We used 18 helium tanks, each of which weighed about 170 lbs and held 291 cubic feet of helium, which was enough to fill about two 7-foot balloons.
(Rob, Troy)
Luckily the tanks only sat there for a day, otherwise someone probably would have called us in as terrorists.
(Mark)
Except for the tanks, our gear was fairly compact. Pictured here are a dozen screw anchors, three 65m lengths of dynamic climbing rope, 36 balloons, 4 gallons of super-hi float, 25 carabiners, and a flight bag containing a flashlight, two walkie-talkies, a wind speed meter, a knife, and a clambing harness.
We had about 2800lbs of tanks to transport. DOT Hazmat rules say that if you have under 1500 lbs of tanks, you don't need a placard or special license, so we used two pickup trucks.
Just like the SCA, burni ng man projects are all about wearing funny clothes while still getting chicks.
(Shannon, Patri, Dawn)
Dunno whether the wings or the hammer are cuter, but the playa sure is the ultimate artistic canvas.
(Dawn)
Envisioning.
(Dawn, Troy)
The screw anchors were a lot of trouble to get seated, but felt very solid once we finally got them in.
(Dawn)
We took turns screwing, it was exhausting
(Shannon)
Feeling lighter already!
(Patri)
Testing the pull (around 7 pounds)
(Patri)
The balloons really caught the wind (note to the obtuse: this is foreshadowing)
(Shannon)
A giant balloon is the perfect accessory for any desert outfit, as our delighted spokesmodel demonstrates.
(Dawn)
Rope, carabiners, and screw anchors were several of our fundamental building blocks.
(Rope, Anchor, Carabiners, Playa)