$$$

In Brief: This year is going to be expensive. $900 a person average with 3 vehicles. Hope you're saving your pennies.

In exposit: We're looking like we will take 3 vehicles. Jeep for bicho and I. Tundra for Jys and Bob. F150 for Melodie. None have very good mpg.

Bicho and I will take a jeep/explorer into the unknown territory of Jungo road. This will shave 200 miles off of the trip but likely add unseen costs like tire replacement, lost gas/time, and other damage to the car. Estimated fuel cost of $1,000 from Denva and back again.

Last year the tundra cost approximately 1,000$ to get out there dragging a trailer. I'm estimating the tundra to cost 1,500$ round trip. (gas is 'rumored to hit $5 a gallon' so I assume it will.) Melodies truck will likely cost her 1,700$ with the added size. Add 300$ for the trailer drag. If we were to split the costs evenly (not suggesting this, it's not really fair) $4500/5 = $900 a person. If we shave one car off and travel light (the tundra) $3000/5 = $600 a person.

I think that we should try our hardest to skip using the trailer and pack the PVC in the backs of both trucks. If we can, we should skip using three vehicles and find some way to only take one of the trucks. Having one body fly then figure out some sort of ghetto-ride-from-reno would save money. Otherwise, having one person drive to the playa alone is alot to ask. I'm not going to worry about the logistics here as I'm going early and staying late - I will throw in money to get the PVC out there but I'm not going to throw in more money than buying the PVC in reno would cost. (re: 100$ a person sounds fair)

Personally I will be traveling very light. The only thing I will not be able to transport myself is the camp stereo. (I'm working out how to make it small and manageable.) Everything else will fit in/on the jeep with a luggage rack. If we can't fit the camp stereo without the trailer, I say to hell with it. It'll work at interfuse. Same thing with the pluton/barr.

Option 2: Renting a box truck. Cost of $2,800 for use & mileage: with an estimated mpg of 8: total cost of $4,675. $935 per person + $350 airline ticket + $50 biobus pass = 1335$/person Not gonna happen.

-capt'n surly

Apparently lots of other people have had issues with "Trailer Sway"

This interesting article discusses the frequency of u-hauls trailers starting to violently sway back and forth (called "trailer sway") which often causes horrible wrecks. The majority of the causes are incorrect weight distribution, speeding (you are supposed to go 55) and faulty equipment.
Having this happen to us several times on the way out there last year and managing not to crash (somehow!) is still fresh in my mind. We are going to enjoy driving out without a trailer this year!

On that note: Melodie, your trailer looks fine, I think. As a camp, we need the PVC brought out and a playa pluton (which folds up flat). I think we are going to wind up driving and be able to take everything else.

Sneaky Route

To those of us who are bored with the regular route! Bicho and I will try this a day or so ahead of everyone else.

Standard Route = 208 Miles + winnebego laden traffic
Sneaky Route = 110 Miles + winding, twisty desert mining roads, one lane highways and pseudo impassable routes.

"The Bureau of Land Management has declared an off-road closure throughout a two-mile area around our city. It will be patrolled by law enforcement agencies. Anyone attempting to enter the playa off-road will be subject to substantial fines. Furthermore, the margins of the lakebed are saturated with water flow. You will get stuck. Mired vehicles may remain stranded for days or weeks."

"The other route, Jungo Road, visible on a map, is a very rough dirt road with easy-to-miss turns, mining vehicles, a couple of treacherous dips and is guaranteed to cause one flat if not more. Please do not attempt this route." - 2007 survival guide. Pussies.

Fourm contends: "Jungo is downplayed officially as it is maintained mostly by the Mining companies that use it 95% of the time. It is a public road, I have used it more than a hundred times and never had a flat."

The actual sneaky part is this here.

Pirate Happy Hour

And finally: "Get yer scurvy arse's in gear and come share some grog with the crew at Camp 54. From the late afternoon to dark o'clock, the playa's finest rums will flow, to the sounds of a flintlock. Hook your wench along and bring a lass, iffn' your feeling saucy, you'll get some Capitan h ass.

Free booze for all landlubbers!

Ninjas discouraged.
Real swashbucklers skip any line!"

I'm feeling too lazy for the terrorist happy hour. If we really want to do two, anyone want to volunteer to organize it?

Evaporation

"Michael,

Going over your application and was wondering if you have seen some of the compact water evaporation systems posted on the ePlaya. Evaporation ponds are space hogs and tend to leak. There are some evaporator plans that are quite compact and greatly more efficient than ponds. I just mention it as perhaps a help.

Baulknaub
Placement Team"

Anyone able to find anything on ePlaya about this? I've found nothing but good ways to clean midgets. Their search SUCKS.

Nasty Midget

Removing nasty tastes from your midget.

"How wonderful Eplaya can be for genuine wisdom.

vinegar, you can use any type, fill it half vinegar/half water , let it sit 24hrs, and then rinse a few times, I guarantee there won't be any taste left.... vinegar, rubber, or flavored condom."

Bwahahaha

My trailer

Hi all,

The deminsions of the bed of my trailer is roughly 7ft 5 in by 4 ft. It has rails about 18 inches high. We can use it to haul stuff. Plus my truck is a Ford F150 that can haul more stuff in my bed. The picture on the post is the actual trailer. The black box will not go with the trailer but bikes can be hauled in it's place. Jess and Michael let me know if you think it's too small.

Shade Netting

I've a few ideas for potentially sleeping in fast 10AM this year on the playa. Mainly Aluminet.

I have mentioned this stuff before, but never actually done any pricing or dimensioning to figure out what I actually would do.

How do you think this shit will handle the playa? I picture it being similar in characteristic to burlap - just ethereal enough to let the heaviest winds pass through and prevent tearing. I would assuredly get the "taped" variety with good steel rivets for production. The cost, for a 14'x14' square of the 50% shade is approximately 60$. To get what I would require, 14'x7' (to cover just my tent) is approximately 30$. I picture building essentially a small box frame structure, securing it lengthwise to the playa providing my wee tent (maybe bicho's as well) with adequate morning shade.

Diagram is what I think would work. I project 60$ total cost if I just do my tent & some various other room for costume boxes/non potable water. The potential of sleeping past 10AM in the playa heat strikes me as worth 60$.

Opinions?

new comments

I took the liberty to integrate disqus commenting here. continue your rabble.