Learn more about the Pathogen Trackers Burning Man Camp below, and sign up to join us at this year’s event!
What We Do
Our interactivity is centered around our desire to give the simple gifts of food and drink, each day, to the residents of Black Rock City. We believe in the brief time we spend with visitors, serving them lunch daily, we can both poke fun and gently remind our guests that without continued education and community effort we may one day all find ourselves victims of some ever virulent pathogen, standing in food lines on a barren planet.
The Schedule
Beginning Saturday night, before the gates officially open, we host the first of two bar-b-ques, feeding the artists and builders of the playa, along with the advance teams of the other nearby camps.
On Sunday morning, we start the week at 8 am with coffee service in the Nutrient Distribution Area for those in need. Also, our Binary Transport & Observation Trailer, with its two-story roof deck will be the first structure open to the public. Standing over 20 feet tall it provides something for residents to climb on for an elevated perspective of the playa and also provides some shelter from the scorching sun.
Beginning on Monday, for the next seven days, our camp will provide lunch daily, beginning at 12noon to passerby, under the shade of the Nutrient Distribution Center. This shaded area will serve as both a landmark and public service to those treading the 55 miles of streets that comprise Black Rock City. Lunch will be served with a provocative soundtrack provided by guest DJ’s. During lunch, we will also be providing chilled water and cold beer.
On Monday we will also open our Mutation Response Vehicle, MRV-1 to the public. This 50,000-pound behemoth will host a daily open bar and gift alcoholic beverages to those 21 years of age and older. At the same time, MRV-2 and 3 serve as objects of art supporting our camp’s central theme. Each night, in addition to the open bar, movies of apocalyptic survival are projected onto the camp’s 30-foot video wall.
New Additions for 2022
New additions in camp this year, include the Ariel Quarantine Area, aka the Sky Bar, suspended 8-stores above the playa, and the Cadence Amplification Unit. The latter is a custom-built DJ & Performance Platform / Stage which will be the centerpiece of the camp’s public face, and will host a variety of musicians and DJ’s every day. Another new addition to the camp this year will be a newly constructed, 3-story tall mutant vehicle, known as the Dust Collector. Roaming the playa each day, the Dust Collector has already been volunteered to serve as a platform for guided art tours, within the submission of its application to the DMV.
On Wednesday evening, the camp organizes its annual pig roast and invites participants from nearby camps to join us for a festive, evening celebration.
The Fish Bar
The ever recognizable, veteran fixture on the playa, The Fish Bar, will also reside at our camp when not transporting the residents of Black Rock City to and from the numerous art installations on the playa.
Positive Vibes
Our hope is that all the effort and planning that has gone into the re-launch of the Pathogen Trackers camp will make a substantial, positive impact on the people of the playa. We sincerely hope that our returning camp will be a placed somewhere even the most seasoned burner will want to spend some time, have their hunger satiated, and their thirst quenched.
VOLUNTEER
“For every task there is a willing hand.”
– Fluffy
Each member of the Pathogen Trackers team is encouraged to volunteer during the week and aid in the preparation of the Compressed Protein Tubes, (served to the public for lunch each day), assist in their distribution, serve a shift in MRV-1, distributing various distillates of ethanol to Black Rock citizens.
Of course arriving before gates open to lend a hand erecting the camp is also welcome.
Outside of the camp, the D.U.S.T Collector must be piloted by at least three persons on board, and two on the ground serving as safety look-outs, or walkers. The Fish Bar is operated by two people, one driver and one rear-facing navigator.
For those who are musically gifted, the camp’s centerpiece, the Cadence Amplification Unit, is the ideal spot for musicians and DJ’s to perform in camp. Also, both art cars have onboard sound systems and perches for DJ’s.
Finally, the new Aerial Quarantine Area, or Sky Bar, requires four attendants, and one licensed mobile crane operator for each shift.
Whatever your fancy, the Pathogen Trackers camp interactivity requires your participation.
CAMP FEES
The robust infrastructure of the Pathogen Trackers camp provides support to the citizens of Black Rock City, and our neighboring camps. As such, our gear requires considerable maintenance throughout the year and is supported exclusively through our camp fees, as is our generous gifting program. Additionally, each camp member is fully engaged in the camp’s operation and shares in its amenities. The Pathogen Trackers share in all meals, alcohol, potable water, electricity, diesel fuel and a variety of other camp amenities equally.
Camp Fees are also equally shared by all camp members, and may not be prorated, as all equipment and staff must be on-site for the duration of the event. The limited amount of square footage assigned for the camp each year further dictates that we may only accommodate a fixed number of campmates each year, and must, therefore, share the costs associated with the camp’s operation equally.
For 2022, our camp budget has been set at $3,750 per person, for the 9-days and 8-nights.