Lend a hand
The whole thing runs on people saying yes
Nobody is paid, nothing is catered, and every tent you see went up because someone grabbed a corner. Most of these jobs need no radio knowledge whatsoever — and doing one is the fastest way to actually learn this hobby, because you spend a weekend inside it instead of reading about it.
You do not need to know anything about radio
This is the single most common reason people do not volunteer, and it is the wrong reason. Tents, food, the welcome desk, photography, and teardown all require exactly zero technical knowledge. What they require is somebody willing to show up.
Most shifts are two to three hours. Sign up for one. If you enjoy it — and people generally do — nobody will stop you doing more. A surprising number of the operators you will meet started by carrying a table.
You will be briefed before you do anything, you will never be handed a job you did not agree to, and there is always someone to ask.
Where you could be useful
This list is not exhaustive — if you have a skill and want to offer it, put it on the form. Past volunteers have brought first aid training, a pickup truck, a coffee urn, and in one case a drone.
Nothing goes up before the briefing
Masts are heavy, guy lines are invisible at dusk, and generators involve fuel. None of it is dangerous when it is done properly, and all of it is done properly.
- A Safety Officer is on duty for the whole weekend and runs the briefing before any mast work starts.
- Closed-toe shoes are required for setup and teardown. Gloves are provided; hard hats are provided and required for mast crews.
- Guy lines get flagged so nobody walks into them after dark.
- First aid kits are at the welcome tent and the kitchen. Anything beyond a scrape goes to the Safety Officer, and anything serious goes to 911 first.
- June in Seattle can hand you sunburn and hypothermia in the same twenty-four hours. Water, shade, and a warm layer are all on site.
If a job ever looks wrong to you, stop and say so. That is not being difficult, that is the system working.
The teardown shift is the one that matters most
Everybody wants to be there on Saturday afternoon when the tents go up and the field is full. Far fewer people are still around at two o'clock on Sunday when all of it has to come down again, the crowd has gone, and the same twelve people are doing the work. Take one teardown shift and you will be remembered for years.
Setup, in pictures
Things people ask before signing up
Two hours. That is all it takes.
Pick a job, pick a slot, and we will send you the details closer to the weekend. If you would rather help without being on site, donations cover the food and the fuel.