Rethinking Burning Man… I Still Think Not
Published at 13:35 on 7 September 2015
The technology for camping on the playa has improved a great deal since I last seriously pondered going (and rejected the idea because I’m not a desert person and it was simply too expensive and impractical to get any comfort, i.e. shelter from the dust, extreme heat, and harsh sunlight).
Now, with hexayurts and solar swamp coolers, there are options which fall in the sweet spot between an RV, a generator, and lots of extra fuel (comfortable but expensive) and a mere tent (insufficient shelter in such a harsh environment).
But, I still think not. In between building and testing my shelter and its climate-control system, and implementing the theme I’d use, the job of preparing for the next festival would occupy most of my free time, like it does for most who attend Burning Man. It’s why it ends up being more a way of life than a mere week-long festival.
And I already have a life which I’ve chosen based on careful introspection into my priorities. I’m simply not willing to give up weekends spent hiking and botanizing in favor of weekends spent in town preparing for the next Burning Man.
So it looks like the answer is still “no” for me.