Virgins from israel! first time in BM and clueless

[stavraham]

Hi there everyone! ever since we've heard about this amazing experience of BM we wanted to come and now we finally got the chance to be in the USA
and were planing on coming all the way to black rock city! we are pretty clueless about what to do and how to participate and survive, we've read all the guides but still we are not sure how we are going to fit in
and how can we join a camp, well be greatfull if someone could give us some pointers or point us to the right direction.
we are very exited to join the BM community and have an amazing experience!

[Savannah]

Hi Stavraham! I'm really glad you've read the guides. That's the minimum you must do.

You don't have to join a camp. Many don't. You will be surrounded by people wherever you go, and can visit theme camps all day long. However, if you're sure you want the Theme Camp experience (which involves working together to provide an experience to the rest of the city--so a bit of work and $$ are typically involved, but they also help you out a bit as well) . . . then, here is an excellent thread:

How to Join a Theme Camp
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... 88&t=36767

Which is a thread which appears at the top of the 2011 Theme Camps forum:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewforum.php?f=188

For the answers to regular questions, see the Q&A Tips & Tricks forum below the Introductory forum or use google keywords like:

eplaya food
eplaya tents
eplaya goggles

to find threads you want, and answers to specific questions. General advice is too hard to give because the event is a complex one.

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

Have questions? Read this first: http://www.burningman.com/first_timers/ (I know you said you read them, but read them again--maybe twice more!
Everybody on eplaya is always excited to help first timers; but in sympathy for some of us old timers, please get your required reading out of the way before posting. As hard as it is to rein in the the excitement and enthusiasm, and as unbelievable as it might seem, most of your questions have already been asked and answered, if you just take a moment to read.

Now, let the adventure begin!

[dragonpilot]

Have you ever gone camping...anywhere? If so, you're ahead of the game. If not, it'll be a bit tougher. Understand that you'll be camping in an extreme environment...hot, dusty, cold at night, dry, windy...food, water, shelter very important. Make sure you are well equipped and are self-sufficient with adequate supplies of the things you need.

You don't need a theme camp. Theme camps are typically looking for people who have some kind of proven talent to share whether it be muscle, art, creativity, and so on. It can often include a very healthy dose of commitment of both time and money. Joining a camp is not about having someone prepare your meals or set up your shelter. It could be about you preparing everyone else's meals and setting up everyone else's shelter with little time to enjoy the playa and all it has to offer.

If this was my first time, I'd plan on setting up my own camp, getting to know my helpful neighbors, kicking back and letting the experience of Burning Man surround me in it's all-inclusive embrace!

Good luck!

[illy dilly]

Hey Stavraham,
Welcome to eplaya!

Godda ask, do you have tickets yet?

If you do, start buying the supplies you'll need. Start with the survival guide, then start making lists of things that will make it easier to camp.

If you don't have a ticket yet, start planning a trip to Disney land or Las Vegas.

[Elorrum]

http://ae-zone.org/bm-camping-tips/ lists and all!

http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html great resource sight with stories, and gear info. Thank you to Phil and Louise once more!

[stavraham]

First of all thank you all for helping out!
of course we have tickets, thats the first thing.
we are both ex-military so we are pretty used to the desert
and we are both young strong and willing to work hard to help out in camp

[Eric]

Stavraham, Shalom!
You'll be fine without a camp. Make sure you have the basics to survive, and when you arrive and find a place you want to camp, just ask the neighbors if anyone is setting up there. Once you've introduced yourself to them you're well on your way to starting a mini-community.

BRC isn't like most places- people for the most part tend to be friendly (when you read the snark on the eplaya, remember this is not the real playa!). You'll be fine as a camp of two, and you may actually end up meeting more people as you won't be saddled with camp duties.

As for how to participate- if you see people setting up their camps, ask if you can help. If you want to volunteer there are always posting at Playa Info in Center Camp. There are a million little ways to participate that don't involve a theme camp.

[swampdog]

I think we have some israelis camping in Minitropolis. There were a few last year. We'll be at 9:30 and C. If you like I can see if I can find out if/who is coming from israel this year and pass on a contact.

[gyre]

Everyone please remember that there are camps just for camping, besides theme camps and everything in between too.


You don't have to be in one though.

[Simon of the Playa]

First of all thank you all for helping out!
of course we have tickets, thats the first thing.
we are both ex-military so we are pretty used to the desert
and we are both young strong and willing to work hard to help out in camp

arent all israelis of a certain age ex-military?

[theCryptofishist]

I think there is an exemption for ultra-orthodox.

Also, it's possible, and this is pure speculation on my part, there may be a difference between doing your national obligation for a couple of years, and staying there longer.
So that's an example of the ways in which I fit possibly contradictory ideas/knowledge into the same framework.

[Janric]

Finding Israelis on the Playa is easy. Look for the Playa info terminals at center camp and search using the words "israel" and "israeli". Anyone with those words in their profile will come up.

Also, some Israelis (self included) have an Israeli flag on display at their camp as an indicator, and they're usually open to strangers coming by to say 'hey" (or, in Hebrew: "hey"), hence the flag.