Burning Man 2018

I've broached this topic before in miscellaneous threads but I may as well make a dedicated topic for this. It is official -- I will be attending Burning Man this year!

It has been on my bucket list for about 15 years now. I have known several people who have been and most comments about it were positive. Earlier this year a friend mentioned that he was going with six other middle-aged professional people in an RV. I have met three of the group before and we seem have similar interests in the outdoors and traveling. I'm not sure of all the details, but somehow they got me a ticket, which are very difficult to get (necessitating winning a lottery or buying from scalpers), so I couldn't say "no." I have never even been close to finding a group to go with and this opportunity fell in my lap. The RV is only so big and as the +1, I have to bring a tent, which is fine.

As the event gets closer, I'm starting to question myself why I'm going. What I'm committing to is paying a fair bit of money to travel to a remote part of the northern Nevada desert which has no running water, no electricity, nothing to buy except ice and coffee, brutal hot dusty windy weather, nowhere to leave trash, no showers, and the only bathrooms are porta-potties. I've backpacked lots of times before, but they were always to nice scenic places with water. Not the middle of a dry lake bed.

My two biggest points of anxiety at this point are:

1. A costume. The theme this year is robots. I'd like to go as the Woody Allen robot in the movie Sleeper but have accomplished jack squat in terms of putting together an outfit. If anyone roughly my size has a beat-up tuxedo I can borrow/have, let me know. I doubt anyone under the age of 50 will get the reference, though.



2. Bartering. When I mentioned going to someone she immediately said, "What are you going to bring to barter?" As a word of explanation, BM is supposed to be a cashless thing, where people freely share with each other. However, that original ideal has morphed, as I understand it, to a bartering economy, where people bring crafts they made themselves to exchange. While I do have something I make myself to barter with (I hate to say what, for fear somebody will steal my idea) I'm not sure how many to bring or what kind of bartering power they will have. Others have said that my intended idea to offer free lessons in how to solve the Rubiks Cube, as well as other similar puzzles, juggling lessons, and juggling on a unicycle will suffice as my contribution. Yet others have a disdain for the expectation of bartering at all and say it is a complete violation of the founding BM principles of giving with no expectation of receiving. One with this opinion has quit going in disgust, partially over this issue.

So, any other WoV members going? Any advice from anyone who has been? I'm planning to arrive late and leave early to avoid lines -- any advice pro or con on that?

That is enough for one post.

My understanding is that it is more a gift economy than a true barter economy. The value of the item is much more irrelevant than the uniqueness or rarity of the item. That being said, I only know one person who has went to Burning Man. He took liquor and said it worked out well. He also said that he most likely would not go back. Not really sure what to make of that whole thing. I know that it is something I would never attend.n

bring drugs

Quote: Wizard

-- I will be attending Burning Man this year!... I'm starting to question myself why I'm going.

Excellent!

Don't wear a tux: way too hot.

Bring your unicycle and the ability to appreciate what people can accomplish when they really try.

As for "why" you'd want to go: duh.

Probably the coolest "happening" on earth, that's why.

see: Burning Man 2016

I actually am freakin' envious.

Quote: MaxPen

My understanding is that it is more a gift economy than a true barter economy. The value of the item is much more irrelevant than the uniqueness or rarity of the item. That being said, I only know one person who has went to Burning Man. He took liquor and said it worked out well. He also said that he most likely would not go back. Not really sure what to make of that whole thing. I know that it is something I would never attend.n

I've heard that alcohol is commonly offered, especially to cute women (unfortunately for me). One person said you just can't exchange things anyone could buy in a store -- that it was supposed to be hand made by the person giving it. When I get back I'll let you all know what the actual etiquette is.

I'll probably be a one hit wonder when it comes to BM too.

Don't talk yourself out of it . You'll never get a better chance to go.

If you do the robot, consider

1. Get one of those tuxedo tee shirts. The whole outfit would be too hot.

2. If you do any makeup, bring along a big package of wet wipes, something you can use on your face, like the ones for babies. For that matter, bring those anyway. Water scarce, no showers, bad toilets, crazy food. Thank me later.

3. Use those smoked round goggles on your eyes, and a swim cap. Spray paint both (straps and sides - not the lens fronts, and the cap) ahead of time. Just those and you're 90% of the way to robot. Add the unicycle, and you can wear anything you want.

If you need something crafty and portable, I might have something that would work. PM me if you want to discuss it.

A simple cardboard box, cut and painted just so and wrapped around your unicycle / self could be a solid start towards a pretty good CL4P-TP ensemble.




Add social awkwardness, bad jokes, and tendency to dance poorly and often, and you got the character nailed. Seems not only a good idea costume wise, but a good fit for that type of event.

Quote: beachbumbabs

If you do the robot, consider

1. Get one of those tuxedo tee shirts. The whole outfit would be too hot.

2. If you do any makeup, bring along a big package of wet wipes, something you can use on your face, like the ones for babies. For that matter, bring those anyway. Water scarce, no showers, bad toilets, crazy food. Thank me later.

3. Use those smoked round goggles on your eyes, and a swim cap. Spray paint both (straps and sides - not the lens fronts, and the cap) ahead of time. Just those and you're 90% of the way to robot. Add the unicycle, and you can wear anything you want.

Thanks for the suggestions. The tuxedo t-shirt does sound like a better idea than a legitimate tux. However, I think wearing something that looks too easy and store bought is not in keeping with the BM spirit. A problem with the Sleeper robot idea is that it is robot who is supposed to look human. If I try to do something that is comfortable and easy, I'll come off looking too human. Given that BM attracts a younger crowd, Sleeper came out in 1973, and my outfit would probably be awful, I think the number of people who would get the reference is zero.

Another idea, that other people will probably do, is Rosie the robot from the Jetsons. Yes, I know Rosie is female, but I think if done well, anyone could pull it off.

Not to discourage you, I think you should go if it’s really interesting to you, but I saw a documentary a few years back called “Spark: A Burning Man Story” which pretty much convinced me that I have no interest in attending.

What started as a social experiment, where all sorts of creative and anarchist types would meditate on the nature of infrastructure in a gift economy and voluntary society. But as the festival grew, so did the business behind it. You now have to enter a lottery just to get the privilege of getting a $1k+ entry pass. That sort of takes all the magic out of it for me.

You couldn’t get me to camp in the desert for a week for free, let alone ask me to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to do it.

That’s just my $0.02, don’t let me discourage you if you really want to experience it.

I'm going for sure. Please don't bother with the pros and cons of it -- the decision has been made.

Here is another outfit idea, the GNK Power Droid from the original Star Wars.



I could get a couple of big Rubbermaid bins and go from there.

Quote: Wizard

I'm going for sure. Please don't bother with the pros and cons of it -- the decision has been made.

Sorry I thought you were still making a decision.

So if it’s not too negative and you don’t mind me asking, what was the lottery process like, and what are you expecting will be your overall cost to attend?

Quote: Wizard

Thanks for the suggestions. The tuxedo t-shirt does sound like a better idea than a legitimate tux. However, I think wearing something that looks too easy and store bought is not in keeping with the BM spirit. A problem with the Sleeper robot idea is that it is robot who is supposed to look human. If I try to do something that is comfortable and easy, I'll come off looking too human. Given that BM attracts a younger crowd, Sleeper came out in 1973, and my outfit would probably be awful, I think the number of people who would get the reference is zero.

Another idea, that other people will probably do, is Rosie the robot from the Jetsons. Yes, I know Rosie is female, but I think if done well, anyone could pull it off.

If you're looking for a robot that a younger crowd will recognize, the answer is Bender from Futurama.

Quote: gamerfreak

So if it’s not too negative and you don’t mind me asking, what was the lottery process like, and what are you expecting will be your overall cost to attend?

The ticket was around $1,000. However, my share of the RV cost will be the main expense. Every RV rental place within 1,000 miles of BM jacks up their prices for that week. The rental place is also delivering it to BM, which can't be cheap. I'm just one person in eight, and hopefully my share will be less, because I don't get sleeping privileges. Then there is the expense of food, water, beverages, and what not. Fortunately, I already have most of the clothing and comfort stuff that is required. Eventually, after the dust settles, I'll get asked to pay up whatever they feel is my share. Once I get that figure, I'll let you know.

I am thankful that others have organized all the logistics and I'm riding their coattails.

About the lottery process, I never entered, so don't know that much about it. I'm sure other sites go into that in detail. I fear we got our tickets on the scalper market, which will be all the more I have to pay.

Quote: ThatDonGuy

If you're looking for a robot that a younger crowd will recognize, the answer is Bender from Futurama.

I think lots of people will do Bender. I just never got into that show so don't think it is a good fit for me.

How about wearing a solar panel on a mortarboard with a usb fan blowing on your face, go as a solar powered calculator?

To 80's ya think?

What?

You "don't have sleeping privileges" in the RV?

Do you plan to nap while unicycling?

The playa is like dusty chalk.

I suggest avoiding the uncomfortable hot full costume and go as a man with a second head on your shoulder that is a robot head.

Being in Vegas, you might even find a professional costume maker to make you a good robot head and perhaps a shoulder carriage of some sort that would fit under a large shirt.

If you want to do it yourself, you could probably cover a wig makers Styrofoam head with aluminum foil.

Or you could have a robot head coming out of your chest. (somewhat like the mutant being in Total Recall)

And there's always the borg.

BM sounds like a interesting life experience. You might pass for a decent "Bishop" from Aliens. And the costume should not be very difficult to put together.

Good God, it's that time of year again? Go away people! Can't stand all of you guys littering our city, okay maybe not littering but you bring in all the filth, the dirt, the dust and it ends up on our roads. The airport terminal gets coated with that dirt. Even the passengers who have nothing to do with Burning Man will end up with that dust all over their luggage, inside the plane, etc. You have people who haven't showered in a week covered in dust boarding the planes. The whole city gets caked with that desert dust. Car washes charge double even triple, I have a friend who has a detailing company and refuses to touch any vehicles, especially RV's coming back from Burning Man. You better read the fine print about the cleaning fee for the RV if you take it up to Gerlach. Bring your dust mask! That should be your theme!

You go wiz, party like it’s December 31 1999.

Obviously Mike should go as a real doll.

I see no reason to arrive late, particularly at those prices and with possible RV parking situations developing. I guess though if traveling by RV it will be a group decision for you. Leaving early depends I guess on just what all those young naked hippie chicks are bartering for some bottled water and sunscreen tubes. Or is that a myth? Remember you ain't gonna be leaving any earlier than your fellow RVers leave.

Top off the RV's gas and water tanks, bottled water, sunscreen, cellular boosters?, batteries for cameras? Do you have portable ice maker ability in the RV? Irrespective of costumes have a variety of sun visor type stuff, pith helmets, etc.

Don't forget to bring your throw away bicycle!

Quote: Vegasrider

Don't forget to bring your throw away bicycle!

Let me fix that for you...
"Throw away unicycle" :)

Don't forget your dust mask, maybe buy a case and use if for barter. Looking forward to who will run into the fire this year. I'm sure its becoming a ritual. Already seeing plenty of vehicles and burner coming through Reno getting ready to set up their shops.