What is it like to be in Hook-Up Camp?

Hook-Up is a unique experience on the playa. There are many camps that have a lot of motorhomes but very few that are RV-centric in the way that we are. We bring our nomadic culture to the event and we gift from that place.

The purest gifts come from giving that which you most want to receive. Our lived experience of roaming around the country making new friends at every new RV park gives us a unique culture that really works for Burning Man. We are the "Welcome Wagon" of the playa. Because we roll up with our house on wheels we are instantly available and well-rested to help other burners acclimate to this strange environment. When the shit hits the fan we are often a source of refuge when someone's world has literally been blown away.

The greatest outpouring of giving is our nightly bonfire. This an open and welcoming fire right on the street corner where every passerby feels welcome to join and meet new friends. Often we will pass out weenies and roasting sticks. You can literally see people's inner child well up when they are handed a roasting stick.

2023 will be our first year of being officially placed and we have decided to join forces with Anahasana Village. They are a well-established presence on the playa and they are offering us a lot of support with water and grey water. We in turn are offering our expertise with operating a power grid. Being part of a village offers significant advantages allowing us to place our motorhomes off the street and yet still allowing them to be serviced. The village context also gives us a forum for giving our deepest gifts, be that workshops, "welcome-wagoning", or hosting our public charging station.

What do I "get" being a part of Hook-Up camp?

That is a dicey question. We are much more interested in what you want to give. But we get it, you want to know what to expect so that you can plan the experience. Here is what life in Hook-Up Camp offers you:

1. An Address. You have a known place to park your rig.

2. A connection to an electrical grid.

3. The ability to pre-pay for fresh water delivery

4. The ability to pre-pay for grey water pumping

5. The warm feeling that you are doing your part to “green the burn".

6. A clear path towards being interactive and gifting towards the greater BRC

7. Built-in community of other members of Hook-Up Camp

What are my obligations being a part of Hook-Up camp?

In Hook Up camp we assess dues according to the RV, but the obligations are personal to each person in the RV. These are:

1. Honor the 10 principles of Burning Man— You can find those here:

    https://burningman.org/about/10-principles/

2. 2.Meet your work shift obligations— Hook up camp has minimal need for work shifts running the camp itself since everyone is self contained in their own RV but we are a part of a village and we are a service camp to the greater BRC. Each member of Hook-Up Camp is responsible for 2 work shifts. Each shift is about 3 hours. Some of these shifts may be served in other camps in the Village such as the Steam Bath.
   
   

3. 3.Commit to Leave No Trace (LNT)— Hook-Up Camp does not provide trash service. You are responsible for removing all your trash. You are also responsible for providing drip trays under any leaks that may come from your RV. As responsible citizens of BRC we take responsibility for any MOOP that may enter our space as well as mooping the public areas of the village.
   
   

4. 4.Meet your Financial Obligations— No one is a member of Hook-Up Camp until they personally have registered and the RV they are staying in has paid its dues and deposit as listed in its acceptance letter. Every camp member is 100% responsible for finding their own Burning Man ticket. There are no camp tickets.
   
   

5. 5.Arrive on Time— Gates open at 12:01 am on Sunday Aug. 27, 2023. You must arrive in camp for placement prior to Monday Aug. 29 at Noon. If you cannot meet this commitment, please do not choose to camp with us. It is incredibly difficult to maneuver your rig into position after this time. If you arrive late you may be placed outside the reach of our electrical grid.
   
   

6. 6.We are a camp in a village— Not all the amenities and resources found in the village are available for our use. Please honor and respect the sanctity of the other camps and confine your use to what is provided by Hook-Up Camp.
   
   

7. 7.Have no Expectations— "Expectations are nothing but pre-meditated resentments." Let that sink in for a moment. The beauty of the Burning Man experience is that literally anything can happen. Be open to the silver lining present in all new plot twists, even if they seem like a disaster in the moment. It can be challenging when you are trying to finagle all the complexities that come with operating an RV. Everything is easier when we lighten up on our expectations.
   
   

8. 8.Share the Risk— The shadow side of expectations is privilege. Being in Hook-Up Camp is not a transaction. We are all cost sharing and risk sharing. No one is being promised anything by virtue of banding together as this camp. Shit happens. Some examples of disasters experienced by other camps are:
   A. Rental company delivers an undersized generator
   B. Generator wet-stacks due to low load levels and cannot meet peak load levels mid-burn
   C. BRC Petrol program fails to meet diesel delivery expectations and we run our of fuel
   D. A rainstorm shuts down all playa traffic preventing fuel from being delivered
   E. Another camp in the village has a serious auto accident on the way to the playa and the water storage bladder is destroyed preventing fresh water servicing.
   
   You get the idea. Literally ANYTHING could happen. None of these occurrences nor any other similar occurrences are cause for refund or complaint. Everyone works together to make the best of a shitty situation. Your shitty attitude will not help and likely will result in you being asked to leave, again with no refund.
   
   

9. 9.Follow Protocol— There are not many rules in Hook-Up camp but there are a few Standard Operating procedures… like don't mess with the Generator if you are not the official electrician. You will get a copy when you join.
   
   
   

10. 10.Create a Mattermost account— We use the open-source Slack alternative, Mattermost for all intra-camp communications. Create a profile via the link sent in your registration and use it. You will have a chance to meet all your fellow camp mates pre-burn.
    
    
    

11. 11.Read all communications— This is not our first rodeo and we will be sending you all the information that you need as you need it via e-mail. It is your responsibility to read these e-mails. It is not possible to put this kind of information on this website as most of it is time based such as ticketing, placement, and dues deadlines.
    
    
    

12. 12.Attend an orientation on Playa— Every person in your RV must attend one of these. The last one will be Monday afternoon so it is important to arrive early and get settled. This is where you will learn all about operating the camp, where work shifts happen, find the steam bath, etc.