Suspended Animation is a tightly knit crew of kinksters who are serious about having fun. We work hard, we play hard (or wet, as the case may be), and we put on a hell of a camp. We are extremely low drama and take fierce pride in our ethos, believing that the reason we get to have so much mad-house fun is because of our discipline and dedication.

If you're interested in joining us, please take a few minutes to read this whole page. It'll give you some idea what's involved in camping with us.

Who are we?

In order to maintain the intimate nature of our camp, we limit membership to 30 people. We prefer to camp with people we already know and like, but will on occasion get to know people specifically for the purpose of camping with them. If you don't know us but feel that you'd fit right in, give us a yell.

We're Seattle-based, although we have a small contingent of folks from the Bay Area. Although many of us have extensive experience with rope and kink, some of us are brand-new to the scene.

Our primary focus on the playa is having a great time while accomplishing amazing things. That means that we're very picky about who we camp with. We're looking for people who are like us:

• Easygoing even under difficult circumstances.
• Low drama.
• Highly capable and reliable.
• Hard-working.
• Fun to be around.

Each member of the camp gets to bring a "plus one". Your plus one is a romantic partner (not your best friend, or your roommate), and is a full member of the camp. Be aware that if you bring a plus one, you're responsible for their behavior.

Time Commitment

We're a hard-working camp, and we expect everyone to carry their own weight. Specifically, we expect all camp members to:

• Come to camp meetings whenever possible.
• Help out with pre-playa preparation (buying supplies, prepping equipment, etc.)
• Help load the truck (Thursday, August 26).
• Build out the camp (Saturday, August 28 - Monday, August 30)
• Contribute to running the camp (fetching ice, de-MOOPing, etc.)
• Work 3 event shifts. Shifts are typically 2-3 hours.
• Strike camp (Sunday, September 5).
• Help unload the truck (Tuesday, September 7).

Logistics

Camp dues for 2010 are $250 per person. In 2008 and 2009, the camp was heavily subsidized by Zang and Tornus. Our goal for 2010 is to break even.

Here's what you get for your dues:

• A 6,300-square-foot residential shade structure that provides privacy, security, and nearly full protection from UV. This playa-proven structure is 10' tall and comfortably fits all but the most egregiously large tents. Each person gets a 10' x 10' space for a tent; couples get 2 spaces (on a first-come, first-serve basis).
• A private lounge inside the residential structure for the crew to relax. We have been assured by lost passersby that our lounge is "the bomb."
• Ultra-quiet generator and fuel.
• Two showers (plus evaporation system for the gray water).
• A kitchen replete with a propane stove powerful enough to melt a small car (and the fuel to do so), an oven, espresso makers, storage, and basic supplies.
• Daily breakfast. As well as vegetarian options, we have bacon for breakfast every day. Just because we can.
• 2 gallons of water per person per day (enough to cover drinking water, cooking, cleaning, and showers).
• All the Cytomax you can drink.
• Truck transportation for all camp infrastructure, water, and one bike per person.
• Early-entry passes to the event.
• Access to an amazing play space in the desert with professional sound and lights.
• And, a big fluffy pink winged stuffed pony.

The pony is a perq!

Camp Policies

Suspended Animation isn't for everyone. Before joining us, please be aware of some of our key camp policies, and think hard about whether they're right for you.

1. Suspended Animation is run as a benevolent dictatorship by Zang and Tornus. In practice, we lean toward a highly informal, devolved style of management. Nonetheless, we don't operate by consensus, and we don't spend much time processing.

2. We are not a sober camp, but neither are we a party camp. We absolutely prohibit drugs and alcohol during all of our public events, and expect that any substance use within camp will be discrete and moderate. In particular:

• Substances are never the focus of any activities in camp. Passing around a bottle of whiskey is OK; having a kegger is not.
• Members and guests should never be visibly impaired when at camp.

3. We're pansexual and sex-positive. If you aren't completely comfortable being around a wide variety of genders and sexual orientations, you don't belong with us. Or, really, anywhere else at Burning Man.

2010 Schedule

Our 2010 schedule will be very much like our 2009 schedule. One of our goals for this year, however, is to reduce the amount of time we spend on pre-playa work. In particular, we will start our pre-playa preparations much later than in previous years, and we probably won't do a big build. Here's what's on the calendar:

• Thursday, August 26. Load Bertha (our giant box truck).
• Friday, August 27. The main convoy leaves Seattle.
• Saturday, August 28. The main convoy arrives at BRC. Camp setup begins.
• Sunday, August 29. We finish building our structures and all camp infrastructure.
• Monday, August 30. Burning Man begins. We finish setting up our performance space.
• Saturday, September 4. The Man burns.
• Sunday, September 5. We strike camp. The temple burns. Burning Man ends.
• Monday, September 6. Exodus. The main convoy leaves BRC.
• Tuesday, September 7. The main convoy arrives in Seattle.
• Wednesday, September 8. Unload Bertha.