Camping on the playa

This will be my second trip to the playa, last year I took the easy way out, flew and stayed in a hotel, this year I'm taking the long driving out w/ a 5th wheel and becoming an official resident of buggy-town.

I know that there's no place with RV facilities close, but is there anywhere south of Vegas that you can fill and dump your tanks? I'd rather not haul full water tanks most of the way across the country!

Also, trash, are there specific places to get rid of trash bags or just find one of the outlet malls dumpsters while nobody's looking?

Fire, any rules for it on the playa? Equipment we'll need to comply? Or leave the firewood at home?

Generators and the guidelines for the polite use thereof.

Anything else really handy or important that someone might not necessarily think of?

danka!
-Chip

thank you corey.

Corey,

Yeah, we have a blender, and a microwave, protable grill, all the comforts of home! (We've never been good at traveling light!) And we're the sharing type. Though it's bring your own contents.

So, how long before the Primm RV park is back in operation?

When you say firebrick, to you mean that in the literal sense, like kiln fire insulation bricks, or just bricks to rase it off the playa? What about fire ash, any precautions there?

Now, where to find a barrel for a fire pit...

-chip

Camping in BuggyTown

Hey, Chip! As to campfires, we usually have a big gathering somewhere just outside of Mike Jura's rig, giant fire in a washing-machine barrel. Bring lots of wood, but don't worry about where to burn it... the community fire is much more fun than setting up small groups in individual camps. Either way, just so it's in a barrel.

My "campfire" is often my little, propane "Heater Buddy", designed to work inside tents and vans. I've had five people continuously rotating in-and-out of my van on cold nights. You'll not lack for friends, if you've got a fire.

Trash bags... there's a dumpster. Pee can go anywhere, but poo-poo goes in the rented porta-potties, if you don't want to deal with tanks. Most motor-home, bus, and trailer folks have a "no #@%$#!" rule on their bathrooms, to save the tank duties, and most have a ladies-only pee rule, too. Oh, and some insist that men sit down to pee, if they pee in the camper/motorhome/trailer.... no splashing, doncha know.

If you make a fire barrel from a washing-machine, one important thing to know.... light a big fire in it, at home, in an open area, then get away for awhile... the enamel will burst from the sides of the barrel with force, and you'll have a scattered pile of shrapnel to clean up. You don't want to be close when that enamel begins to shoot off the barrel, due to expansion of the steel. On the other hand, we could have enjoyed your shrapnel stories, and ooooo'd and aaaah'd over your stitches, 'round the campfire, but hey, I ruined it, didn't I?

Oh, and I've been known to do this at the campfire: :moon:
You've been warned.

-Dooley

ONE MORE NOTE FOR EVERYONE ON CAMPING

Those who know me, know I'm a sociable guy, and I love the buggytown crowd... especially since this group saved my ass, financially, when I was ticketed for buggying on the beach and had to retain a lawyer to fight the charges. I can't ever thank this crowd enough for that, this would have been a VERY bad year without you folks!

HOWEVER... there is one thing we all do that I'd like to mention, very gently, in this thread...

When you come to Buggytown, and you first drive up and choose your spot... SPREAD OUT!!!

We have many square miles of open space on these lakes, yet it seems that every year, people cluster their vehicles so tightly together that several things happen:

1. If a bad gust hits camp, gear from others damages vehicles or other folks' gear. Watching an Easy-Up go skyward and land within inches of your leased vehicle is NOT fun. Newbies: TIE IT DOWN, WELL! Secure anything that weighs less than 10 pounds, anywhere in your camp. It may be a 5 mph breeze when you leave camp on your buggy, and gusting to 60 mph, 15 minutes later. Nobody wants to chase gear and trash into the brush line. Please and thank you.

2. Speedy, when practicing to retain his title, enjoys no privacy at all, which seriously impacts his World Record. :singing:

3. Old farts (translation: me, and perhaps Corey and Dan) who snore, fart, stay up late yakking, or whatever have to worry that the folks in the tent 10 feet away are not enjoying our conversation... or, that they are!

4. Cantankerous old farts (that would be John Lehman) spend the whole trip moving their vehicle farther and farther out in the boonies, until we have to seek helicopter rescue just to find 'em again.

5. It's the desert... the bigger we make our gathering, in area, the farther away from our conversation the little gear-heads with their ATV's will be. On Elmer's, there are millions of 'em, and the rules won't let you swat 'em like the annoying little pests they are.

6. Jim Spivey's bagpipes. You add the rest.

7. Our Drum Circle... if you don't like tribal drums, you won't want to be real close to me. If you do, park 50 feet away, walk over and join us.

8. If you cook something delicious, or make coffee in the morning, you'll have some old grizzly buggy bastard with a tin cup or plate, sitting way too close to ignore, casting starved looks at your repast. You really don't want that, now, do you?

9. Finally, just plain old camping courtesy... it's just not nice to pull right up next to someone else's partially set-up camp, limiting their ability to spread out their stuff, find a good launch and buggy-parking space, place to pee, place to spit toothpaste, whatever. Do you really want me standing right outside your tent or trailer, gargling and hocking Listerine? :D

Anyway, just food for thought, with an eye to improving the experience with every passing year. And yes, I know that half of you reading this will be parked within 24 inches of my door... and to you, this: :moon: Oh, and Happy Birthday!

Quote:

Originally posted by Lack-O-Slack Those who know me, know I'm a sociable guy, and I love the buggytown crowd... especially since this group saved my <b>***</b>, financially, when I was ticketed for buggying on the beach and had to retain a lawyer to fight the charges. I can't ever thank this crowd enough for that, this would have been a VERY bad year without you folks! HOWEVER... there is one thing we all do that I'd like to mention, very gently, in this thread... When you come to Buggytown, and you first drive up and choose your spot... SPREAD OUT!!! We have many square miles of open space on these lakes, yet it seems that every year, people cluster their vehicles so tightly together that several things happen: 1. If a bad gust hits camp, gear from others damages vehicles or other folks' gear. Watching an Easy-Up go skyward and land within inches of your leased vehicle is NOT fun. Newbies: TIE IT DOWN, WELL! Secure anything that weighs less than 10 pounds, anywhere in your camp. It may be a 5 mph breeze when you leave camp on your buggy, and gusting to 60 mph, 15 minutes later. Nobody wants to chase gear and trash into the brush line. Please and thank you. 2. Speedy, when practicing to retain his title, enjoys no privacy at all, which seriously impacts his World Record. :singing: 3. Old farts (translation: me, and perhaps Corey and Dan) who snore, fart, stay up late yakking, or whatever have to worry that the folks in the tent 10 feet away are not enjoying our conversation... or, that they are! 4. Cantankerous old farts (that would be John Lehman) spend the whole trip moving their vehicle farther and farther out in the boonies, until we have to seek helicopter rescue just to find 'em again. 5. It's the desert... the bigger we make our gathering, in area, the farther away from our conversation the little gear-heads with their ATV's will be. On Elmer's, there are millions of 'em, and the rules won't let you swat 'em like the annoying little pests they are. 6. Jim Spivey's bagpipes. You add the rest. 7. Our Drum Circle... if you don't like tribal drums, you won't want to be real close to me. If you do, park 50 feet away, walk over and join us. 8. If you cook something delicious, or make coffee in the morning, you'll have some old grizzly buggy bastard with a tin cup or plate, sitting way too close to ignore, casting starved looks at your repast. You really don't want that, now, do you? 9. Finally, just plain old camping courtesy... it's just not nice to pull right up next to someone else's partially set-up camp, limiting their ability to spread out their stuff, find a good launch and buggy-parking space, place to pee, place to spit toothpaste, whatever. Do you really want me standing right outside your tent or trailer, gargling and hocking Listerine? :D Anyway, just food for thought, with an eye to improving the experience with every passing year. And yes, I know that half of you reading this will be parked within 24 inches of my door... and to you, this: :moon: Oh, and Happy Birthday!

OK I CANT BREATHE I AM LAUGHING SO HARD.....I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL OF YOU AGAIN.....BUGGYTOWN IS MY FAVORITE TOWN....I CANT THINK OF MORE INTERESTING BUNCH OF PEOPLE.....AND NO MATTER IF YOUR A NEWBY (ME LAST YEAR) OR AN OLD TIMER (COREY.....TEE HEE.......LOVE YA) ALL OF YOU MAKE ANYONE FEEL WELCOME......

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS

FLYIN HIGH
SHANNON:singing::singing::singing: