Some lingering questions

[Humin]

I've done my research, just a few general questions about the festival I'm hoping to get answered. Answer one or many or all, I'd like some mixed input.

1. How much food could I expect to be offered by theme camps, and what kind of lines do give-away-food-camps usually have? I understand radical self reliance and not being a mooch, I'm just wondering
2. What are the chances I could catch a ride on a passing art car? What might affect my chances? Was considering not bringing a bike to up my chances
3. What is YOUR personal opinion of burners on psycadelic compounds? Do you welcome them or ask them to be on their way?
4. What is the general opinion on psy users? Should I expect rolled-eyes and cold-shoulders?
5. As an all ages event, will I have to be watching my step for young children in the magority of the festival?
6. What do you leave camp with? Specifically, how much water?
7. How safe is water or food from a stranger at burning man?

thanks

[junglesmacks]

1. None. Bring your own damn food. This isn't the fucking Rainbow Gathering.
2. Depends on how much skin you show and/or how fast you can run.
3. Psychedelic compounds? Silly. Everyone knows there's no drugs at Burning Man.
4. Psy users? Gangam Style was so 2012. We're beyond that now.
5. By the latter part of the week they will have all been eaten or traded away to passing desert gypsies, so no.. you should be fine.
6. Bowling pins, midgets and avocados. Water?
7. Safety fifth.

[trilobyte]

Question one kinda screams mooch to me. IMO the best thing you can do is keep your expectations to a minimum. So instead of planning what you think you can expect others to give you, bring the things you need and be surprised and grateful and thankful for any and all gifts.

Question two seems like a different kind of mooching. If you're thinking of not bringing a bike, plan on doing a fuckton of walking. Even if you're able to catch a number of rides each day, you'll still be walking several miles each day and night.

What a person is doing is their own business. So long as a person's not staggering around visibly impaired or putting themselves/others at risk of physical harm. Don't be that kid who stimbles into someone's camp tripping balls and begging for food vecause you haven't eaten since yesterday, and you can't find the camp serving _____ and have no way of getting across town back to camp because you can't get art cars to give you a ride.

Now you're asking about water, too? If you haven't, read the survival guide. You should be drinking something like a gallon or more a day - how much to carry on your person depends on how long you plan on being out.

How safe your food and water is probably depends on the quality of your campmates. If they're all good people, you're perfectly safe. If you're camping with people who didn't bring enough food or water because they figured others would provide for them, you may end up with campmates going through your cooler or helping themselves to your supplies by the end of the week.

[5280MeV]

1. Food sharing is not too formal, I ended up sharing with a lot of people that were not really theme camps - i.e. the next door neighbors, camp two blocks down, unplaced neighborhood bar cooking ribs, random hot dog stand in the deep playa. Bring enough food to last you the week. Stock up on a few items to share.

2. I didn't bring a bike in 2011 and really only got to see the 6:00-10:00 half of the city for the most part. You won't get to see most of the city anyway. If you have a list of people and camps you want to be able to get to, then bring a bike. Art cars are useful for getting lost. Don't be shy about asking to climb aboard, but accept when they can't take more riders.

3. I don't care what anyone's internal state is as long as I can have interesting interactions with them and they can take care of themselves.

4. Too much ruined silverware, too many evenings being jerked around like a marionette. Fuck psionics. Seriously, learn to respect people's boundaries and stay out of their minds unless they consent.

5. Nah.

6. Generally around 1 qt if I know I will be back soon, 3/4 gal if I am going out for a half-day excursion. Not having a bike really complicates this. With a bike, you can always get back to camp in 15 mintues or so. Without a bike, it is a long hike back across BRC. This is real annoying if you are doing something fun and suddenly you are low on water and half to spend half an hour walking back.

7. When you happen upon a hot dog stand in the deep playa, you will not care anymore.

[Shambala]

What JS is trying to say is don't depend on anyone for any food or drink. There are no restaurants or food concessions, and the few camps that offer food, do it on a very limited basis. I received a few gifted meals over the years, but always have my own food and camp meals.
Art cars are a similar situation. Don't plan in using them for your transportation. You may get a few rides during the week, but they won't be in the direction you want to go. Bring a bike with you along with a lock. There are community "yellow bikes", but once you get off the bike, it's up for grabs if someone else wants to use it.
Since this is an all age event, you are expected to act civilized and appropriate all the time. There is lots of free expression, but it should never infringe on other people.
As far as what to leave to leave camp with, here is a topic that covers the subject. What's in your backpack. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=33138
The safety of food, drinks and water from strangers is all up to your vibe. If you don't trust a person, don't ingest anything from them.

[AntiM]

Some years I was handed food right and left, out of the blue. I think the only time we hunted down food over the years was once for grilled cheese (and we were taken by someone who knew) and once for noodles. Other years, nothing. Mostly potlucks with neighbors, stone soup meals are the best.

Take a bike. You can go bike free if you want to hitch rides. Young and pretty helps, although some of the smaller cars do keep an eye out for deep playa struggling stragglers. Not often though.

Wait, kids? Mostly under watchful eyes. Kidsville is marked on the map, so you know where naked performance art is not going to go over well. The kids are usually cooler than you.

Water? That's why you need a bike, it carries your water for you.

[BBadger]

1. There is food, and some food events, but don't expect to be fed. Be thankful and nice. It goes a long way.
   
   Especially don't walk into a camp and take food thinking it's a free-for-all like some degenerate, dirty hippie (I know, redundant) that did that at our camp once. We chased that parasite out, and as he left he gave us the finger. We'd regularly offer extra food to the public (and were even feeding strangers who had asked during that incident), but don't tolerate people who just walk in and take without permission.
   
   Also check the book for food events. It goes fast. We served some grilled cheese sandwiches one night at 2AM this last year. After an hour or so the 20-30 or so loaves of bread were all used up. The most hilarious part was the group of people lacking reading comprehension skills who showed up the day after thinking it was being served that day. Some were even grumpy and/or dicks about it despite their own stupidity. Hint: 2AM is the beginning of the day.
2. I would not count on MV transportation unless your camp has one. I'd also never neglect to bring a bike to the event, but maybe some of the nights consider just walking to see if I could catch a MV or two. Catching a ride on a MV depends on luck, proximity, your run speed, room, and permission. Don't count on MVs to take you where you want to go. It's not public transportation.
3. It doesn't matter what substance, or no substance, someone is on. If someone is being a nuisance, I'd like him/her to go away. Otherwise, who cares? Or who can even tell out there? In any case, if you have substances that are illegal, you need to be careful -- and don't come whining here if you get caught and arrested.
4. Psy users? As above.
5. The place is like a rated-R movie, for adults, but allows supervised kids. Only in Kidsville is it "toned down" somewhat.
   
   I'd be watching my step for dark-tards more than children. They are the true menace.
6. Enough water to not require me to return to camp for a refill before I'm done. Bring a camel back, or put a basket on your bike to carry the water bottle and some snacks. You'll figure it out.
7. A safe as anywhere? It's not like Halloween with people putting razor blades in apples. If I were a woman, I certainly wouldn't accept random drinks (bars are usually okay), and I'd ensure that my drink was covered to prevent tampering (I use a small Nalgene for my booze anyway). That usually applies anywhere; comes with the territory I guess.

[Eric]

Yep, what everyone has said. Don't rely on anyone but yourself for anything - bring enough food & water to survive the week, be pleasantly surprised if you stumble on to, or are offered, food. As BBadger said - even a place listed as serving food will run out, and they may not even bother to open because something fell through in their plans. You couldn't pay me to wait at the spaghetti place - I swear that line never had less than 50 people in it, & personally I have better things to do on the playa then wait in line for food (like sitting under a shade structure bullshitting with friends, or staring at the art)

Note on bikes: from experience, if at all possible, bring one. I had my bike break down on me two years in a row ('06 & '07) & had to rely on my feet. It sucked. Especially when I wanted to go to the Temple - that was a fucking trudge, and both years I was on the Esplanade. I can't image walking that far out from the back-streets. An art car may pick you up, but probably won't, and if it does pick you up it will go where it wants to, not where you do.

Note on drugs: Nevada has some of the toughest drug laws in the country, and Burning Man takes place on Federal Land. There are cops everywhere, including undercover (who have been going longer than you & who you will not spot) - if you're stupid enough to do something illegal where you can be seen doing it, you take the risk of joining the whiners who claim it's so unfair that they were busted (like the Brit from '10 who was walking across the playa opening doing whippits & got fined $1000).

[gaminwench]

a note on art cars.
For the past *^% years, I have camped with art cars. More than one in camp, vehicles that I have helped build and support. I have never had the opportunity to 'direct' an art car where to go, with the exception of a guided Art tour for which I was appointed docent. I've had plenty of rides, but almost always ended up far, far away.
An art car is an experience, not a mode of 'get me there' transportation.
YMMV.

[Savannah]

I've done my research, just a few general questions about the festival I'm hoping to get answered. Answer one or many or all, I'd like some mixed input.

1. How much food could I expect to be offered by theme camps, and what kind of lines do give-away-food-camps usually have? I understand radical self reliance and not being a mooch, I'm just wondering
2. What are the chances I could catch a ride on a passing art car? What might affect my chances? Was considering not bringing a bike to up my chances
3. What is YOUR personal opinion of burners on psycadelic compounds? Do you welcome them or ask them to be on their way?
4. What is the general opinion on psy users? Should I expect rolled-eyes and cold-shoulders?
5. As an all ages event, will I have to be watching my step for young children in the magority of the festival?
6. What do you leave camp with? Specifically, how much water?
7. How safe is water or food from a stranger at burning man?

thanks

Having a bike and your independence is much, much better than having having no bike and the greater ability to hop on an art car (which might not happen at all; getting a ride is unpredictable). I'm fond of biking during the day and leaving the bike locked up in camp at night.

Everything else has been addressed pretty well, except for "What do you leave camp with?" See this thread. Note that some people like to tote the whole world, and some don't. I drink electrolytes before I leave camp and take a 32 oz. canteen with me.

What's in your backpack?
viewtopic.php?t=33138

[BBadger]

Everything else has been addressed pretty well, except for "What do you leave camp with?" See this thread. Note that some people like to tote the whole world, and some don't. I drink electrolytes before I leave camp and take a 32 oz. canteen with me.

Yeah, I think that's the way to go. I got kind of sick of hauling around my Camelback last year, so I think in the future I'll attach a basket to my bike and put a waterbottle in there.

[Roark]

@AntiM: Okay... I'll bite. What on Earth is "stone soup"?

FWIW, in rural parts of the Deep South this would be made with the squidgie/dangly bits located just south of a bulls manhood, but I'm thinking this isn't what you were thinking.

Help?

[BBadger]

Stone soup comes from an old story. I remember hearing it as a kid.

[Ugly Dougly]

Oh whatever shall I wear?


BTW, don't bring a tent, you can always crash at Center Camp.

[Roark]

Thanks Gomez. I knew I was over-thinking this somehow.

Thinking back now, I remember a parallel story in the animated cartoon "B.C And The First Thanksgiving". It finally makes sense in context! Doh!!!!

[Sunbeam56]

I understand the reference to stone soup. I do not see the relationship to testicular stew.

[Roark]

I understand the reference to stone soup. I do not see the relationship to testicular stew.

There is an old saying that "... a picture is worth a thousand words...", but I'm REALLY trying to behave myself here.

Edit: Looking at your avatar, I'm no longer thinking of behaving myself....

[maryanimal]

1. None. Bring your own damn food. This isn't the fucking Rainbow Gathering.
2. Depends on how much skin you show and/or how fast you can run.
3. Psychedelic compounds? Silly. Everyone knows there's no drugs at Burning Man.
4. Psy users? Gangam Style was so 2012. We're beyond that now.
5. By the latter part of the week they will have all been eaten or traded away to passing desert gypsies, so no.. you should be fine.
6. Bowling pins, midgets and avocados. Water?
7. Safety fifth.

hehehehehahahaha...I love ya JS!! You're so funny!

[Canoe]

4. Psy users? Gangam Style was so 2012. We're beyond that now.

hehehehehahahaha...I love ya JS!! You're so funny!

well so much for my costume...

[Humin]

Well I wasn't really hoping to use Art Cars as transportation, just wanted to hitch a ride.

Thanks for the food information, and I"m definately bringing a bike. I'm going to keep an eye out on Kickstarter for some cool art cars I would want to donate to..

And thanks for the link to the backpack thread it's very resourceful.

[Savannah]

Well I wasn't really hoping to use Art Cars as transportation, just wanted to hitch a ride.

Good luck. Keep on alert for one that is stopped, and pleasantly ask the driver. If it's moving (even slowly) don't bother getting on or off or moving between segments, it'll give the hardworking driver an undeserved heart attack, and there's precedence for great injury or worse.

Thanks for the food information, and I"m definately bringing a bike. I'm going to keep an eye out on Kickstarter for some cool art cars I would want to donate to..

And thanks for the link to the backpack thread it's very resourceful.

You're welcome! I'm not even sure I had a backpack or messenger bag my first year, so you'll be more splendid a virgin than I was.

[geospyder]

My problem with art cars, especially at night, is if you are really enjoying the ride and are not paying attention to where you are it can be quite an adventure trying to find your camp when the ride is over. May sound a bit techie but it helps to have a GPS with you with your camp waypointed.

[Ugly Dougly]

Well I wasn't really hoping to use Art Cars as transportation, just wanted to hitch a ride.

Thanks for the food information, and I"m definately bringing a bike. I'm going to keep an eye out on Kickstarter for some cool art cars I would want to donate to..

And thanks for the link to the backpack thread it's very resourceful.

Not all art cars are set up for carrying passengers, nor do all art car owners invite riders. That said, it's great fun to find one (I remember a dragon for instance) run up and jump aboard, without a care as to where it's going. Play it by ear.

[illy dilly]

Well I wasn't really hoping to use Art Cars as transportation, just wanted to hitch a ride.

Thanks for the food information, and I"m definately bringing a bike. I'm going to keep an eye out on Kickstarter for some cool art cars I would want to donate to..

And thanks for the link to the backpack thread it's very resourceful.

Not all art cars are set up for carrying passengers, nor do all art car owners invite riders. That said, it's great fun to find one (I remember a dragon for instance) run up and jump aboard, without a care as to where it's going. Play it by ear.

One of the craziest art cars I've ridden was a giant caterpillar, made on an old accordion bus. The whole thing was wrapped up, so you couldn't see out the windows. While riding the art car, you had no idea where you were going, until you got there and the doors opened. The driver would get on the PA and announce "We are at _____. And will be leaving in 7 minutes!"