NOTE: This is just an archive of 2015. Go to the main page for the real shizzzzz

Workload and Fun

There’s no question that the giant parachute tent, dozens of hammocks and round-the-clock social space with karaoke are amazing fun. But they’re also a load of work, what with building everything, keeping it clean and operational, and getting everything tidy and packed up at the end.

Everyone has their own balance of workload and fun. For early arrival, the goal is that major construction needs to be completed before the event. More on that timing later.

Now is the time for everyone to think about and share their own balance, so we know what we can accomplish without dragging the camp out of funzone.

Setup, Event Operations, Takedown, Cleanup and Packout

So, with a work/fun balance in mind, let’s look at the big Theme Camp stuff.

Setup can be made easier by getting the right tools for the job, and by having lots of hands available for the tasks that scale. But we also need to remember the weather, since flying the parachutes requires a few hours of very still conditions.

Setup

1. Get a half-dozen people out a week before the event. This is the early-early crew. They’ll set up their own tents and unload the container. Most importantly, by being there so early, they’ll be able to get on DPW’s schedule to auger post holes, drive auger stakes (takes a bobcat mere seconds, but the better part of an hour walking in circles for a human), and of course raise the center truss.
2. More people show up Wednesday or Thursday before the event. This is the normal-early crew. They’ll set up their tents, work on other camp stuff (kitchen, power grid, etc) and hone their knot-tying skills, ready to make shit happen as soon as the wind dies down.
3. Burning Man.
4. Teardown. On Sunday, after the Man burns, everything comes down and gets staged for packing. This is definitely a case for Many Hands, so everyone is expected to do their best to stagger through this Work Day. The past few years, it’s gone great!
5. Packup. Get stuff in the container, moop the playa, and pack trash out. Again this step benefits from lots of people, so the more people able to stay through Monday, the better. If not enough people are able to stay to pack on Monday, we should consider starting camp teardown on Saturday. Regardless of when you leave, plan to take lots of trash with you. HH is a destination theme camp, so lots of trash appears, leaving us with more stuff to take out than we brought in. Plan for it!

Comments on the plan? If you want to be part of early-early or early-normal crews, say so on the 2015 Attendance page. 

If we don’t have a critical mass people able to make this plan happen, well then we’ll need to come up with a new plan. :)

Money, Budget and Dues

The camp got a lot of big budget stuff dealt with last year, with the purchase of the awesome new center truss. Budget should be smaller this year, but will still need to cover parachute and construction supplies, generator gas, a new disco ball, etc.

Early draft of the budget is at 2014 Budget.

Although we’ve shied from dues in the past, I think $50 dues this year would be good. It’ll make it less risky to spend money on camp supplies, and will increase emotional investment in the camp’s success. People willing to show up a week early for initial setup should be exempt.

What do you all think?

Other Fun Activities

Let’s get creative about other things we want to do with or at camp. Some ideas:

- Nighttime Party! Like with drinks and DJs! 

- Camp Membership Tribunal And Obstacle Course. If we have extra space in our theme camp, we could open it up to randoms who pass muster. Imagine if we had something set up at Sunday on midnight, when the gates open for normal-arrival passes and folks start trying to find spots for their tents. We could get some interesting campmates, some hard workers, and have a fun time doing it. Better perhaps than just laying out yellow tape on the boundaries.

- What else!?!