Complete Newbie: How can I get to Burning man with my stuff?

[Divreon]

I'm a hopeful burner for 2014, my biggest problem is that I don't drive, and while I'm normally very good with 'lucking' into thing and having them worked out, safe transportation when thousands of miles from home is not one I want to take chances on.

I'm making plans as if the transportation issue will solve itself in time, but my biggest fear is that I will be all ready, and be completely unable to get to the event.

I figure if I get/build a dome, I can fit it in a 60 gallon crate, and have room for clothing on top. In another 60 Gallon crate, I can fit a swamp cooler bucket, Marine Battery, and Solar Panel, as well as enough meal bars to feed me twice over(From my experience eating cheaply at Week long gaming conventions). I can also fit a bunch of smaller minor things that can go in around the larger items as needed(portable ash trays, garbage bags, duct tape, crank radio, a few tools, etc). I then just need to worry about transporting water, (I've read enough on Eplaya to know the large suit case water jugs are great)

The problem is, coming from Buffalo NY, without a car, will make flying in with these very heavy crates costs over $150 per crate, and that's assuming I leave behind a bike and walk the playa instead, and it assumes I can get water on the way.

How do other people figure out transportation to the Playa from further off. As of right now, I'm going it alone, but this is one area of self-reliance that I'm incapable of fulfilling on my own.

I know about the Playa Express, but couldn't find anything about how much luggage is allowed, and without anyone to camp with, I need to make sure I'm self sufficient when I get there.

-Divreon

[BoyScoutGirl]

Welcome to eplaya, Divreon. It does sound like you've done some reading on self-sufficient survival out there, which is an important start.

One option for getting stuff there (and back - remember to leave no trace!): I know that burners in NYC send out at least one shipping container each year and you can buy space by the square foot. Not sure if shipping batteries is okay with them or not. You can contact them through the NY regional network, listed here: http://regionals.burningman.com/

As for Burner Express, this was their first year. You could buy different tickets that allowed different amounts of luggage, ranked "regular" or "large." I know there was some confusion as to the definitions of these sizes this year - see the thread on the topic - so I expect they'll be even more clear about it for next year.

[danibel]

Boyscout has some good suggestions for the stuff factor.

I have read that there are trains that come across country and drop in Reno. The luggage rules are much better than airplanes (they let you bring a bike!), once you get to Reno rides are a lot easier to find. Also the ride share boards are pretty good, but they won't start up until closer to the event time. If you want to try to get a ride share all the way from NY, it might be beneficial to meet the regionally located folks to see if there is a good fit well before the event. Maybe you can even hook into an established camp. Check out the theme camp threads (how to join one), and see if any of those tips help.

Good luck and welcome to Eplaya!

[BBadger]

A dome? A swamp cooler? Marine batteries and solar panels? Are you going to bring a church organ too?

For a single person who is traveling across the country, and who doesn't drive, and who doesn't want to spend much money, you're bringing an extraordinary amount of stuff. Instead of a simple passenger asking for a ride and transporting some water/food, you're now a person who might need access to a trailer, or an entire back-seat. Two 60-gallon storage containers are nothing to sniff at; $150/crate sounds cheap actually. Add on all your water and your own self and you're looking at a significant cargo load. There might be people who can help, but given your locale, you'll need to work with people at your regionals to see if they can give you more help.

So how about downsizing your load? Yeah, you've read on the forums about all these great cooling solutions, about domes and camp lighting and all this stuff. Well, most of these setups are brought in by people with their own transportation means, and camp setups. They're luxuries that are only made possible by the luxury of transportation and money. Sure it's awesome to live in that level of comfort, but you've gotta pony up your own means for getting it there. From what you've stated, you don't have means, transportation or monetary, to bring your vision of comfort to the playa.

Consider whether you need some of the stuff you're bringing. Do you really need a dome when a backpacking tent and tarp will do? Do you actually need a swamp cooler bucket to stay cool? What are you even powering with those marine batteries and solar panels? Is it worth bringing?

Get in touch with your regionals. Maybe there will be some people there that can help. Maybe get hooked up with a camp too, so that you don't have to bring stuff like batteries. Overall, rethink what you actually need to bring.

[Ugly Dougly]

Start walking now.

[Savannah]

Welcome, Divreon.

BBadger has some very good points. That's a LOT of stuff. More than almost any virgin brings; stuff that as a tent camper I've never brought, and survived fine without . . . but there's nothing wrong with being interested in those things, either. Just know that your list is bigger than average going in, so that you have perspective.

Meeting locals is incredibly sensible. Make friends. Save more money than you think you'll need. Burn costs have a way of snowballing. Maybe you can offer to pay for more than half of a rental if you can't drive. (Some drivers are going to want someone who can split the driving from that distance, but for some, half of all costs is sufficient if you're good company, keep them awake & pay for a meal here or there).

The shipping container is a good idea, too. So might be joining a camp (optional!) with a decent amount of shade.

[Popeye]

Hello Diveron and welcome
As a 2013 virgin I had the same problem as you. First, BBadger is right, you don't need all the stuff you are thinking of bringing. When I first decided to go I was goning to "do it right" and bring everything but the kitchen sink. I lurked on this board and read all I could find and went solo and kind of minimalist. I flew into Reno 2 days early, took advantage of hotel deals and bought what I couldn't carry. If you decide to fly make reservations early and watch for excess bag deals. I brought 3: 40# bags on the plane with tent, sleeping bag, clothing, stove, and "stuff I need to live". Consolidated this for the bus (no weight limit there) and bought food, water and thrift store costumes and a Blue Mart bike in Reno. I would have had to buy this anyway and it turned out that Reno prices aren't to bad. Travelled to TTID on the bus.
This worked for me, my two fails where shade and electrolytes but it will be better next year.
My advice is to read the boards, make popcorn, sit back and enjoy the snark and learn. Don't make any solid plans right away because they will change at least 5 times between now and August. Right now you don't know everything that you don't know.
Good luck and enjoy getting ready. It's a lot of fun.

[Sham]

Hey Diveron, welcome to eplaya.
Let me offer some practical advice that worked for me.
My first year, I bought a cheap $30 7x9 tent meant to last just that year. It's held up pretty well for over 10 years on the playa. I tend to look for smart places to pitch the tent---in the shade of a camper or trailer. It keeps me in the shade later in the morning. I never had a swamp cooler or solar power. I really only needed power for flashlights and a radio. (no need for a crank one, one set of batteries will last the week.

I suggest you start with planning shelter and bedding and work outward from there. Read the first timers and survival guide, and choose the things that work for you. No need to bring everything, but use it as a guide.

In my case, I rent a car and do some power shopping in Reno from lists I made well ahead of time. I shop my local stores at home, and decide what I will be buying in Reno. I tend to bring extra to share, but others share with me, so it's a tough call as to what to bring. Plan on 2.5 gallons of water a day. For bathing, you can bring a few plastic salad bowls and a few wash clothes. You can wet yourself, suds and rinse with a surprisingly small amount of water. Plan for an evap pond.

Why do you not have a license? Can you try to get one over the next year?

In short, think every scenario you may have and decide the logistics of handling things.

Sham....

[peyote2004]

This is a welcome thread topic for me. I will be going for the first time. Likely Flying out from Ottawa and am trying to wrap my head around the logistics of making sure I have all the things I need/want there.

[VultureChow]

Ahhh, the frantic dreams of a distant virgin. This was me in late 2011. Dreaming of domes and bucket coolers etc. I was actually printing out dome plans and everything.

Welcome to Eplaya. As everyone else has pretty much told you, you are going to need rethink what you bring. It's a need vs want calculation.

I would also add that you might really want to think about joining up with an organized camp. Maybe because I stumbled into the BEST ONE EVAR, but I'm a firm believer in them especially for those of us who fly in. It means you don't have to bring literally everything you might need or want. Talk to people in the area. Include Toronto in your list.

[mudpuppy000]

Agree with the suggestions above. Most of those things are luxuries that you don't really need. Even shade is a luxury, there are plenty of places you can plop down for a while to cool off and spend the day talking to people. Or you can join a camp. Most camps have some sort of community shade structure/hang out area. If you do try and join a camp make sure you express interest in what their theme/mission is vs just asking what kind of amenities they offer. That tends to turn people off.

Also, there may be restrictions on trying to take batteries on a plane/train or whatever as they may be considered hazardous.

[Divreon]

Good advice all around... But walking means that I'll need a wagon to carry all my stuff... Sadly, I am without a wagon(Also, you can't get into burning man on foot, it's against the rules, I checked, thinking that I could catch a taxi in Reno).

I'm not without money, I just don't know if flying in is even worthwhile if I don't have a ride from Reno, and there's no way to plan for it until then.

I don't want to be that guy who constantly needs to ask for help on the Playa. The Train option might be a great one. The container is also nice to know about too. I'm trying to limit my luggage to the two cases and a backpack, and if I can slim it down to one, it'll make it much easier to travel.

I wouldn't mind paying the gas the entire way and back if it meant that me and my stuff arrive safely, it's just an area that's hard to plan this far out.

I'm working on getting a license, but I work seven days a week from 9am-7pm, and I rarely have time to drive. If I do manage it, then I will need to buy a beater for the trip so my wife can keep our main car to get to work with, which would be the best(as long as it lasts through the trip.) Maybe I'll be able to throw an art car together, though my list of things to figure out is probably long enough without the added complications of car repair and modification.

I'll add slimming down my kit, making a license a priority, and saving up extra funds. If things work out, I can bring the kitchen sink, if they don't, I'll figure out what I really need and cut non-essentials. (Mainly the battery was for lighting the dome, so I could invite people in for cards/drinks, for my CPAP machine which I have trouble sleeping without, and for charging my E-Cigarette batteries off of(Though if I order 3-4 more sets, they should stay charged throughout the trip,)

I'm clearly getting the message that I'm starting too large, Thanks again for the helpful advice, if anyone else has any advice, please feel free to continue offering it.

[mudpuppy000]

If you do get a license, I think flying into reno, getting a rental and buying all the heavy stuff in reno might be a good option. (battery, water, etc)

It's also supposedly extremely easy to get rides from the airport complete with supply stops, although I've never done it myself.

[VultureChow]

CPAP changes the equation. Maybe a share in an RV is the way to go then.

Fair warning on the train. Train travel across country is notoriously unreliable. We're talking DAYS of delays being possible. Not just 12-24 hours in the case of severe air travel delays.

As for asking for help on the playa, don't be shy. Seriously. People genuinely want to help and they can usually tell the difference between deliberately unprepared sparkle pony and a someone who needs help because they flew in. Obviously be prepared to reciprocate. Offer a free hand in setting up the hut or dome next door.

[FIGJAM]

Read this thread and get your licence.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... 77&t=35289

[trilobyte]

I'll chime in with a bit of curmudgeonly advice... Radical self reliance is your friend! Tens of thousands of burners come to Burning Man every year from a great distance and have similar or even greater logistical challenges than you do. Aside from the required reading stuff like the First-Timer's and Survival Guides, you may also want to subscribe to the Jack Rabbit Speaks email newsletter. The main site and these boards are filled with tons of great info to help you plan the journey, all you need to is spend some time reading and browsing. Good questions have not only already been asked, but answered. If you don't find what you're looking for covered, feel free to ask, this place is filled with people who've tackled all kinds of challenges to get there and are happy to help you figure it out. Welcome aboard!

[Captain Goddammit]

Maybe you can throw an art car together?!!!
That's a pretty serious undertaking to do well enough to get a DMV playa license, and a lot bigger heavier piece of luggage!!
It's hard to do a well-enough mutated vehicle to pass DMV and still be street-legal. Most are trailered in.
I don't discourage ambition and if you really want to you can do it, but understand you can't do some simple decoration to a street car and drive at Burning Man.
I didn't think your packing list was too much for a virgin, I brought a hell of a lot more than that my first year and it's only escalated since - but I had a truck and trailer.
Throwing an art car in the mix changes your entire logistics situation.
I'd also caution against buying a beater for this heavily loaded cross country trip. It's not just the risk (likelihood even) of breaking down, it's the fact that a breakdown can ruin your one-and-only shot at being in Black Rock City that year. Most of us don't give a shit what we have to do as long as we get there. I've actually abandoned a motorhome I'd just bought - written off as "fuck, oh well" - hundreds of miles away, gotted a ride back home, and headed back out in the rig I'd used the years before just to make it there.
You gotta make it, on time. You don't wanna miss it broken down in Ballsack, Iowa.

[theCryptofishist]

1. I cannot imagine that there's a tote large enough to put dome struts in. Unless, it's a very small dome.
2. Guy on here, name of Simon of the Playa lives in Rochester. Don't travel with him, his travel is insane. But he may be a place to start with on meeting local-ish people. I think he's been pushing a Maker's Faire on this board. Now, Maker's Faires are not the same thing as regional burns, but they overlap.
3. There's a woman on this board called Rat Lady. (Note: Do not confuse with Ratty.) She runs the mobility camp, which provides services to people with disabilities. I think at one time they helping out with CPAPs. Check. If that doesn't work, consider joining a camp with a genny. As has been said, you have to belong in more ways than just your need, but I cannot go to the playa unless I'm camping with someone who's bringing a generator.
4. Listen to the Captain about the mv.

[Divreon]

I love the box truck idea. It's interesting, and would remove the need to haul a tent/dome.(And, if I arrive a day early, I can have my "camp" setup before I even arrive.)

I realized that an art car was going to be too much work, and way too ambitions first year, but thanks for trying to keep me grounded in reality.

I was considering smaller posts with connectors at the half way points to create the longer sizes. (Duct tape as necessary) but that's a whole 'nother can of worms that has yet to be figured out.

I'll hit Simon up, I saw him listed as Rochester, Nevada, but he was trying to host an event in Rochester, NY. He'll at least know other burners out that way.

Thanks again everyone.

[Lonesomebri]

You're the kind of new neighbors I look forward to meeting. Smart, curious, ambitious, humble, figuring it out, knowing there's stuff to figure out, not bringing your DJ mixing gear... A bike is more important than a swamp cooler or dome, unless you're tooling around in your posh mv like the good Captain. And there are always shade domes out there looking to be stocked with cool people, so that's the more important item to bring. And while you might be that guy asking all the questions, but as already seen in this thread, there are others wondering the same thing who this will help. And the Questions and answers are already out there, this round does keep it fresh. And at this early date, on this board, other than me, you're talking to the pros, the cream of the crop, most of the tourists are gone. And if you got money and are completely insane, I suggest you fly out to the West Coast, buy an RV, hit me up and we'll go in style.

[Captain Goddammit]

I'd like to also say you do come across as the kind of guy this event needs! Here you are a full year ahead of time getting this shit figured out with a good attitude and you've obviously spent time researching stuff already.

You'll make it. And you'll love it!!

[GreyCoyote]

Vulture Chow hit the nail on the head. The CPAP issue needs to be addressed.

I was researching this earlier as we now have potentially two campers who will need to use CPAPs next year, and I am the "Infrastructure Guy". Never having seen one up-close, I was trying to get better educated on the power needs and found a newsletter that did a heck of a job giving me the basics on the electrical care and feeding of the various brands and options. This newsletter even discusses which brands will handle 12-volt DC, modified sine wave inverters, and which require a pure sine waveform. (note: this is a commercial site, but the link is to their newsletter which doesnt offer anything for sale, and the site itself is brand agnostic):

http://www.cpapman.com/newsletter/july62011/index.htm

Based on what I read there, you may need a genny. Even if you have a 12v unit, they still pull anywhere from 4 to 6 amps (without the humidifier, which you might need in the playas 10% humidity!). Loads like this mean you will be recharging your batteries several times during the burn. Of course, many camps have basic power available, so its just a matter of finding them. And certainly if someone showed-up at my camp with a medical device that needed a boost, we would be happy to accomodate you.

So... Yeah. Some noodling on how to power the CPAP would be a good thing. Welcome to Eplaya.

[Divreon]

I've run the CPAP off a car battery using an inverter without issue for overnights in parking lots during road trips. Mine is fairly low power, and I never use a humidifier(They're pretty terrible things normally, like a hot sweaty person breathing in your face) I've also gone nights without it. I have trouble sleeping, but it won't kill me(And woe to those camping near me, even sound camps will be disturbed by the snoring without my CPAP). When I was sixteen, I went to California with a church group, we stayed one night in a hotel. at 3am, with three hours before we were going to be leaving, the pastor bought a new hotel room and left the teenage boys alone to escape it. It's a concern, because I want to be well rested enough to enjoy the event and not sleep longer to make up for bad rest.

I'll add the CPAP as a concern to be addressed more actively though.

[unjonharley]

Can't get around to it this week.. I use a cpap.. do not take it to BM.. Used a lead acid battery to power the swamp cooler.. Did not have to recharge all week.. It serves as a jumper unit most of the year.. I'll get it hooked up to the cpap next week.. I also have big jell batteries for the mobility scooters.. I'll hook that up for a night or two.. See how much a capa takes..

The jumper box/battery has cables attached.. I charge or keep it charge by cable to the van.. That way it is always ready to go.. The jell batteries take up to six hours to charge.. they also must have a matching charger.. car chargers will burn jell..

[Simon of the Playa]

I sent you a PM.

there is a group of burners in rochester, I'm Certain there are in Buffalo as well, i just dont know them, yet.


there are a lot of things to consider when traveling over 2500 miles each way, it's not easy, but there are things that you can do to make it less difficult, or more so, if thats what you want.

keep it simple your first year is my best advice right off the bat...try not to overthink, overdo, over anything...just make it there, and survive the week...thats a good place to start.

[tamarakay]

My husband uses a cpap. Battery powered at night, recharges at some point in day. Take it. As stated there are people who will let you recharge. What little rest you do take needs to be quality rest.

[Divreon]

Did some research based on this, for anyone who is interested, a company is selling a 14.7v 7800mah battery that they are claiming will power my ResMed Cpap for up to two nights of use. As a small battery is much easier to charge(And Carry) and I can possibly grab 3-4 if I want to be radically self-reliant, and not need to find someone else to mooch power off of on the Playa. They're expensive at the site I found them, but I think I can find/build a better battery.

[unjonharley]

I used another persons power to charge my stuff..It did not detract from he power needs.. So as not to mooch, I replaced gas to run the generator.. I did have a generator with me but did not use it.. Also if wish to I could start the van and run about ten minutes to recharge the battery for sound, lights and swamp cooler..

[Captain Goddammit]

If Grey Coyote is right and a cpap draws even 4 amps, a 7800mah battery would theoretically run it less than two hours. And that's if you could get every ounce of electricity from it, which you generally can't.
Unjon is right (damn I think that's the second time I've said that - something is wrong here) while its always best to have your own logistics covered in BRC, it's very highly likely that someone nearby will let you tap their power to charge your battery or even operate your machine directly. I know if you were next to me I'd run you a cord. Ha - now that I think about it, in. '07 I did run a power cord to a neighbor from New York!
If that weeny-ass battery is expensive, rather than buying several I'd consider just buying a marine or deep cycle in Reno. If its a decent new battery you can most likely easily give it away after the burn, although its not generally recommended to count on "gifting" your used BM shit as a method of disposal.
A good new deep cycle is something you could prearrange with one of several eplayans to take off your hands afterwards though. That's not junk.

[BBadger]

Before you invest in batteries or special hardware, try to get hooked up with a camp or other group. Having a camp to hang out with is a lot of fun (though not necessary), and often covers a lot of holes in your logistics. Only as a last measure (though good you're planning for it), should you assume that everything you need must be brought in on your own back, not shared within a community of people that you may hook up with.