SHIFTPODS: The New Generation of Burnitecture

SHIFT-POD-SILVER-600x400

Years of Burning and dealing with yurts, tents, RVs, and everything in between, have led to SHIFT Camp developing this new solution for Playa Accommodation. They are offering them as a Gift to anyone who donates $800 or more to their camp fundraiser. They will be diverting a portion of the funds to create shelter for people devastated by the recent earthquake in Nepal, the rest goes to support their camp which is a registered non-profit. This is a way to give back to actual Sherpas!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN NEPAL?
We are raising funds to take 500 SHIFTPODS to Nepal to house victims of the earthquake. We are manufacturing them at cost, delivering them and setting them up ourselves as one of our camp out-reach programs.  Interested?  Please join us.  We need funding and people.  Let us know if you have something to add to the program. WE ARE SHIPPING THE FIRST UNITS TO NEPAL AUG 15TH 2015!

I have seen the SHIFTPOD in action, there was plenty of room for my 6’3″ frame. It has many features that make it superior to a yurt, including Playa-ready windows. The production model is a substantial improvement on their earlier prototypes. It’s amazing how quickly they set up and fold back down, compared to the struggle with a regular tent that many Burgins seem to experience on the Playa. When folded up, it is much lighter and more portable than a yurt – and it doesn’t need to be re-taped every year. Some people are charging more than $1000 just to rent yurts, so this $800 minimum donation seems more than fair.

Check it out – fast forward to 2:30 to see all the features of the Pod. The music gets a lot better then as well…

From the SHIFT Camp website:

THE SHIFTPOD!

FIVE MINUTE SET UP – FIVE MINUTE STRIKE WITH ONE PERSON!

HEAT REFLECTIVE AND INSULATED!

“Wow! It is so much bigger and cooler than I thought it would be!”- Most heard response

Hands down the best festival tent available!! After spending 23 years on the playa we finally sorted out the best way to tent it at ANY festival! Yep, RVs are comfortable but there is something really nice about having your feet on the ground and connected to the Earth. The SHIFTPODS make it easy. Set up in less than 5 minutes and take-down is a blur. No loose poles and connectors to manage or lose, everything is together and in place for easy pop-up. No foam panels to cut or store. Easy to carry, transport, set up, take down, clean and store… finally the perfect festival tent.

Designed by us for us, these tents reflect heat, stay cool in the heat of the day and warm in the cool of the night. The SHIFTPOD is quick set-up quick take-down high-tech 4-meter x 4-meter pop-tent you can stand up in and plenty of room for a queen size air mattress, and air conditioner or two inflatable couches that fold out into beds! You can be set up and hanging out in record time.

With high quality dust proof zippers and windows these tents feature a quick up, quick down pop-up integrated system so you wont have to keep track of poles and clips which get easily lost in between events.

Insulated reflective nylon fabric is easy to wash and blow out. The SHIFTPOD is the perfect place for a shift experience! Available in Space Ship Silver the SHIFTPODS are made with a heavy duty 3-layer insulated shell, 6 windows to let the light in, with water-proof zippers keep the rain and dust out. Reinforced corners and heavy-duty construction, large built in mesh pockets, stainless steel stakes, and heavy-duty storage bag. SIZE: 12 feet (4m) x 12 feet (4m) x 6.5 feet (200cm) tall — 64 pounds. Shipping size is 74″ x 14″ x 14″ and can be shipped UPS or taken on the airplane!  Includes stakes and clips to secure the POD.

Lights and TWO-TUBE air-conditioner recommended but not included.

A great amount of thought has gone into this design.

The SHIFTPOD stuffs the best lessons of camping on the playa for 23 years into a fast set-up and fast take down weather, wind, rain, dust and UV proof living POD.  Don’t blow the excitement of arrival on the playa with an hour or set up, a SHIFTPOD can literally be set up in ONE MINUTE and 28 seconds (not including hammering in the stakes).

Hung over and burned out after a week at a festival in the desert?  How about three weeks if you are helping build a camp?  Not to worry the SHIFTPODS can be taken down and stuffed in the bag in less than 3 minutes. Hard to imagine but very true.  Check out the video: HERE (NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS COMING SOON)

The SHIFTPODS can be used anywhere.  With three layers of welded UV reflective insulated fabric, waterproof zippers, sewn in screens, “black out” sunshades, heavy YKK zippers, the PODS are ready for anything.

They weigh in at less than 65 pounds and the packed size is airline compliant so they can be taken with you on trips all over the world.  Heavy travel bags with wheels are also available.

For the burn and other hot festivals, the SHIFTPODS are designed to be used with two-tube air-conditioning units which are available at Home Depot, Lows, Walmart, and many other retailers as well as Ebay and Amazon. These units cool the inside of the SHIFTPODS without as much of a vacuum inside of the POD.  You can use the single tube systems in a pinch but it is highly recommended to use the two-tube system or make filters for the outside of one of the windows.

If you are hardcore you can forgo the AC units and the extra $400 or so for the AC.  SHIFTPODS have two 6 inch ventilation ports with filter pockets to help keep the dust out.  The windows also zip out for better ventilation, cleaning, and replacement.

The SHIFTPODS are built strong and and can be set up and taken down many many times or left up and used as a small house. We have several farmers using them as seasonal housing, we have people traveling with them and we are working with a UN group to use the PODS as shelters for the homeless and disaster victims around the world.

SHIFT Camp are bringing in the first load of Shift Pods as a camp fundraiser, but they have opened the offer to anyone else who wants to support them. More than 100 Burners have already taken up the offer, and there could be as many as 300 SHIFTPODs at Burning Man this year.

Donate here to support SHIFT Camp and gets yourself a SHIFTPOD for this year’s Burn.

 


 

 

SHIFTPODS 2015
CAMP SHIFT FUNDRAISER

SHIFTPODSUPDATE

AFTER MANY ADJUSTMENTS AND UPGRADES WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE WE WILL BE SHIPPING OUR FIRST CONTAINER SOON!ONCE THE SHIFTPODS ARRIVE THEY WILL HAVE TO CLEAR CUSTOMS AND BE DELIVERED TO OUR WAREHOUSE IN SONOMA, CA.  FROM THERE WE WILL BE SHIPPING YOUR ORDERS AND LOADING THE TRUCK TO GERLACH, NV.
IF ALL GOES WELL WITH CUSTOMS WE EXPECT TO BE SHIPPING BY AUGUST 10 – 2015.

NEW UPGRADES:ROUND WINDOWS:We have upgraded the windows to a new design which eliminates the leaks we found during rain testing.  This new design also allows for sewn in screens which reduce the number of loose parts and additional zippers.  The new design incorporates three weep hole which allow the windows to shed even large volumes of rain.  The shades roll down and fold neatly out of the way.BETTER FABRIC COATING: The new coating is more reflective and cooler.  It reduces the amount of heat inside of the POD and reflects more of the UV light from the sun.STAINLESS STEEL STAKES: After a lot of testing we found the titanium stakes we planned on using were just not durable enough to meet our requirements.  We have designed new heavy duty stakes and made them out of stainless steel so they will not rust and will last for years.  The stakes are designed to be pounded in flat so people don’t trip on them and then pulled out easily when you are ready to go.AC PORTS: After looking at the worn out elastic on and old pair of boxer shorts I  thought “Hhhhmmmm maybe we should not use elastic on the SHIFTPODS“, that day we upgraded the AC ports to a draw cord with a clasp.  This allows you to cinch the AC tubes in tight and gives you more options for hose sizes.VENTILATION PORTS WITH FILTER POCKETS: We have built in filter pockets to help reduce the amount of dust in the PODS. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: ALWAYS LEAVE THE VENT PORTS OPEN WHEN IN USE.  CARBON DIOXIDE (FROM YOUR BREATH WHILE YOU SLEEP OR BREATHE) CAN BUILD UP IN CLOSED AREAS AND KILLYOU.

The SHIFTPOD stuffs the best lessons of camping on the playa for 23 years into a fast set-up and fast take down weather, wind, rain, dust and UV proof living POD.  Don’t blow the excitement of arrival on the playa with an hour or set up, aSHIFTPOD can literally be set up in ONE MINUTE and 28 seconds (not including hammering in the stakes).

Hung over and burned out after a week at a festival in the desert?  How about three weeks if you are helping build a camp?  Not to worry the SHIFTPODS can be taken down and stuffed in the bag in less than 3 minutes. Hard to imagine but very true.  Check out the video: HERE (NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS COMING SOON)

The SHIFTPODS can be used anywhere.  With three layers of welded UV reflective insulated fabric, waterproof zippers, sewn in screens, “black out” sunshades, heavy YKK zippers, the PODS are ready for anything.

They weigh in at less than 65 pounds and the packed size is airline compliant so they can be taken with you on trips all over the world.  Heavy travel bags with wheels are also available.

For the burn and other hot festivals, the SHIFTPODS are designed to be used with two-tube air-conditioning units which are available at Home Depot, Lows, Walmart, and many other retailers as well as Ebay and Amazon. These units cool the inside of the SHIFTPODS without as much of a vacuum inside of the POD.  You can use the single tube systems in a pinch but it is highly recommended to use the two-tube system or make filters for the outside of one of the windows.

If you are hardcore you can forgo the AC units and the extra $400 or so for the AC.  SHIFTPODS have two 6 inch ventilation ports with filter pockets to help keep the dust out.  The windows also zip out for better ventilation, cleaning, and replacement.

The SHIFTPODS are built strong and and can be set up and taken down many many times or left up and used as a small house. We have several farmers using them as seasonal housing, we have people traveling with them and we are working with a UN group to use the PODS as shelters for the homeless and disaster victims around the world.

SHIFTPODS come with 6x 8″ STAINLESS STEEL stakes with clips and lines to hold the PODS to the playa even in the strongest winds.

SHIFTPODS offer enough room to hold a queen size bed or two inflatable couches, a small refrigerator, table, and more.  You can find these on Ebay or Amazon.

ALL DONATIONS GO TO SUPPORT SHIFT AND SHIFT PROJECTS. HELP US MEET OUR GOALS AND GET THE BEST CAMPING POD ON THIS PLANET!
I ORDERED A SHIFTPOD ALREADY!!  WHEN WILL I GET IT?
Thank you for your support! Your SHIFTPODS will be in the order currently being built and shipped.  The shipment is expected on August 10th and can be shipped directly to you, picked up in Sonoma, CA or they can be delivered to Gerlach, NV.CAN I GET IT SOONER? 
Yes.  We will have a limited quantity available June 29th that can be shipped by air for an ADDITIONAL rush fee of $250 plus US shipping or pick up fees.HOW MUCH ARE SHIFTPODS?
Right now they are available as a gift for any donations of $800 or more.DO THEY COME WITH AC, BEDS OR ANY OTHER ITEMS?
Nope.  It is up to you to outfit your PODs. The SHIFTPODScome with; The POD itself, the stakes, lines, and the storage bag. They have five windows, AC ports, power cord ports, and two doors.WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN NEPAL?
We are raising funds to take 500 SHIFTPODS to Nepal to house victims of the earthquake. We are manufacturing them at cost, delivering them and setting them up ourselves as one of our camp out-reach programs.  Interested?  Please join us.  We need funding and people.  Let us know if you have something to add to the program. WE ARE SHIPPING THE FIRST UNITS TO NEPAL AUG 15TH 2015!WHAT IF MY WHOLE CAMP WANTS SHIFTPODS? DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS?
Yes! It’s good to want!  Contact us for more details.  You can sign up to be an affiliate and earn money for your camp for every SHIFTPODS donation you bring.  We also offer discounts FOR VOLUNTEERS, VETERANS and on bulk orders of PODS.Have other questions?  Let us know!

~TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK~

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT!

If you are receiving this and don’t know why please hit unsubscribe link in the bottom left corner and you will be instantly removed from our list!
Sorry for the inconvenience.

*SHIFTPODS is/are NOT affiliated with Burning Man, Walmart, Costco, Ebay, Amazon, Home Depot or Lowes. they all respectively own the rights to their names, logos and their IP. 🙂

GET A SHIFTPOD NOW!

Transforming Castle Truck Becomes 3-Story Tiny House

The tiny house movement is gathering speed worldwide, and starting to build on the Playa too.

In 2011 the Tiny House Blog published a post featuring The Tiny Houses of Black Rock City and they followed this up again in 2014 with The Tiny Houses of Black Rock City: Caravansary. We’ve also featured the Golden Rebar award for Burnitecture in 2013 and 2014. Reno Artist Matt Schwartz is an enthusiast who hosts Tiny House Tuesdays at The Generator.

burning-man-tiny-house24

Tiny House at Burning Man 2014. Image: Tiny House Blog

a tiny house and a hexyurt together

a tiny house and a hexyurt together

This three story off-grid micro-mansion from New Zealand is in another league.

From Living Big In A Tiny House:

Completely folded up, it would look very similar to a regular house truck were it not for the two turrets on the back that give a hit of what it becomes. Once parked, the house truck completely folds out and transforms into a fantasy castle.

Castle Truck Folded For Travel

When traveling, the entire house truck is a compact and tidy package. The roof retracts, the sides of the walls fold in, the turrets rotate inwards and it’s ready to go. When compacted for travel mode, the house easily meets all the minimum road clearances and is therefore very easy to travel with. 

The Castle Truck Folds Out Into An Impressive Structure

Once parked however, the castle truck comes to life, expanding to create a beautiful little home for its builders / owners Justin, Jola and their son Piko. The family have a very active lifestyle and the indoor outdoor flow of the house was a central theme in it’s design.

Castle Truck Extending Roof & Solar Panels

The castle-truck is completely off-the grid. It is solar powered, heats water through a mixture of solar panels on the roof, a wetback fire, and gas, and it captures rain water from the roof that is then stored in water tanks below the truck.

Castle Truck Kitchen

Inside the house is just as impressive with beautifully crafted living and working areas providing all the necessary comforts for this busy family. The kitchen has been created as the central feature of the home. All of the appliances are full-sized and the kitchen is a wonderful space for this family who love to cook.

Castle Truck Interior

Perhaps one of the most impressive things about this truck is the amount of storage space that is built into it. Huge wardrobe and cupboard spaces fill up all corners of the house and easily allow enough storage space for all the families’ belongings.

Castle Truck Sleeping Loft

A magical sleeping loft raises up from above the truck and creates a wonderful place for the family to relax and sleep. The wallpaper was created by Jola who spent many hours cutting out music and lyrics from old song books. Each of the songs sing about beauty, love, and sleep and set the mood for this tranquil space.

Castle Truck Roof Balcony

Climb up even further and you will find yourself on top of the world. The castle truck boasts an impressive roof-top balcony, with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, a hammock, solar food dehydrator built into the roof, and even a roof-top bathtub! This is pretty much the pinnacle of motorhomes for anyone looking for motorhome, campervan, 4WD and RV rentals.

Castle Truck Bathroom Turrets

To the rear of the truck you’ll find the bathroom turrets. The turret to the left is the composting toilet, and to the right is the shower turret which also is home to a small washing machine.  In addition to being a very unique feature on the house, this design also has the practical benefit of separating the bathroom from the living space.

Castle Truck Fold Out Kitchen

Justin and Jola have created a truly spectacular home. The engineering that has gone into the house is pure genius and it is both skilfully and beautifully executed. In my mind, this House Truck has single handedly raised the bar on what is possible in small space design.

From collective-evolution:

The average house size has increased substantially in recent decades, and in response, there is a growing movement of people seeking alternatives to large, expensive, and energy-intensive housing. Australia currently holds the record for the country with the largest homes; the average size of a new Australian house increased from 162.2 square metres (1,742 sq feet) in 1984 to 227.6 square metres (2,444 sq feet) in 2003. The average new Australian home is now 10% bigger than even its U.S. equivalent.(1)  Australia is closely followed by the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand for having homes either over or just under 200 metres squared (2,200 sq feet). In contrast, there are a number of countries with significantly smaller homes as the standard, such as: Germany (109 m2), Japan (95 m2), Sweden (83 m2), UK (76 m2), China (60 m2) and Hong Kong (45 m2).

While the trend over the last decade has been for larger homes, the tiny house movement is becoming popular among those wishing to be more sustainable and wanting to live simpler, less consumerist lifestyles. The small house movement is about reducing the overall size of dwellings to less than 1,000 square feet, or approximately 93 square metres. Following the Global Financial Crisis and Hurricane Katrina, both of which helped spark interest in the small home movement, there is a small but growing younger demographic moving towards living with less. While still a relatively minor sector, the tiny house market is set to see more interest over the coming decades. As housing affordability deteriorates in tandem with economic conditions, people will seek alternative ways of living. (2)

One such couple who have embraced the tiny house movement with their passion and skills are Jola and Justin from New Zealand. They have combined the functional and practical with quirky and fun, creating a three level road-worthy house truck replete with its own turrets! The 40 square meter “Castle” truck  is an engineering masterpiece. It includes biofold doors, a loft,  a rooftop bathtub, a large food dehydrator, and a full working kitchen complete with oven cook top and refrigerator. The bathroom facilities include a shower (within one of the turrets) and composting toilet (in the other turret) and a washing machine. Solar panels pull out to provide power for the family and recycled materials have been used throughout the vehicle. (3)

BLM Want Their Own Million Dollar Compound With Popsicles and Donuts [Updates]

Jenny Kane at the Reno Gazette-Journal breaks an exclusive story “BLM Wants VIP Compound at Burning Man” . It’s about the unprecedented, eyebrow-raising last minute demands from the Bureau of Land Management, which need to be met before a permit for this year’s event can be issued.

That’s right, Burning Man starts in about 60 days, but the permit has not been issued yet. No permit, no event. The negotiation stakes are high, and the big guns are being shown at the table.

Some have speculated that the permit may be held up this year due to complications with festival stalwart CrowdRX taking over the medical responsibilities from proven local team Humboldt General Hospital. Whether that is a real issue or not, the latest problem that needs to be settled before the permit gets issued is this: VIPs need ceramic toilets, goddam it!

Read the full story and watch the video at the Reno Gazette Journal. Emphasis is ours.

Image: Boing Boing

Image: Boing Boing

The largest event on Federal land is turning into quite the luxury camping adventure for the hundreds of government workers paid to go to Burning Man.

BLM officials contend that their staff can no longer stay in the “primitive” accommodations available in Gerlach, which is about 20 minutes from the event location.

“We’re very concerned about where we put people that are part of our staff and that are part of the support and permitting,” said BLM Winnemucca District Manager Gene Seidlitz.

Recently the BLM spent $3 million building these so-called primitive Gerlach accommodations, which feature hot and cold running water, flushing toilets, refrigerators, and other amenities. These are no longer sufficient for the $30 million+, 70,000 person billionaire’s safari experience that is Burning Man 2.0. Perhaps we should be glad that they’re not asking to spend the $1.2 million on facial recognition technologies and x-ray vision that can see through tent and RV walls…or maybe they already did that…

The BLM already gets $3.5-4 million in fees from Burning Man for the annual permit, as well as a 3% cut of the gross revenues of any of the 100+ vendors out there every year.

Screenshot 2015-06-27 20.24.36

BLM fees from Burning Man
2011: $858k
2012: $1.4 million
2013: $2.9 million
2014: $4 million
2015: About $5 million.

[Source: Burn.Life]

BMOrg convinced a BLM Director to come across to the corporate world and lobby for them. Now it seems that the BLM are demanding perks. More perks.

Details of the request were included in an email exchange obtained by the RGJ between a Burning Man official and Bob Abbey, the former BLM director who is now a consultant for Burning Man organizers.

Having been a career BLM employee, I expect agency employees to behave competently and professionally in their interactions with the public,” Abbey said in his email. “I don’t see these traits being applied in their dealings with (Black Rock City).”

The proposed layout of the camp, published by the RGJ, shows 8 double VIP rooms. So as many as 16 unnamed VIPs are coming. Could this have anything to do with BMOrg’s recent trip to Washington DC? They were there to meet with bigwigs in the BLM, Department of the Interior, and State and Federal Government representatives.

BLM Winnemucca manager Gene Seidlitz seems to think so:

As to who will be included in the VIP crew making its way to Burning Man this year, Seidlitz said that he likely will not know until the day of the event.

Right now, I don’t have the exact names. But there are those in upper leadership at the state level of BLM and the national level of BLM,” Seidlitz said. “Based on the issues and concerns of last year, it does have the interest of the Department of Interior.”

Seidlitz said that Washington, D.C., officials are concerned about upholding the standards of the “American public” and they will be coordinating visits to Burning Man while making other stops in the West.

“Burning Man is on everyone’s list. They come out to see the event, and to meet with everyone from BLM

Yep, it’s on everybody’s bucket list now. Great. Swell. Neato.

Image: Charles Doyle/Facebook

Image: Charles Doyle/Facebook

The VIPs don’t have to participate very long. They can just come, get in a couple of quick rounds of Burner Bingo, enjoy the spectacle put on for them by the freaks, then be on their merry way.

None of the VIPs will be staying the entire period that the Blue Pit compound will be set up, from Aug. 27 through Sept. 11. Many will be popping in for a day, maybe a half-day, Seidlitz said.

Special Agent Love is the bloke responsible, says the RGJ. Is this from Love, or above? Who is next up the chain of command? It definitely isn’t Harry Reid.

BLM Special Agent Dan Love of Salt Lake City was cited multiple times as the person behind many of the BLM requests, according to the emails. He did not return requests for comment. Love also led the BLM operation against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy that ended in a standoff with Bundy’s armed supporters.

Is this really just coming out of the blue from the local team, who have all been working with BMOrg for decades? Perhaps they suddenly decided that if the Founders are handing the reins of Burning Man over to a new non-profit – while they and their Directors and staff are staying in luxury camps that have all these amenities – that maybe it’s time for the BLM boys to retire and enjoy the good life too. Maybe – but that still doesn’t explain the mysterious VIP units. They also have 4 private medical units in the VIP compound. What sort of contingencies are they preparing for?

It’s worth noting that the “Blue Pit” – the name for the BLM’s Caravansicle – is not even at Burning Man.

The VIP encampment, called the Blue Pit, is a new request this year. It is in addition to the more bare-bones accommodations for the employees who will be staying at the BLM’s headquarters, which houses up to 150 working staff during the main event.

That’s 1 BLM agent for every 453 Burners. And this is in addition to the Pershing County Sheriff’s department, and other agencies such as the FBI and DEA. These 150 staff are already styling, compared to most Burners who are forced to use Radical Self Reliance, Participation, and Leave No Trace:

The headquarters also are expected to have trailers with flushable toilets and sinks, though no showers or washers and dryers are requested. The headquarters will be located at the end of the 12-mile playa entry road, 12 miles north of Gerlach. The Blue Pit compound is about two miles past the playa on County Road 34 near an old gravel pit.

The RGJ obtained a number of documents, including this brochure of the bathtroom units. No port-a-potties for these guys.

portable restroom trailers

Image: Documents Obtained by Reno Gazette-Journal

This is the layout of the “Blue Pit”. It does not say where the stripper poles are located, that is left up to your imagination.

blue pit rgj

Image: Documents Obtained by the Reno Gazette-Journal

The BLM says that they are concerned about safety after the tragic death of a Burner last year, and that extra security people need to come now to assess things.

The request, unprecedented in Burning Man’s history, has turned into a point of contention as organizers negotiate with the agency for their annual permit to stage the event in the Black Rock Desert. No permit has been issued for this year’s event, which runs Aug. 30 to Sept. 7. Typically permits are issued in early August.

Burning Man has refused to comply with the BLM’s request, which the federal agency submitted on June 1, according to Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham. “We want to work this out. We’re getting close to the event, but we feel that there are more common-sense and cost-effective solutions,

Look, I fully support officers of the law and servants of our Federal government working in nice conditions and safety. We Burners pay several million dollars a year for their “services”. It’s for a week, not life. Surely they can find cops from around the world who would volunteer to come to Burning Man for free and take care of their own accommodation? Or, spend their own budget on this stuff. Don’t make Burners pay even more – because you know that is what BMOrg is going to do. They won’t be eating this expense themselves – that’s why we have this latest “leak the email chain to the media” move. Permit be damned! We’ve got Harry Reid!

Except that Harry has retired recently. Maybe no-one got that memo. Still, Harry’s written a strongly worded letter to the Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell – is she on the list for 2015?

Harry Reid, 75, is retiring this year. He injured himself using exercise equipment on New Year's Day Image: Yahoo

Harry Reid, 75, is retiring this year. He injured himself using exercise equipment on New Year’s Day Image: Yahoo

Reid wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, an avid outdoorswoman and former head of REI, saying the BLM needs to get over itself about asking for flushing toilets and other amenities. The BLM is in charge of permitting the annual event, which takes place this year from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7.

“While I agree that the BLM should take its permitting duties seriously and work with Burning Man to both guarantee the safety of its participants and the protection of the environment, providing outlandishly unnecessary facilities for the BLM and its guests should be beyond the scope of the permitting requirements. Part of Burning Man’s philosophy is self-reliance and living with the elements is part of the experience. Flush toilets and laundry facilities can be found about ten miles away in Gerlach, Nevada, if BLM’s employees need such amenities,” Reid wrote, noting that he was an author of the legislation that designated the area a federally protected space. [Source: Roll Call]

The RGJ has published the full rider here. Some readers have had problems accessing this story due to the RGJ’s login system. I have reproduced the rider below, presumably this is public information and not some sort of classified state secret. RGJ have filed FOIA requests for more information and we will bring you updates to this story if we hear anything more.

Jenny’s story has also been picked up at reason, boingboing, Roll Call, Fark, the LA Times, Yahoo News, CBS LocalUSA Today, and Reddit – where one wag likened the BLM to the IOC (or FIFA).

Dr Yes at Burn.Life thinks this is “attempted extortion”. He has created a petition against this.

Image: Burn.Life

Image: Burn.Life


[Update 6/28/15 8:38am PST]

The BLM’s Black Rock Administrative Station in Gerlach. Image: Bureau of Land Management

Thanks to our reader A Balanced Perspective for providing links to the documentation for BLM’s existing facilities, which opened in 2011 at a cost of $3.5 million – or about a year’s worth of Burning Man’s annual fee payments to them.

From the BLM press release:

Black Rock Station was constructed utilizing almost $ 3.5 million authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The contract provided jobs for about 50 construction workers over a 10-month period, which helped the local economy by making purchases at the local restaurant, gas station and motel

The facility will be open seasonally from March through November and will be staffed by BLM personnel. A BLM fire crew will operate out of the facility from July to September.

[Update 6/28/15 4:40 pm PST]

Reader Grey Coyote has alerted us to some online ill-will towards BLM Special Agent Dan Love, who ran the failed Bundy Ranch standoff operation last year.
Meanwhile, the BLM have disputed the $1 million cost for the Blue Pit Compound, saying that the event’s organizers are exaggerating.


[Update 6/29/15 8:26am]

Fox News has picked up the story, with further quotes from the BLM. They’re now saying the $1 million cost estimate is “robustly exaggerated”

Burning Man organizers have refused the request, saying amenities such as flush toilets, washers and dryers, showers, air conditioning and refrigerators at the bureau’s on-site camp in the Black Rock Desert would cost $1 million and hike its permit fees to about $5 million.

Gene Seidlitz, the bureau’s Winnemucca district manager, said Sunday that the cost of the portable units is being “robustly exaggerated” by organizers. The compound will offer basic amenities only for top agency officials who oversee the quirky art and music festival event held on public land the week leading up to Labor Day, he said.

The number of Bureau of Land Management personnel on hand at the festival has doubled to 160 over the last five years as the peak crowd size has soared to nearly 70,000, he said, and the bureau has run out of places around the nearby town of Gerlach, Nevada, to house employees. Most of the agency’s employees stay at a motel or rental properties in the tiny town.

“A lot of folks think we’re like participants in that we are out there to enjoy the event and party,” Seidlitz told The Associated Press. “But my staff and I have to be rested, well-nourished and accommodated to the bare minimum so we can ensure health, security and safety at the event.”

Organizers stand by their cost estimates for the amenities and their position that bureau fee increases have outstripped the festival’s crowd growth significantly in recent years, spokesman Jim Graham said.

For example, he said, the crowd for this year’s event is expected to grow by only 2,000 participants over last year, yet the agency’s infrastructure costs will climb by roughly $500,000 to $1 million.

“They include construction of an entirely new facility, and we maintain they have not considered more cost-effective alternatives,” Graham said in a statement. “We look forward to working with BLM on solutions that meet everyone’s needs.”

[Source: Fox News]

I’m inclined to agree. The “million dollar compound” seems to be coming from BMOrg, rather than BLM saying “give us another million”.

If you’ve ever built your own camp, you understand that it doesn’t cost $1 million to rent 10 trailers and 12 containers for a week. However, if your experience of Burning Man is limited to plug-n-play accommodations like Caravancicle and First Camp, with an army of thousands of volunteer and paid workers to do your bidding, it might be harder for you to keep in touch with real world expenses.

As for the Bureau fee increases outstripping the festival’s growth, 5 years ago Burning Man’s ticket revenues were $13.5 million and this year we estimate them at $30.5 million, an increase of $2 million+ just from 2014. 2010 attendance was 51,454; this year 68,000 tickets have been sold to paying participants (as well as another 3000 or so volunteers, and a few thousand children who get in free). This represents a population increase of at least 32%. Part of the BLM fees relate to Outside Services Vendors, and there are now more than a hundred of those.

This issue has now gone to the Bureau of Land Management’s Washington DC spokesman. The food requests are identical to last year’s rider, and apparently the Blue Pit Compound is “not really for VIPs” – those containers labelled “VIP containers” in the map should really have said “high level officials containers”. These officials will be roughing it like they’ve been deployed to a war zone.

Seidlitz acknowledged the bureau erred by billing the encampment as a place to house VIPs. Actually, it would only be for 15 to 20 top state and national Bureau of Land Management officials charged with ensuring safety and security and environmental compliance at the festival, he said.

“When you hear ‘VIP,’ it’s like they’re coming out on the government dime and bringing out friends,” he said. “But I have nowhere to put these senior leaders for a good night’s rest. They come out to interact … and ensure what I’m doing is meeting their intent.”

Most will spend no more than a couple of days at the festival, and the compound would save time because of its location only a mile from the festival and not 15 miles away in Gerlach, he added.

The amenities are similar to what the military provides soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and what federal agencies offer crews fighting wildfires, bureau officials said.

The bureau also is asking organizers to provide them mandatory food items for three meals a day and snacks during the festival. The food choices are identical to those provided under a contract with organizers last year, said bureau spokesman Craig Leff in Washington, D.C.

“We have every expectation that these issues will be resolved,” he said. “We have very good working relations with (organizers), and we want to continue to have good relations. We’re working hard with them to finalize the permit for this year’s event.”

[Source: Fox News]

Sounds like someone in DC has been told “fix this”…

U.S. Representative Mark Amodei, a Republican representing the part of Nevada where the festival is held, said in a phone interview the requests raised ethical questions and appeared to demand “the Black Rock Desert version of the Four Seasons hotel.” [Source: Reuters]

BMOrg are waiting for a response from the BLM today. On Sunday, they told the Reno Gazette Journal that they stand by their cost estimates, and that Burning Man is NOT Afghanistan.

Burning Man officials stood by their estimates of the BLM requests on Sunday. The organization has asked for an official response from the BLM by Monday, according to a letter from Burning Man addressed to Seidlitz.

“We stand by our estimates to accomplish what the BLM has required in the statements of work,” Jim Graham, Burning Man spokesman, said in an email Sunday to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

“They were submitted well into our production cycle for this year’s event, they include construction of an entirely new facility, and we maintain they have not considered more cost-effective alternatives. We look forward to working with BLM on solutions that meet everyone’s needs.”

Graham also questioned a comparison made by a federal BLM spokesman in the RGJ report that likened the amenities requested to those provided by the military to soldiers in Afghanistan.

“Burning Man is not Afghanistan,” Graham said.

[Source: RGJ]

 [Update 6/29/15 1:27pm PST]

The BLM have said they are reviewing the request:

Update 12 p.m.: BLM Deputy Director Steve Ellis issued the following statement Monday…”I am concerned about the reported costs associated with supporting the Burning Man festival. I have directed that BLM staff take a fresh look at the initial proposals for food and facilities at the event. Our priority is to provide for participant and employee health and safety, sanitation, and environmental compliance at this unique event that is attended by up to 80,000 people in a remote part of the Nevada Desert. I have full confidence in BLM staff and their ability to develop a plan that is cost efficient and ensures public health and safety.”

[Source: RGJ]


[Update 6/29/15 3:31pm PST]

The LA Times said Harry Reid’s fuming:

The BLM — the Department of the Interior agency that oversees permitting for Burning Man — has reportedly asked for a VIP compound to house staff at the festival’s Black Rock Desert location before it issues a permit for this year’s event.

And that has made Reid angry. Withhold-gifts angry. Leave-a-trace angry. Burn-something-in-effigy angry.

Gotta love the LA Times. Using emotional language to make a dry story more entertaining, and rile up their readers a little while they’re at it.

Screenshot 2015-06-29 15.30.15

At the Grateful Dead last night, the Burners from Playa Slumlord told me they only have a few nice trailers left. The BLM should just rent those for their VIPs senior officials. They can park them at the Blue Pit if they like, but to really experience Burning Man on our Civic Responsibility public dime, we should encourage them to Participate Immediately and get amongst it! Especially if they’re only coming for one bingo day.


Bureau of Land Management: Burning Man Rider

Mandatory Items for Breakfast

• Butter and margarine, instant hot cereal, jelly or jam, peanut butter, salt, pepper, sugar, cream (or substitute). These items shall be individually packaged. Mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, salt and pepper shall be provided in approved dispensers or original bottles in the dining trailer area.

• Salsa, hot peppers, brown sugar and raisins or other dried fruit shall also be made available, in appropriate serving containers, not individually packaged.

Mandatory Items for Hot Lunch/ Dinners

• Butter and margarine, jelly or jam, peanut butter, mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, cream (or substitute), tea and hot chocolate. These items shall be individually packaged. Mustard, ketchup, steak sauce, salt, and pepper and other large scale condiments shall be provided in approved dispensers or original bottles in the dining tent area.

• Salsa and hot peppers shall also be made available, in appropriate serving containers, not individually packaged.

• A variety of dessert will need to be served with each dinner.

• Salad bar should be available for both lunch and dinner.

Hot meals between scheduled meal hours (These items are only available during non-meal hours. Please see Attachment 3 for meal times and more details)

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich

• Quesadilla

• Deli Sandwiches

• Hamburger

• Hot dogs

• Grilled chicken

• Chicken fingers

• Veggies

Mandatory items for 24 Hour Service Bar

• Hot Regular Brewed Coffee (regular and decaffeinated). Flavored coffee may be served in addition to regular coffee at the Contractor’s option.

• Hot Water

• Hot Chocolate

• Chilled 100% Fruit Juice

• Brewed Coffee

• Tea Bags (regular and decaffeinated)

• Cold Drinks (Coke Products)

• Iced Tea (regular and decaffeinated)

• Assortment of Dry Cereal (Golden Grahams, Fruit loops, Raisin Bran and 1 other flavor)

• Oatmeal

• Chobani Greek Yogurt

• Yogurt

• Bread both white and wheat

• English muffins

• Milk – Both white and chocolate milk shall be available

• Milk alternative (almond, vanilla, and soy)

• Including but not limited to the following: Personal pizzas, Hot Pockets, burritos, noodle cups, M&Ms, Snickers, Payday, Skittles, licorice, jerky, meat and cheese snacks, cookies, brownies, protein bars, nuts, chips, popcorn, fresh fruit, apples, oranges, bananas, etc.

Ice Cream: This needs to be in a standalone freezer for ice cream available all day long

• Drumstick

• Choco Taco

• Individual served ice cream assorted flavors

Popsicles

• Ice cream sandwiches

And here’s a list of meal suggestions by BLM:

Hot/Cold Breakfast

• Eggs – 2 fresh eggs (3 when scrambled) or 6 oz. of liquid eggs (no egg product).

• Meat – 4 oz. (raw uncooked weight).

• Bread or Hot cakes or French toast or Waffles – or equivalent starch (equal to 3 (1 to 1½ oz.) slices of bread.

• Potatoes – 6 oz. or equivalent starch

• Fresh Fruit

• Muffin(s) or equivalent – 3 oz.

Lunch and Hot Dinners

• Steak -10 oz. (boneless) or 14 oz. (bone-in), or Beef – 10 oz. (boneless) or 14 oz. (bone-in), or

• Beef and Pork Ribs – 10 oz. (boneless) or 18 oz. (bone-in), or Pork – 10 oz. (boneless) or 14 oz. (bone-in),, or Poultry – 8 oz. (boneless) or 14 oz. (bone-in), or Ham – 8 oz. (boneless) or 12 oz. (bone-in), or Fish – 8 oz.

Non Meat Protein – 4 oz.

• Vegetables – 4 oz.

• Potatoes – 6 oz. or equivalent starch.

• Bread – Two 1 to 1½ oz. slices or equivalent starch.

• Dessert – 4 oz.

Self-Service Salad Bar shall contain:

• Five salad toppings

• One tossed green salad with equal amounts of three types of leafy vegetables

• Three types of salad dressings (regular and/or low/non-fat)

• Three salad condiments.

Sack Lunch

• Regular and vegetarian sack lunches shall be provided as ordered by AJ Ramos. Vegetarian sack lunches shall be prepared for the Ovo-Lacto vegetarian classification level and shall consist of the same quantities and items as regular sack lunches.

• Definition: Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian – This is the most common form of vegetarianism. Ovo-Lacto vegetarians do not eat meat, chicken, fish or flesh of any kind, but do eat eggs and dairy products. Sub categories are Ovo vegetarians that eat eggs but not dairy products, while Lacto vegetarians eat dairy products but not eggs.

• NOTE: Pre-prepared sandwiches shall not be frozen. Sack lunches shall consist of the following items:

Entree 1 – One Meat Sandwich (or Sandwich with Non-meatSubstitute for Vegetarian)

• The sandwich shall be wrapped in plastic wrap or plastic bags.

• The sandwich shall contain two 1 to 1½ oz. slices of bread.

• The meat sandwich shall contain 3½ oz. sliced whole muscle meat or a combination of sliced whole muscle meat and cheese or equivalent vegetarian substitute.

• Appropriate individually packaged condiments shall be provided and not be put directly on the sandwich.

Entree 2 – Variety Item

• Fruit – The fruit shall be one apple or one orange or other fresh fruit of comparable size.

• Factory-Wrapped or Resealable Individually Wrapped Snack – Two (2) or more snacks with a combined minimum nutritional value of at least 600 calories. It is preferred that these snacks be high in complex carbohydrate content. All ingredients shall be identified and attached to the product for easy identification.

• Condiments – Four individual factory-wrapped packets of condiments appropriate for the entrees being served.

• Paper Napkin and Pre-Moistened Towelette

Menu Variety

Menu items shall provide variety on a daily basis as to the types of meat and bread used in sandwiches, other sack lunch entrees, snacks, juices and other meal items served. Menus may include a wide variety of recipes. The following are examples of variety options.

• Meat

• Beef

• Steaks – rib, loin, T-bone, New York, sirloin, cubed, filet and pepper steak.

• Roast – Prime rib and sliced roast.

• Short Ribs – baked, broiled and barbecued.

• Ground Beef – lasagna, tasty meatloaf, meatballs in spaghetti sauce and ground beef patties.

• Pork

• Chops – loin cut, spare-ribs, country style ribs and barbecued.

• Roast – sliced and tenderloin.

• Ham – sliced.

• Sausage

• Chops – grilled and barbecued.

• Roast – sliced.

• Poultry

• Sliced, or whole pieces or parts (such as breast, thigh or leg).

• Fish – grilled, baked fillets or steaks.

• Processed Meat Items – pastrami, Polish/Italian sausage and corned beef.

• Breakfast Meat – ham, bacon, sausage, steak and pork chops.

• Eggs – Fried, hard-boiled, poached, omelets or scrambled.

• Bread and Equivalent Starches – wheat, white, 7-grain, rye, pumpernickel, French, garlic, biscuits, muffins, rolls, croissants, bagels, cornbread, donuts, sourdough, tortilla and pita pocket.

• Dry Cereal – Varieties of flaked, toasted, or baked cold cereals and granola.

• Hot Cereal – Oatmeal or grits, Cream of Wheat®, etc.

• Fruit – oranges, tangerines, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, grapefruit, or melons.

• Dried Fruit – apricots, cherries, dates, mango, pineapple, pears, banana chips, peaches, prunes, raisins or other dried fruit.

• Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, corn, peas, green beans, mixed vegetables, etc.

• Non Meat Protein – BBQ beans, vegetarian patty, vegetarian hot dog, Tofu, beans, soybean product, bean burritos, peanut butter, cheese, tempeh, quinoa, hummus.

• Potatoes and Equivalent Starches – baked, mashed, fried, boiled, scalloped, rice, stuffing, pasta, sweet potatoes, or yams.

• Juice – orange, tomato, grape, V8type, apple, cranberry, or pineapple.

• Sandwich Meat and/or Cheese – ham, corned beef, roast beef, turkey, pork, beef pastrami, chicken, cheddar, Swiss, or other natural cheese, excluding American processed cheese.

Salad Bar

• Salad Toppings – kidney, garbanzo or pinto beans; carrots, mushrooms, celery, cauliflower, green/red bell peppers, broccoli, cheese, cottage cheese, beets, peas, tomatoes, eggs, cucumbers.

• Prepared Salads – macaroni, carrot and raisin, potato, pea, gelatin, coleslaw, fruit, rice or pasta salads.

• Tossed Salad Greens – romaine, endive, iceberg, green leaf, red leaf, butter, spinach, or cabbage.

• Fruit – melons, peaches, grapes, bananas, strawberries, pears, applesauce or seasonal fruit.

• Salad Dressings – regular and low/non-fat French, Ranch, Italian, vinaigrette, Thousand Island, Blue Cheese, etc.

• Salad Condiments – croutons, wheat nuts, sunflower seeds, crackers and taco chips, bread sticks, olives, pickles, or other fresh pickled or marinated vegetables.

• Dessert – cakes, cookies, pies, cobblers, puddings, pastries or ice cream.

• Tea – black, herbal, green, and spiced. Flavored tea may be served in addition to regular tea at the Contractor’s option

• Milk – white, (Whole, 2%, Skim), and Chocolate.

• Milk alternative

• Snack Varieties – Candy bars, bagged candy, trail mix, cookies, and brownies. Granola bars, energy bars, fresh vegetables, pretzels, shelled nuts. Factory packaged meats such as dried meats, sausage, pepperoni, jerky, etc., are acceptable. Processed cheese and cheese food products are allowed for this item only. The Government retains its full right to reject any product offered under this paragraph if the quality of the product is rejected by users. For variety two different products shall be used each day.