Central Texas: Burning Flipside Q & A

[Herring]

Hey y'all, this will be my first year attending Flipside and I'm so excited! I figure since the boards are so active here, and practically dead at the flipside website, we should start a thread in the regional subforum.

http://www.burningflipside.com/
2011 Theme: Bad Idea
May 26-30


My question is, how do you stay cool on the "grassy" playa? Obviously it's too humid for swamp coolers to be any good, and without the intense wind, constructing a monkey hut seems like overkill.

[oneeyeddick]

you go swimming

[tamarakay]

we can't really afford to do both. however, next year might be an option!

[BATT]

I agree....you live in the river!! I went for the first time last year and that was where everyone was during the day. Take something floaty - I used a queen-size air mattress...it's both a 'bed' and a great place for coolers and lounging. Everyone flocked to it! :P

[SA Rudy]

How about mobility at Flipside? Do a lot of people use bikes? Can't really tell since there is no scale on the placement map...

On the playa you live and die by the bike... As I found out when in a drunken haze I forgot where I parked my bike one night. Turned out to be a 45 minute walk back to my camp (other side of the clock) and does it get cold at 3 AM! And then yet another 45 minute walk later in the next day to pick up my bike.

[Herring]

New year, time for a bump!

For transport, I didn't feel a bike was necessary in the least. People had them, and we'll probably bring ours this year, but I don't think we ever had a 45+ walk anywhere, but I can't swear to that as I wasn't exactly timing myself. I was camping with a negative nelly and even with all the things he complained about, distances and walking weren't among them.

If you do bring a bike, avoid canopies or anything that is taller than you on the bike, I saw a few people get caught up in low hanging branches.

The river did help a lot in keeping us cool, but I had a hard time falling or staying asleep in my hot muggy tent. At least in the summer in west Texas it's cool and dry at night. I've got a bigger tent this year, which will hopefully help with airflow, but I'm also considerring making some kind of personal cooler and a 12v fan and using solar panels for charge. I don't really believe in generators but I want more energy for partying so I feel okay drifting away from roughing it.