Never been before? I, Lady V, am the type of person who likes to know as much as possible about new places I am going, especially something like Burning Man, so in that spirit, in case you are, too, here's all I can think of. First, go to the official Burning Man website and check out the...
Now that you're oriented, here are some helpful specifics.
First, temperatures at Burning Man range wildly (it is a desert), from 40s at night to 105ish during the day. (In 2005, it was 45 - 100.) You will need Very Warm Clothes for the nighttime. You also need constant access to water (a camelback is a great thing) and cooling (a handheld battery operated fan with mister ($20 at outdoors stores) is a lifesaver, and you can mist grateful passersby, too! Last year, no rain. Most years, some rain. The playa is thick mud which will pull off your shoes after a rain. It puddles, so a waterproof tent is a good thing. It is also extremely windy at times. In our camp, one burner's tent blew right out of its stakes and crashed into a nearby car, breaking the windshield. It's a good idea to anchor everything down, since the wind appears suddenly, as in all good fairy tales. There is also... the Dust. There are dust storms at Burning Man every year. They are genuinely so thick you cannot see across the street, or even, at times, a few feet in front of you. Fortunately, they pass relatively quickly. Everyone brings a dust mask (from the hardware store) and carries it with them in case of a dust storm. Some people also bring nasal lubricant and eyedrops. No matter what, dust will get all over everything you bring. It is less like talcum powder than like sheetrock dust, and it is alkaline, so we will be bringing lemons to squeeze into squirt bottles (great for spritzing on skin). The dry air wrecks havoc on skin. Make sure to bring a few good lip balms and a bottle of heavy duty skin lotion and even some skin oil. Otherwise, your feet and hands are likely to crack--seriously! Also, remember to bring sunscreen, a couple pair of good UV sunglasses, and a hat!
If you're thinking of bringing an RV, please email us at burning@heartsgonewild.com. We will need to make sure we have enough space for your vehicle! Otherwise, we suggest you bring a tent that has windows and doors that zip shut, and no mesh or net as the ceiling. (If you have mesh, secure a quilt or thick fabric over the mesh with clamps.) Go to the local lumberyard and purchase enough 10" or 12" lengths of rebar pipe to act as stakes for your tent (see "wind," below). If you are thinking of being inside your tent between 8 am and 6 pm, you'll want to bring or make a shade structure to put over your tent, which willl cover 2 sides of it. Many people just use their tent's rainfly for this. Bring a squirt bottle so that you can squirt the zippers to keep the playa dust from clogging them. A whisk broom/dust pan is good for sweeping out the dust, or disposable cleaning cloths.
We used an air mattress and slept wonderfully all week. Make sure to put something (a blanket) between yourself and the mattress, because it will suck up the cold in the night. Also have some kind of throw or spread to put over all of your bedding when you are not in the tent. It will keep you pillows and such from having a thin coat of dust on them. Bring extra foam earplugs (the cylinder shaped kind you roll between your fingers) and a flashlight.
Ah, food... salty stuff is good. Chocolate is gold on the playa. Bring lots of good quality chocolate and keep it in your cooler. Frozen raspberries are lovely, too. Things you can make quickly and easily (oatmeal or other cereals, soup, canned mac and cheese, prepackaged camping meals) and snacks are great. Unless you know you are the kind of person who likes to cook while camping, it may not be worth it to you to plan elaborate meals. Remember that what you bring in, you must bring out--and that even includes wastewater from doing the dishes!! The e-playa has a good thread on recipes and food in general. We will provide a shaded area as a kitchen, with a small bookcase, flooring, 6' table, and some chairs for dining. :) We will be having afternoon teas and a chocolate fountain a couple of times during the week, too. We don't have formal mealtimes, but it would be great if we ended up sharing some!
We will provide an enclosed shower area/evaporation pond and a place for you to hang your solar shower (outdoor stores have them for about $10)! Please bring biodegradable soap and shampoo. Consider your own level of comfort with camping and dustiperspirationness. Sponge baths in your tent with a basin of water and a washcloth do wonders between showers. We had daily foot baths in our tent in a rubbermaid food saver tub, complete with Dr. Johnson's foot products! Ahhh the luxury... I used Oil of Olay daily facials (disposable washclothes with face wash already in them) to wash my face.
Women's needs... Wear cotton panties, no synthetics, no thongs (the dust can be irritating!). If you will be sexual, bring a good water-based lubricant. There is a lovely theme camp called The Red Tent for women who are menstruating during Burning Man, and there is a long thread on the e-playa about how to prepare. Most women bring a ziploc bag with them to the portapotty, and put used supplies in there, zip it up, and dispose of the ziploc in their trash bag back at camp. Some women get vaginal infections on the playa because inhaling all that dust turns the body a bit alkaline. If you are concerned about that, you could bring a couple of disposable vinegar and water douches (which acidify the vagina). Personal/baby /wet ones wipes are also great for all kinds of miscellaneous cleansing needs. There are some more tips on tribe.net, burning women.
Porta-potties! The porta potties at Burning Man are located every few streets, and there are loads of them. They are serviced/pumped twice every day, and they stay pretty dang clean considering there are 40,000 people at Burning Man! Toilet paper is provided, but sometimes they run out, so it's good to have a little on hand just in case. They also have Purell dispensing machines outside the porta potties. I never saw a line, and I can't remember an odor, and I have a sensitive nose. Amazing. If it freaks you out to use a public porta-potty, though, you could always bring your own portable camping toilet, use it in your tent (!) and dump its contents in the porta potty every few days (use biodegradable TP).
They go together! You will need to light up your bike so that you don't get run over by another bike or an art car (it is a genuine danger--the open playa is miles across and quite dark!) You should also bring something to light up your body while you're walking around bikeless (glow sticks, battery operated Christmas lights, or see Paul's website for ideas). You will definitely need a bike. Burning Man is huge, bigger than you can imagine. But it will get dusty and so don't bring something you'd hate to see damaged, lost, or stolen. (Bikes seem to be the main thing that get stolen at Burning Man,, so you will want to bring a lock.)
Yes, yes. Most everyone at Burning Man is in some kind of costume. Join them! You can bring some stuff to throw a costume together with, or you can visit a couple of theme camps who have costume stuff for the taking early in the week. Close-toed shoes or boots will save your feet from the alkaline powder, and high platform shoes help, too! (You won't be the only one wearing them!!)
If you don't bring one, you will be sad. On the other hand, it may get quite dusty! A disposable one might be a good choice. Many bring their digital cameras, though (you will need a lot of batteries). The policy of Burning Man is that no one is ever allowed to photograph anyone without that person's permission.
The biggest dangers on the playa are dehydration (especially if you've been drinking) and heat stroke/heat exhaustion. Combat the first with a camelback and frequent drinking combined with salt and potassium (bring your vitamins, too!). Although it is advised to "piss clear" by the Burning Man organization, if you do that too much, you've leached out your electrolytes. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of dehydration (we found someone wondering who nearly died of dehydration). To prevent heat problems, don't go out wandering between 2 and 5 (the hottest time of the day out there). Instead, hang out in your tent with some water or ice, the door open and a little battery powered fan pointing at you while you mist yourself with water and read or otherwise do as little as possible! Some camps have oases (Camp Oasis is a lovely one) which are cool in temperature or have misters. If you do go out, wear a hat, bring a fan/mister combo, and stay out of direct sun as much as possible during 2-5 (Center Camp is a good option; there's always something going on there). In case of emergency, get thee to the Medic Tent at Center Camp, where they will IV and Medivac you if necessary (not a good option!).
Center Camp (at the center of the camping area) sells coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chai, etc. and ice. Cash only! (Those are the only things allowed to be sold at Burning Man.)
Don't panic! This all may sound overwhelming and dangerous, but it really isn't once you are there and get your bearings. If I can do it, you can do it! Let the adventure begin!!!
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