Decompression
Started as a post Wasteland Weekend survivor party, the annual Wastelanders NW Decompression party has grown into one of the largest post apocalyptic themed parties in the NW. The event is held in Portland in early November and is, for many of us, the last chance to stomp our dusty boots and share words and libations with our Wasteland family before hibernating for winter. Each year gets bigger and better with music, games, bartering, food and drinks, all dressed in post apocalyptic style. Check out the galleries below to see highlights from years past!
Wastelanders NW Decompression 2017 - photo by Chaz
Decompression 2017
2017 was our biggest and loudest yet. Months of preparation went into making this the best Decompression we've ever had. Hosted at the Watershed PDX in Portland, this warehouse space provided the right atmosphere and thematic variety. We split the event into four rooms each offering their own flavor and something unique to participate. Barter Alley greeted you as you entered the warehouse and was the place for vendors and barter tables. The Third Rail room was fully themed in Fallout decor including a faithful reproduction of the bar (of the same name) from Fallout 4. The middle room (we never actually gave it a cool name) housed the DJ booth, dance floor, lounge space, and a projector playing PA themed imagery. Finally, the main hall was where all of the carnival games, craps table, photo booth and other activities were placed. Every NW Wasteland tribe was well represented and contributed to the event in some way. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event such a success. Can't wait to see what we do for 2018!
2017 Event Gallery.
All Photos by Chaz
2017 Portraits Gallery
All Portraits by Roger
Decompression 2016
Hosted by the Wasteland tribe, Doom Syndicate in Portland, Decompression 2016 was the first year that included the carnival games and a dedicated themed bar. Even though the rain kept some away and turned the event into a mud bog (despite the massive shelter we constructed), attendance was still high enough to show the event had outgrown "house party" size. One of the most memorable activities was the "guess the mystery meat" pie contest. Yes. It was exactly what you think it was. It turned out Nutria was far better than anyone ever expected it to be and Squirrel wasn't.
Decompression 2015
While not our first post wasteland party, it was the first we called Decompression and was the year that started us on the path organizing events. It was hosted at "the boneyard" in Portland and featured barter tables, vending, casino games, flaming toys, and aerial silk performance. Even Abney Park stopped by to hang out for a while. Probably the most memorable thing that happened, though, was when someone tried to pour white gas on the fire and almost blew himself up and lit a couple people on fire. No one was injured, thank goodness!
