Travel With Reason

As someone who decided only 3 days before the event to attend Burning Man 2008, I feel wholly unqualified to offer advice to future first-timers. So, here you go:

1. So you’re an art groupie or fan of oddball vacations in desolate locations. Great. If you think you can handle the daytime heat, nighttime chill, and most of all, sandstorms, proceed … with caution.
2. Take care to read EVERY bit of advice on the first-timers guide available on the Burning Man site. The 2008 version, at least, is here.
3. Don’t overpack. I stressed about it too much in the several days preceding and in the end, didn’t use half the clothes or costumes I took with. Think one or two outfits for potential nighttime chill (though we had very mild evenings -never cold) and really, not much for daytime. Like, a sarong or two could last you most of the week – seriously. And at least four camps had costume shops that passed out wacky clothes for free (which you WILL want – don’t show up in GAP khakis and white tees or you will feel totally out of place). And they accepted drop-offs when done.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
5. Sunscreen.
6. While the program for the week had hundreds of workshops, lectures, and other group activities, don’t fret about not having time for all you want to do. You won’t. And half the activities I tried to sample never came off (instructor didn’t show, mutant bus never appeared to take us on an art tour). No biggie. You go with the flow and head for Plan B. Improvising is totally fun here.
7. Be social. Say hi to people for no reason. Ask them how they are doing, what’s the highlight, etc. I’ve never seen a place with friendlier people.
8. Do what you can to obtain a bike. Black Rock City has grown so big. My friend Tom went last year without a bike and said the constant trekking was a chore. This year we attempted to buy used bikes in Reno but were a bit too late to the game; by mid-day Monday all were gone. Check around to see if you can reserve in advance. Around 4 oclock we checked out Wal-Mart, which had a decent $99 mountain bike. We got 2 24-inchers, took the wheels off, and crammed them in the back of the compact rental car. Knowing we’d probably not want to haul them back out, we made friends with people who drove a large Ryder rental truck who were happy to take them off our hands. Not a bad investment for about $20 a day, easy transportation. (If I lived within driving distance I might take my bike, but keep in mind, the dessert will chew it up. May want to consider buying a cheapie.) The Kiwanis in Reno, we heard, also take donations at the end of the week, but you have to haul it to Reno when done.
9. We let our trash pile up and despite eating all the food, ended up with more to take home than we brought in. Not sure how this happened, but, they do allow you to burn paper trash on site at BRC, and they have a recycling center that accepts clean aluminum cans. This would have made for a less cluttered car on the way out (though in the end, it wasn’t a big deal to toss it in the Dumpster of the one of the many discount motels that refused us accommodation in Reno late Saturday night!)
10. Think about getting involved with a regional group before attending. If nothing else you can chat with people online or on the phone to get more advice; and who knows, you may be able to share a ride or even join up with a large tent camp. For an additional fee paid to the camp, you may get sleeping accommodations, couches to lounge on, water shipped in, food prepared throughout the day, cleanup afterward. You’ll probably have to pitch in but this is part of the fun. I may consider this in a future visit. Camps can be large and communal – 50 people or more – or they can be small and private. The photo above was from a realistic and fun Louisiana bayou shack that some former New Orleaners created; they had rugs, couches, a sturdy wooden structure (on 3 sides anyway), a porch, and a slamming screen door. Sweet! (Thanks again guys for inviting us in for a beer and some chat.)
11. Think about gifting. If you are handy, you might make cheap bead bracelets or necklaces or buttons or temporary tattoos to share with people. Something with the Burning Man logo is extra cool. (It looks a little like an X with a diamond for the head – you can find it on the top of the BM home page and probably elsewhere.) People gave me magnets, small paintings, a necklace, sunglasses, a page from a completed novel with instructions about where to download the rest. The advice is not to give out crap that you yourself would not want to receive – things that can be used on the playa and contribute to the community spirit seemed to be most welcomed.
12. There are many other ways of giving also. People read tarot cards, predicted fortunes, offered up free advice, performed marriage and divorce ceremonies (permanent and temporary), sang or played instruments or danced, and cooked meals and dispensed free drinks. To LOTS of people. We were offered crepes, coffee, margaritas, beers, bacon and bloody marys, sirloin steak dinners. The generosity is truly impressive. You can also volunteer to sell coffee or ice (the only 2 things sold here) or patrol the playa for pickup of litter (aka MOOP – Matter Out Of Place). Give back!
13. Cameras: This is the best and worst of photo ops. Great content everywhere you look. But, also dust like you wouldn’t believe. Some people put gaffe tape over every crack or opening of their camera they could think of; others tried to tape a plastic bag over everything but the lens. I don’t know how the pros survive this environment but saw some people shooting with some major gear. I had one cheap digital camera jam on me during the final stretch of the trip (obliterating use of that camera), and my nice camera, I was skittish about using after that. (Just shipped it off for a MAJOR cleanup today.) People had disposable underwater cameras, you might consider that. Some people found cases that coulid make a small digital almost airtight. Do some research to protect your gear, but do plan to take pictures of some sort! (Note: video requires filling out paperwork promising not to use it for commercial gain. See this page for more info.)
14. Burning Man is all about the lights at night. If you have a bike or a vehicle, light it up to the max. Same for your person. Something called EL wire was all the rage, and you can peruse that, and other light effects, at this link. Shop before you get there.

That’s it for now. If you have other suggestions, just use the comments section below. I have to moderate but would love to see other first-timers contribute here!

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