Collateral Cargo?

[Sunbeam56]

I hope I'm not duplicating something elsewhere. But driving home today, it occurred to me that the Cargo Cult image brings up the fake bamboo airplanes and other emblems, but what about the rest of the "cargo" - the good stuff left behind as trash?
Tin drums (containers) become tin drums (muscial instruments).
Bathtubs become feeding troughs.
Bean cans become roofing (flattened and hammered).
Old clothes become quilts, or tents, when pieced together...

Obviously I am thinking too much about BM, much I think this is valid. I'm gonna incorporate (by necessity, due to budget) as many re-purposed things as possible.
Ideas?

[trilobyte]

Well, what about it?

[oscillator]

Check out Kevin Kelly's "Street Use" site....
http://www.kk.org/streetuse/



A homemade crab catcher in Bodega Bay, CA.

[Sunbeam56]

Love it!

What about something that would be usefule on the Playa?

Im currently tinkering with grewyater disposal ideas. I'd like a filter that would treat the water to the extent that it could be safely used in the evaporative cooler. So - I saw a design used in India, they are concerned about arsenic poisonsing (for good reason), and use a series of filters in a series of buckets/containers, the last being activated charcoal. Seems to me I can make that from collateral cargo...

[theCryptofishist]

I don't know your capabilities, but grey water systems are not 101 projects.

[Sunbeam56]

Yes, sir.
But I have some experience.
Mostly in the area of filtering fish waste - but also some municpal waste experience.
I'm not trying to re-design the wheel.
But it would be great to use re-purposed material with old designs.

Crypto - relax. I am not a troll.

[trilobyte]

I'm giving this a nudge over to the Preparation -> Q&A board, since that's a better fit.

[Ratty]

Gig's Ville has a recycling shower system. (I understand they've had it for many years). They aren't known as the most helpfull or welcoming group but maybe you could get something out of them.

[FIGJAM]

Alum to settle the particulates.

A little bleach to kill bacteria.

This is used, but most agree it's safer to bag your ice and use the clean melt water in the swamp cooler.

I don't know why anyone would want to cool a swamp!

[Sunbeam56]

Figgie- that means you haven't spent time in a swamp.
I love your cargo tent, by the way. Are you feeling better? Off the crutches?
Your camper is a terrific(!!!) minimalist design. I, unfortunately, have never been able to live up to minimalism... so (expletive deleted) have had to contend with a variety of temptations and finagles. But I love the look, cleanliness and efficiency of your design. Truly.

The earliest photo of myself that I own, is me with my mother in front of a swamp cooler. Texas, 1956.

[theCryptofishist]

Yes, sir.
But I have some experience.
Mostly in the area of filtering fish waste - but also some municpal waste experience.
I'm not trying to re-design the wheel.
But it would be great to use re-purposed material with old designs.

Crypto - relax. I am not a troll.

I didn't think you were a troll. Not for a moment.
Grey water is tricky. To do it right requires a pump (and the power), the filtering, a lot of pre-playa experimentation and on-playa maintenance. You may be ready and able for that--I have no way of knowing.
Also, I often pitch my remarks to the audience of people who aren't asking questions and may not even be registered. Biting off more than you can chew is not the best way to enjoy your first burn.

Anyway, I'm over-thinking this again. Really, it was just some basic info that I hope helped you. If you've got a lot of experience already and you like playing with these sorts of things, go for it.

[illy dilly]

On the idea of reusing materials, and in conjunction with evap ponds, we save all our old torn or worn out jeans all year, then cut them into strips from the ankle to the waist. We have a sort of frame that goes from one side of the evap pond to the other, made of white 1/2" PVC. Sort of like a non flexible close line. We tie the strips of Denim around the frame so that the ends sit in the grey water. We also poor our grey water along the frame and down the strips. The design increases surface area, and really helps the water evaporate.
By the end of the week last year the only water we had to truck home was the dish water from Burn Night Dinner.
Though, we don't use a shower, just wash clothes and spray bottles, and we drain our coolers into buckets to wash each others hair.