We are the Black Rock Boutique.

We help people slip into something a little more questionable.

Watch a video of our camp here.

Eric’s newbie list Black Rock Boutique

A few notes for first timers in no particular order:

-Read the official Burning Man Survival Guide

-Talk to several returning boutiquers about what you may need and advice they can offer- everyone has  a different experience and has unique views.

- Bring comfortable work boots and gloves for set up and tear down- you will need them.

- Hydration- of course drink a ton of water.  As a camp we provide water, but bring about 5 gallons as well. If you have room in your tent, set up a little water station for drinking and washing.Many boutiquers also bring cases of coconut water (Fubonn on 82nd), Mango juice, and other canned non alcoholic drinks. Avoid caffeniated sodas and other garbage. 3 or 4 cans a day can easily be drank in addition to water. Cans are best- don’t bring glass if it can be avoided. I also like to get young coconuts from Fubon and fill plastic water bottles and then freeze them. you will need dry ice for this, but its a great drink in the morning. same with blended up watermelon- just scoop in blender, and pour into plastic bottles. Emergence is great on the playa too.

-How to avoid the first day headache…. Chug water, don’t sip it. Always have a bottle of water near you at all times for the first couple days.

- Bring a variety of earplugs and  several dust masks (the kind with the plastic respirator on the tip) work best. Don’t bother with the heavy duty ‘gas mask’ style respirator- it’s too bulky to carry around, so if you get caught in a severe windstorm you won’t have it on you anyway. Sanderson Safety in SE industrial is a great place for these items. They also have cheap work sunglasses which I’ve found are great for the playa when its not too dusty they also have  several varieties of very cheap lightweight gloves in different colors, which i like to cut the fingers off and wear at night (white and black are the most versatile). I’ve heard the clear safety type goggles they sell (like if you were cutting wood) are decent for night time dust as well.

-Food- some meals are provided by the boutique, know what’s provided and what isn’t and plan accordingly. If food is provided, it’s your responsibility to alert people well in advance of food allergies. The amount of meat served varies year to year depending on how many vegetarians/meat eaters are in the camp. If it is a vegetarian only menu and you are a meat eater, you may want to bring eat to cook meats (Trader Joe is great for that). If you are on set up crew, know before you go what day meal plan starts. In general, you will probably need to bring much less food than you think though (because Boutique provides smoothies in morning and dinner).  Best to bring food that won’t spoil. On the way to burning man, you can stop at fred meyer in Klammath Falls if you need food or other supplies you forgot. Dry ice works great for coolers and is the best way to keep your food frozen on the way to burning man. do not add regular ice to dry ice, it will make it melt faster. Once your dry ice melts, you can also buy ice at burning man. Elevate your cooler off the playa floor (it will warm it up) and keep it in the shade at all times.  if you have a silver emergency blanket, put it in your cooler and wrap it around your food and ice- it will make a huge difference. Bring extra food to share- we have a community area in the kitchen.

-Goggles- you will need day and night goggles. Day goggles block the sun, night goggles let in more light so you can see. best place in town is Andy and Bax. there supply changes as we get closer to burning man. be sure to ask if they are getting more. Metro on hawthorne has fancier (and more expensive goggles). Don’t even think about coming without a few pairs. feel free to decorate. Clear or yellow goggles are best at night in case  a storm hits. Always keep them in your backpack or whatever you take with you at night. you can also use clear work goggles at night- they are cheap and can be gotten at any hardware store.

-personal lights- you will want some sort of personal illumination so you can be seen at night.  Sunlawn on Mississippi sells necklace led style lights. They also sell really cool battery operated LED string lights that you can wrap around yourself. Great for lighting yourself up at night while riding your bike. you can buy them for under $20 and come in several colors. . led glow sticks work well too and make good flashlights if you need to use a porto potty at night. I’ve bought them at Fred meyer and Bi Rite in the past, you should find them by googling battery operated glow stick. Led blinky lights are pretty cheap and popular at burning man- it never hurts to have some. DO NOT BRING DISPOSABLE GLOW STICKS. You should also bring a headlamp or flashlight because you’ll need it at some point.

-Bikes- bring one that works, but not your favorite and expensive one. don’t bring a skinny tired bike (10 speed) or you will be sorry. old mtn bikes and cruisers work fine. most burners specifically have a ‘playa bike’ that only gets used at burning man. decorate your bike if you have time- standard is fake fur, spray paint and lots of blinky lights for night. Or better yet, be more creative than that . You will need a bike lock (or your bike will disappear) I like the cable type with a combination, so you dont have to bring a key. fred meyer sells them cheap and you can change the combo so you will remember it. Bring a spare inner tube and  make sure your bike chain is lubed with a non grease style lubricant before burning man (dont use wd40 or similiar as will just attract dust). get a bike horn if you can, you will use it. The louder and more unique the better, that way when you bike with your friends, they will be able to find you.. Headlights are pretty important too, as its dark on the playa and you dont’ want to run people over (not everyone is illuminated) or hit stray rebar. Next Adventure sells very cheap led lights. ‘frog lights’ are also great (they sell them at next adventure too) in addition to a headlight. You will probably want some sort of basket on your bike too. Many people buy flashing neon lights that you screw into your tires airvalve- You can get them at Fred Meyer and any bike shop.

-Personal Care- we have several solar showers. Daily showering is discouraged though as it uses a lot of water. You will also find that you won’t feel the need to shower daily as you’ll be covered in dust no matter what and unless you smell really really bad, you won’t actually smell too bad, as you don’t sweat on the playa. Having said that, cleaning yourself  off with a wet towel ( and dr bronners or vinegar) and some wet wipes daily (especially before sleeping) is a good idea. I personally clean my feet and toes with vinegar everyday to keep them free of playa, which will severely dry out your skin. Having a spray bottle or container of vinegar is a good idea. I usually bring a small container for washing and to keep under my personal water container to catch drips. If you use lotion or moisturizer, you will want to bring some. if you suffer from really dry skin, you can also go super duty and use bag balm on your hands and feet before bed. As your skin dries out the playa can become ‘itchy’ so having ways to prevent can make a huge difference. For personal care, I usually bring a bunch of torn up towels to use as rags. Worst case scenario, you can always rummage through the boutique donations for some clean shirts to use.

-Nose Care- Neti pot or some sort of saline rinse is suggested. after a few days, you would be shocked at how much crud will come out of your nose. I like to dab ‘vicks vapor rub’ on a q tip and rub on the inside of my nose- it will help you breathe, keep your nose moist, and feels great.

-Sleeping- Expect to get much less sleep at burning man. you will be out late (even if you only go for a quick art tour on the playa, you will likely be out later than you think) and up early. Unless you have a decent hexayurt,dome, or nicely shaded home, it will get too hot to sleep much later than 10am. If noise keeps you awake at night, in addition to ear plugs, bring noise reducing ear muffs (Sanderson safety or any sporting goods store has them) Also consider sleep aids like Valerian root or Melatonin. For severe cases, prescription sleep aids. be sure to have a warm blanket or sleeping bag at night- it can get extremely cold at night (or it can be 60 degrees, you never know). Bed- some bring sleep on therma rests, others futons, foam, memory foam (my favorite). I know a lot people also like air mattresses- personally i’ve seen many of them fail on playa and dont recommend them.

-Temperature at burning can go from extrememely hot in the day to extremely cold at night (or anywhere in between). Be prepared for this. Have a cold weather sleeping bags and warm jackets/hats/gloves for night. If you forget cold weather clothes, you can get them from the boutique, but we will make fun of you.

- Personal Structures- Everyone has a different take on this one. I’ve always camped in style in a 16ft dome (which was a bitch to set up and I always needed help) or hexayurt (easy to set up, expensive and labor intensive to build). Many boutquers go in smaller tents, some in hexayurts, dome tents, canvas tents, and occasionally an RV or short bus.
I like having some space in my tent to set up an alter, water station, pee station and area to organize my bins. If you subcribe to the bigger is better, you will want at least a 10×10 structure- having a tent you can stand up in makes a huge difference in comfort. You want something that will be big enough for you, somewhat easy to set up, and ideally will be cool in the morning. Canvas ‘elk tents’ are a great way to go if you can find one cheap.  If its your first year don’t get a huge structure without checking in with the boutique about it, as our camp is mapped out in advance. Also you will need at least 9 inch metal stakes (don’t get the ones from Andy and bax, as the heads break off). Ideally used small candy caned rebar if you have a big structure, talk to other boutiquers and ask for help on figuring out your stake size if you are unclear.  Be sure to illuminate or mark any guy wires coming off your structure, and cap rebar with taped on plastic containers or something similiar. Tripping on rebar is far too common and can be extremely painful.

• - Keeping playa dust out of your tent – There is no way of keeping your tent 100% playa free, however there are a few things you can do to help minimize it. Placing a tarp between the rain trap and your tent will help with keeping the playa dust out. Place the rain trap over the tarp. You might consider running two ratchet straps attached to rebar over your tent to assure that your tent, the tarp and rain trap are secured against a heavy windstorm. Another way to help prevent playa dust from getting in is by taping plastic garbage bags over the netting in your tent. Keep your tent zipped up at all times when leaving the camp. Storms can come on quickly and with no warning.

Pee bottles- bring one. a gallon wide mouth orange juice container works great. Needless to say, bring it full of drinkable liquid and use after drinking. Women in our camp have used small buckets and tupperware drink containers- make sure they have a screw on lid, as spilling your pee bottle sucks!

Foot Wear- as mentioned earlier make sure to have good boots. many boutiquers primarily wear boots and occasionally wear outfit coordinated shoes when appropriate. Except for maybe Wizard, people tend not to wear sandals, Sandals are a bad idea because of ‘playa foot’ and because its easy to injure yourself at burning man- even in your own camp.

Clothes- Since you’re in the boutique, it’s important to ‘represent’ by looking fabulous-especially if you are working a shift in the boutique. Most likely you have a bin or two of playa worthy clothes you can bring. If not, don’t worry too much, bring what you have and know that the boutique will provide for you. if you’re not a fashionista, other boutiquers will probably help you out and even pick cool clothes out for you. Be sure to pack some warm clothes for night- fake fur coat, hat, gloves and even a pair of long johns just in case. Personally I love one piece jump suits at night- they keep you warm and are fairly versatile. We get donations at the boutique everyday, and these should always go to boutiquers first. Never feel guilty about taking an item that you know you can ‘rock’- its important for boutiquers to look fabulous. Get a feel for the styles and sizes of other boutiquers, and if you see a cool donation you think they might like, pull it aside for them.

Packing- Bins are great because they are stackable and hold a lot of stuff. how much stuff you bring may be influenced by how you are getting to playa- if you are driving yourself, you can bring as much as you want, but if you are getting a ride you may only be able to bring a few bins, water, food and tent. If space is a concern, skip the bin for clothing and go with a duffle or tote bag- they are easier to squoosh down when packing. Ziplock bags are a great way to organize clothes and valuables and keep them dust free. underwear and socks, accessories, particular outfits- all pack well  in ziplocks, to help you be organized. its a good idea to also pack a clean change of clothing for the ride home.

Sun- hopefully you realize how hot it gets at burning man. bring sun screen and hats. especially important the first few days. Take breaks and get out of the sun.

injuries- between the desert, weather, sleep deprivation, energy of the playa, over stimulation and everything else, it’s very easy to injure yourself at burning man. be sure to know where the medical stations are, and bring a small first aid kit for minor injuries.

Medial Marijuana- Nevada does not recognize medical marijuana cards and has strict anti- drug policies. Burning Man has a fair amount of police, including undercover and K9 drug dogs. Do not use medical marijuana in public  or out on the playa. Never give medical marijuana to someone you don’t know- undercover officers have been known to ask for ‘gifts’ and then arrest people (in 2007 undercover officers were giving away ice cream from an art car and asking for illegal drugs, then arresting people). Undercover agents are fairly easy to spot- there are the people you just met who ask about being gifted or buying drugs. Black Rock Boutique is of course a drug free camp, so if strangers ask you for drugs in our camp, please ask them to leave and notifiy your fellow  boutiquers. If you do by chance get arrested for medical marijuana or other non violent issues, There is a small holding area  at burning man set up where they issue citations and then let you free. You will have to return to Nevada after Burning Man for a court appearence. Every veteran burner knows someone who has been arrested at burning man- be sure to read and understand the official burning man survival guide before heading to the playa.

Work- Hopefully by the time you read this you have been told that the boutique is officially a work camp and not a ‘party’ camp. that doesn’t mean we dont like to have fun, but we are on playa to fulfill our mission of making black rock city a sexier place for everyone, and that requires a lot of work. Veteran boutiquers typically understand all the extra work required on playa for things to run smoothly. For best results, volunteer for extra shifts, and go out of your way to help even if you aren’t on shift. There is always something that needs cleaning or fixing at the boutique- if you don’t know how you can help, ask any experienced boutiquer and they can probably name several items.

Asking for favors and bartering- there will always be supplies, tools, food, and materials we end up needing but don’t have with us. with it’s a speaker wire,  hose for a propane tank, or a patch kit for a leaking air mattress, someone out there has it. Putting a sign in the front of the boutique will go a long way in getting things we need. In the case of getting people to work for us (mechanical, soldering, electric work) offering clothing will go a long way. Fur coats (when it’s cold), tutus, and para sols when it’s hot, are all worth there weight in gold for currying favors.

Other camps- we have long term relationships with many camps on playa- Zanzibar, Tuna Guys, Camp of the rising Sun, Post office (both of them), Groovebomb,Pickle people, pancake playhouse, Mooncake Rebellion, etc…if any of these people show up, be sure to give them VIP service. if you see them out front in line, make sure they know to come through our camp entrence. Try to cultivate relationships with new camps as an ambassador to the boutique. bringing a bag of awesome clothes to some new friends at a camp goes a long way on the playa!

Valuables- there is a common saying among burners not to bring anything valuable or fragile to burning man because the playa will destroy it or it will get lost (things rarely get stolen in the boutique, but it has happened). Another side of that coin is that the magic of burning man wouldn’t happen without all the awesome things people bring to the playa to share with others. If you have something you really want to share with others (art,lasers,a crazy mutant vehicle) or something you would really regret leaving at home, you should bring it- as long as it isn’t irreplaceable or you would be distraught if it got broken/lost/stolen. If it’s glass and fragile, leave it home.

electronics- the playa is known for destroying things, especially electronics. After reading above, if you are bringing fragile electronics (like a laptop) store them in dustproof containers wrapped inside plastic bags.

Post playa- please don’t abandon the boutique post playa. upon returning to portland you may feel enlightned, exhausted, sad, happy, relaxed, stressed, sick, or homesick for burning man. There is much camp unpacking, cleaning and putting away that needs to happen, and it takes a few weeks to get everything squared away. Please schedule plenty of time post playa to help out. if there are  work parties and you don’t attend, know that other people will be doing more work because you aren’t helping.

Care of possessions- wash all possessions with vinegar and dr. bronners (if possible). Remove all playa dust. Many items will need to be cleaned several times. A fair amount of the things you bring to burning man will forever bear the mark of the playa and henceforth you will refer to them as playafied. bikes and electronics need especially good cleaning. I hear “Simple Green” works great as well.

vehicles- if possible, save your car some trouble and let someone else take theirs to burning man. if your car does make the journey, take it to a car wash as soon as you can post playa. get an oil change (and possibly air filter- many people actually install new air filter as soon as they leav3e playa), take to car wash again. ideally you will shampoo your carpets, or you can just vacuum them like me, and anytime you hit your car seat hard, you will get a nice cloud of playa dust.

Exodus- if you are leaving on Monday, getting out of burning man can take several hours. Plan for at least a 3 hour exodus. Don’t show up at burning man with no gas in your car or you may be sorry.

Routes- We like to take the Klammath Falls route to BM. Lots of stores, Home Depot and Pharmacy there. It’s the last chance for big store stuff. If you leave at 5am, you will arrive on playa the same day. If you leave mid day, you can camp out at Klammath falls, or if you can make it, there is a campsite we love as you head down the pass a few miles from Cedarville (3 hours from Burning man) you’ll likely miss it, so once down in Cedarville, head back up and it is a gravel road on the right with a small sign of a backpacker. They have water spigots and porto potties. don’t remember if they have electric. Cedarville is your last chance for supplies and cafe food- grab breakfast there.
If you drive from Cedarville to BRC at night, be very careful of rabbits- they love darting across the road. don’t swerve for ANYTHING smaller than a cow (there are lots of these too- Roy hit one last year and it sucked).
On the way home- we like to take the Paisly route and hang out at Summer Lake Hotsprings. Its a more rural and remote drive with few big stores until you hit Bend, then up 26 and over Mt. Hood.

Gas- Leaving Portland with a full tank of gas, we usually fill up in Alturas. You can also get gas and diesel in Cedarville, which is a few hours away from burning man, but more expensive. As a last resort, you can drive into Gerlach which is 15 minutes outside of BM, although usually on the way there you just want to get to playa, and on the way home, you’d rather just get on the road. However you do it, make sure you have a least a half tank when you arrive on playa.

will update with more info later…

1. History of the Black Rock Boutique
2. What is a Boutiquer?
   1. The fun stuff!
      
3. What are the responsibilities of a Boutiquer?
   1. The responsibilities
      1. Attend monthly meetings
      2. Setup pre-playa
      3. Staff boutique during playa
      4. Cleanup/tear-down after playa
         
   2. Tribal council
      1. Abundance Committee (Fundraising and Budgeting):  responsible for fundraising and budgeting.  Team of five people.  Responsible for creating schedules of the fundraising events
      2. Sustenance Committee (Food):  responsible for creating menus, purchasing food, preparing food and asking others outside the group to participate in making food.
4. How can you join the Boutique?
   1. Fill out the application form
      

1) What is the Boutique? [needs complete writeup]

2) What it means to be a Boutiquer (expectations)

3) Returning Boutiquers

1. Who returns? How do you NOT get to return?
   • Returning boutiquers have shown in town and on the playa that they can work hard and pitch in, they participate in local boutique events and
     take on and complete responsibilities on the playa.  They participate in meetings as they are available and communicate solutions and ideas.
     They are fun to be around and look out for others.  They pitch in without being asked or with a slight nudge.  They don’t have to be
     begged.  Creative style and the willingness to dress up and represent is smiled upon.   Boutiquers not asked back may have become unreliable
     in the midst of the excitement of black rock city.  They may have snapped at fellow boutiquers and not tried to rectify the situation
     afterwards. They may have flaked out on shifts or only shown up for food.  Maybe they did not help with set-up or tear down and placed
     extra work on others.  If you use the privileges of the boutique without giving back, you may not be asked to return.  We want a group
     of people who can work together and respect each other even when things are rough or you have a case of Playa-induced ADHD.
2. Sponsorship Program (become a sponsor – who gets to become one?)
   • Any current boutique comrade, officially part of the camp, can invite someone they think would be a good boutiquer to a meeting, or an event, and introduce them to the group. Or, if someone new wants in and comes to a meeting, fills out a questionnaire etc and you think they are a good fit, you can sponsor them.  If your choice person is a good fit, they are invited into the boutique with you as their sponsor.  What is sponsorship?  It is the commitment to bring in people who are funky, willing to work, excited to be a part of the camp and to bring whatever gift they give the world to our black rock boutique, to share with thousands on the playa.  You commit to being a communicator for your chosen boutiquer and the rest of the boutique at large, if the need should arise.  You advocate for the boutique and you advocate for your sponsored boutiquer.
3. Dues
   • First time boutiquers, $150 and 300 items of clothing/accessories.
   • If the deadline for enrollment passes, (May 15 2009) a fee of an extra $25 per month will be added up until two weeks before we leave for Burning Man.
   • Perennial boutiquers, $100 and 100 items of clothing/accessories.
   • If a returning boutiquer cannot commit by the deadline, a fee of $25 will be added regardless of how many months it takes for a decision to be made.
   • Note:  A longstanding member of the boutique does NOT become a new member if they cannot go with us for a year.  They still retain the veteran status and lowered fees.
   • Refund Policy: You will be refunded 50% of your dues up to 2 weeks before the Boutique leaves for the playa (date our Boutique gear/stuff leaves). You will not receive a refund, if you cancel within 2 weeks of leaving for the playa. This is our stated policy, but based on the individual situation and/or emergency, we reserve the right as a group to agree to reduce the penalty.
4. What do dues get you and the boutique?
   • Ice-y drinks, coffee, teas and delicious, mostly vegetarian, organic leaning food for the whole week.  And bacon.  Sometimes smoothies or
     alcoholic drinks.
   • The truck and gas to bring our boutique down in.
   • A kick ass camp with shade, a chill space and lots of room for bikes and individual camp space.
   • Oh and some domes.  You know.
   • Some of your personal stuff transported to the playa (We are talking a rubbermaid or two.  No promises on that Really Big Thing you
     may have).
   • 24/7 shopping for free fashion and a new (?) love of the bins that will haunt your dreams.
   • The fun of seeing something you picked out being fought over by fellow boutiquers.
   • The ability to help people out of their shells and into something a little more questionable at local events and on the playa.
   • A chance to work hard at something really fun, where you are needed and appreciated and can actually see the fruits of your labor.
   • The ability to help people in crisis, who actually need our clothes to get through the day or the week.
   • The chance to be part of one of the oldest theme camps in Burning Man history, right in the center of it all (we yearly hope), Center Camp, Black Rock City,
     Nevada, USA.  (fade in waving Boutique flag over the Black Rock City)

4) How to become a New Boutiquer [needs new writeup]

1. Informal – Help with a fundraiser or attend a meeting, etc.
   • There are many informal ways of getting your foot in the door.
     For example, come to a meeting, volunteer at an event, donate some
     awesome clothes and express interest.  Traditionally, people
     interested in joining help out with 1,000 Masks in February.
2. Formal – Questionnaire

• Don’t know when a meeting is or an event?  Don’t know any current
  boutiquers?  Visit our website and fill out our short questionnaire.
  We will get back to you and set up a time to meet if the camp is in
  need of members.  If we are full, we will let you know that too and we
  will keep your questionnaire on file for the future.This can also be a way to                                                                                                                                   differentiate new folks if we are fortunate enough to have “too many applicants” for the spots we have open.

1. Selection/Sponsorship (be sponsored)
2. Dues [need incremental financial proposal - higher for newbies]
   • *need to add refund policy
3. Listserve add, attend meetings, take on role

5) Boutique Planning [needs complete writeup]

1. Organizational structure
   1. Five Accountabilities (each accountability should have a head, and four other team members)
      • Fundraising Committee
        • coordinates and suggests events over the year, builds larger teams for
      • Budgeting Committee
        • Creates the yearly budget and goals, manages the finances, provides bi-weekly updates on the state of our funds, changes in cost of goods
      • Clothing Committee
        • organizes bin runs, determines storage locations, organizes finding bags, organizes sorts, creates theme days on playa
      • Structural Committee
        • responsible for making sure all structures are workable, responsible for layout planning, responsible for gear and equipment tracking
      • Food Committee
        • organizes cooking groups, sets menus, tracks dietary concerns
2. Roles and responsibilities
3. Timeline

6) Preparing for the Playa [needs complete writeup]

7) On Playa Low-Down [whole thing needs writeup]

Post Playa [needs writeup]

7) New Cycle [needs writeup]
a) Fundraisers
b) First meeting(s) – Alumni only
c) New Boutiquers