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Burning Man 2022 (Part 2 – Theme Camps)

In this part of my Burning Man series, I'll share some of my favorite theme camps. Almost everyone, except the most minimalistic attendees, joins a camp. The main advantage of belonging to a camp is the camaraderie and safety that comes from being part of a group. Some camps, like the one I was with, didn’t even have a name and were simply a collection of friends. Others were more prominent, providing entertainment, activities, crafts, food, or drinks to everyone around.

Additionally, there are larger communities made up of several camps. The map for Burning Man 2022 indicates there were around 1,750 named villages and camps, not including countless informal and unlisted ones like mine.

In this newsletter, I'm excited to highlight a few of my favorite camps from the year 2022.

camp

The camp you see in the image above is known as Math Camp. It stands out due to its unique tetrahedral shape, unlike the typical camps which used rectangular beams for construction. Also interesting is the yellow slide rule displayed alongside the pi symbol. The camp's location on the Playa was cleverly designated as 3:15 and E (a fun play on words).

In the lower right corner of the structure, you can spot a bar that served slices of pie every day at exactly 3:14 PM. After that, they held math lectures, and on Thursday, I had the opportunity to present a talk about the mathematics behind casino games. I expressed my interest in joining this camp for future events, and they seemed enthusiastic about it.

world play cafe

Next on the list is the Word Play Café, shown above. Inside the spacious dome, there were numerous cozy chairs, couches, and tables for playing a variety of word-related games. Many visitors particularly enjoyed trying their hand at the daily New York Times Wordle and crossword puzzles. The Wordle game was played on a small wipeable board, which the staff manually scored.

This camp also had a fantastic coffee bar, featured on the right side of the picture. They mentioned that the coffee came from the same source that provided it during Burning Man 2019, the last year coffee was available for purchase at Center Camp. Additionally, there was a friendly greeter stationed at the booth behind the bicycles.

daily schedule
The board you see above lists the daily activities.

I wish I had discovered this camp earlier in the week; it was a wonderful escape during the hot and dusty afternoons. When the wind picked up, they would close the front door, but they were relaxed about people slipping through the curtain.

wordle
In the above image, I’m excited to showcase my score of two for the Wordle on Friday, September 2.
brainy bar

Next up is the Brainy Bar, a camp where guests enjoyed drinks, pickles, and occasionally pizza. Unfortunately, I also stumbled upon this camp late in the week. Nonetheless, during my time there, I had a blast challenging both the staff and fellow attendees to trivia games and Connect Four matches.

do it yourself craft

Numerous camps featured opportunities for DIY crafts. While I usually don't prioritize such camps, I made an exception for Camp Frankenbear, pictured above. They provided bins filled with teddy bear parts, categorized by type. Each participant was given a needle and thread to create their own unique bear. Once finished, they ceremoniously added a 'brain' from a jar (which looked like it was simply palmed) and brought the creation to life.

Here’s my creation, dubbed 'High Five,' based on the name suggested by a random child I asked. A friend with me pointed out its rather unfortunate appearance, but I have no regrets. If I wanted a conventionally cute teddy bear, I could simply grab one of the many my kids have outgrown at home.

As you might anticipate, I took the opportunity to enlighten everyone about how Frankenstein refers to the scientist and not the creature, a common misconception. The monster itself never received a name.

camp fuego

Next, I want to give a shout-out to Camp Fuego. The picture isn’t great, but it’s the only one I was able to capture. They hosted a karaoke experience in the spirit of a Gong Show. A sizable gong was situated by the stage where I was seated, and anyone could strike it to signal the singer to leave. The rule was simple—if you were gonged, you had to step off the stage without arguing.

The camp also had a fully stocked bar, including a shaved ice machine for making snow cones. This was a fantastic touch that I didn’t observe at any other camp! It’s difficult to beat the refreshing sensation of an icy drink on a scorching, dusty day at Burning Man, as seen in the picture. They were generous with their servings, happily providing refills.

Overall, this camp was incredibly enjoyable, and I wish I could have spent more time there.

piano bar

Lastly, we have the Piano Bar. A friend and I accidentally came across this spot late on Friday night, a time when most camps had begun to close their doors to the public. There were already a few strangers jammed together in a musical session. When I realized that no one affiliated with the camp was around, I stepped in as the bartender. Given that it was the final night, I figured they’d prefer to get rid of their remaining alcohol supplies. Bartending turned out to be a blast, and if I ever get the chance to return to Burning Man, I would love to take on that role at whichever camp I find myself.

I spent approximately four hours enjoying myself there. It was fascinating to observe how different musicians communicated chord progressions to one another, especially when one was familiar with a song and the other wasn’t. Partway through the evening, an accordion player wandered in and seemed capable of playing any song the group attempted. I envy musicians with such an ear for music, as I am more comfortable with sheet music, so my sole contribution was playing the bongos, which I probably didn’t do well. Out of all my experiences at Burning Man, this particular night was my absolute favorite.

I extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the camps mentioned for the fantastic memories. Should I return to Burning Man in the future, I plan to give back by joining a camp that engages the public, offering fun, magic tricks, trivia, and drinks throughout the week.