One of Burning Man’s best known and least understood facets is its “gifting economy,” in which no commerce takes place except for the sale by Burning Man of drinks at its Center Camp Café, and ice at Arctica.  Everything else – drinks served at bars, food dispensed at a playa “diner”, trinkets given away by Burners, costumes provided by one of the costuming camps – is given free, or “gifted,” to the citizens of Black Rock City.

Many people misinterpret the gifting economy as a bartering system.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There is no direct exchange of a gift for a service, a service for a gift, or a gift for a different gift.  In fact, most of the entertainment and art you see on the playa is gifted to the community, as are costumes, decorated bikes and art cars.

Many people bring gifts that they’ve created especially for that year’s Burning Man.  They often feature the theme as well as the Burning Man logo.  Some of the favorites we’ve received have been amulets, bracelets and stickers.  One man gave out Wheat Thins and drew a smiley face on each one with cheddar cheese spray.  People will go to Center Camp with cases of bottled water to be given away.  Ben and Jerry once brought thousands of ice cream cups and gave them away to their fellow Burners.

For our part, we’ve brought or created gifts every year.  One of our most successful gifts was developed for the Green Man year.  We purchased cardboard fans and printed on each one, “Fan of the Environment” along with the Burning Man logo and the year.

Lamplighters gifting the community our famous Bloody Mary brunch

During my first year, my son and I brought hard candy to give out.  In later years, Judie and I have handed out bookmarks with haiku poetry and coasters festooned with the Burning Man logo, among other gifts.

People are non-judgmental about what you gift them, although they may express delight if they really love one of your gifts.  In other words, you don’t have to overdo preparation of gifts (in point of fact, you don’t even have to bring gifts), and homemade is better than store-bought.

Ideas to help you develop your gifts include linking to the current year’s theme (Fertility 2.0 for 2012), using the Burning Man logo as a centerpoint, creatively reflecting your theme camp’s activity or something about yourself, or just bringing a fun or useful item.

One thing to remember about gifts is that they sometimes turn into MOOP (matter out of place), so you should avoid gifts with feathers or other removable pieces that are likely to become strewn across the desert.  Helium balloons are a no-no as they end up either consumed by birds (often causing serious injury), or distributed widely around the Black Rock Desert.  LNT (Leave No Trace) should be one of your rules of thumb about your gift.

Whatever you decide on, don’t stress out over your gifts.  They should be fun for you as well as the recipients.  Great value is not required or expected.  A personal touch is always appreciated, and ideas that reflect on the festival’s whimsical, profane or erotic atmosphere work particularly well.

By the way, you’ll receive one of the best gifts on the playa when you volunteer as a Lamplighter.  We design a new charm every year, and they are genuine collector’s items for Burners.  So come on out any day of the Festival at 5 p.m. and gift yourself to the community by helping to light the city.

A few years back our camp had a couple of first-timers who arrived in a beautiful Class A RV with a “toy box” attached.  About three days into the burn, they packed up and left, telling us that no one had been welcoming or friendly toward them.  But the reality is that they secluded themselves in their RV most of the day, and rarely reached out to meet people.  Perhaps this tidy pair of Midwesterners was put off by the diverse, rag-tag bunch that is the Burning Man population.  Maybe they just suffered from shyness.

But the point is, you have to stretch yourself if you really want to benefit from the kinds of relationships that can be formed at Burning Man.  As an older couple, my wife and I could easily segregate ourselves from the large numbers of much younger people who populate the playa.  But we choose otherwise.  One of the reasons we love Burning Man is because it makes us feel young, and part of feeling young is making friends with young people in our camp and throughout Burning Man.

In the default world, I tend to be a quiet individual most of the time, and I don’t often initiate conversations with strangers.  But I am different at Burning Man.  I love to start conversations or join in on conversations that sound interesting to me.  As a couple we constantly seek out other individuals and couples who don’t resemble us in one way or another.  They’re either from other countries, from other lifestyles, or just different because of their dress or bodily decorations (everything from piercings to tats).

Stretching ourselves to meet people who seem different enriches our experience at Burning Man and our lives as a whole.  We drop our pretentions and prejudices in favor of an assertive effort to embrace as many people as possible and be open to all comers.  We are constantly surprised by the revelations we receive from people we meet at Burning Man, and are changed by our experiences.

Judie and Alan sample a "gifted" margherita

This attitude has trickled into our daily lives off the playa and made us open and welcoming to people of all ages, backgrounds and persuasions.  We have gained something beyond empathy for all people – we now have an excitement about meeting people who, specifically, don’t look and act like us.  We are eager to break out of our shells and touch more aspects of the world.  And we are far less judgmental than we used to be – far more open to seeing inner behavior vs. outer appearance.

Over the years, we have naturally moved toward more outrageous dress and actions ourselves.   While we’ll never be tats and piercing people, we enjoy expressing ourselves creatively through costumes, dress and participation in fun events that mark Burning Man.  Our volunteering is part of this process of doing new things and meeting new people.

We have been lucky enough to meet some wonderful people with whom we stay in contact in addition to our Lamplighter friends who we stay in touch with via Facebook and occasional activities outside of Burning Man.

So my advice to new Burners is simple:  don’t seclude yourself away in an RV or even within your own shell.  Reach out.  People will respond and your experiences will be all the richer.

Burning Man is well known to be a dusty experience.  In fact, the idea of avoiding playa dust while at the festival is simply anathema to most Burners.  Many of us embrace the dust and consider our experiences in white out conditions badges of courage.

Knowing what to do when you’re caught in a dust storm is important, because the likelihood of encountering one during the week of Burning Man is fairly high.  After seven burns, I consider a festival without a dust storm simply missing something.

We’ve watched most of the dust storms from inside our RV, but we’ve been caught in a few, including some while doing our Lamplighting chores.  One particular experience is not only our most memorable, but also serves as an object lesson in what to do.

Judie and I were both heading back to camp from far out on the playa.  Unfortunately, we weren’t together as I had started back ahead of her.  A monumental dust storm came up that looked the sandstorm scene from the first Mummy move (of the series starring Brendan Frasier).  The dust was so thick that it looked like a wall coming toward us.  At that point, the best a person can do is seek shelter and turn his/her back to the wind.

Your survival equipment comes in handy at this point.  Wearing goggles and face mask during a dust storm prevents you from ingesting playa dust or getting it embedded in your eyes (often requiring a trip to the medical tent).

Once you are in the midst of a sandstorm, it is not a good idea to keep moving forward, because you lose all sense of direction and are just as likely to be going the wrong way as the way you intended to travel.  The best move you can make is to find shelter, stay put and wait for the storm to subside or for help from the Black Rock Rangers to arrive.  It’s best to find shelter with other people because you’re less likely to get panicky and make a bad decision.

A mildly dusty day on the playa

Judie and I had different experiences while stuck on the playa.  I found my way to a tent that was part of an art installation and stayed there with several people enjoying the art and waiting for the storm to subside.  Before I found the tent, I had been sitting against of the lampposts with my back to the storm.  Using the posts as guides, I was able to walk toward center camp until I reached the tent.  After a few minutes, the winds died down and I was able to make it to Center Camp, and eventually to our RV.

Judie was with a group of bicyclists who had participated in the Critical Tits ride, which ends far out on the playa.  As she was heading back toward Center Camp, the big dust storm rolled straight at her.  She started pedaling as fast as she could thinking she could beat the storm in to Center Camp (wrong!).  Suddenly, she realized that she was pedaling to no effect.  The headwinds were keeping her immobile (“I felt like the old lady riding her bike in the Wizard of Oz tornado sequence,” she told me) and visibility quickly fell to near zero.  She was forced to dismount from the bike and walk, so she headed in the direction she thought would lead her to the Temple.

Then she heard some other people’s voices and she called out to them.  Just as she caught up with them, a Black Rock Ranger emerged from the wall of playa dust and led the group to shelter.  When the dust storm subsided a bit, she found herself far off her original path, beyond the temple and well to the right of the central playa position she thought she had reached.

With the wind dying down a bit and visibility improving, Judie and one of the other women from the bike run followed the lampposts down the 9 o’clock street to the Man for further shelter.  It was a relatively short walk from there to Center Camp, and on to the RV.

When we finally saw each other we had to laugh.  Our hair was playa grey and we both were wearing playa makeup on our faces.  Our clothes were coated with fine dust and our shoes had become stiff from the layer of playa dust that had embedded itself.  What a day!

Takeaways for us from the experience:

1. You can survive a dust storm
2. Always take eye protection and breathing aids with you on the open playa
3. It’s better to travel with someone than to be out on the open playa by yourself
4. You can easily become disoriented during a dust storm and you’re likely to go in the wrong direction
5. Seek shelter and stay there until the storm has subsided
6. Look for a Ranger, and always follow his/her advice
7. When the storm is over, celebrate your experience and consider yourself a veteran Burner

The choices of what to do and see at Burning Man can be overwhelming – especially if it’s your first year.  Aside from perusing the art (nearly a full-time activity in itself), you can choose among an array of activities and events contained in the “What Where When” guide you receive when you enter the gate.  Last year’s guide was 160 pages long, and included lists of events 24 hours a day.

You won’t receive the guide until you arrive, so is there any way you can plan what to do in advance?  I’d suggest a review of the hundreds of theme camps you can find here.  Many of the camps run fascinating activities that may be just for entertainment or for your personal betterment.

I’ve listed below a few of the theme camps that were operating in 2011 and a smattering of activities from the guide.  There’s no guarantee that any of these events or camps will be around in 2012, but the likelihood is that most will.  On the website, you’ll find a complete list by alphabet of all the camps with descriptions of their purposes and activities.

One of our favorite stops is at HeeBeeGeeBee Healers for massage therapy, meditation and yoga classes.  There are top-notch professionals at this theme camp who offer incredible services at Black Rock City prices (FREE!).  Check it out here. 

If you still need enlightenment after your massage and yoga, you can bike over to Camp Illumineye, whose purpose is “to illuminate, clarify, and enlighten the community on the alchemy of homeopathy and feminine wisdom.”

If your bike is looking a little dull next to others on the Playa, head over to Bioluminati/Pimp Yr Bike.  And if you need bike repairs, there are a number of good choices on the Playa, such as Chop Shop, which calls itself “a small playa neighborhood Bicycle Garage that is ready to help a wide variety of playa transportation with parts, repair, and advice.”

Forget to bring a costume?  There are at least three good choices on the Playa to outfit you, Kostume Kult featuring “afternoon costume gifting in the Kostume Dome;” Black Rock Boutique (“Let our fashionistas slip you into something a little more questionable!”), or the self-explanatory Slut Makeover.

Shanghai Suite at the Ashram Galactica -- a great bar, disco and international hotel theme camp

Of course, if you want an all-American shopping experience, you can always visit the multi-story Mal-Mart Mega Store, “an exploration into America’s consumer driven society where the shopping mall reigns supreme.”

Then there’s the food and drink – all gifted by their theme camps.  Examples include Pancake Playhouse for breakfast, Chaya Tea House for an exotic taste of Japan, Black Rock Diner (“changing lives one grilled cheese sandwich at a time”), and one of our all-time favorites, Barbie Death Camp and Wine Bistro, where you can actually see everybody’s favorite doll maimed and tortured while you’re taking a sip.

If you’re a lover of home-brewed lager, try Home Brew 4A Home Brew, “a home brewers’ community where brewers of the Playa come to meet and share.”

You can get ready for an evening out by having your nails artistically painted at Get Nnailed Salon, then head out for fun at the Black Rock Roller Disco, BRC Drive-In Theater or BRC International Film Festival, Opulent Temple Disco, or, if you’re more into erotic play, ATTOL’s Famous Orgy Dome where you can “get it on with your playa friends.”

If you’ve fully exhausted yourself, head for Hang-Out and rest on one of their hammocks; or simply spend some quiet time reflecting on life, love and your spirituality at The Temple.

Want an overview of the art of Burning Man?  Sign up for an accompanied tour at The Artery.  But check this one out early because Artery tours are available only during the first few days of the festival.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of Burning Man activities, but you can easily see that there’s never a reason to be bored or uninspired while you’re at the festival.  Enjoy!  And if you have other great sites to recommend, please leave a comment.

New info:  Thanks to a couple of Burners who commented on the site, I now have two great sites that give you information about what’s went on last year at Burning Man.  The first is http://playaevents.burningman.com/2011/playa_events/1/ for what is essentially the What?Where?When? guide from 2011.  The second is www.playadex.com, which gathers together some of the creators of new work at Burning Man and shows their ideas.

Correction:  In my post on volunteering with Lamplighters I misstated the time volunteers should arrive for nightly lamplighting.  It’s 5 p.m., not 4 p.m.

No, this piece is not about doing drugs on the playa, it’s about literally lighting yourself up for both safety and entertainment while at Burning Man.

Lights are an absolute necessity to ensure safe walking or biking on the playa at night.  While some streets are well lit because of activities such as bars and discos or because of the Lamplighters’ kerosene lanterns, most of Burning Man is quite dark.  You need to be seen to be safe.

Wearing a headlamp is the first line of defense.  It allows you to see where you’re going and allows others (especially bicyclists) to see you coming and avoid you.  There are small, LED headlamps that come mounted on headbands, weigh very little and throw a lot of light.  Hint:  Always turn your headlight off when you’re talking face-to-face with someone.  It can be blinding up close.

But a headlamp is not enough.  For one thing, it does not light up your back, which means bicyclists and art cars coming up behind can’t see you.  You can choose to festoon yourself with bendable light sticks, but they do not throw a lot of light and they wear out quickly. Lighted hats and clothing are the best answers to enhancing your visibility – and you can do it in style and become part of the art scene in Black Rock City.

The key is finding lighting that is small, flexible, bright and battery powered; and you’d be surprised how many options are available to you.  One of our favorites is EL Wire, which can be sewn onto or into clothing.  You carry the small battery packs in your pocket and can choose steady or flashing light.  The EL Wire comes in a variety of colors and is flexible enough to be shaped into almost any design you could think of.

Two of our well-lit Lamplighter buds

Other small battery powered lights (like tiny Christmas lights) are available at Michael’s, Jo-Ann’s and similar specialty stores.  They can be sewn or glued onto clothing for both visibility and entertainment.

Burning Man is also famous for “pimp’d out bikes.” Heavily lighted bikes are more visible to on-comers and fun to watch.  Online retailers such as Hokey Spokes have selections of battery-operated lights that fit on wheels and other parts of the bike.  Other stores such as Modern Bike specialize in bicycle headlights, which can help you navigate the playa more safely and enhance your visibility for pedestrians, art cars and other bicyclists.

Taking time to brighten up clothing and costumes with fun and attractive lights will add to your Burning Man experience.  And if you’re invited to a costume party back home, you’ll have something really cool to wear.

Lighting is about safety first, so be sure you can see and be seen.  Applying creativity to your lighting is the fun part; but if all you can do in your first year is make certain that you can see clearly at night and that others can see you clearly, then you’ve done the basics and helped ensure safe travelling on the playa.

Burning Man is a 24 hour-a-day festival, with activities from early morning to very, very late night.  There’s no way to do it all, and that’s especially true for those of us more mature Burners.  We have to conserve our energy.  For those of you who have attended Burning Man in the past, most of this advice will come as no surprise.  But our site is mainly intended for new Burners who do not have the benefit of long experience.

While everyone is different in how they deal with the heat of the desert, I personally find it better to explore Burning Man during the cooler parts of the day, and rest when it’s too hot to enjoy yourself.  Early morning is a great time for touring the Playa, seeing artwork and planning your evening.  Not only is it cool in the early morning, but there also aren’t that many people out and about.  Remember your cup and even a paper or plastic plate and utensils because there are a number of possible breakfast stops for the early riser.  Several pancake camps are open early with their delicious fare.  If you’re early enough, there won’t be a line.  Of course, it’s all gifted to you.

There’s nothing quite like a Playa sunrise, which is another reason to be up and about early in the morning.  The fact is, you’ll practically have the Playa to yourself if you’re up early.

While you’re out in the cooler part of the day bring your activities brochure with you so you can search for places you might want to visit later.  Get used to the layout (is 9 o’clock to my right or to my left?) and identify the precise locations of camps and events you want to visit.  Remember, not everything is happening on the Esplanade.

In my personal experience, mid-day is the best time to rest up.  It’s as hot and uncomfortable as the desert gets during this time, and you’re more likely to suffer heat exhaustion and dehydration.  Save up your energy for nighttime when the action really gets going and the temperatures moderate.

But you should also keep in mind that nights can be very cool, so you should be prepared to dress in warmer clothing once the sun has set.  Staying in your lightweight, daytime dress at night can result in serious exposure problems and a possible visit to the medical tent.  Nighttime is also the time when people come out in their Playa finery – the costumes they worked on all year.  It’s great to have a costume or two, but not necessary – especially for your first year.  Just remember that nights are very dark on the Playa and you’ll need lights on your person and your bikes.  More about lighting yourself up in a future article.

Lights from a party art car

Night is also the time for big parties with plenty of music and dancing.  If that’s what you’re looking for, then sample a few places and find the style that suits you.  There are also plenty of musical art cars with parties and lots of dancing on board.  Nighttime is party time at Burning Man.

Despite the focus on tickets seemingly by the entire Burning Man community, we here at Sunrise Burners will continue to provide information on the 2012 burn for people 50 and over.  To read the latest on the ticket issue, we suggest you check on the Burning Blog at http://bit.ly/wuXalo.

Another great volunteer opportunity that I strongly recommend is taking a Greeter shift.  There’s nothing quite like standing at the gate and welcoming new and returning people to Burning Man with the words “Welcome Home.”  The look of excitement in their eyes as they arrive at the iconic festival is energizing.

However, your job as a Greeter is far more than just the welcome.  There’s important information that you’ll be trained to deliver – including warnings about driving too fast between the gate and your campsite (yes, you will be ticketed by BLM Rangers for speeding), instructions about the Leave No Trace principles and reminders to stay hydrated.  Greeters are also responsible for handing out the festival guide that lists almost all of the 24/7 activities scheduled to take place during the week.

One way to arrive in style on the Playa

The best job as a Greeter is welcoming first-timers – “virgin burners.”  Every virgin burner has to ring the virgin bell and declare themselves “not a virgin” anymore.  Typically, Greeters also ask the virgins to make some kind of sacrifice to the playa – such as making dust angels on the playa surface.  I like to tell them that they’re becoming one with the playa at that moment.

Some virgins – especially those from out of the country – might be asked to sing their national anthem.  It’s the gentlest of hazing, and it’s a Burning Man tradition.

What’s physically required of a Greeter is your ability to stand up for a long shift (usually three or four hours), and use your voice.  As a Greeter, you’re encouraged to wear playa finery so the newcomers get the right impression of the fun and whimsy of the event.  One day a week is usually “naked Greeters day,” so you want to check your shift carefully if you prefer to be clothed.

To find out more about Greeters and Greeters Camp, contact toplessdeb@gmail.com.

More volunteer ideas to come, but I also want to encourage our experienced readers to send their own ideas in so we can publish a broader array of volunteer opportunities.

As always, thanks for visiting Sunrise Burners.  See you on the playa.

There are many ways to experience Burning Man, including just absorbing it all and enjoying yourself by doing so.  But for some, getting engaged more fully is the way to go.  Volunteering for one of the many Burning Man activities is one way to enrich your experience and engage in the festival in a meaningful way.  This article is one of several we plan to publish on volunteer opportunities.  We hope others will contribute their experiences as volunteers, helping to identify situations that are well suited to people in our age group.

Many of you who read this site already know that my wife and I stay at Lamplighters camp, but you may not be aware of the fact that everyone at Burning Man is eligible to volunteer as a Lamplighter any evening.

Lamplighters light the city nightly in a ceremony that has become an iconic part of the Burning Man experience.  It takes volunteers from throughout the community to move nearly 1,000 kerosene lanterns out each night.  We generally begin the process at 5 p.m., which is when volunteers should arrive at Lamplighter’s temple adjacent to Center Camp.  One of the first things volunteers do when they arrive is sign up for a specific duty.

Lamplighters get a ride home on Luci

There are three volunteer roles to play in the ceremony – carrier, lifter and support.  Carriers walk with a post supporting 10 or 12 lamps which are put one by one up on wooden lampposts.  Lifters pick the lanterns off the posts with long, specially designed polls and hoist the lamps up to hooks near the top of lampposts.  Support people make sure the lamps stay lit and help lifters get lamps onto their polls.

For people our age, I generally don’t recommend the carrier role.  I’ve personally done it (once!) and it’s fine if you’re a strong person with a good back.  But it’s the most physically demanding job and should only be undertaken if you’re confident you can handle it.  To me, lifters and support are better jobs for us.

You’ll get to wear our Lamplighter robes when you participate.  They make you look a bit like an Arab sheik.  The entire ceremony is a site to behold with the leaders calling out “make way for the Lamplighters,” and the citizens of Black Rock City calling back, “thank you Lamplighters.”

By the way, if you don’t want to walk in the ceremony, you can also volunteer as a rober — helping drape the ceremonial Lamplighters in appropriate garb.

And, to top it all off, you get a specially designed Lamplighter charm for being one of our volunteers.  You can learn more by inquiring at Lamplighters camp or simply by showing up at the Lamplighters temple at 5 p.m.  Hope to see you there.

It doesn’t matter whether you prefer to dress or go naked, you’ll need to pack appropriately for Burning Man.  Even nudists get cold in the desert night and need something draping their bodies.  But for everyone, I recommend you always wear shoes.

The playa surface is highly alkaline and can do some real damage to unprotected skin.  My wife and I make a practice of always wearing socks, even with sandals.  And we bring several pair of socks because they become infused with playa dust and stiffen up during the week.

We try to keep all shoes and socks outside of the RV to minimize dust within our living space.

Judie and Alan dressed for a day of playa fun

And we always keep handy lotions for our feet to keep them from cracking and other damage from the alkali surface.  Vinegar is one of the inexpensive secret treatments to counter the effects of the playa on your feet.

What about clothing for the rest of your body?  Remember that days are hot and you’re better off in shorts and very light tops (tank tops, tee shirts, etc.).  Since most costumes tend to be warm, save them for the evenings or for special events (including our famous Lamplighter Bloody Mary Brunch on Wednesday and the Sangria Soiree on Monday).

Evenings tend to be cool and sometimes outright cold.  Long sleeves, pants, leg warmers and fur, fur, fur are right for night.  But be sure to light yourself up for safe traveling during the night.  Because while some roads and art installations are well lit, most of the playa is inky black.  If you can’t be seen, you can become the victim of a bike or art car rundown.

Look for a future article just on lighting.

These are just a few hints of what to pack for Burning Man.  But remember, the worse it looks in the default world, the better it’s likely to be on the playa.  Fashion takes on a whole new meaning at Burning Man.  The unexpected is expected.  If you wear your regular day clothes, you might be thought of as “performance art.”

Lottery results will be announced on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 31 and February 1.  We already know from the Jack Rabbit Speaks that there were many more requests than there were tickets  (40,000 were allotted to this “main” lottery).  What if you didn’t get a ticket?

The Burning Man organization believes that there are actually plenty of tickets available, but because people ordered more than they need or, by asking others to order tickets for them, more than they were actually entitled to (2 per person).  According to the Jack Rabbit Speaks (JRS):

“…the reality is that there are now a lot of tickets held by our community that will now simply be redistributed to those who need them. Based on analysis we hold a strong belief that things will settle out over the course of time, once that redistribution takes place, such that most everybody who wants a ticket will find their way to one.”

This sounds a little simpler than it may be, but the fact is Burning Man has developed a system for helping people find tickets or get rid of tickets to someone else who needs them in the Burning Man community.  Again, from the JRS:

“The STEP (Secure Ticket Exchange Program) is a web-based system that will allow Burners to sell their unneeded tickets, and Burners wanting tickets to access them.  This will allow for safe and secure transactions in a central place for community-monitored, face-value resales.”

Check the tickets area of the Burning Man website (http://tickets.burningman.com) for more information on STEP as well as other details on ticket sales.

Finally, the JRS has asked that Burners not use “secondary resources (eBay, Craigslist, StubHub, etc.) for the resale of tickets, and we encourage those who do not obtain tickets from the Main Sale/Open Sale to utilize community-centric sources to keep a handle on this process together.”

This information may not feel fully satisfying at this point in the ticket purchasing process, but we all need to be patient and try to let the system work so that everyone who truly wants and ticket and plans to go to the Burn in 2012 can get a ticket.  Please remember, if you have extra tickets, do your best to sell them to a real Burner and not a scalper.  There is likely to be some panic early on over tickets, and scalper will try to get the maximum price they can during this early and unsettled phase of the process.

Sunrise Burners will continue to watch for updates on the ticketing issue and let our readers know the latest information.