sweat equity to be able to enjoy them.

pizzamancer · Post by **pizzamancer** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:32 pm

That is kind of my point. If you spend money and sweat equity on stuff, you can pretty much expect it. Just money? Not so much.

jobi · Post by **jobi** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 7:20 am

Just go low-rent. Know that every year you go you will be better prepared with more comfort. The first time you suck it up.

Also, the real Playa is more friendly than ePlaya so don't let that discourage you.

The first time I attended I decided to go on a Thursday night (I was living on the East coast). I scrambled to find a flight, ride, ticket, and camp was there the following Tuesday morning. I've never looked back. You can do it!

Sic Pup · Post by **Sic Pup** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 7:26 am

jobi wrote:Just go low-rent. Know that every year you go you will be better prepared with more comfort. The first time you suck it up.

+1

....... and before you know it you'll be glamping too, don't rush it.

Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?

Re: Respectful/polite 24yr old seeking a camp- help?