Apologies to all of you NOT on your way to, or already frolicking in the Playa dust, however seeing as the granddaddy event is about to kick off, we can’t help but divert some local focus to what’s currently going on in a deserted spot somewhere in Nevada.
Here a MOOP, there a MOOP, everywhere a MOOP MOOP!
There is a massive focus on MOOP this year at Burning Man (remember the threat to impose dumpsters if people don’t comply?). For the uninitiated, MOOP stands for “Matter Out Of Place” and counts anything what was not there before the event and would therefore otherwise never have been there. It’s a very important element of being a Leave No Trace event.
Some MOOP is obvious, such as food wrapping and waste, drink bottles or other packaging. Others a little less so, and we humans aren’t always terribly good at noticing how much the little stuff pollutes our environment. So MOOP for a Burn event is also tent pegs, wood shavings, bottle caps, cigarette butts, ashes, glitter and sequins, feathers from costumes, organic stuff like peels and nut shells (also including what might leave the body at various stages), you get the gist. ANYTHING you bring into a Burn event must come back out, a principle which of course very much also applies to Kiwiburn.
Have a look at a number of articles here, such as on 10 top tips, pre-cycling and what to take, or not, in the first place (yes, they are Black Rock City-centric). Maybe you can get some inspiration on how to be less moopey in your daily life as well?
We will of course focus on this again a bit closer to our wee get together in January (only 22 weeks away at time of writing. Just sayin’).
Harness the Power of the Sun
Some crafty Burners have come up with this nifty and easily understood blueprint for DIY solar panel kits. This embraces a number of the Ten Principles in one fell swoop, so that’s awesome! And strikes us as kinda handy knowledge/craftiness even if not on the Playa or Paddock, eh?
Looking for other Kiwis to connect with on the Playa?
A bunch of local Burners congregating in the desert this year are planning on a get-together of the Fellow Minded and Like-wise Accented at Black Rock City on 29 August (Thursday) at 3pm at Coco Poco Loco, 4:00 & E. Check out the Facebook event for more info. You never know who you might bump into far away from home, yet so close?
More on Transport to and from BRC
Getting to and from the reasonably inaccessible site where Burning Man is held is part of the story, allure and point, yet it is also a reality. Patience and preparation will go a long way towards the literal part of the journey being a success. The good folk of the Burning Man Project have put together a handy guide to consider as you make your way to the Playa, including info on road conditions, do’s and don’ts (Hint, do assume that getting there will take longer than expected, don’t litter/speed/relieve yourself/think there are shortcuts), how to be respectful to local tribes, etc. If you’re heading out, have a look here for hints and tips.
Glorious H2O
One thing that you will definitely need to get sorted is plenty of dihydrogen oxide for your own personal consumption. The guideline is no less than 1.5 litres of water per day per human. For more info on where to get life’s elixir, a word (ok, more like a few sentences) on containers and other hints and tips to be found here.
