Fill your ears with loud music using headphones. This is one way to party and keeping neighbours happy. Stockphoto.
Borderland goes unplugged
Music is OK within each camp as long as it stays in the camp, but don't bother neighbours with loud music other that Saturday from 20:00 to Sunday morning 02:00.
Dear Borderling.
I hope this message finds you safe and healthy, as I have some news that is likely to disrupt your plans and expectations for the Borderland. It’s not cancelled, but this this was a close call and we’re still on red-alert mode, and it’s a new reality we’ll have to adapt to.
Last night we received a mail from the municipal director of building permits that The Borderland was canceled for 2018 due to concerns over sound and the short time frame that we can work with. The wording and tone of this message was quite final and did not leave much room to negotiate. As you can imagine this was not a fun situation to be in. Before proceeding, please take a moment and reflect on this possibility, the very real risk of The Borderland not happening…
We responded via email and by phone, and due to Liselottes skill with navigating municipality hierarchies we finally got through with our pleas. The conclusion was that the only way we could avoid a cancelation was by pledging to not play big sound during the entire event except for 6 hours on Saturday evening from 20.00 - 02.00. The exact words spoken were:
“Don't take lightly on the noise issue. You can listen to music through the week within each camp as long as it stays in the camp, but don't bother the neighbours with loud music other that Saturday from 20:00 to Sunday morning 02:00”
We know that this is not our preferred situation. Music is a deeply embedded part of our culture and a form of expression for many of us, and its big format absence will be felt by many. For some more than others. We wish we could avoid this decision, and we will do our best moving forward to negotiate some levels that can support you in providing ambience to your spaces if not an aural blast.
But for those of you who want to set up a sound camp with a big system that can provide levels for dubstep and other genres that blast the dancefloor, the message is both sad and clear: It ain't happening. These constraints are not to be trifled with. We *will* be shut down if we are in violation of them. Those are the breaks.
We don't yet know exactly what the new conditions and thresholds will be, but will keep you informed as it unfolds.
Bring musical instruments or Silent Disco
The principle of radical self-reliance invites you to discover, exercise and rely on your inner resources. How will you turn this unfortunate situation into gold? What sort of experiment with the way we meet and transform does this open up for? We suggest you connect with your campmates on how best to proceed.
Bringing musical instruments is one suggestion. Scaling the Silent Disco-based dreams is another.
We wish you the serenity to accept what you cannot change, the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Safety meeting Thursday
Because of this situation we have had our meeting with emergency services postponed until tomorrow Thursday 12, which means that all questions about fire safety and related conditions are going to have to wait to get answered.
We still need more approval
Just to compound the feeling of skating at the edge of destruction, it should be said that we’re still not completely secure. We still need:
Building permits for both the event and our < 50m2 structures.
To have fire and emergency plans approved.
An event permit from the police.
This is all in process and seems to be fine, but as we discovered yesterday we shouldn’t feel too safe.
By: Boardmonsters, Inc.
Transfer of membership deadline 14th of July!
The contract has been signed for our new site which means the new deadline for membership transfer is Saturday 14th of July.
Please try to keep to this deadline if you for some reason need to transfer your membership.
After this deadline it’s only possible to transfer your ticket via the abominable Trans Fur Mönstër!!! This process involves plenty of challenges, and is not for the faint of heart. GRRRRRR..!
Enter your workshop, party and any beatiful event into the What When Where guide, a comprehensive volume of every event you will probably not attend.
Put your event in the FOMO-Guide
Creatures of the Borderland! This Year, once again, the decision was made to create the ultimate What When Where guide, the list of all list, the list of all the things, you will probably not attend.
To have your event, party, workshop or happening listed in the What, When, Where guide - "Fomo-Guide" - fill in this Google Sheet form.
For recurrent events you need to fill out the form for each session
Deadline is the 13.07.2018 at 20:00 Copenhagen time
Lost and Found - A better solution than boxes in the rain
Borderland is stepping up to its growth and will now have a proper lost and found station! We are using one of the containers that support the structure of the Port.It will have boxes, hangers and lights.
We encourage you to have a camp Lost and Found and that you ask around your camp mates before bringing things in.
With 2500 members, it is quite difficult to keep all the things until they are claimed, so we came up with a system:
electronic devices, wallets and valuables will be photographed, posted online and left in a police station
cups, other useable items and simple clothes will be donated to local second hand shops
Elaborated self made clothes will be posted online, and if not claimed given away after 1 week
The Lost and Found station will be up until Monday early morning and things will be brought to the second hand shop around Monday noon.
Hedeland has ruled that all dogs must be on a leash.
All pets at The Borderland must be leashed
The “pets at The Borderland discussion” has been getting fresh winds, so to bring some clarity in what applies this year and to make sure everyone gets the same information, here comes a very formal/official/important note for your reading.
At Hedeland, our four-legged friends are very welcome. There are however regulations for their presence. Due to the sensitive wildlife in this area, dogs must be leashed at all times. This regulation could be extended to all pets that can disturb the wildlife, i.e. cats, ferrets, falcons, dragons etc.
There are gated areas where dogs can run freely under supervision by their owners. This is a site-specific demand from our lovely hosts, not The Borderland taking a stance in the ongoing dog-discussion.
Read the easy guide here and study the full rule book here. (in Danish).
"Leave no Trace" is your playa name? Eagles are jealous of your sharp eyes? Seek and find and Easter egg hunt were always your favorite games?
Then join us for the trash-ure hunt after Borderland! We'll stay til Wednesday, double-check every little inch of the area for MOOP, compete for the funniest findings (yes, you can win a trophy).
It's a perfect opportunity to
ground and integrate after an intense Borderland week
enjoy the magic of the after-Burn
meet the heroes of the Borderland who stay to the very end
give a gift back to the wonderful LAND, which hosted us
Up for it? Then sign up for one, two or all three days here.
The Borderland grows and with it also the need for helping hands. But where to help out? And how to make people aware that you need support for your community project? To make those things easier we added an overview over all community jobs to the Borderland Communication Document. So go and find your favorite community job and sign up for a shift here.
Sort your trash with class - welcome to the Container station
Left face it kiddies, even when we spend a week in dreamlands painted like tigers, and dancing in spandex, there are still some aspects of the default world that follow us to our sacred ground.
One of them is waste. But don't worry, here are 3 easy way to have the burn of your life, even when you have to deal with trash.
Reduce, reuse, amuse!
The first one is a no-brainer. The less waste you bring, the less you have to deal with. Tada! This means to try and do waste minimization while you plan for the burn. Are you bringing cornflakes for breakfast? Cool! Just bring the bag and leave the cardboard box at home.
You can cut down on a lot of waste by pre-prepping and pre-packing your meals. This can save you a lot of trash, and money! Bonus info; this can also save you a lot of time and let's face it when you are in the middle of the party, you would rather be dancing than prepping food anyway. Here’s a bunch of meals you can make ahead of time. Protip: If you go to Pinterest and type in ‘camping food make ahead’ you will have all the inspiration you need for thousands or burns!
Don’t let it hit the ground! Party with pride
MOOP stands of Matter Out Of Place and refers to everything that was not on the festival ground before you arrived. If you’ve ever been to a music festival like Roskilde, you have witnessed a MOOPocalypse.
The burning man community is the opposite of that, with leave no trace being one of the 10 founding principles. Yes, we enjoy some good clean fun - literally.
Some things MOOP more than other, so best to leave them at home, like feathers, non-biodegradable glitter, clothing with a lot of loose threads in it, and COVFEFE!! Sorry, I mean confetti. Remember, the best way to prevent MOOP is to make sure it never hits the ground. Also, doing regular MOOP-sweeps where you grab all the renegade pieces of trash in your camp and the surrounding area is a great way to make sure that the final cleanup is easy and fun. If you’re lucky you might even get a visit from the sexy-awesome MOOPYCORNS, who break out their fabulous moves if your camp is nice and MOOPfree. If not, who knows what they will do.
Visit the Container station - we party!
The Container station is your local recycling station, at the burn. There’s always a cozy party going on while you sort your waste, and the trash lords will be sure to give you ample guidance on how to sort your trash with style. If you have questions like, what can I burn? Where should I toss this empty can of whiskey, and are condoms recyclable, the Container station ts the place to go.
Before the festival kicks off the Container station will share more tips on how to set up a recycling unit in your camp ensuring that your burn is environmentally friendly - you even get free print-your-own recycling posters that you can hang in your camp. It doesn't get easier than that!
So come get wasted at the Container, where we take pride in staying trashy.
Justin - a not so old, but still very wise, person.
Practical advice from old people
Here is bunch of stuff that every single burner goes through, yet never make it into the FAQ.
It will rain
I won’t state the obvious about packing for summer camping in Denmark but, Danish weather is one of worst things about Denmark. Nothing feels more “we’re all in this together” than midday shit-weather. Some my favorite people, I know better, thanks to crap weather (Hi Roxie!).
So take the time to make a mental map of great inside-y camps and, when sudden rain strikes, prepare to join with whatever is going on when when you barge in unprepared… sometimes the best prostate massages are the ones you weren’t expecting (Hi, Shelley!).
It will get cold
You are in Scandinavia... it's gonna get chilly precisely when you want to be out dancing under the stars… conversely, it also means, because of all the shit weather, Denmark is thrift store valhalla. Need something cheap and useful to get through the nights… pop into one of the following 2nd hand shops in Copenhagen on your way to BL: Frelsens Hær (Salvation Army), Røde kors and/or Danmission to name a few.
You don't need a whole set of cold weather costumes; you just need one fuck-off massive cold weather coat; preferably fake fur, but really size is what counts. It doesn't need to be fabulous... being mostly naked under a warm coat makes a pretty good costume. Show a little bare leg, flash a boob, own it. Bonus: When you are getting all disco inferno; see that guy shivering over there… be a superhero, put your coat over him.
Be prepared for the rain. Bring an umbrella.
Enjoy your meal plan
Congratulations, if you joined a camp that provides group meals... guess what, you're going to miss half of them… that’s ok, it was lentils again today.
Keep a stash of spoil-proof food at your tent site. Here’s the not so obvious stuff that I keep in my nut:
Almond Milk/Muesli - Ahhhh, wonderful almond milk… after being opened, even without refrigeration, it keeps drinkable for days
Happy Cow or Baby Bell - individually wrapped little cheeses
Knackbrod (Crisp bread)/Smoked salmon/Cured ham (Serrano or Prosciutto)
If you are not a vegetarian, this combo can be a decent, reviving meal
A fuckton of bananas - Not only nature’s perfect food… the banana as telephone gag never gets old. Never.
Dried fruit - Apricots, mango, prunes, etc
Snickers bars - If you go to sleep toasty warm but wake up in the night shivering.
Once you’ve got the perfect nut sorted; be smart, store it in a spot that’s out of direct sun/heat all day.
You maybe think about going home
At any moment at Borderland, 18% of those around you are miserable and seriously thinking of packing it in and heading home. It doesn’t seem that way, because happy people are loud, unhappy people are (nearly) invisible.
Most crusty burners (Hi, Duece!) have been through this enough to know its part of the ride. Today’s sad pants invariably ends up being tomorrow’s laughing naked trampoliner; so buck up, it gets better.
For a first timer, this can be hard to believe, so relax… go through the mental list… have I rested, have I eaten, have I had water, have I had a poo. Give yourself a massive break and let someone, even a stranger, know you’re, momentarily, having a shit time of it. If that fails, go have some tea; at any moment, you’ll never be more than 10 meters from hippies serving tea. If you’re really bored and not picky, ask them about plant medicine… boom, there’s your next 5 hours sorted.
You will miss every workshop you circled
Don’t worry, everybody combs through the program and makes a plan… and does exactly zero percent of it. And besides, there will be more plenty more Ecstatic Dance/Yoga/Hooping tomorrow (trust me, there’s always more).
Yes, you will inevitably miss the greatest thing ever and you should just get comfortable with that fact. The legendary Rabbit take-over of the Foxhole’ rumored blindfold naked/k/tantra workshop … man, that was amazing… it was like: imagine putting on a blindfold and crawling your way across a shag carpet until you found a nipple that was just as large as you were, and then thinking, I should put it in my mouth*..
Yeah, wow, that was legendary, sorry you missed it. That definitely won’t be happening again. But here, have some tea instead.
1st Protip: While foam earplugs are good for protecting your ears on the dancefloor, they’re worthless for sleep. Instead, go to a pharmacy and buy a box of silicone wax ones (or be an angel, buy two boxes and give some as a gift that is actually useful). These are the mushy ones, like clay, that form a tight seal and are shockingly good at baffling sound.
You will consider moving your tent
At some point you will realize, when it came time to choose where to pitch your tent… you were an idiot.
Most likely fuckup: Direct sun hits your tent all morning and/or during prime midday siesta/sexy time. Or maybe you set up shop right next to one of the classic Borderland sub-species: The “fuck ‘yer burn” Soundsystem Monkey (Hi, Krak!) and now you are involuntarily enjoying yet another epic set from everyone’s favorite: DJ Empty Dancefloor.
When this happens ask yourself these questions:
Is this shit going to change tomorrow?
Did I decide I needed to IMMEDIATELY move my tent while tripping balls?
If you answered “No” to both these, it's probably a good idea to take the time to move your tent. It’s a pain in the ass, but ultimately worth it.
2nd Protip: There’s no requirement you have to pitch your tent where your camp is setup. I usually look for something in the shade, away from noise, a reasonable distance from my camp… if it's in an area allocated to another camp; I ask permission before setting up. It's a long burner tradition to join a loud camp, but secretly have your tent in Quietsville. Lean into your hypocrisy, we all do!
Dont chase fun
If you find yourself schlepping around late at night, from place to place and none of it’s very interesting; that’s the universe telling you to go the fuck to sleep. Trust me, the music did not get better on the other side of BL in the 20 minutes you were away and Man-Bun McDreamboat has definitely already headed to bed (but he will be back tomorrow, I promise). Instead of chasing imaginary fun, realize that you’ll only get to enjoy the wonderful things that are happening tomorrow, if you’re awake when they actually happen. Also... Daytime fun > Late Night fun.
You will misplace every fucking thing
Despite your best efforts, the inside of your tent will eventually look like the aftermath of an elves vs bikers gangbang. Still, doing your best to put stuff back in the right place, is always time well spent. This goes doubly for the stuff your camp shares. Remember: The best cock ring is the one you can actually find. (Hi Olaf!) Be sure to put your camp’s where it belongs.
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I hope you got all of that and that at least some of its is useful. Can’t wait to see you at Borderland, maybe we can be friends… bring an extra banana and let’s find out!
