How Many Virgins Do Their Research???

[Elliot]

Being a first timer I have done research on top of research, reading and re reading. I can say until I read the Q & A thread from back to front I did not understand the snarkiness towards "virgin/burgin" questions. What was clear from reading that large number of threads over many years is that it was obvious that many people did not do their due diligence prior to asking questions that had been asked over and over again. I can now see the reason for frustration and snark towards those who have not made an effort.

May we all use your post as our universal signature?

[Captain Goddammit]

Well I snark at the new guys because I've been a burner a really long time and I'm far cooler and burnier than they are.
I have burner "seniority" over damn near everyone on here. That makes me superior in every way, and all those lesser newbies aren't on my level.

(haha… actually that just makes me a disillusioned jaded old curmudgeon with a piss-poor attitude. Like unjonharley.)

[FIGJAM]

Says the man who ain't commin this year!

[Captain Goddammit]

I was gonna… still possibly might. But that new roof AND new septic system cost me a lotta, and I don't like borrowing or "financing" anything.
We already have the Hawaii condo and the sky-miles to get there, so it's just a no-brainer what to do this summer. Plus, I won't have to see unjonharley

I'll be back.

[Verve]

Elliot, you are such a sweetie, I don't think you are ever snarky, You are patient, you are kind.... with all newbies and you can always use my sig.

Cap,

Well I snark at the new guys because I've been a burner a really long time and I'm far cooler and burnier than they are.
I have burner "seniority" over damn near everyone on here. That makes me superior in every way, and all those lesser newbies aren't on my level.

indeed you have a great deal of seniority and wisdom you share, alas you are not the snarkiest in the land, Bob, where the fuck are you? "Superior in everyway" .......might have to call you on that one.

Spot on Figjam, [quoteSays the man who ain't commin this year! ][/quote]

[Elliot]

Elliot, you are such a sweetie, I don't think you are ever snarky, ... ...

Well, yesterday I bit some new guy's head off, but generally I am indeed the sweetest gentleman on the planet, yes.

(*Christine McVie sings Heros Are Hard To Find in the background*)

[theCryptofishist]

Elliot, you are such a sweetie, I don't think you are ever snarky, You are patient, you are kind....

He's also a busy body and ass who thinks that I have no right to privacy. I have him plonked and I try not to read his quoted texts and only skim his threads, but, like anyone on this board, there are some who just don't like him.

[Verve]

Wow, Fishy, Rock and hard place for me since I like both of you on eplaya for opposite reasons. I will be like Switzerland, neutral but take everyone's money

[Captain Goddammit]

Hopefully everyone knows I was kidding about that shit I said about being superior, etc. but holy blame the Canadians. Crypto, you're the only person I've ever heard with a negative review of that screwball pedal contraptioneer! Either you're goofing like I was or you're witness to some rare bad behavior by that Norwish freak.
Elliot managed to piss you off? That just pops my bubble wrap... I thought he was incapable of rubbing anyone the wrong way. You mean to tell me he's just one of us mortals?!
This changes everything. Everything, I say.

[FIGJAM]

Elliot are people too!

[MyDearFriend]

(((((love everybody))))))

I have some advice for new Burners, fwiw... well, not advice, but the story of How I Did It.

I decided to do TTITD, and, asked around my friends and family. No one was interested. I decided I still wanted to do it. From 3000 miles away. By myself. I had not camped out since I was a kid. I had not traveled for fun by myself EVER in my whole life. But, I still wanted to do this.

So, I canvassed everybody I know who lived out west, until I found a person who agreed who let me use her place for a base camp & jumping-off point.

Then, I figured out the maximum cargo I could transport from that point, which of course depended on what kind of vehicle I could rent & drive from there, and then I figured out the best shade & shelter I could build, all by myself, with the materials I could carry with me in that rental vehicle.

I did all this figuring by reading ePlaya top to bottom and back as far as three years. This was a huge and wonderful resource for me.

Then, I started cautiously asking questions of ePlaya, looking for answers that I had not found yet. Sadly for me, I got no response.

THEN I realized that ePlaya was like The Playa in that spectating gets you nowhere and participation is required.

So, I started participating in various discussions, exposing all my flaws and foibles and perhaps some of my better qualities, if any and, the next thing I knew, I had FRIENDS here, not just experienced Burners but also a fellow noob who could drive and camp with me, and then, an invitation to join a camp that turned out to be a perfect fit. Huge *SMOOCH* to Doc Pyro here.

What this boils down to, of course, is advice to start with the 10 Principles and use them from the get-go. Self-Reliance, Participation, Community...

I love you people.

[AntiM]

Dammit, I have something in my eye.

[theCryptofishist]

Hopefully everyone knows I was kidding about that shit I said about being superior, etc. but holy blame the Canadians. Crypto, you're the only person I've ever heard with a negative review of that screwball pedal contraptioneer! Either you're goofing like I was or you're witness to some rare bad behavior by that Norwish freak.
Elliot managed to piss you off? That just pops my bubble wrap... I thought he was incapable of rubbing anyone the wrong way. You mean to tell me he's just one of us mortals?!
This changes everything. Everything, I say.

He patronizes me because I am in a chair. He doesn't recognize it as such, but there it is. So, it would take someone in similar circumstances with the same attitude to the clinging myriads who want to wrap me in bubble wrap and think that having no brain goes with having no legs. Elliot sees them as little saints who can enrich my world. I see them as busy bodies who are only going to waste my time--which I probably have less of because of the accident.
You won't have gone through this, either, but there was the whole thing with being a depressed young woman when anyone who fucking pleases feels, not simply free to, but actually helpful to, tell you to smile because you'll be prettier.

Even in my teens and twenties I wanted to be seen as myself--not some piece of the scenery that anyone could trim or paint or whatever. Which is why I do so much better on the internet. I'm just my voice and opinions and jokes, which skips all the awkwardness of my physical reality.

Joke's on Elliot in the long run. In 20 or 30 years, he'll have aged enough to have infirmities of his own, and he'll be the one who's seen as a need for help, and not a person. This applies to all of you, although timing will differ. And some of you will manage to die young. And since "burners" have a cussed streak, I'm guessing most of you won't like being fussed over by strangers either. Toast me when you "get it".

(Of course, that fucking Cascadia thread didn't help. Elliot is not fit to be a head of state in my view.)

[Captain Goddammit]

I can't speak for Elliot… but it might help if he reads what you just wrote, because I'm pretty sure there's no intentional ill will; and while I'm not in your shoes (yeah yeah, I know… ) my mom was. She was in an accident before I was born and lost "only" one leg, and then became a widow when my dad died when I was only two. She raised us herself and put herself through school too. One of my sisters is chair-bound, and she doesn't want help from anyone unless she actually asks for it and that's not often.
Not everyone realizes that people in such situations really feel a lot better being treated no differently than anyone else.
My current situation is trivial by comparison, but there's a parallel… several major expenses have hit me lately and it's all I can do to work my ass off and keep the lights on. I was invited out to dinner last night by the First Mate's sister and her husband; I didn't go because right now I really can't afford it, I can't even afford the gas to get there. They would have thought nothing of picking up the tab, but I would feel like a freeloader. If I can't pay my way, I don't wanna go.
They picked up the whole tab at our last dinner. I know, it's piddly-shit in comparison, but the principle is the same.

[theCryptofishist]

Oh dammit, Goddammit, I don't think that I'm the fucking queen bee just because I have some particular big troubles. Yes, it is the same thing. Am I person, or am I a pet? Something like that. I'm glad someone gets it. I try to tell my experiences--and I'm often hurt and angry, so I don't manage to be as clear as I like--and so many people try to get into my head and change my experiences, and fuck that. I treasure those who can see clearly despite my murky anger and random inarticulaties. Thank you.

[MoonsOfJupiter]

(((((love everybody))))))

I have some advice for new Burners, fwiw... well, not advice, but the story of How I Did It.

I decided to do TTITD, and, asked around my friends and family. No one was interested. I decided I still wanted to do it. From 3000 miles away. By myself. I had not camped out since I was a kid. I had not traveled for fun by myself EVER in my whole life. But, I still wanted to do this.

So, I canvassed everybody I know who lived out west, until I found a person who agreed who let me use her place for a base camp & jumping-off point.

Then, I figured out the maximum cargo I could transport from that point, which of course depended on what kind of vehicle I could rent & drive from there, and then I figured out the best shade & shelter I could build, all by myself, with the materials I could carry with me in that rental vehicle.

I did all this figuring by reading ePlaya top to bottom and back as far as three years. This was a huge and wonderful resource for me.

Then, I started cautiously asking questions of ePlaya, looking for answers that I had not found yet. Sadly for me, I got no response.

THEN I realized that ePlaya was like The Playa in that spectating gets you nowhere and participation is required.

So, I started participating in various discussions, exposing all my flaws and foibles and perhaps some of my better qualities, if any and, the next thing I knew, I had FRIENDS here, not just experienced Burners but also a fellow noob who could drive and camp with me, and then, an invitation to join a camp that turned out to be a perfect fit. Huge *SMOOCH* to Doc Pyro here.

What this boils down to, of course, is advice to start with the 10 Principles and use them from the get-go. Self-Reliance, Participation, Community...

I love you people.

MyDearFriend, that post was so inspiring! After years of wishing, I am finally making this happen for myself this year. I am willing to do crazy amounts of research in order to figure out how to transport myself and everything I need to survive the thousands of miles from Florida completely solo, and I have been lurking the boards for a while in fear of asking the wrong questions. Lately, it seems like the more I learn, the more difficult and expensive this trip becomes, and I have to tell you how important it was for me to be reminded today that this is actually possible if I work hard, and that awesome people like you will be waiting there for me when I finally make it!

Love from Florida!

[cosmo105]

First time burner and poster (but long time camper).

I've camped for several decades in places like dumont, glamis and ensenada. Is camping that much different in BRC with its dust than places with sand and dirt?

[magpiejay]

I think there's also something to be said for not doing 'too much' research. I lurked in this forum for a year without posting, drank in as much info as I could on everything without asking a question. Knew the rules. Knew the lingo. Flew in from Australia, built two monkey huts (one fail, one success) and had enough vinegar, eyedrops, liquid plaster and water for another week or so.

In short, I should have spent less time being prepared and more time enjoying the experience. (Although we were very lucky with the weather last year.)

It didn't all go to plan though. I ended up cycling off the playa at Exodus. (Not recommended.)

I'll be much less stressed about the whole thing this year. But without the research, I would't have had the confidence to go last.

[Canoe]

But you can't count on having a mild year for a walk in the park experience. Be prepared for the full range of possibilities.

Not really sand, but fine dust, which gets everything dirty too.
This post viewtopic.php?f=279&t=68410&start=30#p999379 has a list of most of what's included in that dust. A surprising amount of it is fine particles under 3 microns.

Pretty much the same as any desert camping, except you might get surprised by:
- the heat combined with 4,000' altitude if you're not used to that,
- playa condition (typically mild dehydration and/or electrolyte deficiency due to eating less),
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- playa foot,
- for some, playa lung,
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- going for the NOT-recommended shower at the back of the dusty road watering trucks and getting an eye (or other) infection,
- a few tricks to have a cool/sleepable shelter and cool food-safe cooler/food,
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- lack of sleep due to noise (ear plugs recommended if you're easily affected by noise),
and some others.
And, of course, you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere. (and yes, they mean everywhere )

DO read the survival guide (check the link below). It truly is essential reading.
I recommend downloading the pdf to make sure you don't miss anything, as can happen if viewing online. And check the updated 2014 Survival Guide once that comes available, as there are updates every year.

[Canoe]

oh, forgot, the wind
as in, potentially 75 mph wind
viewtopic.php?f=277&t=65276

and note the fine dust hanging in the air...

[cosmo105]

But you can't count on having a mild year for a walk in the park experience. Be prepared for the full range of possibilities.

Not really sand, but fine dust, which gets everything dirty too.
This post viewtopic.php?f=279&t=68410&start=30#p999379 has a list of most of what's included in that dust. A surprising amount of it is fine particles under 3 microns.

Pretty much the same as any desert camping, except you might get surprised by:
- the heat combined with 4,000' altitude if you're not used to that,
- playa condition (typically mild dehydration and/or electrolyte deficiency due to eating less),
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- playa foot,
- for some, playa lung,
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- going for the NOT-recommended shower at the back of the dusty road watering trucks and getting an eye (or other) infection,
- a few tricks to have a cool/sleepable shelter and cool food-safe cooler/food,
- you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere,
- lack of sleep due to noise (ear plugs recommended if you're easily affected by noise),
and some others.
And, of course, you're going to have fine playa dust everywhere. (and yes, they mean everywhere )

DO read the survival guide (check the link below). It truly is essential reading.
I recommend downloading the pdf to make sure you don't miss anything, as can happen if viewing online. And check the updated 2014 Survival Guide once that comes available, as there are updates every year.

Thanks for the info!

[jcliff]

I feel bad for any Burgin that doesn't do the research....that research builds the anticipation and fills the time of a long year of waiting. To be honest, I miss those detailed check lists and meticulous planning. I became a long-distance traveler/RV owner a couple years ago. Now all my necessities are stored in my RV in Reno. The convenience is awesome, but it has lowered my pre-planning sails quite a bit.