Timmmii's Tips For 2007
What up ya'll? Burning Man 2007 is so right around the corner, I cannot believe it! The mad scramble begins, right? My name is Timmmii and I'm your host for this here thingamajig you're about to read.
I really love that thing in the desert we call Burning Man. I've been making the annual trek out to the Black Rock Desert since 1999. I'm more than primed to get back "home" — as we like to call it.
But with less than a month before Burning Man 2007 kickstarts, I'm already feeling the pressure of making sure I have everything I could possibly need for my weeklong stay in Black Rock City.
You'd think that after all this time and experience, I'd have my pre-planning for the playa down to a science. But alas, being an imperfect human and all, I have yet to attain ultimate perfection — though I'm getting there.
Nevertheless, with so much to digest, it never hurts to be reminded of key tips, and that applies to both first-time attendees or semi-jaded veterans like myself. Sometimes the most obvious things are what's forgotten.
So, with that in mind, we've assembled this quick hit list of some Very Important Points (VIPs!) you need to remember and ensure you're ready to rock when you arrive.
TRIVIAL TRIVIA
If you're a newcomer to Burning Man or returning after a hiatus, you've probably already received a nifty postcard in your snail mailbox called Timmmii's Tips For 2007. On that postcard was a trivia question that would require you to do some digging on www.burningman.com for the answer. Let's review, shall we?
Q: What year did the "corporation" Helco attempt a hostile takeover of Burning Man?For more info on 1996, come, reminisce with us...or we'll let Papa Satan loose from his dungeon after 11 long years:
A: 1996 — you know, that oh-so-fabled year that everyone refers to wistfully as being the last year Burning Man was cool.
- Larry Harvey's Detailed Account of Burning Man's Early Years (specifics about Helco begin on page 2 of the link)
- Helco Photo Gallery
- 1996 Black Rock Gazette
Whoo hoo! So, yeah, read away!
Respect One Another — Aretha Franklin knew what she was talking about. It's all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect your fellow Black Rock City citizens. Introduce yourself. Make friends with your neighbors. It's not that difficult, especially at Burning Man. Help each other out if someone needs assistance. We're all in this together. Maintain an open mind. For more on this, visit Culture In Black Rock City.
No Driving In Black Rock City — Once you settle in your camp location and park your car, plan to leave your car parked for the duration of your stay until you're ready to pack it up and head back to the real world. For transportation, bring your bike or your pre-registered mutant vehicle. Black Rock City is designed exclusively for pedestrians and bicycles, so leave small, motorized vehicles such as scooters, motorcycles and golf carts at home. There are too many people to risk injury of your or your fellow BRC citizens. And remember, driving on the playa is not allowed. Ever. For more information, visit No Driving in BRC.
Leave No Trace —There are no trashcans at Burning Man. None. Zero. Zip. Burning Man is the largest Leave No Trace event in the world. Pick up your MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) and help us maintain this cycle of sustainability. Maintaining the land is of utmost importance for our mission in the desert. Take everything you brought to the playa back with you. It's only fair! This event will cease to exit if we fail to clean up after ourselves. Leave no trace of yourself. It's as simple as that. For more information, check out Recycling
Don't Arrive Early — Burning Man starts at 12:01 a.m., Monday, August 27, and not a minute sooner. Be on time, be late, but don't be early. For real. We're feverishly building the city right up until the moment the doors open. The only people who should be there early are staff members and work crews, and you already know who you are, so there should be no confusion at this point — if you haven't been told to arrive early, please don't arrive until we're open. Arriving early is lame and guarantees you a trip back to Reno. And nobody wants that. For more on this, read up in the Survival Guide
If It Doesn't Come From Your Body, Don't Put It In The Potty &mdash It's a royal pain in the ass to deal with non-bodily fluids in the porta-potties, and our vendor can't do its job efficiently. Those portable toilets don't clean themselves, ya know. The only items that should be deposited in there are human waste products and single-ply toilet paper. Nothing else. No joke. Failure to follow this rule may result in you being dunked headfirst into your nearest port-o-potty of choice. Do you really want to risk that? I didn't think so. For more info, read up: playa FAQ or Potty Info
A Gift Economy Is A State of Mind — OK, let's get this straight. Burning Man's gift economy is often misinterpreted as some sort of ancient, utopian barter system. Um, no. A gift economy doesn't mean you should empty out your junk drawers and hand out cheap trinkets to your fellow burners, hoping for something valuable in exchange. A gift economy simply means that you give something of yourself, whatever you deem that to be. Basically, it's about sharing. You remember how to share, don't you? Gift someone with your time, a spontaneous song, a drink of water, or help out your neighbor if they need assistance with something. For additional info on gifting, read up on the Ten Principles of Burning Man.
Take Only The Space You Need —As usual, our population will grow this year. The city footprint is bigger than ever, but we need to avoid unnecessary land grabbing. It's just not fair to take more than you need. It's gonna be a tight squeeze as it is this year. Don't hoard the land. There's plenty of room for everyone. Get even closer with your neighbors. They should be your friends anyway!
Be Mindful of the Remote Location — Fill up your tank with gas in Reno or when you get off the freeway, before you arrive to the site, so you won't have to worry about running out of gas when you leave. The two-lane roads going to Burning Man, Hwys 447 and 34, don't have shoulders for you to pull over, so if your car runs out of gas or breaks down, you could be sitting there for a very long time. And being stranded out there just plain sucks.
There are gas stations in Empire and Gerlach, but they can become incredibly crowded, especially after the event, and you may be tempted to try to make it back to I-80. Save yourself the hassle and drama and fill up on the way, before you arrive. Don't forget to check all your vehicle's fluids while you're filling up. For more info, check out "Getting There".
You Don't Have To Be In A Theme Camp To Attend Burning Man — We're often asked if you have to be affiliated with a theme camp to attend Burning Man. No! Theme camps are but one of the innumerable ways to participate. Theme camps help make Black Rock City the diverse community that it is, but they certainly aren't a requirement. Many folks attend with a small group of friends or even arrive solo. I attended Burning Man three times with just a couple other friends before joining up with a theme camp. It's fun to switch it up from year to year to keep things fresh and in perspective. Either way, you'll find it simple to connect with tons of people. For more, visit FAQ: Theme Camps or Theme Camps at Burning Man.
Keep Yourself Well Lit At Night — Traversing across the vast expanse of the open playa at night can be an enlightening experience. Trust me, venturing out into the deep playa late at night can be awe-inspiring. But your enlightening experience can easily go awry if you aren't adorned with some sort of light source. There will be lots of people roaming around the playa at all hours of the night, not to mention all the mutant vehicles. It's dark. It's the desert. You will need to see each other to avoid potential injuries. Do you really want to spend your time at Burning Man in pain (or worse)? Not fun. Don't forget a light for your bike and your body. For more info, read up on Bikes.
Don't Bring Your Plants — Yes, it's the year of the Green Man and we're all about preserving Mother Nature's multitude of natural wonders. But that doesn't mean bringing plant life with you to Burning Man is a good idea. Your plants won't be so stoked on it. In fact, they'll probably die. And then of course turn into MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) that will have to be picked up by hand. You'll notice the lack of things like trees, grass, weeds and such in the Black Rock Desert. There is a reason for their absence -- the desert sun can be particularly brutal. Show your support of the Green Man in some other way. Skip the plants. For more on this, read the Plant Policy.
Of course, this doesn't even come close to covering everything you need to know for your Burning Man experience — they're just a few cultural reminders. The Survival Guide and First Timers' Guide will tell you everything else you need to know for proper playa preparation.
We're also hard at work on a preparation blog where you can catch up to the minute tips and submit some of your own ideas! You can find it here/
See you on the playa!
Timmmii 
