winebuff wrote:Going through the same thing now. Great advice. When you spend SO much money on BM, this is the time to cover you first.
Savannah wrote:esmeralada wrote:now my friend says he IS going
and i'm all excited for my solo set up!! i don't want his disorganized ass mucking it up doh!!
It's okay. Be happy for him, just don't count on him. You know what he's like.

Maybe he'll make it, and maybe he won't.
He needs to sign up separately for whatever camp he wants to be in (even if it's the same one) and don't count on his money in your budget. I'm not suggesting you lie to him, of course. If you decide this is something you have got to do solo (within a group, or not) tell him you have a compelling spiritual need to test yourself and be a stranger in a strange land.

You can always meet up and have adventures.
Among Burners, this is totally reasonable, actually.
My first 3 burns I traveled from Canada with people I had met on the internet.
My virgin burn (1st) I was with a wonderful experienced burner, she gave me good advice - it was awesome (no issues at all)! (We have since become good friends)
My 2nd burn was with someone from another city. She turned out to not be so capable, that burn sure coulda gone a lot smoother. (Camp drama, gear issues, $$ sharing issues, lack of self reliance, etc...) In the end, it was a good burn, but I dislike drama.
My 3rd burn was with a guy from my city and a girl in a different city. No issues whatsoever, we got along great (the first trip where I had another driver for the trip - awesome for the 3000Km 1-way trip & way more awesome for the exhausted return trip!!) - We had an awesome camp, completely self reliant. Minimal drama. Ended up becoming really good friends with the female. It probably help that everyone was a returning burner - no newbies

Every burn has taught me new things! I now know what questions to ask of perspective travel partners. I certainly know what questions to ask if I am going to be sharing my camp!! I learned that I need to test everything (EVERYTHING) at home. Nice people are not necessarily good campers, or that self reliant. If you are an easy-going person, you might not want to camp with a control freak... Some people cannot use a camp stove (yes, seriously - the are unable).
If you are crossing any border into the USA, make sure you know your passengers -
Look at their passport, Burning Man ticket, Early Entry pass, etc.!! Ask them if they have any legal issues (be blunt and clear on that one!!), cause the last thing you want is to lose your ability to go to the USA. (Any past legal issue, could be a reason for denial of entry into the USA!!) I told each and every person that I would unload their crap onto the side of the road and abandon them. - I never had an issue, and everyone I traveled with understood my paranoid questions! NEVER ASSUME
The last three burns I have flown down to San Francisco by myself. - which a different experience and another tale...
I believe that anyone is capable of taking care of themselves!! I am a guy. I assume everyone is equally capable of doing whatever on the Playa (or in the default world). Which means, I will not do ___ for you, because I am a guy. If you are female, and travelling/camping with me - I expect that you can pound your own tent pegs, light the stove, cook, raise your tent, lay a tarp, pull out your tent pegs, etc.... Sure, I will give you a hand if needed, but I will not do everything for you!!! (Which is now why I only camp with my girlfriend, who I met at the burn, and who can take care of herself. )
So, work out travelling expenses. Give that info to each perspective travel partner. Tell them exactly what their portion will be.
Lay out all expectations.
Give them a deadline to commit. (Plan to be solo, and if they do end up committing - you will be better prepared).
Prepare/find gear lists and pass them on to perspective travel companions. - Follow up to ensure they have the minimum gear...
Maybe, if you feel the person is "flaky", you should cut them loose.
If possible, do a trial vehicle pack. This will let your travel partner know you are serious and give you an idea as to how ready they really are.
Good Luck!!