CouchSurfing Camp Mission Statement
CouchSurfing Camp is the burning man theme camp by and for CouchSurfers from the CouchSurfing.org project.
The central mission of CouchSurfing Camp (CS Camp) is to create a community on the playa consistent with the CouchSurfing (CS) mission and experience, as well as consistent with the definition of a Burning Man theme camp.
As a theme camp at Black Rock City, CS Camp, must, by definition, offer something to the citizens of Black Rock City. A theme camp must be participatory and registered theme camps welcome anybody and everybody from the city into camp. So, although this is a CS specific project, at Burning Man we also must offer interactivity with the city and its participants – we are not a camp about “us” but we are a camp interactive with the whole city.
The MutantSofa is our central art project and offering to the city as a gathering place, and a place to chill. We also offer additional shade through the DarthShader, and refuge from a dust storm in the PlayaDome. Camp fees allow camp to continue to grow and offer more to camp and to the city, and out of the membership dues this year we will be offering the SofaVan art car, complete with a club-quality professional sound system that can be used for camp sound, and integrated with other cars and camps to form a spontaneous “Deep End” with multiple cars linked and pounding the same music somewhere out in the open playa. Other items we hope to offer the city this year is Joe Kally – a cut through street with heckle stations – on which to pass you must tell a Joke, and possibly a volleyball court / field. In the future, we hope to allocate funds toward clean solar energy for camp.
CouchSurfing Camp provides the infrastructure for a full blown theme camp. Membership dues go towards paying year-around storage of the structures, gas in transportation of camp stuff to and from the playa, website hosting and maintenance, and vehicle storage, insurance, and maintenance (for the mutant vehicle). CS Camp offers lots of shade, a shower structure, evap ponds, and a kitchen set up. We, as a camp project, also offer the Tuesday evening CouchPotato Meat-and-Greet -- a meal with couches, spiced potatoes, and international varieties of meat, this year to be followed by a Psy-Trance dance party. We ask everyone to try to bring something to the Meat-and-Greet which is open to the city and is another gift we offer the city and to CSrs not staying at the CS Camp. It is a fully BYOShare event -- bring something for the grill, and always bring something to share!
CouchSurfing Camp does not provide for any individual's need: All camp members must be radically self reliant in bringing their own tent, personal shade, food and all necessities to survive in a harsh desert environment for the entire time. That said, drinking water is provided. In fact, we ask all members to contribute more than the minimum of paying a camp fee; we ask that you contribute to camp wherever you can, either in building camp or taking down camp; taking the lead on a project such as the shower or evap system; helping to spread the word about CouchSurfing Camp; and bring things to contribute to the camp kitchen, in particular beer and booze, so we can always offer a personal cold drink to a wondering citizen of Black Rock City.
Finally, CS Camp lives up to the definition of "leave no trace" -- Everyone in camp must plan to take EXTRA garbage away, more than you brought, a bag or two in every car -- and final MOOP volunteers at the end of the burn will go over each and every inch of camp for every tiny little hair or piece of grit. Throughout the week, CS Camp members continually check the ground for trash or other bits, and pick them up to keep camp clean. Membership in CS Camp is the opportunity to be a part of this community project. Sure, there are lots of perks and benefits to being in a theme camp, but being a member of CS Camp is about what you can contribute to the project, and to the city of Black Rock during this magical one-week event.