We’re getting ever closer to Burning Flipside, so publication of the Flame and Announce will pick up the pace a bit. There’s a lot of information heading your way, so hold onto your NO! Please, do us all a favor and read the whole thing. It’s worth your time, and there’s lots of good advice.
For more info, stay tuned to:
- Flipside Flame
- Announce email list
- Burning Flipside Calendar
- official Burning Flipside Facebook Page
- @BurningFlipside on Twitter
Remember, if you have something you’d like to contribute to the Flame or Announce, use Flipside Flame/Announce Submission page to send it in. Announce tends to be at the beginning of the month, and Flames usually get published around the middle of the month. Get me the info at least a week before then, and I’ll do my best to get your contribution included.
~Editor
Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer!
Howdy, Flipizens. This is Dahling, your volunteer coordinator.
We are trying a new program this year, to help with people who want to help, but who don’t quite know how…. we are allowing volunteer intake through volunteer roulette.
How does this work?
Well, you fill out the friendly neighborhood form here.
And then, our lovely volunteering team will analyze the results, and in the background, magically find a place where you can help out. It could be anywhere, so long as the departments don’t have training requirements.
(also, leads, if you’re seeing this, and want volunteers from this, please let me know privately if you have not already done so)
Shaven Apes Needed
Like helping people build things and looking for folks in need of assistance? Sign up to be an Ape!
Be someone’s hero! Shaven Apes are the helping hands of Pyropolis. We help hold poles, bang stakes, and, in the case of last year, lay a lot of hay.
Our shifts are 3 hours long and you get to be a part of art projects, theme camps, and have an inside look at what folks are doing or have brought out this year.
We are not a safety department, so new event attendees can volunteer. If you have a friend coming for the first time and looking for a great way to participate, send them our way. Shaven Apes wouldn’t exist without volunteers. Sign up for a shift today. Thursday shifts are in particular need!
Work Weekend 4
We have one more work weekend left, May 6-8. ONLY THOSE WHO ATTENDED AND WORKED DURING WORK WEEKENDS 1, 2 OR 3 MAY COME TO WW 4.
Weather permitting, we will be treating for fire ants and poison ivy. We have some road work to finish and trail maintenance to do. There are always sticks to pick up and burn. Sign up on the Work Weekend Sign Up Form (required for entry on the land; don’t just show up).
New Traffic Pattern for Pyropolis
Yes, you heard that right. As you arrive to Pyropolis, or pilot your mutant vehicle during the event, you may notice some slight changes to the traffic directions this year.
While the eastern half of the city remains somewhat the same, the effigy loop has been reversed, creating an infinite loop pattern and a criss-crossing interchange in the center.
Located at this intersection is the Crossroads Civic Center, where you can find the Volunteer Grove, Earth Guardians Meet Up, Recycling, and rumor has it, a mail delivery kiosk for those cards and packages that just need to get delivered within Pyropolis come hell or high water (knock on wood).
Please obey any traffic flow signs including one way, yield and stop signs as well as the 5 mile per hour speed limit for all vehicles.
PETs Advice
On the 1st day in the great desert, the Burning Man spoketh thus, “All should endeavor toward self-reliance. That they may needeth not, and taketh care of their own shit.”
I want to talk about first aid kits.
Every individual should have one.
But FOR REAL, CAMPS, THEME CAMP OR OTHERWISE, SHOULD HAVE A KIT. This is the biggest thing theme camps can do to help PETs Nobody plans on needing it, but then they need it. So buy it with camp dues. Whether or not you choose to share of your kit with people outside your camp is up to your giving burning soul.
Tips
- Tailor your kit to your own potential needs, as well as your skill/knowledge level. Put stuff in there that you have wanted in the past. Put tampons in there if you’re the type to need such things. Put stuff in there relevant to your, or your campmates’ medical conditions. A paper list of your medical conditions, medications and allergies. Glucose tablets and a spare glucometer in if you’re a diabetic. Etc.
- If you have a kit, and there’s stuff in there you don’t know how to use, either learn how to use it, or throw it away. Practice with your kit as much as you can. Sure, you’ll use your precious stuff, but then it will be more valuable because you know how to use it correctly. This also reduces the need to….
- Check you kit from time to time. At least yearly. Meds expire, tape and such decomposes. Especially if you store it in a car in the Texas summer. Crusty unusable supplies are no good.
- Buy quality stuff. Lots of pre-made kits have these little dinky tweezers in them with blunt tips, worthless scissors, etc.
- Buy generics instead of brand names of everything until you have personally found them to not be as good. This applies to things like moleskin as well.
The Actual List
- Things to have in your kit if you don’t have them elsewhere:
- Soap (Poison ivy’s active compound is an oil. Tecnu is very expensive. Dish soap cuts oils just as well)
- Handwashing stuff. Pump sprayers are $12 at Home depot. This reduces water use and can be used as a great cooling method.
- Bug repellent
- Blanket. Have you ever tried moving a passed out person? Bodies are very floppy and hard to move. A blanket or similar thing will let you haul them back to camp, or whatever. Also keeps you warm. Even in May, a person laying out all night can get cold. Wool stays warm even when wet.
- Electrolytes. It’s what plants crave. Gatorade….I don’t know, easy to carry in powder form, cheap, but kind of sucks. Too much sugar, no magnesium. If used, mix 1/2 and 1/2 with water. Eating complex foods is best, juices. Coconut water is bland if you’re nauseated.
- Hand sanitizer
- Duct Tape
- First aid kit
- Mole skin for blisters.
- Bandaids of multiple sizes and shapes. Breathable preferred
- Coban – that self adhering elastic wrap. Be careful with latex allergy
- Gauze – in sterile packaging. Flat pieces and in roll form.
With Coban and Gauze you can pretty much cover anything. There is a huge variety of choices when it comes to putting white stuff on red stuff. Again, the most important thing is that you know how to use different products. - Saline – contact solution. Good for washing ash, bugs out of eyes. Also good for cleaning cuts.
- Eye drops I like regular eye drops. Numbing and irritation relief varieties exist
- Good tweezers, not bad tweezers. Fine point or flat tipped. Good for splinters and cactus thorns.
- Antibiotic cream: In general, I’m not a huge neosporin fan, at least not for small stuff. I get cut and scraped all the time and have never gotten tissue infections. Soap and keeping it clean are your best bet. That said, camping for several days may make that difficult. Being a dirty hippie may make that difficult. Using the river as your primary means of bathing may make that difficult. Also, punctures, like stepping on a stick, can get infected easily.
- Aloe vera or a time travel device and more sunscreen
- Disposable gloves You’re way more likely to touch someone who needs help if you’re wearing these. Also useful for touching anything greasy, sticky or otherwise gross. Also useful for ice packs.
- ACE bandage The best thing for an injury is rest. People never want to do that. Find a former athlete and get them to show you how to wrap injuries.
- Tape Useful for taping injuries as well. Don’t make this stuff up, get a knowledgeable person to show you. Too tight wraps can be dangerous.
- Scissors
- Over the counter meds: OTC meds are not harmless. Read warnings. Make sure people you give them to are familiar with them, or have read and comprehended warnings. Be careful with Tylenol and alcohol, as well as Advil and not drinking enough water. Be careful with Tylenol in general, it’s actually a very dangerous med.
There’s a million options. Most are stupid. Here’s a good article about OTC med labeling.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/02/what-over-the-counter-drug-labels-really-mean/index.htm- Aspirin – pain and potential heart attack.
- Pain and swelling (Tylenol for pain, Ibuprofen for both) Lots of options, just pay attention to active ingredients.
- Anti-diarrhea (loperamide or imodium) I usually prefer to let my body purge itself, especially in the case of food poisoning situations.
- Anti-nausea (dramamine or meclizine, pepto-bismol)
- Anti-histamine (diphenhydramine or longer acting drugs for seasonal allergies),
Hydrocortisone cream for bug bites - Calamine lotion for poison ivy, if that works for you. I never use it.
Sincerely, PETs
Need a Mixer?
Come chill with us! The Combustion Chamber wants to invite you to a mixer.
We want to relax, hear what you think about the Burning Flipside event and community, answer questions or point you in the direction of the volunteer in the know, and share ideas; all while having a drink. Philosophical and practical questions are welcome. Answers are not guaranteed.
Join us at Lloyd the Warehouse, at 7:42pm, on Monday, May 9th. This event is BYOB & LNT.
What Are Rangers?
For those new to the “burner” culture, you may be curious as to who these people wearing khaki and walking around with radios may be. These are the Pyropolis Rangers. They’re participants just like you, who volunteer a portion of their Flipside time to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. They seem to materialize out of nowhere when something happens, help to solve a problem and then disappear again. They’re like helpful ninjas.
The Pyropolis Rangers are non-confrontational community mediators. In other words, they’re not security, not the police and not your Mommy. They’re experienced burners that are the eyes and ears of Flipside and can be counted on to provide reliable assistance or information when it’s needed most. They’re the clear-headed voice of reason in the chaos, but they are not there to hold your hand and tell you what to do. Keeping you safe from you is not their job.
Becoming a Ranger can be a fun and rewarding experience that doesn’t require much in the way of special skills or a significant amount of time. All Rangers go through training, but honestly the greatest skill a Ranger possesses is to just listen and know what to do when “things get real.”
If you’d like to help contribute to the community and are interested in becoming a Ranger, contact RangerLead16@BurningFlipside.com
Sanitation says ADOPT A POTTY TODAY!
How can you create ART, give a much needed GIFT to the community and ENHANCE everyone’s experience at Flipside? Adopt a Potty! or 2!
It’s a small easy Art Project. You already have your canvas (it’s blue). Make it funny, beautiful, ridiculous – anything other than a potty. Gift those items you like to have in a bathroom but never find in a potty.
Keep in Mind:
- You must return the potty to it’s Original Condition after the burn
- Interior decorations must be kept above waist level for easy cleaning.
- Battery operated lights are great. No Candles though.
Preferred Method: use wire, string, zip ties or S hooks (bend a paper clip) to hang decor from the vent holes at the top.
If you can’t avoid tape: use Gaffer or exterior painters tape (weather resistant kind). NEVER USE Duct Tape or Masking Tape (or you’ll ruin your nails scraping off the residue).
Note: Wiping the area to receive tape with alcohol will help adhesion.
Have fun creating a superior porta potty experience!
Pregnant at Flipside?
Your pregnancy is a natural continuation of your usual life. If you are experiencing a healthy, low-risk pregnancy then you should have no problem camping. If you are experiencing complications or have high-risk indicators, stay home and nurture yourself.
For camping, I would advise an extra comfortable air mattress, pillows, ear plugs, sleeping mask to block light, and a couple battery fans for sleep.
Take everything slow, be willing to just sit with your feet propped up in a shady place. Take some good earplugs. Meet the folks at Kidsville.
Embrace the opportunity to be out in the woods, with so much love, while pregnant, just be aware of the fact that you will likely tire more quickly and be willing to honor the need for rest.
Nutrition Tips
For everyday living you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of non-caffeinated liquids — water, raspberry tea, mineral water. So, if you are 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces. At Flipside :: drink more. Stay hydrated! Pee clear(er)! You want to eat foods that are
salted to taste. Many women have salt cravings because the salt is needed to process nutrients that your baby desires and your body needs those nutrients to build the blood that will help make baby.
Carry some lara bars, nuts, canned dolmas or stuffed eggplant for easy snacks. Keep your protein level up.
Stay hydrated!
Also, for safety and sanity, if you go, agree on a plan and mutual acceptance with your camping partner that you might not be able to stay for the whole event. Be ready & willing to sacrifice the event and go home early … think of it as a test run for the sacrifices you’ll make for your kid over the next umpteen years ;-).
~Kati
Tell the World About Your Event
Your event is going to be AMAZING!
I am super excited to go to your Sunrise Yoga / Sparkle Pony Parade / Bootie Brunch / Dance Party…(all with bacon of course)
Tell everyone about it by REGISTERING YOUR EVENT by May 15th!!!
Do it.
Register your event, so we all can come and enjoy.
For reals…go and register that shit…cause I want to go!
Thanks
Caution
Flip Side Franks
Flip Side Franks will return this year bigger and better out in the Badlands with Ice Cream!
First off, apologies for our absence last year, the mud we could not handle being almost 70… Now that is out of the way, we will be back with a bang. Not only will we be supplying our delicious flame grilled Hot Dogs, with all the wonderful fixings, we have added a wonderful piece of equipment, a Soft Serve machine. Yes you heard me right, we are giving away Ice Cream everyday. Bringing a certain supply with us witch will be divided up proportionately each day. So come early to get your fair share.
Feeding hours will be 11:oo am to 4:oo pm each day. Unless you’re starving, then we’re prone to fire up the grill at any hour, Hee Hee Hee!!!! Look forward to a great burn, and Doc if you see this please reserve our usual spot for us.
Live Love Play
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