BRC Hardware Shoppe Camp Plan
Our Purpose:
The name says it all. Black Rock City Hardware Shoppe will be on-site with a variety of tools and supplies to help build or repair just about anything on the playa. We are proud to have spent over 15 years serving Black Rock City in this capacity.
We have hand tools, power tools, nails, nuts, bolts, tape, string, wire, paint, bike tools, automotive tools, glue, rivets, and whatever else we can manage to fit on the truck. We enjoy helping people work on art projects and helping camps who have suffered structural difficulties, but we also help with minor automotive problems, generator issues, and fix an inordinate amount of bikes. Whatever people bring us, we’ll try and fix if we can. We do not have lots of raw building materials such as 2x4s, PVP pipes, or plywood, but do have a need/want bulletin board for people who have excess or are looking for such to communicate their needs. The Playa often provides!
Interactivity
As a camp, we love the challenge of fixing interesting problems. We also love to meet and interact with the people who come in for help, whether they are desperate to have something repaired or just want to hang out in the shade for a while. Once in a while we get the chance to help create spontaneous art projects with spare materials and inspiration from the people who drop in. Not only have we helped artists and residents in need, but we’ve also provided assistance to various infrastructure organizations in the city.
Camp Structure:
In front, we have a parking/gathering/working area for large projects. Our Hardware sign also acts as a bike rack, which is usually set back from the road so the guy wires and bikes won’t get in the way. The main shop area is under the shelter of a GP medium canvas army tent. The residential part of the camp is a large Apache helicopter repair tent about 40′ wide and 80′ long including guy wires. The inner borders of camp are lined with construction fencing for security and safety.
We have enjoyed being on the 6:00/Center neighborhood, as it satisfies our power needs and it helps for us to be centrally located and easy to find. We’ve enjoyed the wonderful relationships we’ve made with other camps in the area, and hope to return.
Leave No Trace Plan
We follow standard “leave no trace” procedure. Everything we pack in, we pack out, and we avoid bringing unnecessary packaging with us. We do everything we can to make sure our area comes out green on the MOOP map.
Our gray water from sinks and showers is deposited in an evaporation fountain so that none is spilled on the playa. Our main camp floor is entirely covered in canvas drop cloth in order to reduce the amount of wear and tear caused by our presence. We have a magnetic broom in order to pick up any metal bits or shavings that may have fallen to the floor during our work.
All trash is separated into different containers for proper disposal: burnables, glass and aluminum, plastic, and trash. What burnable trash we have will be collected in paper bags and burned on the city platforms, if allowed. (This policy has been inconsistent over the years, and we are often turned away from the pyre with our paper lawn waste bags full of sawdust, paper, cardboard, etc. We continue to seek clarification on this.) The entire infrastructure of our camp is compact and re-usable. After we are all packed up, we move our vehicles off and form a search line to walk our space and pick up anything that is not playa.
Safety Plan
Our camp has an assigned first responder with first aid certification for medical emergencies at all times. We keep a stocked medical supply kit in the shop at all times, as well as placing fire extinguishers both in the shop and living areas. Most camp personnel are professional builders and/or fire performers, and we apply all applicable safety proceduresz to our activities at all times. This includes ear and eye protection when working with power tools, notifying bystanders before engaging in something that will produce noise, sparks, intense light, or projectiles. Safety may be third, but it’s still on the list!
