Suspense Camp Black Rock City 2008

Getting started

About Burning Man

Burning Man is a phenomenon unto itself. Rather than try to explain it, we'll just point you to the official website.

The event itself takes place from August 25 to September 1 of 2008 in the Black Rock desert in Nevada. The critical point here is the desert part: before we arrive, Black Rock City is nothing but a dry, empty pre-historic lakebed. When we leave, it's nothing but a dry, empty pre-historic lakebed. What this means for you:

  • You need to bring everything that you'll need during the week. Other than ice and coffee, you can't buy anything in Black Rock City. Be prepared.
  • The environment is brutal and inhospitable. Temperatures range from over 100 during the day to the low 40s at night. Fierce dust storms regularly appear without warning. Be prepared.
  • Burning Man is a Leave No Trace event. Everything you bring with you has to go home with you again. See our MOOP plan.

So, why go?

  • Because of the art. Burning Man is home to an unparalleled collection of art, ranging from sculpture to art cars to gigantic fireballs. Nowhere else in the world comes close.
  • Because of the unique culture of radical self-expression, radical self-reliance, and radical non-commercialism. People who go to Burning Man routinely describe the experience as transformative.
  • Because Suspense Camp will be there.

Getting started at Suspense Camp

Most of the detailed information about camp logistics lives on our private group, which bq or Matt can add you to. In the meantime, here's some basic information to get you going.

Although you'll still need all of your own personal gear, the camp will take care of a lot of the infrastructure that you'll need, including:

  • We'll organize two caravans with ride-sharing to and from Black Rock City. One will make the trip in two days, while the other will push through in a single day.
  • We'll provide water for drinking, cooking, and showering.
  • We'll provide truck transport for all the camp infrastructure, all the water, one bike per person, and additional personal gear as space permits.
  • The camp will a communal kitchen (although you'll be responsible for your own food).
  • The camp will have a large shade structure to protect all of the tents and the kitchen.
  • The camp will have a shower with an evaporation system for gray water.
  • We'll have trash and recycling facilities.
  • We'll have a quiet generator powering the lights and sound, plus limited additional devices.

As a camp member, you'll be expected to contribute to the camp in the following ways:

  • There will be camp dues to cover shared expenses (water, truck rental, etc.)
  • You'll need to help out with camp infrastructure (pre-event preparation, setup and tear-down, trash and recycling, MOOP patrol, etc.)
  • You'll need to help out with camp activities (performances, workshops, etc.)

What you'll need

First, go read the official First Timer's Guide.

At a minimum, you'll need the following:

  • A ticket to Burning Man (get this sooner rather than later!)
  • Enough time to go to the event (8/23-9/1), plus a day or two of travel at each end, plus preparation time beforehand and decompression time afterward.
  • Transportation to Black Rock City.
  • All of your personal equipment, including tent, food, and desert survival gear.
  • A cheap bicycle that can withstand the desert, with lights and a lock.

Matter Out Of Place

Burning Man is a Leave No Trace event, which means leaving the desert in the same pristine condition in which we found it. An important part of that is MOOP: absolutely everything that we bring with us has to go home with us. Suspense Camp has a detailed MOOP plan.


Bondage in the desert

The playa is a BDSM environment unlike any other. Check out our guide to bondage in the desert.