As the Seattle Regional Chihuahua, I get quite a bit of mail from people who are asking for advice about attending their first burn, or how to get plugged into the local community. Instead of typing up the same answers over and over again, I decided to put together this list of Frequently Asked Questions so I can have some place to point people. I expect this to be a constantly growing and evolving page... if you have a suggestion for something that should be here, let me know.

Approximately 75% of people's questions can be answered by spending a few minutes at www.burningman.com. Do you need to know about tickets? Registering your theme camp? Volunteer opportunities? Anything else that has to do with the event itself? If so, start here and most of the time you'll find you answer straight away.

It is very important that you be subscribed to the Seattle Announce list in order to keep up with what is happening in the region.This list is moderated, which means that anything sent to the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it address first comes to me and I have to approve or reject it.

To be approved, the message must first and foremost pertain to Burning Man and preferably be of interest to Seattle-area people. Items that are not BMan-specific but still are of interest to a large number of burners are handled on a case-by-case basis, though I tend to lean towards not approving them. The goal, after all, is to get important information out yet keep overall traffic to a minimum so no one starts to feel like they're being spammed.

So, what are your options if you want to contact the local community but don't quite fit the criteria for this list? The very first thing you should check out is the BC/WA discussion list, which is wide-open and unmoderated and is a perfect venue for random questions and promotions.

Jump over to this page for instructions for joining these and other lists. Well, finish reading the rest of this stuff and then jump over.

This is single-handedly the most-asked question and it is good to see that people are eager to start building the community pre-playa. Unfortunately there's not a simple answer along the lines of "Press this button and you'll be hooked up with dozens of burners." Sorry, you have to be a little more outgoing than that.

Being subscribed to the Seattle Announce list is a good first start. Being subscribed to the BC/WA list mentioned above is a good second start. Between these two lists you'll find out about numerous events that happen year 'round. Go. Meet people. Get plugged in. Also, keep an eye on the Events page of this site for all sorts of happenings.

Every Monday night is Burn Night at the Lower Level (1621 12th Ave on Cap Hill). This is a superb opportunity to meet other burners in a very low-key environment. There can be anywhere from a couple dozen to a couple hundred people there, so there will always be someone to talk to.

Another great way is to get involved with any of the numerous volunteer groups and you'll eventually get dragged into local meetings and shindigs. Volunteer to be a Greeter, or a Ranger, or a Lamplighter, or a whatever. There's something for everyone, from the fresh-faced newbie to the grisled veteran. Go to this page on the main BMan site for more information about volunteering.

There's a common misperception that you have to be associated with a theme camp in order to attend Burning Man. Not true. I don't know the exact stats, but my impression is that the majority of attendees are on their own. That said, being part of a theme camp can be a blast and it may work out best for you to do your own theme camp or to align with some other group.

If you want to join an existing group, scan the list of registered camps on burningman.com and look for people from Seattle (or better yet, look at the list on this very site!). If you like the description of what they're doing, drop them a line and ask to find out more. Ask if they're open to having new people join them, and most important, tell them what you have to offer. Hint: Listing genuine skills such as carpentry or cooking carries a lot more weight than just saying that you'll bring a daily dose of good vibes. Keep in mind, however, that a lot of camps are a small, tight-knit group of people and they may not be looking to add to their ranks. That doesn't mean that they're exclusive snobs, it just means that they have everything under contol and probably love to meet you as a visitor to their camp.

Short answer: no. But here's the official blurb straight from the Burning Man Volunteer FAQ:

Receiving a ticket in exchange for volunteering is incredibly rare. If it does occur it usually applies to people who work within the organization year-round as volunteers and are highly accountable. These are not roles that are easy to jump into. Generally a person will volunteer with a group for a while, sometimes years. Then they become a team leader or more involved. Ticket sales are Burning Man's primary source of revenue. There is no corporate sponsorship of the event. Ticket sale dollars help pay for fixed costs of putting on the event, including port-a-potties, emergency services, land-use permit fees, and building materials. It is best not to expect a free ticket for any volunteer work you do. Ask around, most people feel that volunteering only brings you closer to the Burning Man community, it enhances your experience there, and that alone is enough of a reward.