The list

Packing for Burning Man has gotten much easier each time I've gone. Lists like this one and this one (.xls file) are really helpful, especially when going for the first time. Those lists are perfect if you're not too far, and packing up your car and driving to Black Rock City. But I live too far to drive, I'm flying into Reno and driving from there. There's no way I can fit all that stuff in my luggage; I have to buy some of it in Reno. What to pack and what to buy?

I pack all my costumes, some regular clothes, make up, shoes and boots, sleeping bag, tent, maybe a cooler, lights, gifts, goggles & dustmask, stove and that's probably it. I pack two duffel bags FULL, and stay one or two pounds under the airline's baggage weight limit with this stuff.

The rest is bought in Reno. We make a few stops around the city. First we usually go to a giant thrift store. We're looking for:

• full length mirror
• chair
• rugs
• pillow
• blankets
• cooking pot & utensils
• sharp knife

Next stop is Walmart (yeah maybe you hate Walmart, but whatever, we don't have many options). We're looking for anything we didn't find at the thrift store, plus:

• water
• sunscreen
• gold bond
• face wipes
• regular wipes
• soap/shampoo
• razors (shaving cream)
  
• tp
  
• batteries - D, AA, AAA, 9volt
• propane for stove
• large rubbermaid storage tote
• small ziplocks
• garbage bags
• recycling bags

Food either also from Walmart, of from a regular grocery store.

• beef jerky
• bagels
  
• muffins/breakfast bars
• clif bars
• cans of meaty soup
• tuna
• kd
• bacon salt
  
• chocolate &
  
• cheese
  
• apples
• limes
• carrots & celery
  
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• cranberry juice
• ground coffee
• rockstar coffee/double shots
  
• tonic
• vitamin water
• salt, pepper, spices

Plus anything else that looks yummy. Just a few things for the cooler, mostly non perishable stuff. Last stop is the hardware store, where we get lumber and hardware and tools to build our camp. Just one structure that's like our living room, with tents placed all around, so that when you leave your tent, you walk into the shady living room, not the blazing hot sun. This year we'll need a bit more lumber since we'll have a few cubes (from the last post) instead of tents.

This ain't halfway camp

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Originally uploaded by fairysari

The biggest project of the year is finally done - our living space. Instead of camping in a hot stuffy tent this year at Burning Man, I built a cube. It's a 10'wx10'dx7'h cubular tent made out of old tents. It's got lots of doors and windows, which all zip up to keep the dust out. I'm hoping It'll stay cooler with lots more room for air to circulate, and not holding our body heat in such a small space. The old tent was *just* big enough to fit our double air mattress, and sit up. Fancy mec winterized tent. Now we'll be able to stand up and keep our bags inside.

The Halfway Camp banner was the last of the necessary projects. Well, I actually made it back in May, I just added the patch at the top that says "THIS AIN'T". See, at CTMF (our early summer camping trip) we're Halfway Camp, because we always have cool art and fires and its the halfway warm-up pit stop for lots of people on their way back to their tents. At Burning Man, we don't do thing half-assed, so, This Ain't Halfway Camp.

30 days

My last blog post was pretty depressing. I've tried to write posts more recently but always get frustrated and give up. Today, that changes. Today, the real countdown begins. The man burns in 30 days. My goal is to blog about my preparations for my third trip to Burning Man this year.


Of course the prep has already begun. On the weekend I went to Mountain Equipment Co-op, and purchased two lovely giant red duffel bags. I broke the zipper on my old one, so it has to be replaced, and since they were only $36, I figured I could afford a matched set. And now I'll be able to spot my luggage coming out of the baggage conveyor thing at the airport from a mile away.

So I've already started packing. I have one duffel full already; full of costumes and boots mostly. And many of those outfits received upgrades of some sort, it works with the Evolution theme, I think. Even my old costumes are evolving. Some daytime outfits got embellished with sequins and fringe and little stars. My burn night dress got a lace up corset back, and it's way more comfy now. My playa coat finally got a hood (with ears! - this worked out prefectly as I had just enough matching fur leftover) and EL wire.

I've also created a few new outfits. Pictures to come, maybe... One of the new outfits is made from some old leather jackets I bought at the thrift store. It sort of has that tribal feel, scraps sewn together and leather feathers embellishing it. It might be my wednesday-trek-across-the-playa outfit. I also created a skirt and tank top out of a few yellow t-shirts. With sequins sewn on well, and freezer-paper stencils of wings on the back, and feathers all around. I guess feathers are a bt of a theme in my creations this year. Real feathers aren't allowed at Burning Man, because they create moop (matter-out-of-place - a big no-no at a leave no trace event), so I had to improvise.

There's lots more preparation going on, but I'll save some for another post.

Coriolis socks

Coriolis socks
Originally uploaded by fairysari

Finished a pair of Coriolis socks! Deatils, of course, on their Ravelry project page.

Jack O'Lantern Tarts

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Originally uploaded by fairysari

Something Halloween-y I did get a picture of were the tarts I made. I think the second batch (the one in the picture) turned out way better than the first (which is somewhere in my photostream...). They are pumpkin tarts, and the recipe is from Martha. I cheated for this bath and bought premade tart shells, but it worked out so well. The faces came out too big the first time, and too small the second time, but I think I like them small. Too big is kind of a pastry overload. But they must have been good because they disappeared on Halloween!

Halloween

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Originally uploaded by fairysari

I had camnesia! I think someone must have got a picture of Craig and I in our costumes together, but i will have to track it down. For now, there's just this one of Craig. The vest and shirt were part of the pattern I followed, and I made the tie too, which matches my costume. The hat is something Craig bought on a trip to Austin. There was also a coat, hopefully will turn up in another photo.

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds

Courtesy of Martha Stewart. I plan on making some pumpkin tarts tomorrow, so today I made some pumpkin puree by roasting a sugar pumpkin. I left the seeds in while it cooked (just over an hour at 400 F), then separated them after I peeled the pumpkin. From there I followed Martha's recipe pretty closely, and wow! Best pumpkin seeds ever.