How 'BIG' is burning Man (Physical size of site)

[peyote2004]

OK ... to I know this is a dumb question, but ...

I'm planning on participating in Burning Man next year. When I was talking to a friend about it, she expressed an interest in going too. Although I would love someone to go with me and I know she would love Burning Man. It's right up her alley, as far as her interests and personality goes. I didn't invite her because, to be totally honest, I don't want to be stuck hanging around camp, because she can't keep up We've traveled together before, and that's what happened. She'd tell me to go ahead, then get pissed off at me for going off and doing my own thing.

I asked her if she could ride a bike or trike (she has cerebral palsy, but walks very well on even paved surfaces). I tried explaining that Burning Man covers a large area, and use of a bike/trike greatly increases the amount of things you can see/do. I don't think she gets it. She says she doesn't see the need for a bike/trike. In her mind, everything is really close together.

So, my question is ... how large of an area does Burning Man cover? I know I read it somewhere, but I Googled, and can't find it... I'm likely phrasing my search wrong.

I'm hoping it will help me convince her that if she decides to go, she will need a trike, and to prepare herself physically for the amount of walking, etc.

[Savannah]

It covers about 7 square miles. In 2008, the size was equivalent to downtown San Francisco. I don't know if that's still true.

It's very large . . . and there's a big open expanse in the middle, so if you wanna see the other side of town you need to cross it. It would take me over an hour to walk from the outer ring at 9:00 to the outer ring at 3:00. It takes me 30-40 minutes on foot from the places I tend to camp to my friends' camps (middle streets to middle streets) and maybe 20 minutes if I'm just crossing the Esplanade--the very center--from edge to edge. It's a real city.

Even completely hale and healthy adults get tired from all the walking, and are well-advised to have a bike, although they are not doomed without one. It just make a big difference in one's freedom and energy.

For someone with physical limitations but bike-riding skills it verges on critical to have some form of transport, whether it be a well-tested bike, trike or licensed golf cart.

If she drives a car, she can also use that at the event, @ 5mph, with proper licensing and forethought. This should be looked into by Winter or early Spring before she attends, just in case. I don't remember the deadline (it's pretty merciful, to my memory) but things change sometimes.

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... enses.html

She'd tell me to go ahead, then get pissed off at me for going off and doing my own thing.

That right there would make me really careful about ever traveling with her again. (i.e., I admit that I'm not sure I would. Ever).

However, if you have talked this out and she admits what she did and commits to not doing it again, I'd still make camping together contingent on her having some form of transport around the event. If she refuses to do that, you can advise her to join some camp on the Esplanade and let the city come to her, 'cause staying in all the time WILL screw up your Burn, and that is not acceptable.

[cherryblossom73]

try this...

http://howbigreally.com/dimension/festi ... urning_man

type in your zip code and it will compare BRC with where you live.

[lemur]

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsro ... roves.html

The Burning Man event has taken place on public lands on the Black Rock Desert Playa every year but one since 1990. Last year more than 53,000 people traveled to the remote desert location to participate. The operations associated with the event occupy about 4,400 acres of public land for a seven week period starting with fencing the site perimeter the second week of August and concluding in late September with the final site cleanup.

[lemur]

there are rougly 60 miles of roads laid out related to the event.

[GreyCoyote]

Your friend sounds like she thinks this is a swap-meet sized event. Wrong. As implied by others, BM is huge. You can't see all of it in a week. Cant do it. Many have tried.

She will need to be mobile at least part of the time. As 'noobs you should do The Man, the Temple, and kick all around Esplanade, Center Camp, etc. Hit a dance camp or two out on the top of the clock. A run into the Deep Playa is nice too, where you can look back at the city and sort of decompress for a bit.

The good news is many art car drivers have a heart. You may be able to get a ride or two. The bad news is none of the art cars are reliable, and the "ride" may remind you of being kidnapped by a maniac with a boom-box chasing sparkle-ponies. And of course none of the MVs I have seen are particularly friendly for differently-abled folks. You may not be able to use some of them, even if they stop for you.

If she is intent on doing a burn, maybe get there when the gates open and camp closer-in where there is a lot of foot traffic. Then she can enjoy watching the crowd (always a trip!) and interacting with random burners in various stages of sobriety. Lots of fun to be had just sitting around in the heat of the day and socializing.

But she is gonna have to lose that attitude. There simply is no place for that kind of a vibe in BRC.

[theCryptofishist]

If she drives a car, she can also use that at the event, @ 5mph, with proper licensing and forethought. This should be looked into by Winter or early Spring before she attends, just in case. I don't remember the deadline (it's pretty merciful, to my memory) but things change sometimes.

July 31.
She MUST have a placard issued by the state where she lives. It's got to be true for simple HP plates, but I don't know how that works.

[mdmf007]

As a tradition, some mates and I will ride every street in BM, It takes an entire day on a bicycle if your clipping along. We have not been able to compete this for a couple years now, that is how big it has gotten.

[Eric]

As a tradition, some mates and I will ride every street in BM, It takes an entire day on a bicycle if your clipping along. We have not been able to compete this for a couple years now, that is how big it has gotten.

Tried this with friends my very first year (2003), when the city was "only" 30,000 people. We made it the length of the two farthest-back streets (don't remember what they were that year), decided it was waaaaay to much work, and quit at the first bar camp we came to. I can't imagine doing all of them (of course, we were dawdling our way up them, exploring camps.)

[mdmf007]

Yeah, its a mission, we only stopped for the most awesome of camps or sites on this day. Took water and booze and sunscreen and snacks.

[Ugly Dougly]

She will get wiped out physically by hobbling around BRC, then listen to you rave about all the cool thing you saw, that she would never get to.
Then she will borrow your bike and not let you have it back.

[peyote2004]

Thanks for your replies.

The only reason I told her that I was going next summer, is because she was trying to get me to commit to going on a cruise this winter. I told her I couldn't go because I was saving for my trip next summer.

We've been friends for a long time, and I don't want to hurt our friendship. Weither to go or not is her decision, but I will be making it very clear that if she does, she will need some sort of transportation to get around, and that I've been wanting to go to Burning Man for 9 years and I won't let her spoil it for me.

The information from this thread will hopefully help me to instill the magnitude of this venture to her. I know she's gone to Mooseman (the Ontario regional) but Burning Man is a whole lot different. I've spent the last few years researching and planning.

I wanted to go this year, but was waiting for surgery when tickets went on sale. I've had my surgery now, and am working on logistics for next year. . . I've already booked the time needed off work

[GreyCoyote]

Bless your heart! You've done your homework! My hat is off to you for that. Children of a lesser god would have tried to make it this year at the tail end and totally screwed themselves.

A year of planning is about right, really, so +1000 points for you. Now you just need to ditch the baggage, aka "friend". Unless she is going to seriously get with the whole radical inclusion / self-reliance thing, she needs to stay at home and leave you to burn in your own way. (And having said that, I think it's neat you're even considering taking her).

[gyre]

I can't spend too much time matching routes with other people.
You may find this is the real issue out there, not speed.

[Capt Wade]

So, as usual, nobody answers the actual question, and gets side traced with something else.
Now, does anybody here know how many acres Burning Man is occupying, and is there anybody who can stay on topic here?

[mgb327]

Oh, it's big. Lucky420 says "Oh My God, It's Huge!" You cannot see 1/2 of it in a week.

[Jackass]

4500 acres or so.

[Luigi]

At 80,000 people it is a 3,900 acre pentagon for BRC perimeter (Alternative A) 4,000 acres is 6.25 square miles.

At 50,000 people it is 3,410 acres (Alternative B)

It's big. Tell her to get a trike.

[lucky420]

So, as usual, nobody answers the actual question, and gets side traced with something else.
Now, does anybody here know how many acres Burning Man is occupying, and is there anybody who can stay on topic here?

You really are asking a lot you know

[ygmir]

At 80,000 people it is a 3,900 acre pentagon for BRC perimeter (Alternative A) 4,000 acres is 6.25 square miles.

At 50,000 people it is 3,410 acres (Alternative B)

It's big. Tell her to get a trike.

how do the number of people change the surface area?

[Luigi]

Good question. The numbers are from the BLM info on the EIS. When I went to the BLM town hall meeting in Reno, the biggest complaint from the public during the question/answer period is the BLM could not answer questions.

[Eric]

/mod hat off

Someone really dug up a random six year old thread to post a whine that starts with "as usual"?
I wish I had that much time on my hands.

/mod hat on

[Lonesomebri]

Pfffffttttssss...... I've seen bigger.

PSX_20190419_205737.jpg

[Skuzzy61]

/mod hat off

Someone really dug up a random six year old thread to post a whine that starts with "as usual"?
I wish I had that much time on my hands.

/mod hat on

Dang it! I had the popcorn all ready to go. It's fun to watch resurrected old threads get treated like they were new and then the guffawed looks on people's digital faces when they realize they been baited, hooked, and hauled in! hehe.

[Toe]

Okay birgins, listen up. This is important.

She'd tell me to go ahead, then get pissed off at me for going off and doing my own thing.

That right there is probably the bigger issue. I invited a dear friend to TTITD and quickly remembered that radical self reliance can sometimes mean emotional self reliance. The place is an emotional crucible. So I added that I might not be available at all times for emotional support because I might be out doing my own thing. Whelp, my friend flipped out pretty hard for my saying such a thing.

Yes, we had our Burning Man fight before we even went to Burning Man.

So I don't plan on going with this friend. Maybe they could have a great time going with someone else.

Generally, some emotional prerequisites for Burning Man are:
-The ability to resolve loneliness by creating fun, rather than spiraling into despair and rage.
-The the ability to roll with spontaneous changes of plans.
-A tendency to enjoy being alone sometimes when your person runs off to chase something shiny.
-Autonomy.

If you need your person like a safety blanket, choose a different camping trip.

Good luck out there!

[Woodstock_CampSPF]

So, as usual, nobody answers the actual question, and gets side traced with something else.
Now, does anybody here know how many acres Burning Man is occupying, and is there anybody who can stay on topic here?

You really are asking a lot you know

Ok, kids, here you go! The exact size numbers for BM 2018 are:

5.68 sq mi: Area enclosed by trash fence
4.41 sq mi: Area of Black Rock City as measured from points located at the intersection of L St. at 2:00 and 10:00
1.81 mi: Distance between Points of the pentagram (e.g., Point 3 (Midnight) and Point 4)
2.1 mi: Length of Esplanade from 2:00 to 10:00
4.41 mi: Length of 'L' St. (Leon in 2018) from 2:00 to 10:00
0.55 mi: Distance from Center Camp to Man
1.03 mi: Distance from Center Camp to Temple
0.47 mi: Distance from Man to Temple
52 mi: Distance from your tent to the Portos in the middle of the night
489.3 mi: Distance from the deep playa to your tent at dawn

[Token]

Y’all know this and much more has been published since 2015 ...

https://innovate.burningman.org/datasets-page/

So go geek Out !!!