Burning Man Mailing List
Frequently Asked Questions
Version 0.10
Modified: 1996 June 03
Contents:
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1. Why a FAQ?
- How often does the FAQ change?
- How do I submit additions/corrections to the FAQ?
2. What is Burning Man?
- Who started the whole thing?
- Why the Black Rock Desert?
3. What is the Burning Man Mailing List?
- Who maintains the list?
- What sort of information is posted there?
- How do I subscribe to the list?
- How do I unsubscribe from the list?
- Is Burning Man really anything like this list?
4. What can I expect at Burning Man?
- Where is Burning Man held?
- What activities go on out there?
- What should I bring?
- How do I get there?
- Isn't this awful dangerous?
5. How can I go to Burning Man?
- Is Burning Man a private event?
- How do I register?
- What else can you tell me about the event?
6. Is there any more information available?
1. Why a FAQ?
Well, why not? First of all, there are a lot of questions out there
that get asked frequently; so a "frequently asked questions" list sort
of makes sense (sort of). Put simply, it's the most efficient way to
update a whole lot of people with the same set of information.
- How often does the FAQ change?
Changes are made as necessary (or when the FAQ owner is "in the mood").
- How do I submit additions/corrections to the FAQ?
You can email ideas to the list or, as a side though, email the keeper
of the FAQ, russell@marketsmart.com.
2. What is Burning Man?
Burning Man is a rather difficult event to explain. Imagine, if you
will, a bunch of people, mainly from the San Francisco Bay Area, getting
together out in the middle of a vast expanse of desert and assmembling
a sort of "temporary community." Anything and everything is possible.
- Who started Burning Man?
Larry Harvey has been credited with starting the whole thing. Many
years ago, or so it seems, a handful of friends got together on a San
Francisco beach and spontaneously burned an eight-foot man... without
ever thinking about it, the event became an annual ritual and continued
to grow and expand to what we have today (or will have next year).
- Why the Black Rock Desert?
Where else can you assemble multiple thousands of people, run around
naked (if you wish), and burn forty-foot effigies down to the ground
without getting arrested or being considered a riot?
3. What is the Burning Man Mailing List?
The Burning Man Mailing List is an extension of the event itself onto
the internet. Here many people get together to talk about memories,
plan for the future, and just generally "shoot the shit."
- Who maintains the list?
Currently, Eric Pouyoul (eric@chorus.com) has been kind enough to take
the responsibility of the list over (with rather short notice, I might
add). He has done pretty much everything from scratch without even
the benefit of a "canned" list processor.
- What sort of information is posted there?
It would probably be easier to answer the question "what information
is *not* posted there." The list really has no boundaries.
- How do I subscribe to the list?
You can subscribe to the list by sending mail to:
"burnman-list-admin@chorus.com"
Set the subject to subscribe and include your email address in the
body of the message. Please note that sending a subscribe message to
the actual list (burnman-list@chorus.com) earns you no brownie points.
- How do I unsubscribe from the list?
You can unsubscribe to the list by sending mail to:
"burnman-list-admin@chorus.com"
Set the subject to "unsubscribe" and include your email address in the
body of the message. Please note that if you do not follow these
instructions and, perhaps, mistakingly send your mail to the entire list,
you may end up with a mailbox full of email ridiculing you for not paying
attention.
- Is Burning Man really anything like this list?
Put succintly: No. Recent reports/whines indicate that the list folk
tend to be a bit more harsh than they are in-person. (Editor's
Comment: I actually feel that the people *at* Burning Man are some of
the kindest folk I have come in contact with for a long while; the list
often seems not to reflect that same idea.)
4. What can I expect at Burning Man?
Anything and everything... remember, Burning Man is a PATICIPATORY
event; if you come expecting to be entertained, you may very well be
disappointed.
- Where is Burning Man held?
Burning Man is held in the middle of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
The physical location of the camp is decided only days before most
people actually arrive.
- What activities go on out there?
It depends on what you feel like doing. (That event, as of yet, knows
no bounds) I have personally seen things such as drag races (ie. men
dressing up in ladie's clothes, complete with high heels, sprinting
across the playa), skeet golf, disgruntled postal workers, cars
decorated with more "junk" than I'd venture to find at the local land-
fill, spontaneous group mud bathing (following a rain storm), and a
variety of other things that really do defy description.
- What should I bring?
Please note: this *is* the middle of the Black Rock Desert. There
is literally NOTHING around for miles... nothing... nada... zero...
except flat expanses of alkali dirt. If you need or want it, BRING
IT because you will NOT be able to just drive a few miles and buy
what you need; the closest town (Gerlach) of a few dozen people is
a good hour drive away and it doesn't even have a store; Reno is a
good hour away... by helocopter.
Some things you should consider bringing:
A vehicle in SOUND working condition
Water (No less than two gallons per person per day)
Food/Beverages
More water
Sunscreen/Shade/Shelter/Bedding
Even more water
Flashlights and spare batteries
Yet more water
- How do I get there?
The easiest way is to register; you will receive an information packet
that contains the map to a check-in point.
- Isn't this awful dangerous?
Yes (it can be). So what's your point?
5. How can I go to Burning Man?
- Is Burning Man a private event?
Burning Man is an event that is open to the public.
- How do I register?
Check out the web site for current information:
http://www.istorm.com/burningman.
- What else can you tell me about the event?
Well, here's some of the contents of the 1995 registration packet:
WARNING: Black Rock Desert may be HAZARDOUS to your health. Do not
attempt to find Burning Man unaided or by following last year's
directions. The site of this year's camp has been relocated. The route
leading to it has been altered due to excess rain and snowfall early this
year. Large portions of the playa now lie under a vast sheet of water.
Lake Lahanton has returned. Anyone who approaches this enormous lake
will be mired in mud. (IMPORTANT: Consult the travel advisory in your
survival guide) Recuse of your vehicle might tke several hours or even
several days. Exercise extreme caution. We have carefully selected this
year's site and tested the route leading to it. Drive directly to our
check-in gate at Black Rock Station using the instructions of the map.
Our staff will supply you with information on off-track conditions. The
largest mammoth ever discovered in North America was found at the edge of
this basin, buried alive as it struggled to escape the lake-shore mud.
If you stray from the path, remember: help is NOT around the corner.
People have died here.
VEHICLE SAFETY NOTES:
- Always carry drinking water, sun protection, a flashlight, highway
flares, and warm clothing or blankets in your vehicle.
- Avoid driving within 1/8 mile of the edge of the playa and within 1/2
mile of the lake in the middle of the playa. Avoid areas which are
not perfectly flat and areas which appear darker.
- Use caution when turning at higher speeds. Tires will not slide on
the alkali and vehicles will roll over.
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A PRACTICAL SURVIVAL GUIDE TO THE COMMUNITY OF BURNING MAN
We are escorting Burning Man into an astonishing and surreal desert
environment. A primary concern is to interact with the environment in a
positive and ecologically sound manner. We will establish a temporary
community in the center of a thoroughly flat 400 square mile harpan
alkali expanse ringer by magestic mountains. This environment is worlds
away from that to which we are accustomed and is governed by physical laws
which cannot be ignored. There are a number of safety and conservation
concerns which you must be aware of as a participant of this event.
COMING TO TEE DESERT; WHAT YOUR PARTY MUST BRING:
1. A vehicle in sound mechanical condition. Make sure you have a working
spare tire, jack, and highway flares. We also suggest you fill your
gas tank in Reno or Winnamucca.
2. IMPORTANT! No less than two gallons of water per person, per day.
Keep a supply in your vehicle at all times.
3. Enough food, beverages and ice for your whole party.
4. Bedding and shelter of some kind; the winds can reach 60 mph. A good
camp tent is recommended along with warm sleeping bags.
5. Garbage bags.
WE SUGGEST YOU BRING
1. Sunscreen/sunblock lotion.
2. Umbrellas, parasols, hats, sheets; something to break the midday sun.
You'll be glad you did!
3. A cooking stove if you expect to heat food or liquid.
4. Flashlights and spare batteries.
5. Compass.
6. First Aid Kit.
7. Folding chairs or camp stools.
8. Bicycles (mountain bikes with balloon tires are best).
9. If you are bringing delicate musical or electrical instruments, please
them in plastic bags for dust protection during the drive into camp.
DESERT NAVIGATION
There are no road signs or street lights in the Black Rock desert. Much
like deep space, travel is accomplished in vectors of direction and
distance. All objects -- human beings, cars, even our encampment --
drastically diminish in the scale of the desert. A difference in heading
of 4 to 5 degrees can send one's destination sweeping past, unheeded to
the left or the right. Use your odometer, compass and posted landmarks to
find your way.
Upon first entering and leaving camp, take time to accurately observe
landmarks and surrounding peaks. They are useful guides during the day.
At night it is very difficult to determine the direction or distance of
anything. Lights array themselves in random and confusing patterns. Any
observed point may be 4, 40, or 400 billion miles distant should you
happen to fix on a star. We will locate a tower equipped with a flashing
beacon at the center of camp.
The central circle of our camp is laid out as a giant compass. Wooden
spires mark the cardinal directions and are color coded. Lesser poles
mark degrees of the compass. Even finding your own tent within Central
Camp may prove to be a challenging task at night. A small bicycle
flasher on your tent may be helpful. After you have setup your campsite,
go to the center of camp counting the number of steps. Using the wooden
spires and/or your compass, locate the vector (bearing) of your campsite.
Remember your vector/distance from this central position.
OUR CAMPSITE:
1. Driving on the desert produces a dust plume. Please approach the camp
downwind.
2. Drive slowly and carefully within the immediate confims of our camp.
Any vehicle which presents a safety hazard to the community will be
disabled.
3. Do not drive or camp within our Centml Circle or block the four roads
going into it.
4. Secure objects at your campsite (paper products, clothing, tarps,
everything) against the wind. Objects as large as sleeping bags,
chairs, card tables and empty ice chests have been carried away by
occasional high winds. Weight the interior comers of your tent. Tent
stakes which are 12-inch or longer are recommended.
5. Extended ropes or cables used to secure tents should be flagged. They
are hazardous to pedestrians at night.
6. Every camping party is responsible for its refuse. Part of the beauty
of the Black Rock desert is its astounding blankness. Except for tire
and foot prints, our policy is to leave the desert a profoundly barren
and empty quarter of the world. A general cleanup party will be held
on Monday morning. Everyone is expected to participate. Take your
trash out with you. Do not deposit garbage bags in Gerlach. There is
a landfill in Lockwood off I-80 at exit 22, on the way to Reno, 7 AM to
4:30 PM.
7. Do not ignite freworks within the boundaries of camp. Do not keep loaded
firearms in camp or discharge firearms across the playa. All firearms
must be secured; there are children here.
8. Please don't camp or park near the Burning Man.
CONSERVATION AND SAFETY POINTERS
1. Always carry water and warm clothing or blankets in your vehicle.
2. Be aware of the very real danger of dehydration and sunstroke. Drink
lots of water. If you begin to shiver in the midday sun, immediately
seek the shade. In case of emergency, go to our medical station at
the center of camp. Medical aides are on call.
3. Do not camp in sleeping bags away from your vehicle at night. If you
are driving on the desert at night, be aware that there may be people
away from the campsite and also land sailors running in the darkness
without lights. Drive slowly and with caution. Never cruise at night
with your headlights off.
4. Use caution when turning at higher speeds. Tires will not slide on
the alkali and vehicles will roll over.
5. After first leaving the paved road and driving onto the desert it is
critical to avoid the perimeter of the flat where it intersects with
the surrounding mountains. There is a band of very soft, occasionally
swamp-like ground along the edge of the playa. If you drive into this
area, you WILL get stuck. We suggest that when driving off-road you
stay at least 1/8 mile from the edge of the alkali flat. Also avoid
any other areas where the ground is not hard-packed and flat. See the
WARNING on the map.
6. Before departing camp on an excursion, tell others of your plan.
Introduce yourself to your neightbors. Contact a ranger if anyone is
missing.
7. There are many hot springs near the mountains along the edge of the
playa. Always test the water temperature before entering. Don't
bring pets. Some of the pools are boiling hot.
8. The collection of historic artifacts and/or excavation of
archaeological sites is illegal on public lands. Please inform a
ranger if you discover an artifact.
9. Dig no holes in the alkali surface. (We will provide toilets) Holes,
even back-filler, present a danger to recreational motorists.
10.Night-time distress signal: red highway flare or flash your
headlights. Also, the sound of your horn will carry a long way at
night.
SOUND ABATEMENT
Resign yourself to certain facts:
(a) sounds at night reverberate on the playa
(b) people will camp where they will
(c) we don't live here in brick houses
(d) this is, after all, a party
Follow these simple rules: To the degree you enjoy silence, camp at a
corresponding distance from the center of camp (keeping in mind that any
tent which is situated beyond the metropolitan fringe of our circle could
become the target of a stray vehicle at night -- erect reflectors!)
Should your need for quiet be absolute, bring earplugs. Celebrants: turn
your amplified music down at night.
BLACK ROCK RANGERS
It is the mission of the Black Rock Rangers to patrol the playa. Led by
legendary Danger Ranger, these intrepid scouts are trained to conduct
search and rescue missions, assist all campers in emergencies, provide for
our camp safety and distribute information. Ranger headquarters will be
located in Central Camp.
COMMERCE & CONCESSIONS
The sale of mass-produced commercial products is strongly discouraged by
our community. This is not a consumer event. Our desert economy has no
convenience stores. Short on batteries? Need more water? Forget your
sun block? Confront your own survival. Ask your neighbors for help or
look for these supplies in the nearby towns of Gerlach and Empire.
However, every town should have a marketplace and our camp in no
exception. If you have created items which you wish to sell at our
market, please contact us in advance. Anything offered should bear the
distinctive stamp of your individual skill, taste, and ingenuity.
Whatever you make should represent a uniquely personal act. A
contribution of 10% of proceeds goes to the community project. Look for
our market in Central Camp.
STORMS
The Black Rock Desert is sometimes subject to rainstorms. Storm cells,
fed by rising thermals that stream upward from the surrounding mountains,
may arise at any time. Likewise, dust storms can prowl the playa in packs
or sweep, in a broadened front, across the plain. Suddenly besetting us,
they may produce instant "white-outs." Seek immediate shelter and stay
there. If you are caught outside of shelter during this condition,
simply cover your face with your shirt and wait. Severe conditions
rarely last more than half an hour. Think of the playa as a giant
mattress, flat and forgiving.
In the event of rain, again remain where you are. Do not try to drive
off the playa. Rainfall here is quite selective. Fleeing a storm, you
may merely gain a wetter patch of ground and become mired. Sudden
rainfall drains quickly here. A three-hour shower may muddy the ground,
but terrain will soon become passable. Your best shelter is society.
Should a major storm overtake us, the Black Rock Rangers will patrol in
emergency vehicles to rescue straggling pedestrians.
Nature is volatile at Black Rock. Conditions may change suddenly, but,
if you relax and stay calm, your patience will insure your safety.
SPECIAL TRAVELERS ADVISORY FOR 1995
Due to exceptionally heavy snowfall this past winter, a large area of the
playa is still wet and muddy. Cross-playa driving at night is not
recommended. Stay on well-travelled and marked routes.
The area in the center and south end of the playa consists of deep mud
covered with two to three inches of dry playa. If you leave the safe
areas and encounter mud, do not stop. Try to keep your vehicle moving
and make a gradual 180 degree turn. If you lose traction completely and
stop, try letting most of the air out of your tires, place clothing under
the drives tires and then attempt to get moving again. If your vehicle
becomes mired, the tow-truck service in Gerlach charges $60 (to $100 or
more) IN CASH and may take up to two days before you can be pulled out.
FREEDOM AND THE MEDIA
Our only dogma on the playa is a simple rule: do nothing that interferes
with anyone's immediate experience. Our festival is dedicated to free
expression and we commend a broad tolerance for other people's tastes.
This is a very large space and there is room for everybody. Obviously,
anti-social behavior represents very real interference with others, and
the Black Rock Rangers, helpful and hovering near, are ready to respond
to any real disturbance of the public peace. More specifically, camera
people and journalists are also subject to this rule. Do not jump in
front of the action, obscure public view, or interfere with anyone's
participation. On the other hand, people do want pictures. Be reasonable.
Should you feel that anyone toting a camera is making a nuisance, contact
a ranger.
The policy of the Burning Man Project is to welcome journalists. We're
non-exclusive and regard coverage as a means of communication. We work
cooperatively with the media -- after all, they are helping us to affect
the outside world. Many who come here have learned about us through the
media. In exchange, however, we require reporters to absorb and respect
our unique ethos. Professional video crews are pledged not to interfere
with your experience. They are merely here to record what happens.
COMMUNITY
Burning Man is an experiment in temporary community. Because many people
only know a world shaped by institutions, social service workers and
commercial transactions, they may not even recognize the signs of a
community. Here are a few indications:
- Capacity. Communities are built on the recognition of the unique
abilities of every member. Commerce and the public servicesector
define us on the basis of deficiency and need.
- Collective effort. Community is cooperative; uniting us as varied
members of one body. When, by contrast, we consume a service, we're
made passive. Fifty million people may view a television program or
consume a beverage in complete isolation from one another.
- Informality. In the community, transactions of value take place
without money, advertising, or hype. Care emerges in place of
structured service.
- Stories. In universities, people know through studies. In businesses
and bureaucracies, people know by reports. In communities, people
know by stories.
- Celebration. Community activities incorporate celebration, parties,
and other social events. The line between work and play is blurred
and the human nature of everyday life becomes part of the way of work.
You will know that you are in a community if you ofter hear laughter
and singing.
CLEANUP
Take nothing from the desert and leave nothing behind. Every camping
party is responsible for its refuse. Part of the beauty of Black Rock is
its astounding blankness. Except for tire tracks and footprints, our
policy is to leave the desert a profoundly barren and empty corner of the
world. All participants are expected to participate in cleanup on Monday
morning. Leave no debris behind, including firewood, ashes, rocks, and
cigarette butts. PICK UP EVERYTHING.
Burning Man
415/985-7471
http://www.well.com/user/burnman/
6. Is there any more information available?
See the Burning Man Web Page at: http://www.istorm.com/burningman/
Or Call: 415/985-7471
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Maintained by: russell@marketsmart.com