u/DustyBandana

I had one of the best burns ever. And will keep burning until I can / it's there. Just got online after two weeks. Definitely not disappointed.

I hate to see so many daily updates from people on Instagram that are on the playa these days. And they’re not influencers. Or are they? I just keep scrolling to avoid seeing the content but it’s getting out of hand on my IG feed. This year in particular they’re all over the place.

One of the reasons that I love BM is to have my mind blown once I get there, not knowing what to expect. Radical art pieces, temple, the man, etc. but now I think I’ve seen half of the creations before even setting my foot on the playa.

What is the obsession for daily updates? Followers? Getting people hyped? What is it? I don’t get it man. If anything it’s taking away from the experience.

Can’t wait to go Airplane mode next week.

So after reading couple of posts about law enforcement and crossing the border I decided to throw in my two cents. I am Canadian but my background country is not the best in this climate, so here's what I learnt through out the years that might be useful for others entering the US.

But before I get to it, let me say that immigration officers are highly trained individuals and they are the first line of defence of any country. So respect that and do not for a second assume you can outsmart them. And if you think you have done in the past, consider it as a strike of luck. Do not repeat. All it takes is an officer having a bad day nitpicking to deny you entry and render you inadmissible (go look this term up and educate yourself on it). With this being said here are my bullet points:

1- Have all the necessary documents with you and ready to produce. Including your ticket to BM. If it's will call have your ticket receipt handy.

2- If your country requires you to do military service, have your service documents (translated) at your disposal. Have all foreign documents translated handy. I personally have them on my phone.

3- Answer questions with yes or no. Do not explain anything, one word answers only. What is the purpose of your visit? Tourism. Where are you headed? Nevada. What for? Camping. Where? Black Rock City. What's happening there? Burning Man. How long? 10 days. Keep your answers short and to the point.

4- Know the exact number of days you will be spending in the US, do not say couple of weeks, or it's open ended, or I'll see how it goes. You are entering today, you will spend x days and you will get out on x date. Have your accommodation arrangements and plane tickets handy if applicable.

5- If they feel something is off they might ask for your phone, and you are obligated to hand it over. If it's locked, unlock it before you give it to them. Otherwise they will keep you detained and will grill you until they unlock your phone with or without your help. You are crossing an international border. They can do that.

6- Clean your phone, DO NOT DELETE your apps, just clean your phone. Meaning your text messages and call logs (if you have to). Not having social media apps on your phone is a red flag by itself. You will get questioned on why you do not have any social media apps, and the last thing you want to do is come across as an anomaly. Not saying you should be active on all social media apps, but if you're reading this, that means you have Reddit on your phone at least. Do not delete it. Pretty sure 99.99% of the people have Whatsapp on their phones especially if they're travelling abroad. Don't be suspicious.

LAW - By law they can go through your phone and search it, but by law they have to disconnect your data first. They will do it in front of you to make sure you see it, they usually just toggle airplane mode on. This is the law, anything on your phone offline is your property and your responsibility. This means if Facebook has pre-buffered some BS content and they can see it offline, it will be your property and your problem, it is technically stored in your phone. Your offline emails too. Basically anything that shows up on your phone offline. So clear your cache on the apps if you think they might be problematic. If they start searching your phone online, they are breaking the law right there and then. They know better, they will never do that.

7- They might ask to search your belongings, could be your car or your suitcases. Allow them to do so. Again you are crossing an International border. They are allowed to do it and you should let them. Otherwise they can deny you entry, temporarily or permanently. Do not mix probable cause stuff with crossing border/international laws. You are basically under detention (not free to go) until they let you in, or deny you entry. Local/domestic laws do not apply when you are entering a foreign country. You are not in the said country, yet, so... remember that.

8- Be respectful, don't show any attitude, dress up properly and speak sharp. You have no idea how many times I have seen shabby looking people getting grilled at the borders. Again you are entering a foreign country. Land of the free or whatever the fuck does not apply here, not at USA border and not at any other border crossings on this planet. Respect that. Heck I am even cautious entering back home into Canada.

9- DO NOT CROSS borders with illegal substances or goods. Just don't. Know what you have, exactly how much of it, and where abouts in your belongings. From cash to clothing to butt plugs.

10- Enter with a smile, leave with a smile.

Quick tip if you're crossing by car: roll down all your windows all sides, front and back and turn on the interior lights (at night) before you get to immigration kiosk. They very much like this gesture.

Hopefully I didn't miss anything. If I did, I'll come back and edit this.

Happy burn.

https://preview.redd.it/l1iihq4494fh1.png?width=1179&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3682ac0362e6c84ca3c2cb9ea032b1652d2a997

Lock screen wallpaper. You can DM me with your info and I will send you back the wallpaper.

If you have Photoshop handy and want to do it yourself you can download the PSD file here (font included): https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/ad8fd797-eeb5-4466-819f-0347b41f4961

Link will expire in 30 days, that's when I will be heading out to BRC with no access to tech.

Cheers,

Art piece: A Capsule of Curiosity By GryphonArt Collective - Burning Man 2024

Ok so the HBO doc inspired me to make a movie this year at burning man festival. I have couple of questions.

Any tips on shooting discreetly? Like I’ll have zoom lenses and all but I don’t want anyone to see me shoot videos, especially at the temple. How do I go about this?

Also the subject of the movie will be people, so I am shooting people exclusively. I have already bought two pairs of Ray Ban metas for up close encounters. Can people tell my glasses have lenses on them? Any other glass brands with better hidden cameras?

I am also going to install some GoPro/insta 360 cameras at some famous camps so I can get some hidden time lapses or just raw footage. Any suggestions on where to hide the camera? Or the best ways to hide them? Like in a box or something?

I’m bringing some drones as well. This is strictly for naked run night. I thought I’ll fly over the naked run people, but I have to make sure I’m close enough so we can see the faces. I do realize the heat of the burn might be a problem, so that’s why I’m asking here if anyone can give me any tips. I can’t run in the crowd cause I’m not going to get naked.

Lastly please don’t tell me I need to register with media or something. Remember this is an undercover movie. None of the people in this movie should know they’re getting filmed.

I have connections at Netflix, so I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to strike a deal after finishing the movie. Exciting I know, but let’s not jinx it.

Any help is appropriated.

Last year's responses were great, I added a bunch to my shopping list so let's do it again.

And I can go first, these plugs and metal dust proof nets for your phone. (Get the metal ones, the other nets are not as good).

https://preview.redd.it/8og8deya7r7h1.jpg?width=934&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=310fea94acd48c3c2f8068bbbd67894bac0c387f