2016 Core Team, so far:
Wasabi, Rafi, Laurel, Phil, Andrew, Tiffany, Neil, Heather Rosen, Newsha, Ben, Tamar, Spring Break, Jeya, Ayman, Nikki, Superdan, Jessica Clayton, Chris Bahri, Nathan, Adrienne, Hue, Stephanie, Inside Out, The Naughty Raccoon, Baby Bear and Dara Adams(Baby Bear's Virgin), D Hussle, Primo & Patricia (Primo's Virgin), Brandon, Jen, Earl Dennis (Wasabi's Virgin), Monique and Wendy's RV full of Virgins.
Be sure to read or reaquaint yourself with the community’s cultural expectations before you begin your journey: http://burningman.org/culture/philosophical-center/10-principles/. At H&SV, we practice the 10 Principles by respecting the following ideas.
Radical Inclusion - Be positive and seek to participate. Create your own unique experience by being open. Invite friends whom you know well and with whom you want to share a transformative experience.
Gifting - We ask all campers to aid with Soul Brunch, H&SV’s primary gift to the Playa. Individually, try to draw inspiration from examples of Heroes past: make jewelry or ornaments, offer acts of service as a Mission, or impart wisdom to a Burner in need. See Gifting section below.
Decommodification - No advertising, sponsorships or commodification of any kind exists in our camp. Cover all corporate signage on vehicles and clothing, and offer your gifts without expectation of reciprocity.
Radical Self-reliance - Our camp infrastructure provides a shower, but the vast majority of survival requirements are the responsibility of you, the individual camper. This includes sleeping quarters, water, clothing, food, equipment, bikes, and waste management. With that said, our family will provide guidance to those on the Playa that find themselves momentarily overwhelmed.
Radical Self-expression - There is no need for superlatives in Heroes & Super Villains. There is no need for inhibition either, and there are absolutely no judgments. We encourage you and your guests to embrace and express your own light and shadow.
Communal Effort - Our camp functions based on the communal actions of individuals pulling together as a team. Teamwork, togetherness and shared accomplishment are some of the most rewarding aspects of the Burn.
Civic Responsibility - We abide by the laws of the Black Rock Desert, including identifying all bar patrons as 21 or over. We also support the fight against scalpers and the secondary ticket market by refusing to pay more than face value for tickets despite the ability to do so.
Leave No Trace – MOOP management is critical. Upon leaving, the desert must look exactly as it did before arrival. Even if it isn’t your MOOP, clean it up, because it is all OUR MOOP. Operate with a first-in/first-out mentality, meaning you should constantly remove MOOP in order to prevent a large buildup.
Participation - Lend your strengths and talents to build something special, joining one or more of the core teams: build, bar, kitchen, strike, LNT and storage. Participation shouldn’t cease after the Burn either. We have many events year-round that tie our community together.
Immediacy - Immediacy is transformative. Once an opportunity passes on the Playa, it’s gone. Appreciate immediacy by letting go of inhibitions, free yourselves from outside worries, and find your true selves unbound by expectations of others. Be fully present for what is directly in front of you.
We hear all the time - "Burning Man is a barter society, right?" That is not true. You should never run into a situation where you feel like you are trading for something else. Burning Man is a gifting society. People just freely give you things. You should just freely give others things. It is nice to do the same or give something in return when a gift is bestowed upon you, so having something for this purpose is fun and good for the soul!
Try to put some thought into this. Necklaces and bracelets are super cool and Burners will cherish them year after year. Some of the best gifts you can give are foods that hit the spot or objects which provide great utility.
“A group dressed in banana costumes ran up to me last year and handed me a frozen banana dipped in cereal in the middle of the day, in the middle of the playa while I was lounging on a hammock. Dreams do come true!!”
“At Distrikt two years ago (make Distrikt happen if you know what's good for you. Get there around 5:00 and stay for sunset) I was standing directly in front of the speaker loving the vibration and a woman came up to me and handed me neon earplugs on a string. My ear drums thank her immensely.”
Think outside the box!
GLOW! You can't have too much. Glow sticks, flashy necklaces, EL wire is fun. You don't want to be dark at night. It's dangerous. Light up your person and light up your bike. This can also make your bike easier to spot when you are wanting to go home and can't quite remember where you parked.
Batteries for el wire or flashlights
Cash for ice or coffee, the only two things you can buy (and Indian tacos on the way out there - or home. Do not miss Indian tacos).
Goggles - They don't need to be nice because they'll get gross, but they are helpful to have in case there are dust storms and while riding your bike.
Handkerchiefs - to cover your mouth for dust storms/bike riding
Chapstick. If you can find chapstick on a string that you wear around your neck, you'll love it.
Earplugs and Eye Mask
Fake eyelashes are fun
Pasties are more fun
A bike lock - 99% of burners are not trying to "steal" your bike, but on occasion bikes get "accidentally borrowed." You don't need to lock it to a rack. Just locking it to your fellow bike mate(s) will suffice.
Camelbak for water and electrolytes. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
Shoes - comfort, comfort, comfort! Some people don't like wearing any open toed shoes, but some do (weirdos). For daytime, try to find shoes that are sort of like water socks with souls. They're incredible. At night, knee-high boots with various furry boot covers.
Rebar stakes for your tent - you need to secure it so it doesn't fly away if there are bad wind storms. Regular tent stakes don't fly, but your tent will if you don't have rebar.
Tennis balls to protect your fellow campers from ending up in the med tent because they gashed their leg open on the rebar
A CUP! You need a cup on your person at all times. Everywhere serves drinks, but they don't provide the cup.
An ID - Make a photocopy or use an old, expired one. Attach it to a wrist bracelet, or your cup itself. It doesn't have to be current, but they will ID you everywhere b/c of all the undercover cops
Baby Wipes - a fuck ton of them. This is how you will de-dust most of the time.
Trash Bags - you have to bring out everything you bring in. There are no public trash cans.
Ziplock baggies - these are good for keeping empty beer cans in and other garbage while you're out and about.
Also, use Gallon Ziplocks for packing. Use one for socks, one for underwear, etc. This makes those smaller loose items easier to find and keeps them cleaner, longer.
Be cognizant of MOOP. No feather boas, or things that easily shed and leave a mess.
Headlamps are damn near essential for nighttime. Especially to easily see what's going on in the porta pottys 💩 - and riding your bikes at night. Some sections get really dark. Remember, safety third!
Ahhhh, costumes. One of the best parts, but also a possibly intimidating one for the uninitiated.
Your first year, you might go to the thrift store and try to find the ugliest, most mismatched, kitschiest pieces of clothing and then mismatch them some more!! Turns out, that is not what most people do and you might feel slightly silly. Well, it's Burning Man so it will only be a very small amount of silly, but you can do better.
If what I described above floats your boat, have at it! Costumes is really an area where your only limitation is your creativity (or lack thereof) and MOOP patrol.
First and foremost, be cognizant of MOOP. Read up on the guide, but common sense stuff - feather boas, glitter, anything that sheds. Those are no-nos.
Beyond that, it's pretty simple: day is hot, night is cold. Be creative, but also be comfortable.
Daytime for guys: shorts and comfy shoes and accessorize! Kilts are rad.
Daytime for gals: Bikinis, shorts, tutus, Madonna cone bras, pasties, leotards, lace, etc. etc. The ladies win this one.
Tip for Nightime: have a warm coat for riding your bike. Typically it'll be warm enough to dance without a lot of layers on, but you'll want the coat with you just in case. Nothing kills your buzz quite like being cold.
Your best bet it to Google image search or get pics from veterans. It's hard to describe on paper.