Brain Freeze Camp

Home of the Best Margarita in Black Rock City

Brain Freeze is an established Burning Man Theme Camp that began in 2004 and has grown in size each year. In 2012, at the request of Burning Man, we became the Village known as the Black Rock Power COOP. This year we are returning as an individual camp primarily because the administration of the Village concept has become ever demanding. Returning to a single camp means we are of a more “Placeable” size, and we hope to return to a favorable location.

There are many benefits to camping with us. They include a power grid that is live 24/7 (except for maintenance needs), a large community shade structure, and a solid group of people, to name a few. We have the World’s Most Dangerous Bar that serves frozen margaritas and planned events centered around the bar. We have many years of experience preparing a camp and the resources needed to ensure its infrastructure meets our needs. We do not have a central kitchen or shower, so everyone must plan accordingly.

Brain Freeze At Night

The primary members of the camp are Black Rock FX. We bring fireworks and special effects to the Playa. We have done shows for the Flaming Lotus Girls, Rock Opera, Crude Awakening, Raygun Gothic Rocketship, and Megatropolis, to name a few. In 2011 we burned the Trojan Horse. Several members of our camp are on the Burning Man staff and hold positions on the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST), assisting artists in creating dangerous art safely. And at the end of the week, we are responsible for the burning of the Temple.

We expect you to be cordial to the many guests that visit our camp each day. Your guests and friends are always welcome to visit, but you are responsible for their behavior. Each member of your group must contribute to the overall effort. This contribution could come in many forms; Infrastructure, Art, Labor, & Sustenance are a few suggestions. Below is a partial list of tasks required to make the camp function.

Tentative Camp Set-up Schedule

We will layout the camp on Wednesday before Burn Week. We will assemble the shade structure and bar on Thursday and begin installing the power grid. Arriving early will require an early arrival pass, take at least two days, and require much physical work. If you have the time and are available to help with the setup but do not have an early arrival pass, let us know, and we will do our best to supply you with one. This schedule is subject to change primarily due to the placement we receive.

Camp Strike & Teardown

Camp teardown will be done on Monday morning as Black Rock FX is often responsible for burning the Temple on Sunday evening. Camp Strike is an all hands effort. It will begin Monday morning, no later than 10:00 am. If you cannot assist in the camp strike, this is NOT the camp for you. Many hands make light work.

Daily Camp Cleanup

Each person is responsible for their area and the camp’s communal areas every day. This request is NOT voluntary! After the camp has been removed at the end of the event, we will need to clean the entire area, and everyone needs to be involved in the final cleanup process.

Placement Within the Camp

Rather than a free-form method of placement as we’ve done in the past, this year, everyone will have a preassigned spot and know ahead of time where they will be located. Upon arrival at camp, search out a camp lead to be placed. They are the only ones who can get you to your spot. If you pick your location, please be aware that you will be asked to move. If you can’t find someone to place you, please be patient. Someone will get with you as soon as they can. If you arrive late at night and no one is around, find a convenient place to park and look for someone in the morning, do not bang on doors looking for someone to place you.

Please your camping fees before arriving at the event. While we will do our best to accommodate unexpected arrivals, we cannot guarantee placement unless we have confirmation ahead of time that you are planning to camp with us.

Brain Freeze Power Grid

The power grid should be up and running on Saturday afternoon before the event and will be in place until Monday morning after the Man burns. During the week, scheduled services will be performed on the camp generator (usually in the morning) that will require it to be stopped for short periods.

PLEASE DO NOT SHARE POWER

Sharing of power service between campers is not allowed. Individual campers are required to pay for their power usage. Not sharing power helps eliminate outages and will enable us to better monitor power and balance the generators for their most efficient use. To be clear: “I’m just using a little power and am sharing it with them” is not something we want to hear.

The power fees apply whether you arrive early or arrive on the last day of the event. These fees have been implemented to cover the cost of acquisition, transportation, and maintenance of the camp equipment, generator fuel, and other costs of maintaining a Burning Man camp.

RV Waste Pump Out Service

We have arranged to have a truck pump out the RVs in our camp on Wednesday and Saturday. You must arrange for this service in advance via the online registration form to be pumped out.

Past experience has shown this is one of the most frustrating aspects of Burning Man. Sometimes they leave before the job is finished. If you are unwilling to wait for the pump truck, you will not get pumped. We spend all day Wednesday and Saturday attempting to flag down the trucks. They do not show up at an assigned time.

In the past, once the drivers were finished with the pre-paid people, they pumped out others that needed it. Be prepared to pay them in cash, and you will need to catch them while they are in camp. Past experience has told us that if you even think you might need to be pumped out to take advantage of the pre-arranged service, catching one of the roving trucks can be an all-day process if you are lucky enough to catch one at all.

Camp fees and Dues

Camp Dues

There is a per-person cost for camping with Brain Freeze and its associated camps. The per-person change applies to every person in your group and is the same regardless of how long you are in the camp.

Structure / Shelter Fees

There is a per-structure cost for camping with Brain Freeze and its associated camps. The per-structure charge is for tents, RVs, yurts, etc. and is only paid once per group if everybody is staying together. The fee is based on the size of your shelter. The fee is same regardless of how long you are in the camp.

1 Bottle of Tequila Per Person

Every camper is required to bring one handle (1.75L) of tequila for our communal bar. It doesn’t need to be a great bottle, just one we can make Margaritas with. ABSOLUTELY NO JOSE CUERVO! Ain’t nobody going to like that! Costco’s Silver is our preferred brand, and it is about $20 per bottle.

Other Camp Fees

Other elective camp fees include power, fresh water, and waste water pump-outs service for RVs. These fees are options and are not required to camp with us. If you would like these services, you can purchase them when you register for camp.