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I'm literally taking a break from the sun, packing out from a regional burn at this very moment. So many incredible stories and incredible people. Lots of cool, kind people who are just excited to share something they're excited about with others (especially at smaller events/regionals).
My hard earned wisdom is that you are not an audience member at a burn- you're a participant, an integral part of the experience for everyone else, so don't be afraid to talk to folks and to join in on whatever shenanigans are going down. Also, bring more sunscreen than you think you'll need and apply it more often than you think you should.
I prefer covering up to regular sunscreen. A sarong or two will keep the sun off effectively. I found a few days of sunscreen application while camping got pretty manky.
$20 camp shower and a storage bin solves the mank, but I burn easy, so its a yes and situation for me. :)
Nice! Glad you had a good time!
Yep, I'm trying to keep the participatory aspect of it as front of mind as possible. Goal is to talk to as many people as possible, and say yes to as much stuff as I can (within reason/limits of personal safety). Was hoping to have some particularly cool thing/wandering experience at the ready, but for lack of planning gonna try and compensate by bolstering cool shit other folks are doing where the opportunity arises :).
If you're heading to Sideburn, get the dust app. (If you haven't already). https://dust.events/docs/intro/ (link for Android or iOS app is here).
It is an app (for burning man & regional events) that has details of theme camps, art, music & the events on during the festival. They may have a paper guide and the app can be more up to date.
I recommend having a look through the events so you have the option of preparing for any you require something specific for (like a particular color clothing etc). The app doesn't require internet access after retrieving the event data if you don't have reception at the location.
So I've considered attending these sorts of things for a while. And honestly, I think I'd be a good fit, based on what I've read about the sort of people camps look for. I'm cooperative, easygoing, helpful, and I like contributing to common goals. I have more experience in nature/camping than 99% of people and am well versed in LNT. I have a fair bit of experience doing diy projects, and am at least somewhat competent with carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, and building/deconstructing temporary structures. I'm a big wall climber and am rope access certified, and am good at solving problems of moving heavy things where I need them or using leverage and ropes to exert lots of force. And I have the sort of athleticism that lets me do manual labor in the hot sun all day. For all practical purposes, I think I'd be a great addition to most people's camp.
But this bit is honestly terrifying. Really, I never really "got" the appeal of festivals... you just show up at a place and... look at things? Talk to people? Based on pics and videos I've seen of these events, the art looks cool. And the people I've met who are burners are cool people. But I feel a kind of existential dread that once the work is done and it is time to "enjoy" the event, I'll just end up walking around, looking at things, being like "that's cool", awkwardly talking to no one or having very shallow, surface level conversations, and being bored.
So I challenge you: convince me that going to one of these events will be a good time.
Dunno if you're still looking for input, but I did say I'd have more to say about this once I did it, so here it is:
I helped show someone to one of the camps when I was wandering about, and they gave me a great piece of advice: you can think of burns basically as a giant version of the smoke pit outside a rave or a club. Everyone's having a good time, and 99% of people are open to whatever kind of pro-social interaction from the other participants.
Beyond this, unless people at theme camps are literally knee-deep in logistics/organizing specific stuff, they want you to talk with them. They want you to eat and drink the stuff they have on offer, sit in their plounges gabbing about whatever, poking the interactive stuff they made, asking random questions or sharing random stories (a good story is a gift!), etc. Basically, it's a safe assumption that people will act like they (and in 99.9% of cases truly do) want you there being part of the action, as your most authentic self.
If you're anything like me - a little more on the introverted side in unfamilar surroundings - it's a bit of an adjustment. If you want to be left alone and communicate this, people will leave you alone. But if you want to participate, you will be welcomed with open arms, even if you're a little awkward. 'We welcome the stranger', at least in my experience with the burn I went to, isn't just lip service. It's true.
Even if we put all of that aside, you know what's cool? Seeing a giant ass structure doused in accelerants go up in flames. The burns went incredibly well, and it was certainly something to see in its own right.
Bro - pull the trigger on this. I really do think you'd have a good time.
Damn, there's a local think happening near me in a couple days, but I already signed up for some shifts at work. But thanks for the encouragement! I'll look into it more!
Lol, your last paragraph resonates. I'll probably have more to say about it once I've actually done it, but that's basically the risk - either you'll go, get out of your shell a bit, and have a good time, or you'll be kinda bored and anxious.
Will say that based on your skill set, you'd probably do well with the crew that goes out and does initial setup or a bigger, more involved camp. In doing the grunt work, you'd likely make a connection with those folks which will help bolster the social experience of it all.
I think you should give something like this a shot - worst you could say is you tried it out, and had a meh time. But it could be awesome - I've yet to see someone talk about a festival like this and say "Yeah, I went - I was bored and lonely as shit".