Newbie-What's the deal with the tarps?

[Pass Port]

So, I admit our tarp is quite possibly the biggest tarp in the field.  We were pretty close to the front and had Jerry the Gnome flying WAYYY above.
I'd be even more certain that if you went back by 30 minutes later it would be jammed with folks. Our group is educated, excited and COMMITTED. 

However, the Gnome tarp did not only accommodate the people it was designated for but we met TONS of new folk who stopped to say hello or just needed a spot.  We NEVER asked anyone to leave our tarp (though I did have to ask someone if I could use my chair while I face pounded some dumplings)  and I would say that if you were lucky enough to find our tarp to squat on, you would have been greeted with smiles. 

I very much understand that joining a tarp with people you do not know is intimidating and really against societal norms, but as this is TBF, this IS THE NORM and something I recommend to everyone.  I came solo to TBF last year and this year re-united with at least 50 of my best friends. (All of whom I have known for a year or less)  If it hadn't been for tarp hopping last year I never would have met my girlfriend and all of the fine folks I call my bluegrass Jamily. 
So, outside of playing musical tarps (a great idea IMHO) I think if it aint broke don't fix it.

So next year, if you find yourself in need of somewhere to plop down come visit the Gnome tarp, but remember big tarp or small tarp it takes a village and that village is built on LOVE.   
Love you all, 50 more weeks til next year. 
-Nate Grant

Spoken well, tarp-hopper!  Next year, the s'wandering potluck will be back, bigger than ever, and we'll need even more tarp! Just sayin' 

Promises promises Mr. Viking king. I sure hope so! 


Nate 
Yes well said indeed! And no matter what the rules are, those of us who are committed will still get the same spots we get now. We all play by the same rules - 

[Australian fan]

I am already making plans for next year, i think i got this scoped out now. Need to bring a flying kangaroo flag, cowboy boots and an esky. Also searching for world's biggest water gun. Im going to keep doing the old tarp hop and the rest a while in Duk Tape pop up, best of all worlds...counting the days till we all return.

Ps does " esky" translate in your language peoples?

[Hot Sugar]

As Hooch said, I wondered over to our tarp several times to find people sitting on it and made sure they knew they were welcome to stay as long as they liked. To Landshark's earlier point, don't feel like you need to buy a round of beers just to sit there. That could get expensive by the end. If you find an empty tarp or a mostly empty tarp, go sit there. It really is that simple. I spent my first three years as a tarp hopper before I joined Camp Run a Muck and I was never made to feel unwelcome in that time. Hell, I still tarp hop every year to get a better spot for certain bands.

I will ask the tarp hoppers to please be respectful of the tarp they are on. I had one group who was sitting on our tarp that was chain smoking cigarettes. If you're on someone else's tarp, always ask before you light up any kind of smoke.

[Pass Port]

I am already making plans for next year, i think i got this scoped out now. Need to bring a flying kangaroo flag, cowboy boots and an esky. Also searching for world's biggest water gun. Im going to keep doing the old tarp hop and the rest a while in Duk Tape pop up, best of all worlds...counting the days till we all return.

Ps does " esky" translate in your language peoples?

Isn't Esky used to refer to a cooler, just as we Yanks refer to all copiers as Xerox copiers? I think Esky is really the biggest brand of coolers down under?

[Pass Port]

Guess I could just look that up. Coleman bought the Esky line, based out of Melbourne. Coleman coolers are very popular here!

Chain smokers ... no bueno 

[yojo]

I've heard the randomization of numbers before, how would that work? Defeating the idea of a line altogether and having people get in line an hour before doors to start randomly handing out numbers? I see too many problems. To me, if people are going to put in that amount of effort to wait in line all night they should get those front numbers. It's a character building experience for people to get past the intimidation factor and grab a seat for those not in the know. 

What's really been bugging me the last 4-5 years is that whoever is running the Town Park/Warner line is just clueless. There used to be order to it, it's been a mess the last few years. This year they decided to put a blue tag on the chairs in line as if that kept some order of the chairs. It made absolutely ZERO sense. did anyone else see this and can they explain it to me? Perhaps I missed something...

[BanjoMatt]

This was our first year.  We put a chair out on THURS morning.  An older gentleman gave us the blue string to tie to the chair.  My wife would wake up at 5:30 every morning and go get a number.  She said the man with the numbers always came around about 6ish.  The way it was setup, it seems like we could have put out a chair on Mon or Tues at the front of the line.  Nobody really monitors if you stay there all night or not.

[KaraJean]

Utah is hot 100 yesterday and 100 today!

[Pass Port]

Dang girl, North winds must be blowing up in Ogden! Just hit 101 at the VA in SLC!!

[greg_from_aa]

So, I admit our tarp is quite possibly the biggest tarp in the field.  We were pretty close to the front and had Jerry the Gnome flying WAYYY above.  The sheer number of people we had this spot ear marked for was around 50.  We had chairs, coolers, water, squirt guns sprayers ETC.  Getting this spot each day was quite a process as we needed 2 people to run it and a third to set up the shade spot and follow in with all the gear. (so 3 line sitters each night)  I am certain that there were times during the day when you could go by and say holy crap there is no one on that enormous tarp.  I'd be even more certain that if you went back by 30 minutes later it would be jammed with folks. 

If you were to, say make us use a tarp half the size, we would simply double the amount of line sitters and the tarps we run in.  I can assure you that we would beat you all to our spot with 1 big tarp or 2 medium sized or 6 tiny ones.  Our group is educated, excited and COMMITTED. 

However, the Gnome tarp did not only accommodate the people it was designated for but we met TONS of new folk who stopped to say hello or just needed a spot.  We NEVER asked anyone to leave our tarp (though I did have to ask someone if I could use my chair while I face pounded some dumplings)  and I would say that if you were lucky enough to find our tarp to squat on, you would have been greeted with smiles, passing of the doobies and all the cooling mist our water sprayers can dole out. 

Generally, each night before the 2nd to last act came out we would pull the tarp up and just like when it was down all were welcome to enjoy the space. 

I very much understand that joining a tarp with people you do not know is intimidating and really against societal norms but as this is TBF this IS THE NORM and something I recommend to everyone.  I came solo to TBF last year and this year re-united with at least 50 of my best friends. (All of whom I have known for a year or less)  If it hadn't been for tarp hopping last year I never would have met my girlfriend and all of the fine folks I call my bluegrass Jamily. 

So, outside of playing musical tarps (a great idea IMHO) I think if it aint broke don't fix it.

So next year, if you find yourself in need of somewhere to plop down come visit the Gnome tarp, but remember big tarp or small tarp it takes a village and that village is built on LOVE.   

Love you all, 50 more weeks til next year. 

-Nate Grant

I so look forward to seeing the flying (hanging) Gnome (Noam). Was that last year that Pickles called out the Noam or was that 2 years ago?