Jay you are amazing. This seems fantastic. I'll reply on the form.
On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 10:20 AM, Jay Batson <[email protected]> wrote: > UPDATE ON REPLY INSTRUCTIONS: > > It'll make it a LOT easier if we track replies in a google form. If you're > merely replying as requested, please use this to provide your reply: > > https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rN8dEm3FMGWnG3aL2d47830Pc0AQyiSOLMN4sFAzkVE/viewform?usp=send_form > > Use replies to this email for further discussion (only). > > Thanks > -jb > > On Saturday, January 3, 2015 12:15:13 PM UTC-5, Jay Batson wrote: >> >> Hi, fellow yurt-fans - >> >> I’m inquiring how many people would be interested in an organized, >> large-scale yurt storage solution, with on-playa pickup/drop-off, for >> year-to-year storage at Burning Man. After reading this email, *RSVP >> with answers to these three questions if interested.* If enough people >> want this, I'll go do it. >> >> Questions: >> >> 1. How many yurts would you want to store as described here? >> 2. Would you be ok that the trailer contents are NOT insured? >> 3. Do you need transport to/from your camp on-Playa? And would you be >> ok with one of the transport choices below? >> >> Background: >> I suspect a large number of yurts sit unused between burns. They take >> up valuable space in sheds / garages, or sit on (& kill) lawns. Some >> owners pay for storage near home. Yurts transported to/from the Playa get >> beat up (by other camp gear or ropes), and reduce gas mileage for people >> hauling them on cars. Plus, they're just a pain in the neck to plan for & >> transport. >> >> This seems silly. Lots of big BM camps put stuff in semi-trailers, haul >> them on/off playa & store them in Gerlach between burns. Why not do that >> with trailers full of Yurts? >> >> Plan: >> Here's my goals. (Read "GOALS"; this is an in-process plan, and is not >> yet a firm offer. ;-) >> >> - 1+ dry, enclosed semi-trailers 100% devoted to and optimized for >> yurt storage. No camp gear. Period. (# trailers depends on demand. I'm >> currently targeting 50-55 yurts / trailer.) >> - Random access. A key planning goal is that nobody should have to >> wait for the trailer to be unloaded to get their yurt. Show up, pull your >> yurt, go to your camp. >> - I’ve been using a 3D CAD package and have identified a loading >> scheme that enables this. >> - Available readily on-Playa for yurt pick-up & drop-off. >> Hopefully: >> - Placed somewhere between 5:30-6:30 and F-H. >> - Arrives at least Thursday before gate open (if not earlier), and >> leaves Tuesday or Wednesday after the burn. >> - Unattended, locked trailers. Those with yurts in storage would be >> given the combination to a lock on the trailer doors. Burners GOTTA LOCK >> THE DOOR behind them as they leave. :-) >> - Dependability & quality. Your shelter matters. >> >> Other details: >> >> - Wrapping. Yurts must be package-wrapped in a tarp (use your floor >> tarp), with straps to keep it tight enough to be dragged along the trailer >> floor ON EDGE. Maximum 1/4” ply sandwich; prefer 1/8” ply. >> - It'd be best if every yurt wrap also had the owners name stenciled >> on the tarp. No matter what, there will be string tags that attach to >> every >> yurt along the edge visible when stored. >> - If practical, there'll be a chart showing where every owner's >> yurt is packed once the trailer is fully packed. >> - All fees paid pre-burn. >> - Contents insured? TBD. I have no cost quotes yet; but I'm betting >> trailer contents insurance will cost $thousands/year, which drives up >> costs >> a LOT - maybe by $50/yurt. >> >> Target cost: $200 / yurt / year for H12 with 1” foam (14" thick >> allowance). Other yurt sizes TBD, but proportionate. E.g. 1-1/2” foam >> is a 50% price premium. This price is still WILDLY subject to change. >> >> On-Playa transport: Early discussions with people have revealed a need >> for a way to haul yurts between the trailer & camps. I’m VERY early >> in thinking about this. Single yurts can be transported from the trailer to >> your camp on the roof of whatever car you came in - even without a rack. >> But camps with many yurts may need bulk transport. I've started looking >> for flatbed trailers that can hold 10 (or so) yurts, towed behind a pickup. >> Like the semi-trailer, this needs purchased, and it's costly enough that >> transport needs to be an incremental charge. Here's my early thoughts on >> that: >> >> - Bulk transport at pre-arranged times. ($20/yurt 1-way, $40/yurt >> round trip). Camps with lots of yurts would pre-arrange for pickup >> (pre-burn!). >> - Transport on fixed, scheduled route. ($25/yurt 1-way, $50/yurt >> RT). Designed for people with one, or a couple of yurts, but no car, who >> have friends. Use friends to carry your yurt a couple streets, and wait >> for >> the flatbed, which runs all the way around the Playa on one ring street - >> e.g. H street. Runs Saturday-Monday (both weekends), from 2:00(street) >> &H and running clockwise to 10:00/H. Runs 2x/day (starts at 11am & >> 4pm). >> - Single yurt transport on demand. ($30/yurt, $60 RT). This is the >> biggest waste of resources, so comes at a premium cost. It should be >> discouraged. >> - Requires volunteers to drive the truck / trailer! Like >> pickup/dropoff, nobody wants to spend their entire burn handling yurts. >> - (Note: I'm looking at various cart ideas that can be pushed / >> pulled. I don't want to complicate this thread with a discussion on that. >> Start another thread. ;-) >> >> RSVP by replying to this email. Please delete all the text other than the >> questions / answers, to keep the thread readable. >> Thanks >> -jb >> >> PS - Here's some other after-notes: >> >> - I’m coordinating with Hal Muskat on this, since he’s been doing >> some storage to-date. My aim is to dramatically grow the size / >> capabilities in order to drive down costs & increase availability. >> - I'm working on balancing this being a for-fee service in the >> presence of a gifting economy. I'm comfortable with this proposal as-is >> for >> two reasons: >> >> >> 1. Widespread precedent. There are already many vendors who charge >> for transport on/off playa, and provide storage off-site. Lots of camps >> already use such services. The concept is already a fact of life in >> Burning >> Man. BRYST becomes merely one more of those vendors, happily focused on >> yurt owners. >> 2. I intend to set this up as a "public benefit corporation". >> (Google that if needed, or see here >> <http://benefitcorp.net/quick-faqs>.) I want an operating >> form that gives me the ability to operate quickly and independently; >> lots >> of last-minute stuff needs to get done at Burning Man, and I frankly >> don't >> want to have to track down a bunch of burners on-playa to because some >> expenditure needs a majority decision. >> >> BUT, my goal is NOT profit; I don't need money. My goal is to >> benefit burners. The public benefit corporation structure works >> perfect for >> this. I'll make the corp's stated purpose be to benefit burners who >> own yurts, and will issue an annual report on how well it is doing. >> (Using, >> e.g. NPS score, transparency in financial costs, etc. It needs to be >> lightweight, but accurate & transparent.) >> >> I'll aim to operate at roughly break-even. (Actually, I'll aim to >> be slightly cash-positive to create reserves for unexpected future >> costs >> like trailer repair, etc.) >> >> I believe this to be consistent with Burning Man ethos; I welcome >> discussion on this topic. >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "hexayurt" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt. 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