It's actually "Burning Man"
Hello Simpon,
The bacchanalian gathering "Burning Man" is held on a dry lake bed north of Reno, NV in late August/early September annually. It normally culminates on the Saturday night of the Labor Day weekend so runs from the beginning of the prior week through Labor Day. In 2012 that would coincide with something like 27 August through 3 September. It often draws 35,000-50,000 revelers.
Ever appreciative of a good spectacle, and having a growing interest in desert exploration, I've done a bit of reading on Burning Man. It is said that many RV rental outfits refuse to rent their equipment to Burning Man attendees due to the pervasive effects of the alkaline dust which inevitably coats ever inside and outside surface of the vehicle. Still, I would assume West Coast rental outfits, particularly the San Francisco Bay area and the LA area, would see heavy use during the Burning Man time frame.
Foy
For Burning Man, do your homework
Hello Ian,
The reading I've done on BM tells me there are "G" rated sections of Black Rock City (BRC) where less risque behaviors may be expected. My sister, long a resident of Santa Cruz, CA, took her son to BM as a single mother when he was around 7 years of age. That was almost 20 years ago, however, and much has developed with BM since then.
The homework required of those contemplating attending BM involves bringing every single item you might need for however long you plan to stay, as virtually nothing in the way of supplies is available at BM, owing to its wholly non-commercial environment requirements. The drinking water transport requirements for a family are a major effort considering the volume needed in a desert environment. You must also plan to take out 100% of your garbage and sewage, but recognize that RV sewage tank pump-out services ARE available, but at a considerable price.
The official BM website forums are good sources of planning tips, plus they're hilarious to read. Sometimes I think the entire nut-case population of the Western States empties out onto the play annually, at Labor Day.
Perhaps the biggest challenge is just getting to and away from BRC during the entrance and exodus time frames. It appears the arrivals are scattered somewhat and rather easy after the initial surge when the gates open, but the departure (exodus) is legendary in terms of the time-frames involved. Apparently the endless train of sleep-deprived and/or hung-over drivers leads to a plethora of accidents and breakdowns enroute back to I-80, as well.
Best of luck and enjoy the planning and participation!
Foy
this just in from the morning SF Chronicle
Burning Man is having some issues, partly due to its success.
The have hit their permit limit, and have had to go to a lottery system. The way that panned out has caused bad feelings, as the scalpers took many of the early allotment.
AP Story on SFGate
I wouldn't worry about the RV supply
Burning Man won't have much effect on the rental market for RVs -- It's really a non-issue for most RV rental firms. So if you have the budget -- it won't be tough getting a RV.
Mark
