We embody the 10 Principles, especially Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Radical Self-Reliance, Civic Responsibility, and Communal Effort.

Radical Inclusion

EBB & Glow village (E&G) fosters a culture of inclusiveness.  People of diverse backgrounds are empowered to be authentic in a safe space.  We are committed to equity for all, and we have zero tolerance for discrimination and expression of exclusion or acts of hatred of any kind.  Everyone deserves the right to feel safe in EBB & Glow Village.

There is an inevitable tension between feeling safe and select 10 Principles such as Radical Self-Expression and Immediacy.  Part of Burning is pushing outside one's comfort zone.  Some feel “unsafe” outside their comfort zone. Part of Burning for many is exposing oneself to things that make one feel uneasy.

Thus, E&G won’t tolerate obnoxiousness or aggressiveness but will embrace a certain amount of edginess.  Another example is snarkiness.  It seems to have become quite controversial in some quarters, with some interpreting this form of humor as mean and unpleasant.  However, because someone’s edgy or snarky comment made you uncomfortable doesn’t necessarily mean you are unsafe.  It just means you are offended.  

Different cultures have different norms for social interaction and different attitudes.  Burners travel from all over the planet.  You can expect to encounter Burners who disagree with you.  You can reasonably expect to be offended by something someone says at the Burn.  Burning Man is an opportunity to learn to stay open-minded, grounded, and compassionate in the face of things you might find personally offensive.

Let the following words of wisdom guide us on the Playa:

• A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.

  -- Gina Milicia, Photographer

• The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
    -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The highest form of human intelligence is the ability to observe without judging.
    -- Krishnamurti

Gifting

Gifting deserves special mention and attention because E&G offers a great deal of interactive, experiential gifts to our fellow Burners.  We believe we have one of the highest levels of experience-to-villager-density of any camp on the playa.  We have more unique theme camps and interactive projects than any 90-ish-person camp on the Playa. We’re proud of that, and it’s a central reason we enjoy excellent standing with the org and feel the love from our fellow burners.

As the above paragraph points out, gifts are not limited to physical objects (pendants, mementos, food, drink, etc.) but can be an experience you provide. A smile or a kind, encouraging word can also be gifts.  The ability to watch the sunset or sunrise from the E&G Skydeck is one of the gifts we provide to the playa.  Learning how to ride a one-wheel at Keeping It Wheel can be a simple adventure or may enable burners to travel the playa or the Default World in a new, fun way.  For most burners, a bicycle is their mode of transport on the playa.  Without it, one’s burn can be tragically limited.  Cranky’s provides burners the mobility necessary to venture forth on the Playa.   The Just Shoot Me in the Dust photobooth gifts burners with beautiful portraits that capture their beauty, authentic dress, look, and personality.

Radical Self-Reliance

We embody Radical Self-Reliance by taking care of ourselves.  That means we:

• Hydrate ourselves with water: 3-6 liters per day.  Infuse some of your water with quality electrolytes.  A number of E&G villagers recommend Nunn tablets for this purpose.  

  • Be sure to use the recommended quantity of tablets.
    An E&G veteran villager once consumed too much, exacerbating a health issue that forced them to leave the Burn to get health care at a hospital in Reno.

• Wear our masks whenever the dust kicks up.  

• Put on our goggles in the dust or sunglasses during the day.  Even veteran burners have experienced sun blindness that outlasted the trip to the Playa.

• Apply sunscreen every morning before going out in the sun for more than 10 minutes.

• Clean ourselves before bed. One Kermitopia-recommended product for this purpose is No-Rinse Bathing Wipes which require no water and won’t dry out your skin like other popular wipes.

• Wear comfortable boots/shoes that keep the dust off our feet and clean our feet (vinegar water recommended) before bed.

• Bring warm clothing.  Black Rock City is situated about 4000 feet above sea level in a desert.  It can get quite cold at night, and warm clothes will allow you to experience all the wonders of BM at night.

• Make sure to bring personal lighting for nighttime and/or to express yourself.  Don’t be a Darkwad!  A Darkwad is someone with insufficient illumination at night. Darkwards may be seriously injured by an art car or other burners slamming into you on their bikes, e-bikes, one-wheels, etc.  Darkwads are fair game to be cat-called, ridiculed, and humiliated by the other Playa denizens.  See Civic Responsibility below.

• Make sure we’re not too inebriated or high to ride your personal wheels.  Cycling or one-wheeling while impaired is a surefire strategy for ending up in Rampart (onsite limited medical care) or a Reno hospital.  It’s also a great way to be uninvited to E&G in the future.

• Bring enough food and water. Not doing so can place a burden on fellow Burners.  You are likely to eat less at BM than in the Default World because of the heat.  And bringing plenty of food gives you opportunities to gift others if you have more than needed.

• Wear work gloves during build week and strike unless you enjoy pain and have a fetish for cracked and bleeding skin and nails.  Without gloves, your hands will be constantly covered in dust, viciously drying out your skin and nails.

• BM is a good place to step out of your comfort zone and test your limits.  Practicing Immediacy means we might try a new experience that may be fun, liberating, or uplifting.  Or it may be really unpleasant.  Be mindful when your choices cross the line to putting yourself or others at risk.  Overindulging in alcohol or drugs, or even food may not only compromise your own experience, but it can also put you in physical or legal jeopardy and place an unreasonable burden on fellow villagers.  See Civic Responsibility below.

• Make an effort to remain emotionally regulated.  Burning Man is an intense experience and Immediacy prompts us to try new things.  Thus, It’s likely that you will find yourself getting triggered or feeling overwhelmed.  If so, find a chill space nearby or ask a Black Rock Ranger or a kind-looking Burner for help.  If you  are under the influence of a psychedelic substance,  the Zendo Project provides “professional, comprehensive harm reduction education and support for communities to help inform and transform difficult psychedelic experiences into opportunities for learning and growth.”
  When your inability to consistently regulate your emotions becomes a burden on fellow Burners, that’s a problem.  See Civic Responsibility below.

For more tips from veteran burners, check out these pages:

• 10 tips for staying healthy at Burning Man

• Surviving Burning Man

Civic Responsibility

We approach the challenges of the Playa with aplomb.  We demonstrate resourcefulness and a positive, playful attitude in the face of adversity.   Whining and complaining may be suitable in other camps.  Not so in E&G.  

You’ll find your E&G village leadership to be compassionate with fellow Burners.  We know all about all the ways that adventures can turn into trials.  We’ve seen our fellow burners go too far, and most of us have done it ourselves at some point.  However, don’t confuse compassion with co-dependence.

We don’t condone reckless behavior of any kind, but the harsh conditions of the desert can and often do trip people up who think they have taken reasonable precautions.

E&G is free of Sparkle Ponies, High Maintenance Individuals, and Drama Llamas.  We’re your fellow joyous burners, not your burdened parents.  If you prove yourself to be a burden to your fellow Villagers, it’s likely you will NOT be allowed to camp with E&G in the future. 

Fuel Use and Storage

Fuel that's not in your vehicle gas tank, or plumbed into a built-in generator cannot be stashed anywhere in camp.  All extra fuel in gas cans must be kept in the Village fuel depot.  There is very limited space in the fuel depot and only people who've already made arrangements with the Village Council will be allowed to store fuel (and will only be able to store the amount agreed to by Council).  We cannot store extra propane tanks.  Anyone found to have extra fuel stashed anywhere in camp will be responsible for getting rid of it right away, will be responsible for paying any fines assessed to the village for violating fuel storage requirements, and has a good likelihood of being un-invited from camping with E&G in the future.   

Communal Effort

E&G provides villagers with shade and other important support.  We have in-village access to bicycle maintenance at Cranky’s.  We pitch in when fellow villagers or even random Burners need help.  There is a strong sense of community, which is very supportive. 

We embody Communal Effort by carrying our own weight.  

• We bring enough for ourselves and some extra to gift to those in need or simply because we can.  

• We work with the Volunteer Coordinator and camp leads to cover our shifts so that projects are fully staffed.  We generously help with camp tasks like helping to set up shade structures as well as the lounge anchor space, and striking and cleaning up at the end of the Burn.  For more, read this page on E&G Work Expectations.

• We take care of our gear.
  For example, if we use a generator for much-needed air conditioning and charging batteries, we maintain that generator to run like a champ throughout the burn.
  5 Tips to Keep Your Portable  Generator Ready | Consumer Reports

We are compassionate with others and ourselves. If someone is having a for-real meltdown, we ensure they are hydrated.  Then we get them some help.  Grab the first veteran burner you see for help if needed.  Please educate yourself on where Rampart (limited onsite medical care) and Zendo Project sites are located so that we can help Burners at risk get the help they need.  As The Zendo Project home page states, they provide “professional comprehensive harm reduction education and support for communities to help inform and transform difficult psychedelic experiences into opportunities for learning and growth.”

At E&G, we take notice of villagers who:

• Exhibit a pattern of creating avoidable drama or burdening fellow villagers,

• Do not show up for shifts.

• Do not contribute adequately to the running of the camp, 

• Do not clear their MOOP,

• Do not adequately break down their camps,

• Do not adhere to the principle of consent or behave in a predatory fashion.

Any of the above infractions will result in being dis-invited to camp with E&G.  The last (lack of consent, predatory behavior) will be reported to authorities. It will likely result in legal jeopardy or time in prison.

Firearms Policy

Firearms are banned at all EBB & Glow functions or events, including regional events such as unSCruz or local village campouts.  Anyone who brings a firearm to any EBB & Glow function or event will immediately and permanently be banned from attending any future EBB & Glow function or event.

Black Rock City explicitly bans weapons:

Staff and participants are forbidden to possess, carry or hold weapons on their person, in their camp, vehicle or dwelling in any area included in the closure order.  Anyone found with a weapon will be immediately removed from the event site.

See: https://journal.burningman.org/2014/08/news/brc-news/weapons-dont-bring-them-to-the-pl

Pro-Tips from Veteran Burners or How to Optimize Your Burn

Say No to FOMO (FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out)

Imagine you were going to Manhattan or Hong Kong or Paris for a week and decided to see everything there was to see while there.  Could you accomplish that?  Of course not.  You'd go back again and try to see the things you missed the previous trip.

Burning Man is even more challenging in this regard.  Not only is it impossible to see everything in the time you have, but it's also a moving target.  Museums in the Default World can be found in static locations.  Art cars cannot.  In addition, the art and experiences at Burning Man differ from year to year.  It would be like going back to NYC to see the things you missed, only to discover that you are in a parallel universe where 70% of the city looks similar but the sites are different from the last time you were there.

Hence, one way to avoid FOMO is to remind yourself you will never see it all, nor should you try.  The Burn you experience is the one you experience.  Relish it for the joys and the learnings that come from it.

Going to BRC is a Hero's Journey

You will be called to adventure and may even resist initially.  However, something compels you to say yes and go.  The long journey takes you to a completely foreign land utterly different from the Default World.  You face difficulties and experience moments of great joy and discovery.  Mentors, allies, and guides will assist you throughout.  At some point, you will descend into a dark place.  Your character will be tested.  You will return to the Default World (changed in some way), bringing gifts and powers you didn't have before.  If you expect it to be like taking a breezy trip to Hawaii or Las Vegas, think again.  This ain't that.  But it may also reveal to you powers you never had before.