ChiCargo 2022: BRC
7/31/22 update: ChiCargo is SOLD OUT!

Thanks for your interest in ChiCargo 2022!

    1. New & noteworthy

    2. The basics

    3. Prohibited items

    4. Bins

    5. Bikes

    6. Irregular items

    7. Carbon reduction pilot

    8. Chicago drop off

    9. Playa pick up

    10. Playa drop off

    11. Chicago pick up

    12. Payment

    13. Link to sign up form

    14. Stay connected

1. New & noteworthy

    • SOLD OUT as of 7/18 We shipping bikes this year, but with VERY limited capacity AND numerous requirements/restrictions.

      • If your bike situation is a good fit: sign up ASAP!

      • If your bike situation is a not good fit: we recommend you pursue other options!

    • Chicago drop off of all items will be two weeks before the gates open (Sun 8/14), and Chicago pick up of all items will be two weeks week after the man burns (Sat 9/17)

    • Carbon reduction (optional): see below for details!

2. The basics:

    • Roundtrip prices:

      • $60 for BYO standardized bin

      • $12 per cubic foot for irregular items

      • $220 for bikes (includes $100 refundable deposit, details below)

    • One-way prices:

      • 50% off for bins & irregular items

      • Bikes not eligible for one-way (see below)

    • Public, interactive art qualifies for a 10% discount: for consideration, email ChiCargo@burningmelon.org *before* signing up

    • Transported by contracted freight professionals via a licensed & insured semi-trailer

    • Transparent fundraiser for Bold Urban Renaissance Network, a IL 501(c)3 that provides art grants, organizes Decomp, etc.

    • Space is limited, first come first serve, and reservations are valid only after completion of the online sign up and successful payment processing

    • Sign up closes when space is filled OR Friday 8/12 at 11:59pm CDT and there are no refunds after that time

3. Prohibited items

    • Prohibited items include but are not limited to:

      • illegal drugs: cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, etc;

      • "partially legal" drugs: marijuana, cannabis, derivatives or synthetic thereof, etc;

      • perishable food or beverage: produce, milk, fresh juices, etc;

      • fireworks: signal flares, sparklers, other explosives, etc;

      • flammables/fuel: propane, butane, gasoline, diesel, white gas, matches, lighters, etc;

      • paints: spray paint, oil-based paint, etc;

      • household Items: bleach, spray starch, insecticides, drain cleaners, solvents, etc;

      • pressure containers: scuba tanks, camp stove propane canisters, carbon dioxide cartridges, nitrous oxide cartridges, etc;

      • weapons: firearms, ammunition, gunpowder, mace, tear-gas, pepper spray, etc;

      • hazardous materials: dry ice, gasoline-powered tools, wet-cell batteries, camping equipment with fuel, radioactive materials, poisons, infectious substances, etc;

      • wet goods that could open and destroy other property and/or stink up the trailer (stinky cheese), etc.

      • living beings: dogs, cats, humans, fish, etc.

4. Bins

    • $60 price is only for 27 gallon "Commander" bins by Centrex

      • NOT 27 gallon "Professional Box" at Costco

      • NOT 27 gallon storage tote by HDX sold at Home Depot

      • NOT 27 gallon "Tough Tote" by Homz sold at Amazon

      • If you use a non-Centrex tote, it will be irregular and you will be charged $70 or more

    • Bins are available at:

    • Gross weight limit for bins is 80 lbs per bin (gross = contents + bin + lock + etc)

    • We reserve the right to refuse any bin that is visibly cracked or damaged at load in

    • Bag your bin contents or tape the edges of your bin to prevent intrusion of playa dust

    • If you’re re-using a bin from a previous ChiCargo year, make sure you remove previous labels!

    • At Chicago drop off, bins receive heavy-duty labels with the shipper's name & info, so labeling/decorating is not required.

    • If you want to label/decorate your bin, do so in non-MOOPy ways:

      • OK: Sharpie, paint pen, duct tape, large plastic stickers

      • NOT OK: Spray paint, house paint, masking tape, washi tape, small stickers, paper stickers

    • Lid must close completely and be secured at all 6 points with zip ties: cinch zip ties tight, cut off extra length

    • Bins should be packed carefully: they will have hundreds of pounds stacked on it, or leaning against it from any direction

    • BYOlock system for bins

    • At Chicago drop off, bin owners must bring one lock per bin (unlocked)

    • Locks must be compatible with lock holes in Centrex bin.

    • We recommend a shackle of 1.5 inches or greater (see diagram)

      • Locks cannot obstruct or interfere with bin stacking

      • Combination style locks strongly recommended, especially if a friend may pick up or drop off your bin

      • Bike locks (cable or U lock) are OK if meeting the above criteria, but not recommended, and can only be used for one bin

      • Bins cannot be locked together or otherwise attached to each other

5. Bikes

  • SOLD OUT as of 7/18

  • $220 round trip, which includes $100 deposit (deposit refunded to payment card after 9/17 Chicago pick up)

  • For many years we referred bike shipping to a friendly partner, but they will not be servicing BRC in 2022.

  • Therefor ChiCargo is piloting a public bike shipping program! ...but with limited capacity and specific requirements/limitations.

  • We CAN ship: single-rider bikes which fit into a 70" x 41" x 8.5" box after simple disassembly: wheels and tires remain ON (remove pedals, turn/remove handlebars, remove baskets [pack in your bin!], and similar).

  • We CANNOT ship: recumbent bikes, tandem bikes, tricycles, bikes over 80 lbs, extra-dimensional chopper/tall/rat bikes, etc. (...because they cannot fit into a 70" x 41" x 8.5" box after simple disassembly with wheels and tires remaining ON...you get the idea)

  • Additional notes/requirements:

    • Round-trip only: we don't want to contribute to abandoned bikes on-playa!

    • At drop-off in Chicago, every bike must have a bike lock on it's REAR wheel (we highly recommend a simple, cable lock [NOT a U-lock])

    • We will apply to each bike a small, anonymous label for tracking/ID purposes

    • Bikes must be dropped off earlier than bins: before Temple Burn (Sunday 9/4 at 8pm).

      • Why? Packing and loading bikes is slower and more labor-intensive than bins.

  • Bike deposit system:

    • $100 deposit is charged at initial sign up, deposit returns are submitted shortly after Chicago pick up and take 5-10 business days to process

    • One way to understand our deposit system: consideration and respect

      • Respect the playa: no lost or abandoned bikes (and no stolen bikes, which are more likely to be abandoned)

      • Respect ChiCargo's equipment: bike tools, bike racks, bike boxes, etc.

      • Respect our volunteers' time & energy: follow directions, be courteous, don't be late

      • If you show lack of consideration or disrespect in the ways outlined above, or otherwise, you forfeit your deposit!

6. Irregular items

    • Irregular item capacity is limited at our discretion

    • Gross weight limit for irregular items is 100 lbs per item. An irregular item more than 100 lbs will need to be split into multiple items. This will be strictly enforced in 2022.

    • Orders with irregular items may be declined with full refund within 24 hours of order submission

    • We cannot accept fragile or delicate items, may not be able to accept items with any one dimension longer than 8'

    • Dimensions & pricing is "highest point rectilinear" and uses the following procedure:

      • Measure length, width, and height at longest, widest, and tallest point

      • Then, round up to the nearest whole inch. Ex: 14.4" x 30.2" x 43.8" becomes 15" x 31" x 44"

      • Multiply the result and then divide by 1728 for the precise cubic feet. Ex: 15*31*44 = 20,460 then 20,460 / 1728 = 11.84

      • Round up to the nearest cubic foot then multiply by $12 for final cost Ex. 11.84 becomes 12 then 12*$12 = $144

7. Carbon reduction (optional)

  • Burning Man is committed to being carbon negative by 2030 (source)

  • 91% of Burning Man carbon is from travel to and from BRC (source)

  • Flying to BRC generates the most carbon per burner, much more than using land-based travel (source)

  • Nudging burners to use land-based travel instead of flying could make a BIG dent in Burning Man's overall carbon emissions!

  • During ChiCargo sign up, we'll ask two questions:

    • Would you like to GIVE a small donation to reduce Burning Man's overall carbon footprint?

    • If you typically fly to BRC (or Reno, or SFO, etc), would you be interested in RECEIVING monetary support and/or non-monetary support to using land-based travel instead of flying? (no commitment at this time)

  • Further details of this program are TBD, if you're interested in learning more, email chicargo@burningmelon.org!

8. Chicago drop off

    • Chicago drop off will be Sunday, August 14th from 2pm-6pm near 35th and Ashland in Chicago (exact location provided in August to those who sign up)

    • At Chicago drop off, bin owners must bring one lock per bin (unlocked) (see section 5 above)

    • At Chicago drop off, we will have a systems for quickly locating boxes and locks on-play

    • If you cannot attend Chicago drop off or pick up, please practice Radical Self Reliance and Communal Effort by using the ChiCargo Message board to coordinate with other ChiCargo participants rather than contacting ChiCargo organizers.

9. Playa pick up

    • Playa pick up starts Thursday 8/25 at noon (Early Access)

    • All Bins will be in dedicated ChiCargo area of MAD Recreational Movers, playa address 4:45 & G

10. Playa drop off

    • Bikes must be dropped off BEFORE the Temple Burn (Sunday 9/4 at 8pm)

    • Playa drop off ends Monday 9/5 at 10am

    • Bins must be returned to the ChiCargo area

11. Chicago pick up

    • Chicago pick up will be Saturday 9/17 from 2pm-6pm at same location as drop off

    • To claim bins, participants must open the bin's lock

    • If you cannot attend Chicago drop off or pick up, please practice Radical Self Reliance and Communal Effort by using the ChiCargo Message board to coordinate with other ChiCargo participants rather than contacting ChiCargo organizers.

12. Payment & Refunds

    • Successful payment via credit or debit card is required to sign up

    • Accepted cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club

    • If possible, please submit payment in one lump sum covering all items shipped

    • Full refunds are available before 8/14 at 6:00pm Chicago time

    • Refund requests must be submitted via email: reply to the confirmation email (subject line: "Thanks for your sign up of X items") and double-check it's being sent to chicargo@burningmelon.org

    • Refund requests will receive a reply within 48 hours; actual timing of repayment may vary based on your credit/debit card

13. Link to sign up form

    • If you would like to use this program and have no further questions, you can sign up and pay here: SOLD OUT AS OF 7/31

14. Stay connected