The UNRally UNBlog

June 20, 2017

The UNRally was and is an experiment in intentional disorganization.

A few weeks back, a group of us met at a GPS coordinate in the desert. Camps were set. Beers were drunk. Fires were lit. Motorcycles were ridden. Hot springs were soaked. Music was played (loudly). Sunrises were stayed up for. We left no trace, and we all got covered in dust. Our intentionally disorganized experiment proved that a non-event event isn’t just total nonsense, it’s also science. Ask a scientician.

THANK YOU to everyone who risked life & limb and traveled great distances to make the first-ever UNRally happen. So many stories… I couldn’t possibly recount. The deer, the red van, the blood brothers, the neck, the muddy jeep, the BMW mudslide, the sailcars, the sunsets & sunrises, the afterparty. Word’s can’t express.

Jesse Felker tells the story with his pics.

We have four founding principals for the UNRally: 1) Spell Principle Right, 2) Active Participation, 3) Leave-No-Trace, and 4) Self-Reliance. Next year we’re adding a fifth: ‘Everyone is Invited.’ Which is not to be confused with ‘Everyone Can Attend,’ because we have to arrange for porta-potties and dinners, and besides, we’re not trying to have this be some big thing. ‘Everyone is Invited’ simply means that all active participants are welcome, regardless of their riding ability or Myers-Briggs personality indicator. Except that INTPs are definitely OUT (just kidding… that’s mine).

Next year Andrew will pioneer a “quiet camp,” which will be located a sufficient distance from the fire and speakers, so anyone who wants a good night’s sleep can get one. There are no ‘quiet hours’ at the UNRally, but there are plenty of quiet places to sleep. This year might’ve been a little short on sleep for some.

We’re also un-branding the UNRally by removing the ‘Mosko’ name. Going forward ‘The Mosko UNRally’ will just be ‘The UNRally.’ This gathering has nothing to do with promoting the Mosko brand, selling bags, making money, or accomplishing anything even vaguely commercial. We’re definitely not ‘working’ when we’re there. If you catch me running around the desert with a clipboard, please swat it out of my hands.

Big thanks to our friend Woody for making a fire happen in the middle of a desert. Also, big thanks to the entire team at Fields Station general store for their support and delicious food.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.