by iloveash » Tue May 25, 2010 9:49 pm
ZOMBIE CON 2010
T minus 29 days
Hi everyone,
The days are ticking away and soon ZCon will upon us! I know you all have been waiting with anticipation and child-like glee for this email! This one is chock-full of the "fun stuff"!
This is the third in a series of emails you will be receiving to help you “gear up” for ZCON 2010. If you did not receive the first two, please let us know and we'll shoot a copy to you. Once again, it is vital that you take a moment and read all the helpful information your ZCon 2010 team has put together, regardless of whether it is your fist time or you're alumni.
In this email you will find important information about:
-Camp Expectation -Seminar schedule & descriptions
- ZCON Afer Dark
Z-Con Camp Expectations
aka Do Your Part or DIE!
ZCon is a community experience. A chance for members from every part of the world to get together and "survive" for 5 days in a remote, sometimes hostile environment. To make ZCon work, every participant must do their part to keep the camp "alive"! Here is you mission:
WATER: Without it we die! At base camp there is a water filtration system set up for all to use. Water must be obtained just down stream from Manbath to keep it going. 6 Jerry Jugs are under the filtration system WE must keep them filled! Take time daily to check the jugs and fill one or two as needed.
TRASH: If it piles up, we die (from the smell)! Make sure you put all trash in the appropriate container (recycling, burnable, non-burnable). If the trash can is full, remove the bag and put in a new one that can be found next to the can. Take the full bag to the designated "drop point" to be carried down later.
Heading down the hill with a free hand or two, grab a full trash bag and deposit it at the collection point at the bottom.
MORE TRASH: Some people forgot to pack their mother and feel it's "OK" to leave garbage on the trails and at base camp…please, lend a hand and throw it away. If you know who left it, feel free to teach them about the importance of proper trash removal!
BURNABLES: A "Burnable" trashcan will be set up near the fire at base camp. Bring out your inner pyro and burn to your hearts content…but please, not while people are trying to cook! The more you burn, the less you pack down.
BATHROOMS: The most coveted "luxury" at ZCon! Respect them! If you make a mess, clean it up! If you notice we are low on toilet paper, hand sanitizer etc., inform ZCon Staff so we can make sure it's stocked. Please, be a sport and use the ash provided to cover any doodies you make!
PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT: that about says it all. Birds do not want to build a nest with your dirty drawers!
ZCON 2010 Seminar Schedule
WEDNESDAY:
4:15pm-5:15pm Cheese, Cheese the magical fruit!
Making cheese with Sylvia
So, it's only the 2nd day of ZCon You've already run out of ice, but you still have a gallon of milk and two Mike's Hard Lemonades in your cooler. What DO you DO? You make CHEESE! Learn a quick and easy way to make cheese over the campfire. Yes, yummy, spreadable cheese (very suitable for smooshing on crackersfor a movie snack that night) out of nothing more than leftover milkand a couple of hard lemonades (or a lemon or lime left over from your twelve-pack of Corona). It's easy, it's fun...it's cheese!"
6:00pm-7:00pm How to Make a Fancy Meal with Short Shorts and a Canadian
Gourmet Campfire Cooking with Sgt HotPants & Aleks
Most of us gave up ramen and hot dogs after college, but for some reason they're still the go-to food for camping. During this class we'll explore various cooking techniques such as braising, grilling, and not burning your ass while cooking in hot pants or being deported. Food safety practices will also be covered by a ServSafe licensed instructor.
8:00pm ZCon Camp Briefing / Meet & Greet
While nothing at ZCon is mandatory, we strongly encourage everyone to sit in on this one. Meet your ZCon Staff and get more information on the events we are hosting.
THURSDAY:
8:15am-9:15am It's Too Damn Early YOGA
Yoga with El Dickman
After sleeping on a rocky incline, El Dickman will help you stretch that body back into shape. It just may help your jar loose that MRE you insisted on having for dinner as well. Newbie's to advanced, all welcome! Farting encouraged!
10:00am-11:00am That Girl Just Kicked Your ASS!!
Self Defense Techniques with B3
Whether you're trying to survive in the PAW or just in everyday life, it never hurts (you) to know how defend yourself in any situation. Whether it's some drunk dude at a bar or a zombie trying to eat your face, this seminar is for you. B3 is a certified PPCT Instructor and host a St Louis based Self-Defense Club.
10:00am-11:00am HAM, Breakfast of Nerds!
Radio Communication with Doctor Jest
Along with the scheduled radio seminars, Doctor Jest and some of the other hams at Z-Con will be on the air for a Special Event radio station on Thursday. This is a great opportunity to get some hands-on whether you're a licensed ham and want to learn more from an experience operator or if you want to learn about the basics of the technology to see if it interests you. So, stop by and see our station, or talk on the air yourself!
11:15am-12:15pm Making Boom-Boom with Pistol Pete
Intro to Ammo Reloading
One of our resident gun nuts, Pete, will be offering a reloading seminar this year. Not only will you learn the basics of manufacturing your own ammo, you'll get to make a handful of cartridges to use at range day! We suggest this seminar only for people who are good at paying attention.
1:45p-2:45pm 1000 miles, two wheels and a chapped ass.
Motorcycles and the Zombocolypse with Rob
Learn basic techniques for riding long distance, how to pack and load luggage, (Bungee cords are chaotic neutral and will try to give your stuff away, but there isn't a need for half of it anyway...) off-road gear selection. It's all about the clothes!
There will bring a motorcycle, but this class is not about riding. Rob encourages you to bring a beer, and maybe another beer. Beer is for sharing!
1:45pm-2:45pm Second Helping of HAM!
Radio Communication with Doctor Jest
Missed it the first time around or just had so much fun that you have to do it again! Either way, join Doctor Jest and the rest of the Hams for the special Radio broadcast, live from the top of ZCon Mountain!
3pm-4pm Bleeding the Masses!
Event & Charity Fundraising Roundtable with Crypto & Pistol Pete
Interested in hosting a ZS event in your neck of the woods and don't have a clue on how to get started? Do you have a brilliant idea for an event? This is the place to be! Open table discussions and information on everything from the legalities of hosting an event, to how to recruit new members. Take your ZS membership one step further and get the information you will need to help your community prepare for the Zombocalypse!
4:15pm-5:15pm Starving is for Losers!
Edible Plant Identification with Dr. Cat
Sure, you know you can eat plants, but how are your foraging skills? Learn to recognize some common edible plants of Missouri, as well as the ones to avoid. We'll also talk about plant families that are safer bets to try and which you should avoid in survival situations. This class will include a short hike where we will gather wild edible plants to prepare and try, so wear good shoes and expect to climb some hills.
Catrina has a Ph.D in plant archaeology from Washington University and is an instructor at the Missouri Botanical Gardens' Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, Missouri.
4:15pm-5:15pm Bringing a Knife to a bum fight.
Knife Sharpening & Strategies with Rob
Do you love sharp, stabby things? Learn how to make them love you back. Join Rob as he explores proper care, use, sharpening, steeling, handling, carrying and cuddling with cold steel . Get the most out of your knife, it's not just for mugging zombies anymore.
Anyone interested should bring a knife to class.
5:30pm-6:30pm Because you love going up almost as much as going down!
Hughes Mountain hike with Dimmie Disaster!
Hughes Mountain is the best examples of "polygonally jointed" Rhyolite outside of Devil's Tower in Wyoming, earning it the nickname "Devil's Honeycomb". Hughes Mountain traces its origins back 1.5 billion years to a time when molten lava flowed over and just under the surface of Earth's still-cooling crust. A huge pocket of magma welled up in a dome shape and then cooled, forming long, vertical pillars of stone in strikingly regular geometric shapes. During subsequent geologic epochs, the dome sank beneath oceans and was capped with hundreds of feet of sedimentary rock. Later, geologic forces raised the land again. As erosion wore away overlying layers of dolomite and sandstone, the rosy-hued dome of Rhyolite porphyry again came to light.
7:00pm-8:00pm Burnin' Down the House
Primitive Fire Building with Isotek
Isotek brings us back to the primitive with an intro to Fire Building. Starting a fire is by far a one of the most important skills a survivalist can own. With fire, tools can be built, bodies can be warmed, food/water can be cooked and rock concerts can become more awesome. If you haven't mastered pyrokinesis yet, Isotek is here to demonstrate how to build a fire without the modern tools we've learned to depend on.
AFTER DARK Is That Uranus?
Astronomy & Star Navigation with Doctor Jest
Enjoy a softer side of ZCon gazing at the stars while Doctor Jest woo's you with tales of long ago, in galaxies far, far away. And if you listen closely, you just may learn how to find your way back to camp with only the stars as your guide.
ZCon AFTER DARK:
Each night at 8:00 ish
After a hard day on the mountain, it's time to sit back and relax with good company and a glass of whiskey.
Under the main tents, park your rears for the most "eccentric" collection of zombie and post-apocalyptic movies from around the world. We try to get the movies going by 8:30 but are flexible depending on what else is happening in camp. Movie listing will be posted each day at base camp.
Scared of Zombies? (Loser!) Head on over to the fire pit to show off your tick bites and engage in a bit of camaraderie! You can usually find a body or twelve at the fire pit until dawns early light…another good reason to camp away from base camp!
Well, that'll about do it for this one. Again, thanks for taking the time to wade through all this information. In the next email we will cover the float trip and the shooting range day!
Kristan
(ILoveAsh)
I survived Z-Con 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12
I survived Wintergeddon 07, 08, 09, 11, 12
ZS has swallowed my soul!
Fishing is allowed with a Missouri fishing license.
Or throwing star? 
or my favorite... the Coyote Lobo Lunge 
