Burning Man

Mushhuskies

Advanced Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
69
Location
Hawaii
Hey all,

Umm, heading off to Burning Man pretty soon and am wondering if any of you all have attended it? I would be interested in hearing how the FWC held up under the dust storms and extreme temps? Any suggestions/recommendations are always appreciated. MH
 
I've never attended Burning Man, but I've camped on the Black Rock playa plenty of times.
The effect of the Black Rock Desert environment shouldn't be a problem -- it's not that big a deal, most of the time. The warnings given to attendees are in the CYA category on the part of BM organizers -- against unlikely-worst-case-conditions.

But if you're wondering: "How does a FWC hold up to an attack by a drug-crazed hippy who wants to involve your FWC in his performance art?" I don't know. :p

Seriously, though: looking forward to your "post-Man" trip report! I've checked out the BM website over the years, and there's some really incredibly-cool stuff -- yes, ART -- that goes on there! Stuff that's incredible that someone was able to think up and carry out successfully!
And yes, probably...lot's-o-drugs, but that's optional. :rolleyes:
 
I've been to Burning Man twice. 2009 & 2010. By no means am I a "veteran" or hard core burner. The 1st year we took our trailer and in 2010, we took our FWC Grandby Shell. The FWC was easier to clean and stayed cooler (cooled down quicker) than the trailer. The only key points I would emphasize is to close it up good if you are leaving camp to go explore. Once the wind exceeds 15 mph, it picks up all the loose playa dust and it will deposit it in the most minute nooks and crannies you can imagine. If you want to keep it out of your bed, close the storm flaps and windows. When you return, if the dust is not blowing, open it up. We found it cooled down quickly at night, as it often does in the desert. The other suggestion would be to cover any vents or louvers, such as for the furnace, that will not be used, with blue paint masking tape. It does a fine job of keeping dust out and peels off easily. I used it to close off plumbing and range to exhaust vents on our trailer the first year after I saw dust being blown down the exhaust vent over the stove top.

Lastly, bring a new air filter for the engine along and, after leaving and once you hit the pavement, put it in. You'll likely be sitting idling on the way in and also departing and the air filter will get clogged up. Once home, wash your rig thoroughly to get the alkaline dust off it. I also had my engine steamed cleaned both years.

We have a Fiamma awning that we got new from FWC. We did not use it. I completely sealed off all the openings on the casing to keep dust out. I had no interest in trying to clean out the dust that would work it's way into the mechanism. We brought a free standing shade canopy instead.

One last suggestion, at night, be sure to amply light your bike and or body up at night to avoid being hit by mutant vehicles or other bikes in the dark. There is so much going on that it is easy to get distracted by the visual onslaught of art, people and craziness.

Have fun.

TK
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1526.JPG
    DSCN1526.JPG
    159.2 KB · Views: 226
  • DSCN1525.JPG
    DSCN1525.JPG
    167.2 KB · Views: 227
BC & TGK,

Great! Just the info and reality check I was thinking of. I'm a relative novice when it comes to desert camping and so have lots to learn but some of the things you come across in the forums relating to BM seem to come from alot of folks that have only camped at BM and for a week out of the year! Not bad info, just a different perspective.

We've been in howling blizzards in the FWC with nary a problem other than getting out the following morning so its hard for me to believe that a dust storm can be so much worse and life threatening. But then again, I don't really know those conditions.

Thanks for the preventative tips....I've also heard you should tarp off your engine compartment or otherwise plug the grille opening to alleviate some of the dust issues??? How well does the blue tape stick in that heat and does it leave any lasting residue on auto paint? It sounds like duct tape turns into a gooey mess.

Will pick up a couple of air filters as well. TGK, I noticed that you had the required bikes. Can I expect our bikes to be fairly well trashed and good for the junk pile post burn? We haven't bought yet, considering some Wally World wonders and what I've read so far isnt reassuring in terms of long life!! But I've already bought the EL wire,blinkies, wands, and streamers, not to mention oodles of body paint! We will be seen.

BC, the art is what attracted us initially and all the other funky stuff certainly has its attractions too. I will post a report and some modest pics upon our return (don't panic Dirty Dog!).
 
This could be a great thread. I passed through Reno as people were coming back from BM. I was on my way to Bonneville and BUB Speed Week a true motor head vacation. I have NEVER seen so much dirt on car, trucks, RV's. Looking forward to your trip report.

Bill in Stockton
 
MH,

I found that the blue paint masking tape stuck very well to metal as well as plastic in the heat. It did not leave a residue. Much better than duct tape for temporarily closing off vents and cracks. I did see that some of the participants laid tarps over their vehicle grills or inserted cardboard in front of the radiator.

Regarding bikes, the general recommendation is to not take your good bikes. Single speed cruisers work well or older mountain bikes. You definitely want wide tires to avoid getting bogged down in the loose dust piles that build up. I found a really decent women's mtn bike for my wife for $49 at a local non-profit that reconditions donated bikes. The playa dust is very tough on non-painted or coated metal. The chains on the bike rusted out fast on return. A good rack or basket on the front or rear of the bike comes in handy when making a run to buy ice. Be sure to bring a compact bike lock to secure the bikes if left unattended. While bike theft is not common, it does happen, particularly if it's a fine ride. Considering there are 50,000 people attending, the overall vibe is extremely positive, with very little of the ugly side our species can sometimes manifest. Having said that, when 50,000 people come together, there can still be a few jerks, particularly if they are in an intoxicant induced haze.

I brought in 5 empty plastic jugs that had contained vegetable oil for restaurants. I rinsed them out at home and strapped them to the roof of the shell on a Yakima basket case. Their purpose is to haul out any left over gray water that I was not able to evaporate. I recall I had to haul out about 10 gallons of gray water last year. I was able to evaporate quite a bit more by using a series 8 of small black cement mixing trays I picked up at Home Depot. They nested compactly for the trip in and out. I constantly kept them filled with water to about 1" - 2" depth. It's was amazing how well it worked in the intense sun.

TK
 
OK -- I think I've figured out why my experience on the Black Rock Desert (and Alvord Desert playa, dozens of passages) has been so different, i.e., why I've never needed any precautions against dust-damage to the vehicle:
I haven't been surrounded by 10s-of-thousands of vehicles who are also (like me) grinding up the surface and stirring up dust all around me.
When I drive across the Black Rock playa there's usually a long -- sometimes huge -- plume of dust rising in my wake, but since it's behind me it has no affect on my engine, no need for extra air-filters or post-playa engine cleaning, no need to seal anything up.
Now I get it.
tongue.gif

(I knew there were other reasons to avoid crowds besides being anti-social
wink.gif
)
 
Mark BC,


I also have been to the Alvord many times over the past 30 years and a few time to the Black Rock and it never once entered my mind as a concern. With Burning Man, however, while sitting in the lineup of rigs waiting to get in, I quickly realized it was an entirely different environment. All those fine particles of dust lifted off the surface by tire tread go airborne. It's not that the vehicles are going fast. There is a speed limit. The event has heavy police presence to enforce it. Even though driving is restricted to art and official vehicles (as well as new arrivals) once it gets going, it's amazing how the surface of the streets start to pile dust moguls from all the foot, bike and mutant vehicle traffic. The streets that were smooth going at the start become rough 7 days later on Labor day.

The other thing that was amazing was how quickly it all turned to muck when a light shower hit on opening day last year. The BM Organization immediately stopped all traffic at the gate for almost 2 hours and encouraged no driving within BRC. My wife and I were on our bikes and had to dismount after a quarter mile because the tires and chain stays were too packed with wet playa mud to continue. Fortunately, we dismounted next to one of the many theme bars that was serving up tasty Bloody Marys. Good idea to carry your own cup or mug to take advantage of these Oasis. Of course, like all bars on the Black Rock, it was free. Nothing is for sale, anywhere, during the event, accept for coffee, tea, soda and ice. We later reciprocated the bars generosity by dropping off some cans of V8 as they were running low on tomato juice.

My wife and I are very experienced campers in boondocking situations as we usually avoid campgrounds whenever possible. The main difference we found when camping at Burning Man for a week was dealing with the dust and handling the gray water. We carried goggles with us at all time as well as bandanas. Even wore dust masks a few times during a couple of strong blows. Having to either evaporate or carry out all or our gray water was also an interesting learning experience. We did pretty well the first year and the 2nd time it went smoother, meaning we evaporated more and carried out less. I will say that if you have a large RV with a black/gray water tank, you can flag down one of the pump trucks that cruise the event and have them empty your tanks. Of course, that is not free. I've found that some of our friends who are very interested in attending and who are also very experienced campers, are put off by the heat and dusty environment. However, we found with an adjustment of attitude and sense of adventure, it wasn't that big of a deal.

We are not going this year, but may return at some point if we some of our friends get motivated. The biggest draws backs to attending are really not the time camping during the event. It's entering and exiting. There is only one entrance on the two lane road from Gerlach. Once you leave the pavement when entering, they split it into to 8 entry lanes. Every vehicle is stopped at the gate for tickets and inspection for stowaways, if the rig is capable of hiding people. I was told last year they found a guy inside a 120 quart cooler. Hard to imagine. We pulled up to the gate 4:45 AM Monday and did not get through the gate till just before 8:00 AM. We left a week later at 3:00 AM on Labor Day and it still took us 90 minutes to go the 3 miles of playa road to the pavement. In 2009 we were off the playa in 20 minutes. Our friends headed out around 5:30 PM on Labor Day and it took them 4 hours to get out.
So, unless one has a pass to enter early, or stays on for clean up after it's over, long waits are part of the cost of admission. As the event grows, it can only get worse.
 
TK,

Keep the hits coming! Great info here...I had spaced the grey water issue. I was actually able to latch onto a regional group and will be staying in their encampment. In some regards that should make it abit easier although I'm sure they will have their own peculiar initiation rites! Just out of curiosity how much H20 did you bring in? I'm planning on about fifty gallons which oughta just about blow the airbags with all the other crap I'll be hauling. I know we can get by on much less but attempting to be clean in a filthy environment is key to a happy marriage! I'm an old wildland firefighter so rolling around in the black and being disgustingly smelly and dirty for days on end is no big deal; my wife not so much.

I think we'll stick with the el cheapo bicycles from a Wally world sort of store. Probably pop them off at the Salvation Army in Reno on our way thru as we are continuing on down to the Tahoe basin for a few more days of camping before pointing the rigs nose north and trudging on home.

Just finished a Goodwill run today with the wife. We picked up some snazzy duds for the event. Who knew that the seventies were back in fashion! Straight out of an Olan Mills pic, yikes! MH
 
Having been twice myself ('04 and '06) this was pre FWC days for me but the advice TGK gave you is spot on. Be prepared for anything and be prepared to help those that aren't, there will be many. I heard Larry Harvey is claiming this to be the final BM, enjoy the sensory overload!Also, if you haven't already I recommend you subscribe to the Jack Rabbit Speaks emails.
 
I heard Larry Harvey is claiming this to be the final BM...

ohmy.gif
I've procrastinated for years...and now I've missed it!
Oh well. snooze = lose
 
We brought in about 48 gallons last year for the two of us. We arrived early the previous Monday and left early the following Monday. We each took a several solar showers using MSR's 10L Dromedary bags. I recall we had some water left over, but not sure how much. For staying hydrated, we brought in a lot of V-8 juice and a few other things. Of course, that doesn't include the beer, as it doesn't hydrate very well, but it does sooth the psyche.

There was also water sloshing around in the cooler, which could have been used for showers in a pinch. We prolonged the life of some of our ice by packing one large cooler with pre-frozen pre-prepared foods and then covered it with dry ice. The dry ice kept it all rock solid. Once the dry ice was gone, we got a few more days from the ice in the cooler. Toward the end, however, we did have to buy some blocks of ice at the ice camp.

Also, for the coolers I picked up an old synthetic rectangular sleeping bag at Goodwill for $8. I kept the coolers of the ground by laying down a few 2 x 4's and then draped the sleeping bag over the coolers for extra insulation and protection from the heat, even though they were under a canopy the entire time.

TK
 
TK, I'm planning on a similar haul of H20. I have the standard blue plastic containers but also invested in some knock down cardboard boxes with 5 gallon Mylar bag inserts similar to what I'm used to from the feds that are called cubitainers (cubies). I was looking for something reusable yet relatively compact.

Also planned on three coolers! One is the day to day, the other two will have: #1 - half gallon cleaned out Half and Half containers filled with H20, frozen, and packed in dry ice. We'll pluck two a day and throw them in the ready cooler to keep cool and the following day a partial source of cold water. The other, #2, is the gifting cooler packed with zuke, rhubarb, and banana-nut bread again frozen and packed in dry ice. I plan on wrapping all the coolers in reflectix to help keep cool. Sounds like we'll need it cuz temps are running 97 this week and its early yet!

So keep those tips coming, I'm eating this stuff up!!! MH
 
Oh, and somewhere in there I'm stuffing a cheapo tandem bike! This packing job will certainly warrant a pic or two for the forums enjoyment and groans! How much can you stuff into a 05 Tundra anyway?!!! MH
 
I heard Larry Harvey is claiming this to be the final BM
ohmy.gif
I've procrastinated for years...and now I've missed it!
Oh well. snooze = lose
Last night by chance I met a guy (neighbor of a friend) who was getting ready for Burning Man (some kind of art involving a golf cart...
blink.gif
). So I asked him about "final Burning Man". He said "Absolutely no way!" He said that it might be Larry Harvey's last B-Man, but "Burning Man will go on without him -- he's not that important any more...way in the background". This guy could be full of sht and/or wishful thinking -- I don't know.
But maybe I'll still have a chance to make one of these even if I continue to procrastinate.
rolleyes.gif
 
I haven't heard anything about this being the last year of Burning Man. So, I did a search and the only thing I could find was from a spoof site. I kinda doubt it is going to go away any time soon. I believe this year is the last year of the 5 year permits they negotiate with the BLM. I don't follow this too closely, but I believe they have already tied down the next 5 years. It's my understanding that it is all very involved with a strict ceiling on the number of attendees. The last 5 years were capped at 50,000 or slightly over. They never reached that until 2010 and, this year, they sold out for the first time. They tend to hold the fine print pretty close so I've only read what is at best speculation. It suggested the agreement will allow them to bump up attendance even higher. I've only been twice, in 2009 & 2010 and was not there in the earlier years. Given the constraints of getting in and out that I mentioned earlier in this post, it's hard to imagine continued growth unless they do something to expedite entry and exit. It was one of the most unusual events I've ever attended. Definitely worth going to at least once. A fascinating sociological experience. I'm frankly amazed they allow it to happen, as a good deal of what takes place would not be allowed on the streets of any community in the US. In fact, it's hard to imagine any state besides Nevada sanctioning the event. With Vegas and Reno being the prime tourist destinations of the state, it's not like they can ban it based on protecting community standards and family values. Besides, it now generates a huge influx of cash into Reno and the small towns in route. I heard that of the 43,000 people in attendance in 2009, 15,000 of them came in through the Reno Airport from around the globe. With modern day baggage restrictions being what they are, that's a whole lot of people needing to stock up for a week on the playa where nothing is provided for them. There's probably a fair amount of cash being exchanged in route from the Airport to the Black Rock. We came in from the NW via Cedarville and it's apparent it was a major cash infusion for those folks.

It's hard to imagine what BM's liability insurance must cost. The propane cannons on mutant vehicles alone make me wonder about the consequences if the operator does not have things hooked up properly. The whole time it is being policed by county and state law enforcement. I'm sure they have to suspend their normal thresholds for intervening in deviant behavior. Having said that, I believe their presence has increased the last few years. They were pretty aggressive in going after underage drinking with undercover operators hitting many of the "bars".
 
I think I read somewhere where they have an engineering team that does safety inspections on the art cars, building etc.
 

New posts

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top Bottom