Burning Man happens in 33 weeks. Tickets go on sale next week. Have you started planning yet?
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
~ Hans Hoffman
After years of believing that I had to take two of everything, “just in case”, I’ve been scaling back what I bring to Burning Man. I think it started the year I forgot my sledge hammer (for rebar tent stakes) and my tent.
Yes, I forgot to bring my tent…
In hindsight, I think I understand what happened. I thought the tent was in the pile of stuff I had set aside, I got busy, and didn’t double-check things. But the real problem was that I was taking a whole bunch of crap I didn’t need, and the tent got lost in the shuffle.
I was fortunate that I had a small backpacker’s tent. I kept it in the car (under the seat) for emergencies. You can see it in the back of my half set up shade shelter. But look at my shade shelter. Look at all the stuff that needed to be setup, organized, torn down, repacked, and then driven back home and cleaned before being stored away.
Although it’s fun to plan and scheme, I learned that I didn’t want to spend a large chunk of time setting up and tearing down my camp.
So here are a few things I’ve done:
- Limited dishwashing - spray bottles, wiping, paper plates (saves time and generates less greywater)
- Simplify cooking - backpacking food, simple meals, prepare foods at home, dine with friends (thanks guys!)
- Bring a one-burner propane stove and a teapot for boiling water (leave a lot of my kitchen setup at home)
- Sleep in my van - simple and very quiet
- Bring a few funky clothes items - I’m not a big dress-up/costume guy
- Simplified shower setup - a spray bottle and a wash basin with a quick solar shower rinse
Another thing I’ve done is resist the temptation to bring a backup for every item. That’s just my anxious mind telling me, “You’ll be 750 miles from home; everything will be ruined if you need something.” That’s dumb. I’ll be in the middle of one of the great, ongoing, experiments in community. If I need 10 feet of rope or a sledge hammer, I can find a neighbor to help me. And I talk to my neighbors, and let them know that if they need a soldering iron — I have one that plugs into a cigarette lighter; or I can bring over those AA batteries they need; or they can use my solar shower…
For me, less had yielded a lot more.