We are packed and heading out to setup the AEZ village.  If you wanted to camp with us.  Come by on the playa and ask.

If you are already registered, swell; we’ll see you soon!

And bring sunblock, it’s going to be HOT for the first few days, then drop to the mid-90′s by next wed.

Have fun!

Jolly Roger -Mayor

Troy has knocked himself out and the map is completed.

You want a change.  email me, but I doubt if we can do much before we get onto the Playa.

And rest assumed, once we are out there, we can do a lot to make your space work.  (We do it every year.)

Don’t forget your ticket.   – Jolly Roger

Looking forward to meeting all you new villagers.

Welcome to the AEZ website.

If you are exploring for lots of tips, info, and being generator free on the playa, you’ll find it all OVER this website. Look at the tabs at the top of the page.  Or search for what you are interested in.

Camping in the AEZ

If you are interested in doing Burning Man with friendly folk (mostly), and without generators (ever); then you have come to a good place.

We are now at 320 (in 53 camps).
Not bad for April 16th.

If you want to camp in the AEZ, go to the Village Camping page.

You are always welcome to send me a message.

roger (at) jollyone (dot) com

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We have struggled (as MANY of you have) with the ticketing problems.  Sadly, we do NOT have any more direct ticket links.  And you are welcome to register to camp with us even if you do not yet have your tickets.

Geek Test

This image will be hanging in the Suntrakker/Sacred Heart Oasis Margarita Bar.  Identify this image and win a Caddilac Margarita!

The Ft2 solar cooker.

This is the Square Foot Solar Cooker (Ft2) that has evolved from the original winebox rice cooker that I used at the Burn last year.
The winebox worked fine, but this is a far far superior cooker, and I want to share it with you in hopes you will make and use one at this year’s Burn.
Sadly I cannot afford to go this year, but would love to see any pictures of this thing being used out there, and learn of your cooking experiences with it.
I am thrilled with its performance.

Go to the hardware store and buy some square foot mirrors, the kind you use to tile bathrooms, etc. Don’t buy the beveled ones, they’re twice as expensive and bevels are not needed. A pack of 6 mirrors runs me about $12, and there are 6 in a pack, enough for two cookers. Make one for a friend….
Next you need some duct tape, a tube of silicon (optional), a can of black spray paint.

You also need, (depending on your uses), a couple of widemouth quart canning jars, a 1 and 1/8 inch spade drill bit, a wine bubbler cork (available from your local zymurgist, and pick up a bubbler, too…), and optionally some 3/8 copper tubing. (The last two items are not necessary for cooking only)
Finally you will need a gallon jar made of PET (#1) plastic. You can readily get these from your local bartender, as they are the jars that hold olives. Tip him/her a buck and ask to save a couple of those jars. If they use glass gallon jugs, so much the better, as I prefer glass.

You can make your cooker(s) either permanent, or break-down. I like both.
Permanent is great for around the house, and break-down is great for travelling light and folding flat.

The Reflector.
Now, since you Burners are above average intelligence people, I don’t need to tell you how to build the reflector, other than that you need to hold it together, and then add bits of duct tape to temporarily hold it in place. Then, place a full strip of tape along the seams. You should fully tape the two back upright reflector pieces, because then you can fold them backwards for flat storage and transportation. Or you can if you wish run a bead of silicon along the meeting inner edges, and after a few hours drying time it will be a one piece unit.
If you can’t figure it out, drop me a line….

The Inner Jars
For cooking, use good quality canning jars with sealable lids. Cover part of the jar with tape as shown, and the top screw on to keep it from getting painted, and then paint those suckers flat black.
When dry remove the tape to see the cooking window where you can watch your foods get done. And to see if they need more water.
Put the jars on the reflector for a couple of days before using to hard-cure the paint, and keep that paint smell out of your food.

The Outer Jar
You can use #1 PET plastic, #5 PP plastic (cherry jars), or good old gallon glass jars. I used glass for a long time, and then interestingly found out that #1 PET gets hotter than glass, and faster. Pick up a couple of plastic jars if you wish, because you can use them when not cooking to make an excellent raisin sherry. My first batch is wonderful, and knocks me on my ass after too many glasses…. I prefer the #5 PP jugs for winemaking for some reason, don’t know why, other than my work saves them for me.

Outer Jar Lids.
With a drill press or hand drill, and a one and 1/8 inch bit, drill a smooth hole through the center of the plastic jar lid. This will let you do two things, the first is to disinfect water, and the second is to allow you to insert a bubbler and cork to brew your own gallon of wine as above.

Water distillation, and potential alcohol distillation.
A good empty clean quart Coors beer bottle will make a water disinfector. Yes, I hate their politics, but I like the taste of their beer….
Place a nearly full bottle of water in the center of your outer jar. Carefully screw on the plastic outer jar top (the 1 and 1/8 inch hole lets the top of the beer bottle stick through — but DON”T put the cap on the beer bottle) Place this whole assembly on your reflector, and after about 130 minutes by my tedious measurements on a cold winter day, you will have reached 150 degrees which some say is the threshhold for disinfecting water. Surely on a hot summer day, it will be faster.
After 220 minutes, you are in the alcohol distillation range, and after 280 minutes you will be well into boiling range. At our Reno altitude, water boils at about 206 degrees, and that’s as high as it will go unpressurized. This unit, here, will boil water for as long as it has good sunlight.
As far as distilling alcohol, I understand that is illegal, and hence will NOT use my copper tubing into a water cooling container to try that….

Other dangerous considerations
A couple of days ago I said “Why not” and filled a mason jar 1/3 full of soybeans, and 4/5 full of water. After soaking overnight, I placed the unit in the cooker.
After a few hours, the soybeans were not nearly done, so, daringly, I tightened down firmly the mason jar lid and put it back in the cooker. And it got hotter, and hotter. Eventually I took it out into the kitchen and gently released the lid. Well, volcanic hot water spewed everywhere, and the thing foamed and hissed like a Hades nightmare. So I put it back out, as the sun was waning, and at the end of the day, after letting it cool on its own, carefully opened the jar. It was still wicked-hot, but lo and behold the soybeans were DONE. This is the very first time I’ve ever had soybeans cook fully in a solar cooker in one day.
I think my thermometer at max measured 260 degrees in the outer jar.
However, I caution you not to try this unless your are very daring and as stupid/foolish as I am. If you are like me, then please, be aware that the whole thing may explode on you — with great violent vigor –, and never ever set a hot jar on a cold or cool uninsulated surface, else you may be picking out shrapnel.
If you are foooooolish enough to try this, let it cool on its own, and then after several hours see if the beans are done. Soybeans in my opinion are NEVER done until you can squish them between tongue and palate, and if you can’t do that, then spit them out and keep cooking. Soybeans are incredibly filling, and possibly the reason we as a people don’t like them, is we’ve never tried a fully cooked one. A little soysauce, possibly with rice, and some nice nutritional yeast stirred in, oooo, heaven.

Further thoughts
You MUST be careful with this cooker. If you were to trip and fall on the glass mirror assembly, it may puncture an organ or cause a serious sudden loss of blood. It is potentially deadly lethal if left lying around. So don’t leave this about for the unwary, because someone or yourself may trip and fall on it and puncture themselves and fucking bleed to death. And be aware, I never use the F word in my writings, EVER, so please take care….

I hope you will build and use a couple of these before and during the burn this year, and since I cannot afford to go, please send me pictures and an email or so about your adventures with it. I would be greatful.

If you build yourself a couple of these cookers, you will be able to have 40 ounces or more of good cooked food in the evening when you take a break from your revelries. Without needing tracking or any care at all. Just fill your inner cooking jars with food, place on the reflector, put on the outer jar, and point the right hand edge of the cooker to where the sun will be when you want to eat. Fill it and forget it.

I am posting this tonight, with the hopes that my photos will embed here. I am a computer novice, and they may not upload. Or they may be greatly oversized. If so, and you are computer literate, perhaps you could email and help me to get all this stuff posted. I would be greatful.
Ya got a couple of months yet to experiment with this, so get to it….

Thanks and peace to you.
ChefCraig
(Craig Bergland)
email renofreepress (at) charter.net or post on AEZ list.
Thanks

And finally, please remember

Careful! Remember, All Intense Glares Blind Eventually!!! Repeated Glaring Light AND lack of eye protection will seriously mess you up!!!

“Generators?  We don’t got no generators.  We don’t need no generators.  We don’t have to show you no stinkeen generators…”

• Signups will be online and not via the AEZ list.
• We are asking for all large camps to provide a list of everyone in their camp.
• Lastly, Jonathan from Arizona has kindly offered to help beautify the village with the addition of flags and banners.

Details are here

What do you know about this topic? Want to start a discussion? Share ideas? Do it here!
Click the Edit this page button on the left to add to this page.

This info is if one’s considering switching to biodiesel. Links at the bottom will provide scienctific stuff.

Bio-Diesel- Needs no conversion and newer diesel vehicles have the bio diesel fuels considered into the original engineering of the car, unless there’s an actual warning on the gas cap saying NO BIO DIESEL (prob. in German). Bio diesel is a solvent and can melt rubber parts etc in older vehicles, so if buying one you’ll need to switch to polyurethane for these parts, not a big deal I’m told. If you buy a used Dino diesel car and start putting Bio in it the Bio diesel can free up Dino deposits and clog fuel lines so replacing fuel filters is part of the switch over. I haven’t done the research to find out if there are any tweaks when you switch around from Dino to Bio and back, as could happen if you run out of Bio on a long trip etc. Most Bio is a mix of Bio and Dino (B20-B80), except Bio ‘Neat’ which is B100, the B100 is harder to find because of some kind of pricing loophole whereby Bio is considered an ‘additive’ thus the creation of B99. Bio has a high ‘flashpoint’ meaning you can put out a match with it, so it’s safer to transport.

Veggie- Requires a conversion, it needs a heater to ‘prime’ the fuel and some other tweaks. Veggie was not considered in the original engineering of diesel vehicles which can create mechanical issues down the line. Also the word I got was that getting the proper Veggie oil is a bit of a trick, i.e. Jack in the Box, NG, French Restuarant, Good. Seems like Veggie requires some enthusiasm and willingness to learn, and work. Bio not quite gas n’ go, but closer to it. There isn’t really a ‘legal’ way to get Veg oil, so one needs to sort out a source. The sweet spot for the Veg vehicles seems to be like an old Benz or something that is mechanically forgiving, diesel truck, etc. Things get a little trickey with catalytic converters, fuel injection systems, turbo’s and such. *I am not dealing from personal experience, this is all from phone conversations and internet resources.

Personally, from all the info I’ve gathered so far, it’s clear to me that Bio Diesel is not without ecological impact (unless you’re making it yourself in your backyard, see link below). Biomass needs to be created for the fuel (Soy, Palm seeds, etc). Forests may need to be cleared, irrigation systems put in place, fertization, transport, and all the economic concerns with creating large crops, are all considerations.

Veggie oil is a waste product, that will otherwise be disposed of, so at this time it seems to offer the least ecological impact of any of the auto fuels currently available.

Diesel engines were originally designed to run on Veggie oil, as a way for farmers to crow thier own fuel for tractors. Diesel engines are more efficient and built to last. There are emission issues with them as they create more ‘soot’. There is supposed to be a newer gen of Diesels coming out in the near future with cleaner emissions. The Diesel fuel currently at the pumps is of a much lower grade than the Gasoline with additives so it is more polluting. You can’t currently buy a diesel car in CA with less than 7500 miles on it, trucks exempt. Diesels don’t have spark plugs, and they can’t be push started if the battery runs down.

This links have comparisons of all emissions, and energy concerns. As well as general info.

http://www.itsgood4.us/Which.htm

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/fuel_properties.html

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/12/comparing_civic.html

http://www.lovecraftbiofuels.com/

http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

More later. Add on!

Blue Skies )*( Simeon

For general biodiesel info and on how to make it yourself, the following link is one of the best I’ve found. Not sure if this is the correct place to drop it in, Simeon please feel free to edit this off to anywhere else on the wiki that’s appropriate. Cheers, Justin.

http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Add your event here. Pot lucks, workshops, demonstrations, treasure give aways, saki-go-happy’s, etc.

Back to the AEZ wiki Start Page

Friday August 24th

The Quing and crew arrive to set up camp and layout the village.

Saturday August 25th

Mapping the village and welcoming home the early arrivers. Making sure that the BRCPO is wined and dined at an all-night blow-out where we give up all of our food and drink. We love these wiki thingys! Welcome home, AEZ – you rock!

Sunday August 26th

Monday August 27th

11:01 – AEZ walking tour with Anna

Tuesday August 28th

* 10-11am Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 11:01 am – AEZ Walking tour – Anna & (volunteers encouraged)

* 12noon-3pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 4-7pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 4pm – Tea and cookies with the Mayor – meet your fellow villagers – connect and chat

* 5:00PMish – Stone Soup @ the Stone Soup Kitchen bring an ingredient and enjoy some playa soup

Wednesday August 29th

* 6:30-11am Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 11:01 am – AEZ Walking tour – Anna & (volunteers encouraged)

* 12noon-3pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 4pm – Tea and cookies with the Mayor – meet your fellow villagers – connect and chat

* 4pm – Greeter shift!

* 4-7pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

Thursday August 30th

* 6:30-11am Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 11:01 am – AEZ Walking tour – Anna & (volunteers encouraged)

* 12noon-3pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 2:30-3:30pm Pre-Burning Bellies invades the Man preparation party. Put on your hip belt, your bindi and come get glamorous at the Tent of Terpsechore with Alexiis and Katherine the Great. Drummers are welcome with enthusiasm!

* 4pm – Tea and cookies with the Mayor – meet your fellow villagers – connect and chat

* 4-7pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

Friday August 31st

* 6:30-11am Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 11:01 am – AEZ Walking tour – Anna & (volunteers encouraged)

* 12noon-2pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 1:00-3:00pm Pre-critical tits potluck, sunscreen sharing, and bike decorate Art Model Camp

Saturday September 1st

* 6:30-11am Art Model Camp drawing/sketch (if anyone’s awake)

* 12noon-3pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 4-7pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

Sunday September 2nd

* 12noon-3pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

* 4-7pm Art Model Camp drawing/sketch

Monday September 3rd