Intro:
Last year traveling across the country by myself to take part in one of the greatest social experiments in the form of Burning Man was a daunting task. But now in my second year of preparation I have a MUCH better idea of what the hell I'm getting into, and what I need to do in order to survive comfortably.
So what's different this year?
FOMO:
When you first enter the gates they give you a thick handbook. It includes all the scheduled participatory events taking place at the various camps. Many of these are just big parties with various themes, but others are much more informational. Want to learn how to ballroom dance? There's a class for that. Yoga? Pick a flavor. Want to learn more about Kinbaku (Japanese knot based bondage). Class. Always wanted to freestyle rap? Class. Want to swing around on some suspended circus rings like a freaking monkey? You guessed it. Class.
You are not going to be able to do everything. This isn’t Disney World. There is no Fast Pass. For the entire week I mostly just winged it. If I wasn’t doing something with my impromptu campmates I’d point my bike in a direction, and just let serendipity do the rest with out disappointment. That said I could due with a more planned approach, and actually read through the book more thoroughly this time.
I’m also bringing my small memopad everywhere I go to write down street names because I can’t tell you how many times I said “I’m totally coming back here during the week!” Only to not remember where the hell “here” was with my notoriously bad sense of direction. Also to be fair some of "those places" might have been mirages.
I'm Going to Lean Into my Playa Name So Hard:
I don't think I ever really noticed how much wacky cat related clothing I possessed until one of my campmates exclaimed: "Look at you Kathmandu!" and there it was...it stuck. So now I'm Kathmandu. I'm all in. I own it. Last year I talked to someone who had attended Burning Man for 10+ years and never acquired a playa name, so when kismet happens you run with it. Basically if you thought my outfits were weird, and cat related before... just wait.
I'm Not Going to be Afraid to Ask for Help:
It’s not that I’m necessarily stubborn, or unfriendly. It’s just as a born, and raised New Englander I’ve got a very “I’ll do it my damn self” mentality. I take the "radical self reliance" aspect of the event a little too radically. By nature I’d rather use a cursed monkey's paw to acquire what I need than ask anyone else to help me. But now I recognize there is a time, and place to rely on shared survival. You're in the middle of nowhere, and something could go wrong at any moment no matter how well you've prepared ahead of time. I need to allow myself to lean on new friends, and strangers with out feeling like a burden.
I Want to Share More:
Last year I tried to be very liberal with giving out cans of PBR, but I don't think it's enough. I haven't figured out if it's going to be gourmet lollipops, or stickers of some sort, but there's always someone handing you something, and I need to do more than toss out cans of cheap beer.
I Hope to Run Out in the Desert:
“If you decide during the race that you don’t want to finish you need to let someone know… because otherwise we’re going to assume you’re out there lying at the trash fence, and we’re going to send someone out there to look for your body.” --Burning Man 50K Ultra Race Director - Cherie Bomb
The first 50K I ever ran was on the frozen sands of Cape Cod in the middle of February. It was beyond chilly, and the winds were so strong I could literally feel my contact lenses sliding across my face. I was outclassed, and coming in dead last the race took me 8 hours to complete. At one point the race directors called me to make sure I was still on the course, and not a frozen heap in a ditch somewhere.
I don't know if my training regime has prepared me for an ultramarathon in the desert yet. It's going to be a close call, but we'll see. If not hey there's always the Naked Mile (which is exactly what it sounds like).
Even if I Don't Ultimately Decide to Run I Need to Ride A Bike More Beforehand
Last year my butt hadn't been on a bike since middle school, and my butt definitely hurt throughout plus days after the event. I live in one of the most bike friendly areas of Massachusetts so it seems like a vulgar waste of resources when I can literally rent a bike for about $1.50 an hour, and get my body better acclimated to riding around all day.
I'm Going to Minimize my Waste and Reduce My Garbage:
One person, one week, and yet somehow I ended up with two bags of garbage. I don’t even remember what I threw away to justify both bags. Getting rid of it wasn’t an issue. There are several places along the ride back to Reno that will gladly take your junk for $5 a bag.
In retrospect getting a large pallet of individual plastic water bottles was a bad idea. Convenient on the go? Maybe. But I can probably get by on a couple big jugs of water, and a refillable bottle/cup/drinking horn. I ended up donating most of it because it's not like I can take it back on the plane with me. I also didn’t weigh the amount of water I needed against my other fluids such as including Gatorade, ginger ale, energy drinks, etc. That’s not counting all the cheap beer I bought that’s basically mostly water anyway.
I'll Test All my Equipment Thoroughly Ahead of Time:
Imagine it’s somewhere around 3AM, and you’re in your tent. You really have to pee, and you know how dark it must be outside because there are no such things as street lights here. Your tent walls rustle vigorously which means there could be a sandstorm welcoming you if you open that flap door.
Do you:
A. Brave the dark wind strewn journey to the porta-potty with your headlamp.
Or
B. Use the portable camping urinal that has a slow leak in it that you didn’t realize it had because you never tested it before you came here.
For the record this time around I’m bringing a portable urinal with a secondary backup, and I’m testing them both now as I sit at my desk while writing this. Just kidding... maybe.
Old or new I strongly recommend testing ALL your equipment ahead of time to minimize any surprises.
I'm Revamping My Packing List:
There's a Burning Man term called "Sparkle Pony". This is the person in your camp that packed: 20 cute outfits, a pack of gum, and a parasol, but no food or water. Ultimately they become a burden, and drain on shared resources. Don't be a Sparkle Pony.
Personally for my first attempt I tried to make my survival packing list as overkill as possible, and still be able to fly out to the event. There were things I wished I brought vs bought there, and items I didn't use that were useless. Items just taking up precious space in my baggage, and rental car trunk.
After This I'm Going to Reassess How I Go to this Event:
I think if I lived out in middle America, or the west coast I'd probably try to attend every year. Just throw the bike rack on the car. Load up on all the amenities, and roll out. I could avoid paying a premium on a ticket, and just try to grab one at the last minute. If I can't make work... Well no worries.
That said tickets do sell out quickly, and planning an expensive cross country trip (flights, baggage fees, car rental, bike rental, food/supplies, etc) when you don't even know if you'll acquire a ticket at the last minute would give me a heart attack. Which is exactly why I paid the premium this year, and last.
What I'm paying for is complete freedom. No cooking/cleaning/volunteering shifts at a camp. No dues to pay. No one expects me to be anywhere at any time. I'm am beholden to no one but myself. But 1. Can I keep justifying the cost, and 2. Maybe after this year if I still love it I should become part of the experience rather than just a participant. There are reasonably priced/free ticket options if you're willing to put in the time while volunteering. That seems pretty fair to me. Which leads me to...
Maybe Become A Ranger Next Round:
I talked to a local Burner recently who has been a Ranger for the better part of a decade, and man did he have some stories. I found it fascinating, and I figure it'd be a great way to experience the event from a different perspective.
A Ranger is part of Burning Man's volunteer security force. They: mitigate/deescalate situations, guard the border from gate crashers, assist in emergency services, get the local police involved when necessary, and even provide emotional support to other Burners (look a lot of crazy things can happen out in the desert). It does require training. They're not just sending a small army of random brawny bouncer looking dudes out in the wastelands with clipboards and walkie-talkies.
Here's the thing. It's pretty easy to lose your shit out there in this environment. If you've watched either of the Fyre Festival documentaries on Netflix or Hulu you'd realize that sometimes when faced with adversity people can go from 0 to Lord of the Flies pretty quick.
Me? Honestly I think that's part of the adventure, but it's not for everyone. Under the duress of: caustic chemical burn inducing dust, relationships brought to the breaking point, searing day time heat, cold bitter nights, bright lights, still darkness, claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and everything else in between you could easily find yourself trying to breath with an anxiety filled boulder of emotional distress crushing your chest. This is why I'd love to explore if I could become part of what's called the Sanctuary team. These are the folks that when you're experiencing moments of emotional intensity take the time to just listen to you, and provide reassurance. They're recognized by wearing a green dot so you can seek them out.
I Really Want to Go All Out This Time:
By nature I'm what you call an "Introverted Extrovert". It's an oxymoron that's often difficult to explain. Sometimes I like to keep to myself. Sometimes I'm really boisterous and loud. Sometimes I need to be by myself to recharge. Sometimes I need to be around people otherwise I'll go insane.
Last year I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Honestly. And as overwhelmed as I was I needed a couple nights of just relaxing to process everything. This time I'm all in, and I don't want to waste a moment of it.
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