Burning Man 2007: Camp Mates & Neighbors

Originally we were gonna have up to 4 people sharing our little slice of heaven on Playa - but slowly that changed until it was just Savi and I. We made our space open to everyone around us though - and were pleasantly greated by someone napping on our couch or gently swaying in a hammock whenever we stumbled back to camp.

Scott and Corvus camped in another part of Husheville but visited often. It was really great hanging out with them.

I spent a good deal of time simply hanging out in camp and in doing so got to know my neighbors very well. To one side was Muppet and Merry. Adorable couple who volunteered their butts off and weren't around much. But when they were - we'd pull our chairs out the edge of the road and heckle people while drinking cold beer and bullshitting. It was great.

Then there were the "newbies" from New York. It was wonderful to be reminded of how my first time to burning man was. Wow... we've come along way ;)

And "Booga". Savi nicknamed him that from the movie Tank Girl. If you've seen the movie than I don't need to say anymore. But he is an awesome guy and I enjoyed his unbridled enthusiasm for saving the planet to no end.

Burning Man 2007: Camp

Oh man! our little home while at home was great! I did so many things right - and what a difference it made. Although - the things I thought would be the greatest things were cool - other unexpected things turned out to be the lifesavers.

Number one improvement - the shade structure itself. My coworker was whining about having to tear down and throw away one of those Costco carports from her Dad's house one day. I jumped and said "Whoa missy! That's just what I need!" and offered to take it down and remove it myself if I could keep it. "Absolutley" she shouted - and so appreciated not having to deal with it she tried to give me money!

The top canvas was really, really dirty and a bit torn. Knowing how the wind works out there on Playa I knew it wasn't worth trying to repair. So, I bought three nice, sunblocking, tarps that fit perfectly in each section of the roof. This gives me the option to make it smaller if I want - and allows wind to get through which brings down the parachute effect. I drilled holes in the plastic feet and used bent rebar to hold it down - as well as a couple of straps to the van for security. It worked like a charm. Nice solid shade that did not blow away in the wind.

The next best improvement was a table. Yes... a place for everyone's crap to accumulate, but also a place to stand and deal with stuff without playing in the playa directly. A small plastic shelf unit was also a great addition. Kept coolers off the ground and gave everyone a place to throw their shit (not on the seating - which is usually the case).

The number one biggest hit was not the hammocks though. They were fun and comfy for resting in but the angle was too sharp and they were impossible to actually sleep in. The bench seat out of the van was the winner. Everyone loved to come over and plop themselves down on that thing. It was "real" furniture - and it felt great. Naps were had there - hanging out was done there. It was a hit!