Spanky's Wine Bar

This Will All End in Tears

Infrastructure

Showers

Spanky’s does have camp showers, and they’re pretty damn good.

Our camp shower system keeps improving each year. But, rumors of beautiful sexy “shower assistants” are not true.  Please bring your own water for your showers (and your own sexy assistant). People average around 2-5 gallons per shower. Instructions are posted at the shower. Keep the shower area clean. Bring all of your stuff back to your camp when finished.

Grey water from our showers is collected in large “kiddie pools” under the shower decks. The pools are emptied daily by the same companty that pump our RVs.

RVs

To RV, or not to RV, that is the question. RVs are becoming more and more popular at Burning Man (sigh). Some people truly need them though, for medical reasons, or because they’re elderly, or they have babies, etc. Some people just want them because they want the luxury.

RVs usually require certain services during Burning Man. Fresh water refills, grey-water pump-outs, and power. These services are available for purchase at additional costs (above/separate from camp dues). See the RV page for more info

Here are some things to consider:

  • RVs are expensive… very expensive (to rent or to buy)
  • RVs need pump-outs of grey water, refills of potable water, and they usually need power. That’s expensive, too
  • Fresh water can run out fast if you’re not careful…and grey water holding tanks fill up just as fast!
  • Keeping dust out of your RV is impossible
  • Rented RVs usually need to be cleaned after the event. This is extremely time consuming and/or expensive
  • If you are sharing the RV with others, you don’t have much in the way of privacy
  • RVs promote partying too late, and sleeping in too late, which is lame. They also promote over-partying because you feel like you have a place to comfortably nurse your hangover, which is also lame
  • RVs promote hanging out in the RV, and not hanging out with all your friends at Spanky’s, or spending more time exploring the magic of Burning Man
  • If you’re not experienced, RVs can be difficult to drive
  • If you don’t own an RV, you need to reserve/rent your Burning Man RV very early in the year. They sell out quick.

Power Grid

Spanky’s has a power grid. The main purpose of this grid has always been to power the village’s front-yard attractions and infrastructure. But, we do have some power to spare, so there is also power distributed throughout the village (cables with quad-box outlets, placed throughout the camping areas). This is for limited power use, and it’s included in your camp dues. But the camping-area-grid can’t handle heavy power items (like air conditioners). However, the grid is great for things such as fans, mini-fridge, lights, chargers, sex toys, etc. Spanky’s can’t provide full power to RVs and still charge low camp dues (nor can I make exceptions for my friends… because you’re all my friends). Everybody in the village should be no further than 75 feet away from a power drop (quad box). Bring your own extension cords and splitters if you want power for your personal use (write your name on them). If you are plugging an RV into the Spanky’s grid, you’ll also need an extension cord as well as an adapter. If you want/need bigger power for your RV, there are two options:
  1. Use your on-board gennie if you have one. The big RV rental companies usually charge around $1-3/hr for gennie use which runs off your gas tank (so be sure to fill up before you get to Bman). Get instructions from your RV provider.
  2. A “power-cooperative”, separate from SWB’s grid will be organized this year, which is run by Major-D, Blackbird, and Amethyst. This would be in addition to camp dues (just like grey-water pump-outs and fresh water refills), and it’s a seperate/independant power grid from the Spanky’s grid. But this grid can provide sufficient power for your RV’s A/C units. (more info below)

The Bar area

It takes a lot to run a bar on the playa! Ice, sound system, lighting, rags, cleaning supplies, paper towels, cups, cups, more cups, coolers, trash cans, trash bags, game supplies, bar stools, sofas, tables, and so on. Especially when you are serving tens-of-thousands of patrons!

Building Supplies and Maintenance

Every year, things need to be built and/or maintained.  The desert is not a forgiving environment; it eats everything.

office and administrata

While your Admiral is a nice and generous guy who doesn’t mind donating upwards of a thousand hours of his time into creating the village, he is not wealthy (unless you count his friendships with all of you!). Costs such as website fees, transportation, office supplies, computer, phone, storage, welcome packs, etc. are all part of your camp dues.

Trucking

Every year we need to rent huge box trucks to haul our stuff to and from Burning Man.  These also gobble up diesel fuel.  Expensive.

LNT, Trash and Disposal

At the end of the event, there is a ton, no, make that tons, of trash that needs to be properly disposed of. Each member of the village is asked to take bags of trash out of Burning Man and properly dispose of it.