The Organization of One's Personal Effects During Burning Man

(or, "how I learned to stop worrying and love the burn")

I've been going to the burn for a decade now, haven't missed a year. Over time, I've put together a toolbox -- and thanks to Richard for introducing me to the idea of using toolboxes for something other than... you know... screwdrivers and files and so forth -- that has a bunch of things that make my burn a hell of a lot nicer. Or at least, reduce anxiety in two ways. First, I know I've got that *thing*. And Second, if that situation happens, where I need "that thing", I know I can find that thing... for as anyone knows who's been to the burn, items disappear. A friend of mine  (Hi, S!) lost a can of Pringles in her tent for a week; a precious keepsake (long story), certain it was gone, but no, it was there, behind the fun fur, coconut water bottles, and assorted accouterments (both typical and atypical) of the radical self-expression set.

But I digress.

We're gonna get all up close and personal with my +3 Box of Excessive Preparation, and maybe my obsession with preparing, having, & giving will reveal itself forthwth.

We'll work top-to-bottom, then left to right,


Column 1 (left side of the image, working down).

Disposable earplugs in plastic bags : Typically, these are for throwing into the camelback before heading out on the playa for a night of dancing. I really should get some musicians earplugs with the clever flat frequency response, but that keeps falling off the priority list.

Earplugs in a waterproof flashlight case : Time to fess. I've lost 4 of these fabulous tiny emergency flashlights. At the burn, you almost never need a really bright light when you're out on the town, but a small one makes life a lot easier. Said smallness however is conducive to "wandering off" -- a fate which tend to befall most items taken to the burn and not either worn, or stored in sealed boxes is one's tent. A not altogether ideal set of affairs, especially when said items is a set of keys, belonging to someone else, that you've accidentally driven 3 hours from the burn before noticing. But that never happens, right? Right. (Thanks Corprew. It'dve been a real pain to have to through Exodus twice). But earplugs : damned nice when you find yourself camped next to all-night karaoke camp. (Not that that would happen. Right?!) Note to people considering going; it will not be quiet when you try to sleep.

Eye drops, two kinds : I usually use the saline eye drops to counter the dust -- sometimes contacts get remarkably smeary, and that helps. The other kind "gel" drops are a new addition this year.  I think they just may attract more dust. It is not clear if I will try to find good resolution to this question.

Chapstick : And generally, not just any chapstick: SPF15+ chapstick. Ideally, in a size he snaps onto the chapstick-lid-with-hole-to-go-on-necklace. You can take a bit of narrative tension here, because this motif will come back again later. I salo have a spare chapstick-lid-with-hole, as most chapsticks don't come that way, and wearing it on the necklace ensures regular application. Obsession with avoiding cracked lips at first encouraged me to apply chapstck many (10?) times a day. Experience showed that 2-3 applications allowed the lips to toughen up without cracking. I don't think you want your skin too supple down there. Leather. That's the ticket. The same also applies to hands, especially cuticles. Use hand lotion, but not too much...

Neosporyn cream : I appear to be blessed with an immune system that thinks hot, swollen oozey sores are the right solution for a little cut. Hell, I've had lymphangitis three times. (The last time they called in the other nurses to go look, because it was such a textbook case of red vein-like shapes running up my arm). So. Yeah. Neosporyn. (While a doctor recommended the cream, you can also use the ointment kind to lub the O-rings on your personal mister, should you carry one...)

Purell alcohol gel : I don't use this much; I usually just use the gel by the porta potties, or the larger gel bottle in my dome-icile. This is mostly a replacement for the portable version in my SaveAPlayaOuting kit.

Nail trimmers, tweezers : I got 12 splinters from the ropes on the Charon-crosses-the-Styx zootrope this year. The tweezers would have been great, but the were just too big, and I had to borrow Ratha's to extract the host of pokey rope-barbs.  As far as the the nail trimmers -- well, they are great for clipping off cuticle tears before they catch on something, pull, bleed unreasonably, and finally get infected.

Hair ties : They go away. They are cheap. On the top, easily accessible. In every color you want, as long as it's black.

A small LED light : It's dark. You're in your dome. You've found your toolbox. You know there's a spare headlamp in here somewhere. Or maybe a hairtie. Whatever. Having a light on the top where you can find it means you can find the other thing. Another trick is a Sound-That-Makes-Light, such as a bell attached to a light... that you can find by just rummaging around in the dark until you hear the sound.


Column 2 (narrow, with the "Nasogel")

Spray nasogel : My first two years on the playa, I got such horrible encrusted nostrils, that I eventually needed steroidal spray to resolve. While neti pots make a big difference, a what I can only describe as a group-insanity-moment, the pass-the-neti game during a dust storm in '04 proved to be a fabulous way to get everyone sick. Very clever. But nasal spray, or now Nasal Gel absolutely stops the problem dead in it's tracks. I carry both the sprayversion to get up into the sinuses and the toothpaste tube version for easy application around the tender nostril-skin boundary area (est. 1969).

Nasogel :  I first discovered this in Canada when all the gorgeous snow was drying out my nose something fierce... only Nasogel could bring it under control. A godsend if you're doing things which result in huge amounts of powdered dead fish and salt going into your sinuses for a few days. Delightfully, or annoyingly depending on your perspective, this is applied by using your finger to smear it on the inside of your nose. American prudishness is probably the reason for Spray Nasogel, above.

Menthol inhaler : Purchased in Thailand, 2005?. One this sole purvey of the e-Tard set, the menthol inhaler is also helpful in sinus passage maintenance. It's presence at all is a direct consequence of and evidence for the old adage: "Today's Ravers are Tomorrow's Burners". 

Column 3 (the middle tray)

Special tooth care : Temporary fillings. Imagine you're at a music festival i the middle of nowhere, say, Klikitat Country for example. And you;ve got a temporary crown on. And then, in a fit of brilliance, you eat a jujifruit gummy candy. Moments later, you;ve got bits  of crown all over your mouth and the hot electric pain of an exposed jowl nerve is slowing creeping up like a  charging capacitor. If you had temporary fillings -- no problems -- glue that sucker back on, no more air flow, no more pain. Otherwise, you;d have to drive to the nearest dental clinic, on a holiday weekend, and wait 7 hours to save someone smear a little glue on your tooth-stump. So, yeah, I carry temporary fillings -- you got a problem with that.

Special tooth care: Oralgel : Having any sore in your mouth sucks. I used to get them more, but less now, but the habit of keeping Oralgel brand topical anesthetic has non been lost.

Green rectangular box : Replacement nosepads for my glasses. I don't wear them much on-playa, but after a few repetitions, discovered that the nosepads broke off easily during the sunglasses-eyeglasses transition -- a poorly shaped glasses bag. Live and learn. And have this so your glasses don't poke into your nose, creating one of those creepy playa wounds that Just Won't Heal.

3 spare camelback L-valves and bite valves : Water on the playa is so ridiculously important, I've tripled backed up my bite valves, which can pull off when threading the cable around. Having 2 burns where I lost my bite value  lead me to keeping these extras. The playa did provide one of those burns -- there was an L-value and a bite valvue in a little treasure altar in deep playa. Huzzah!

Tums :  While a Bloody Maricon (V8 and Tacate mixed half-and-half -- save one of the old cans to use as a glass, use one of the current cans as the other) may be a terrific way to hydrate and salt, it can be a little rough on the tummy, especially when consumed with crackers topped with avocado, lime, anchovies & hot sauce, having a way to neutralize the acid is awfully helpful.

Essential oils : I keep Lavender & Thieves, the latter a mix of cinnamon & other dark spices, plus recently Jasmine and Lime (not pictured). Thieves makes a nice perfume, Jasmine and Lavender are fabulous mixed with the water in your evaporative cooler, and Lime is a nice way to add a little flavor (calorie free!) to your water in your camelback. Scents are underrated, imho, and a little bit goes a long, long way. The first two have been part of my kit for 9 years or so. The more observant among you will note a small white pill in this compartment too; B12, sublingual. I'd have that here too, but my last supply has expired and is yet to be replaced.

Simple combination lock, tiny key'd lock, plus a tiny light : I sometimes want to lock up a toolbox (this one, or a second filled with other essential expensive items),  hence these are quite handy. The light is helpful in case you've lost your headlamp or otherwise need light when trying to set the combination.

Sharpies, black, large and small : Along with lighters, ball point pens, left socks, hair ties, and digital cameras (sigh), these are often lent or lost. Being able to make signs ("Use Gloves when filling generator (arrow)" or "Close the Fridge!") and label containers ("Lloyd's", "Keep upright during transport", "Be sure valve is closed!") is key to ensuring things don't get lost or misused in an environment filled with people in questionable mental states. A small one with a ring on the cap makes a great addition to my neckless during setup and teardown.

Headlamp case : I do not know what it in this case. However, it's a very nice watertight case, and probably is either empty waiting to be filled, or has some other critical items, that I'll go ask to borrow since I can't remember exactly what it is anyway.


Column 4 (right most tray)

Primary necklace : What I wear around my neck serves three purposes. First,  a collection of Gang Signs which show to others how long you've been coming to the burn and what tribes you've associated with. In my case, Space Virgins, Burning Sky, Area 47, Groo(-vig, -ville, -light, -e Labs, & -vik's Cube), and Alien Monkey Love Nest, dating back to 2003. (I don't have a 2002 charm, sadly). Second, small items that I need regularly and don't want to have to dig in my bag or pockets for (Chapstick and a Sharpie). The Chapstick is particularly notable (see Dramatic Tension, above), as the green tube of Banana Boat SPF15 chapstick is the third and final stick from a pack of three purchased in 2002. I think it will run out in 2012, even with the decreased rate of consumption. I hope the same brand is still made, because that taste says "Burning Man" to me like nothing else. Third, a ridiculous choking hazard. It's actually smart to make part of your cord weak, so that it breaks before strangulation should you get caught on part of an aircraft while leaving it, a bolt holding up a dome, or another party's primary neckless during a spontaneous bout of combat making out.  Also in this compartment are a few spare charms to give away and a small one-shot flask labelled "K", for reasons that are not entirely clear.

Miscellaneous audio parts : The 1/8" to 1/4" adaptor is necessary when connecting headphones to a mix when DJ-ing. They are often lost (supposed to have run off with the Sharpies, but opinions vary), and having a spare one means you can mix a set without making the audience twitch and stare at your unavoidable trainwrecks and level-mismatches. There's also an iPhone 1 adaptor, as Apple in it's infinite Jobsian Wisdom made the first iPhone unable to take normal 1/8th headphones in a weak attempt to corner the headphones-for-iPhones market. Why do I still have one? I don't know. But, it could be critical (Critical!) one day... Also in the nigh-useless category: a small stereo microphone set. The very first iRiver MP3 player (remember them? No? Apple) could, unlike the first iPod, record sound, play the radio, and act like a normal hard disk for files. Sadly, it vanished during 2006, still going strong. I never did install the fabulous open source music software for it, the name of which I have also forgotten -- but it was cool, damn it.

1232 batteries, spare : One set of these will power a small headlamp (preferred model, Petzl e+Light) for approximately 1 burn. The approximately means that on around day 2 or so, the light from last year will die, unless you've lost it first. Also, your friends probably don't have spare batteries, so you can hand these out like candy, too. A priceless treasure at the right moment. Oh, and also another red case, contents unknown. Wait! This is the spare flashlight! Either that, or the other little red case is. Either way. Ahem.

Extra Gang Signs : These make nice gifts, and feel somehow precious and hard to throw away. Plus, there's a spot for them in the box, so, hey, why not keep them? 

Velcro Cable Ties : Thanks to (I think!) Becky Anderson for introducing me to these. They can be threaded around a cable (shame about the 2mm x 1mm bit of moop they produce) and then permanently make it easy to coil & restrain said cable, or to attach said cable to table, pole other cable... Like other things in the class of  things-to-attach-things-to-other-things (duct table, zip ties, Gorilla Glue, ...) they can make jerry-rigging just a little bit easier (eg. attaching a small light to your bicycle handlebars, or a splint onto a broken finger). 


Bottom Bin 

The bottom bin is a detritus collection system. Things which don't have a home, spill, or "need" to be replaced promptly without attention to detail find there way into here. Cleaning that up is a post-burn (or pre-burn!) task... what's left are the objects too big to fit into compartments above.

Spare cloth bags : Sometimes you want to take a small set of items with you. This is a way of managing the ever-lengthening and hard-to-maintain supply line (with apologies to George Carlin) between house, truck, camp, dome, bike, camelback, and dance floor.

A bag of Groovik's Cube '09 patches: Sew-on patches are awesome, but they are horribly time consuming to attach.

Sewing kit : See above "bag of patches",  above.

Bag with sleep-stuff : This bag comes out of the bin and lives under my pillow. It has an eye mask (less useful now that I tend to sleep in a very dark mylar dome), ear plugs,  and sleeping aids, typically Xanax or Ambient. Having them under the pillow puts them right where you need them each night, so no hunting about, especially when you are too exhausted to actually sit up or even find a light. (Differentiating between Xanax and Ambien in the dark, not to mention knowing which is the better one to take given your current exhaustion mode is a topic left to a more advanced class in neurotransmitter management. See your doctor before attending.)

More nasal spray, straight saline : Well? Where else should it go?

On Obsession

When I looked back at the various activities & people that have populated my approximately 1/2 complete existence, I realized that fundamentally I obsess over them -- sometimes for a day, sometimes for a month, sometimes off and on for years. Obsessing over people might be considered (more than) a little creepy,  but what I mean is that when someone is really interesting to me, I want to spend a lot of time with them... And as far as activities go, well, ditto. 

It is really all about the nature of the experience, be it a physical activity, a skill, a person, a place of residence, etc. The word on the street is that you need 10,000 hours to become an expert at something (see research done by Anders Ericsson), a state clearly qualitatively different from being a novice. But I wonder: what happens at 5000 hours? Or 500 hours? or 1 hour? I propose that:

qualitative changes in one's experiences occur on a logarithmic timescale.

i.e. you need to double (or multiply by some factor) the amount of time you put into the experience for it to be markedly different.

Take travel. If you visit a place for a day, that's interesting. If you visit for a week, that's a lot different. And staying for a couple months -- different again. 

Take learning to play piano. An hour and you can plunk out a melody. A week, and probably a few chords & scales. But it will take more than another week to smoothly and expressively play a simple concerto.

Take a friendship. "Hello" is the usual start, followed perhaps by lunch, then a weekend, then increasing contact perhaps lasting a lifetime. Tell me the friend you've known since you were 3 isn't qualitatively different from the friend you met in Now -(YourAge-3)/2 ? (for me, about 1972 vs. 1992)

Some obsessions don't have that reward: the first time you ride a roller coaster is incredible, and while future rides are fun, eventually the novelty (or the fear or whatever...) wears off, and the value per repetition goes down. Perhaps this is where bad obsessions come from: things that aren't by-their-nature sufficiently complex or, in other words, lack the depth to provide a qualitative change in experience with sufficient time.

Deciding to focus on something or someone is about going up this scale of qualitative experience, from the quick & shallow to the (often, or at least hopefully) unmeasurably deep. As you go up this scale, the reward (in terms of novelty, recognition, singularity, intensity etc) tends to increase, as does the cost: an ever more disproportionate share of your finite number of waking hours, your nigh-priceless currency.

So, to clarify what I meant "obsess" above:

obsession is the ongoing decision to devote your time to an experience.  

As noted, the more time you devote to something, the more fascinating the experience can be, for it is perforce shared with fewer people and you will have few such very deep experiences in your life.

It is this logarithmic time dependency of qualitative experience which makes me quite regret making some suboptimal relationship choices. I no longer will, in all likelihood, ever have a 50 year anniversary with my partner, though I hope I will have a 25 year one day. And it is this, the depth of experience, which is a big part of why I want a child: I want that unique long connection with another soul who shares (approximately) half of my DNA.

Obsession is often thought of negatively -- a disorder, a problem. It can be, if awareness and attention (or "mindfulness", in the current parlance) isn't applied. But even then, the reward is still there, the dopamine system dispensing a little sub-microgram splash of cerebral satisfaction with each repetition. 

It is even more likely that the neurotransmitter reward is even greater for deeper, unarguably positive choices.

Hence, I find it to be unescapable:

 Obsession is its own reward. 

In this blog, I will share with you my obsessions:  the thoughts, the people, the communities, the activities, the things, or in other words, that on which I have chosen (or am choosing, and not always wisely!) to spend my temporal currency. And we'll see... will this blog lead to some qualitatively new experiences as I reach 4, 16, and 64 posts...?