Burning Man

Let me start by telling you that these are merely cell phone pictures to document and share our Burning Man experience with you.

If you didn’t already know, Burning Man is a survivalist gathering held out in the middle of the desert for about a week each year. 120 miles north of reno, a temporary city in the shape of a horse shoe pops up out of nowhere in Black Rock Desert - and comes down just the same, leaving absolutely no trace behind. This year, around 80,000 people attended.

You bring everything you need. This means bringing in and out all your food and weather gear, shelter, etc and counting on the good graces of others if you forget something. You can’t purchase or sell anything at Burning Man (you can buy a few things like ice or getting your RV waste tank pumped), but everyone gives playa “gifts” - and some of them are pretty generous. Some camps have cereal bars where you bring a bowl and they’ll fill it up with your favorite childhood cereal, there are life advice booths, spaghetti burritos, and others give massages - think anything from a PG back massage to a full-service five finger massage.

Burning Man is filled with polarity and extremes, starting with the weather - think freezing temps at night to over 100 degrees during the day. You can run around naked or find yourself a no pj’s necessary slumber party - but there are also families who bring their children and have a completely wholesome experience. You can sleep when you die and party for a whole week, or spend your time at yoga and meditation workshops finding balance and restoration. Whatever you want, you can find it at Burning Man. And you should. You should totally go.

*Apparently this was the place to go if you forgot your bike.*

This image is one of the streets in between the camps, and it was pretty exemplary of the scenery for the week. Camps are set up in a gridded horseshoe around the central playa. You can find a map of the layout here. Everything is actually super org… — This image is one of the streets in between the camps, and it was pretty exemplary of the scenery for the week. Camps are set up in a gridded horseshoe around the central playa. You can find a map of the layout *here. Everything is actually super organized, and you receive a map and book with the corresponding camps outlined when you arrive.*

*Hexayurts - designed to provide extremely affordable shelter after disasters - are an alternative to camping in an RV. They stay cool during the day and stand up quite well to the elements.*

*Play Alchemist is a great example of a camp and show venue that’s tucked right in with the other camps.*

On the playa, you’ll find art installations, shows, and the two most central icons of Burning Man - the man and the temple. The temple, man, and many of the art installations are set on fire and burn towards the end of the week.

Most people spend the week getting around one of two ways: by bike or art car. You can’t drive your regular car on the playa once BM begins, but you can register an art car. Some art cars are simple and small - others are huge, loud, and bright and … — Most people spend the week getting around one of two ways: by bike or art car. You can’t drive your regular car on the playa once BM begins, but you can register an art car. Some art cars are simple and small - others are huge, loud, and bright and serve as concert venues for well known DJs and hundreds of people at night.

This is the art car designed by our camp named the Hundroid - for 2019’s robot theme. My husband did the initial drawings and sketches for it, so it was really cool to see it in person for the first time this year.

As mentioned before, some of these art cars double as concert venues. This is one of the most famous, Mayan Warrior. A few years earlier I found a playlist on Spotify called Mayan Warrior, but didn’t understand the connection. Seeing it in person wa… — As mentioned before, some of these art cars double as concert venues. This is one of the most famous, Mayan Warrior. A few years earlier I found a playlist on Spotify called Mayan Warrior, but didn’t understand the connection. Seeing it in person was pretty wild. It looked relatively small in line at the DMV by day, but by night with a light show and surrounded by hundreds of people - it felt massive. There was one night we were out dancing, I must have been at least 50 feet away. After being out for hours, I felt like I was simply shuffling my feet - not even dancing to the music anymore - until I felt the base on the earth below me. Hundreds of feet away the ground was shaking below me - you can see it below. Oh, and many art cars spit out columns of fire.

Some of the camps had permanent “clubs” or venues set up instead of driving around the playa, and some of them were massive.

Some of the most magical experiences at Burning Man were the sunrises. I realized that I’ve never actually purposefully watched a sunrise in my life - and here the night would just melt away as the morning sun slowly began to wake. As the light grew… — Some of the most magical experiences at Burning Man were the sunrises. I realized that I’ve never actually purposefully watched a sunrise in my life - and here the night would just melt away as the morning sun slowly began to wake. As the light grew in strength, shadows and figures began to emerge on the landscape and all of a sudden - it was a new day.

Along with all of the great parties there was a lot of artwork on the playa. You could climb on or interact with some of the works - at your own risk. This was one of my favorites - a house on stilts in the middle of nowhere. I came out here one day… — Along with all of the great parties there was a lot of artwork on the playa. You could climb on or interact with some of the works - at your own risk. This was one of my favorites - a house on stilts in the middle of nowhere. I came out here one day and just hung out for what could have easily been a few hours.

Out of nowhere - a dust storm. Why you always need to have some dust protection on you.

The Folly - a 4 or 5 story? adult jungle gym. This burned at the end of the week and you could feel the heat hundreds of yards away.

We were lucky to get an early pass, which meant that we could make the drive in before Burning Man opened. There is only one road that leads in, and you have to take care on the drive - obeying the speed limit exactly, no swerving. We drove in at ni… — We were lucky to get an early pass, which meant that we could make the drive in before Burning Man opened. There is only one road that leads in, and you have to take care on the drive - obeying the speed limit exactly, no swerving. We drove in at night to avoid the crowds, so I couldn’t tell you what the local surroundings look like. We arrived around 6am, waiting about an hour before the gate to get in. The wait can exceed many hours sometimes, and if it rains - all traffic stops completely.

After a few hours nap, our camp began to set up - accompanied by a dust storm. Many people camp in tents or RV’s - the latter making the stay a little easier. Groups of RV’s and tents form camps, which are often themed.

*Our camp, the Palinka Lounge - dedicated to the traditional Hungarian liquor palinka.*

Nothing is here months before Burning Man, and nothing will be there after. You can’t leave a single trace - which even translates to throwing water on the ground. All garbage goes out with you, and as the week goes on it’s common for burners to col… — Nothing is here months before Burning Man, and nothing will be there after. You can’t leave a single trace - which even translates to throwing water on the ground. All garbage goes out with you, and as the week goes on it’s common for burners to collect MOOP - or matter out of place - to try and keep the place in order.

The temple is by far one of the holiest places I have ever been in my life. I tried not to take too many pictures out of respect - it’s a place where people go to release and cry. You saw photos of loved ones adorning the walls, and messages of grie… — The temple is by far one of the holiest places I have ever been in my life. I tried not to take too many pictures out of respect - it’s a place where people go to release and cry. You saw photos of loved ones adorning the walls, and messages of grief, loss, anger, and love written on the walls that would burn later in the week. I felt that some of these messages were too personal to quote directly, but there was one that really hit me. It was written by a father, addressed to his teenage son, telling him how much he loved him, the world was yet ahead, and how suicide isn’t the answer. I stood there with tears streaming down my face, overwhelmed with a kind of emotion and empathy. It’s a weird feeling wanting to just walk around and hug people or tap them on their shoulder to tell them it will all be okay. I never did, but maybe I should have.

If you bring an art car, you need to register it with the DMV at Burning Man, or the Department of Mutant Vehicles. Much the same to real life, you get in line and wait for hours hoping you’ll make it through before they shut down for the day. Much … — If you bring an art car, you need to register it with the DMV at Burning Man, or the Department of Mutant Vehicles. Much the same to real life, you get in line and wait for hours hoping you’ll make it through before they shut down for the day. Much more entertaining than the DMV in real life, these cars play music and you’ll find beautiful women crawling on top of them to take pictures.

You definitely should bring a bike. And you should definitely decorate your bike. You WILL lose it otherwise at a show or concert, or someone may ride off with it by accident after a few drinks if it’s nondescript. We were really lucky that our camp… — You definitely should bring a bike. And you should definitely decorate your bike. You WILL lose it otherwise at a show or concert, or someone may ride off with it by accident after a few drinks if it’s nondescript. We were really lucky that our camp mates brought bikes for us.

And sometimes they’d link up with other art cars and boost off of each other’s sound systems. Here you see Mayan Warrior and Robot Heart.

If you wanted to see a specific DJ playing at a certain time, you’d look for the art car on the playa. They would drive around to different spots at different times, sometimes placing themselves next to works of art or other happenings.

I never captured it on camera, but my absolute favorite was when the sun finally broke the horizon. People would cheer and howl, and if you were out dancing or playing on the playa- the energy was so strong. I’ve never felt anything like that - pure joy in so many people, thankful for where they are and ready to bring in a new day of adventure.

I sat at the table where the guy is taking selfies. You kind of have to wedge yourself in as there’s not much ground to stand on. As the people on one side of me would leave, I’d find myself in the middle of conversation with the folks on the other.… — I sat at the table where the guy is taking selfies. You kind of have to wedge yourself in as there’s not much ground to stand on. As the people on one side of me would leave, I’d find myself in the middle of conversation with the folks on the other. With no easy exit, I was stuck here for quite some time but didn’t mind.

I never saw this artwork up close, but you can also see the porta potties here - where you will be using the bathroom all week.

At night Burning Man took on a whole different feel. This was one of the more crowded experiences - prior to the Man burn. All of the art cars drove up and formed a perimeter around where the burn would take place, all blaring their lights and their… — At night Burning Man took on a whole different feel. This was one of the more crowded experiences - prior to the Man burn. All of the art cars drove up and formed a perimeter around where the burn would take place, all blaring their lights and their music as loud as possible. This was pretty common scenery at night though - it looked something like a carnival with lights and noise often in any direction.

Some artwork burning towards the end of the week.

Everything burns or gets deconstructed by the end of the week. The Man and the Temple burn mark the finale, but those are left for you to experience on your own.

WHAT TO BRING

As a virgin, or first time burner, I was at a loss as to what to pack. I like to have my creature comforts and hygiene is super important to me, so I did research but couldn’t find a solid guide on what to bring. I wear contacts or glasses - and that was the scariest for me, as I get dry eyes on a regular basis in normal conditions. There’s lots of dust and it’s inescapable. Going for the first time, I knew gifting is an important part of the festival. I brought A TON of ricola and handed them out to anyone and everyone. But I still didn’t feel like this was enough of a gift. Hopefully some future burner will stumble upon this and find it useful, and I hope this constitutes as another way that I can give back. (But really, you’ll be fine - even if you fuck it all up)

LOTS of socks. 2 pairs per day, + some. I picked up a few packs of cheap cotton tube socks from Walmart. Keep them in a tub or sealed container to keep the dust out.
Your comfiest close-toed shoes/boots that you don’t mind trashing. Bring a few pairs.
flip flops to wear around camp
a thrifted fur coat - even when it says it’ll be 60 at night it still feels like it’s freezing. Go w real fur.
a warm vest - I didn’t want to wear a bulky fur into porta potties, and when we went out in the art car I brought both a fur and a vest.
a cheap, old bike with a basket and some kind of decoration so you can find it in a crowd. Also something to wrap your seat - think a thin cotton scarf - and a spare tube. If you have a problem on the playa, there's tons of repair shops but supposedly it’s much easier to get it repaired if you have a spare tube. You will be super happy you brought a bike. Burning Man is walkable, but you won’t see a ton by foot and it’s hard to get from side to side.
some kind of LED lights for you and your bike. There are no traffic laws or lanes except going under a certain speed limit, so it’s important that you can always be seen at night by cars and bikes. We used a small clip on light for our persons and string lights on the bike. You don’t want to be a darkwad, but you also don’t need to light up all of BRC. Unless you want to.
a headlamp is a make or break thing to have at night. You will REALLY appreciate having it after everyone’s destroyed the porta potty’s at 4am.
a fanny or backpack or both, preferably a water backpack. It’s super easy to get dehydrated on the playa, especially if you’re out dancing at night.
a carabiner to clip cups, goodies, etc. to your fanny/belt/backpack.
a metal camping cup - most camps will have water or drinks, but you must have a cup in order to drink anything. You will be extremely lucky if someone has an extra mug for you.
ski goggles or enclosed glasses- tinted/dark for day, or clear for night. You can probably get away with one or the other. Dust storms can kick up out of nowhere and they also suck if you’re not prepared.
a pair of sunnies w UV protection
a pair of clear or colored sunglasses for night - NOT dark. It makes it much harder to see everything, and I learned this the hard way.
some kind of dust protection for your mouth. I had a few thrifted silk scarves that I rotated through during the week. but many people use RZ masks or construction masks that you can pick up from Home Depot. You may also find that you like a larger scarf to wrap around your hair during dust storms. Any hair protection will help tremendously by the end of the week. They are also great to put around sun chapped skin or for a little extra warmth as the sun starts to set.
eye drops, vaseline, lotion, lip balm, nasal spray - clean your nose out once a day. You’ll be thankful you did by the end of the week. If your sinuses get dry you can apply vaseline around the exterior of your nose. Lip balm will work in a pinch, too.
basics - toothbrush/toothpaste, soap, towels, deodorant,
ricola or hard candy - helpful for a dry or sore throat, or for someone who looks like they’re struggling and needs a pick-me-up.
microfiber lens cloth to clean off your glasses and goggles when they get covered in dust.
if you wear contacts - one day throw aways will be your best bet. You’ll probably want at least 2 pairs per day. You can also grab plain saline to rinse them throughout the day.
sunscreen - some people say you don’t need it. I rarely use it in real life, but did find it useful to have one day in the beginning.
cleansing wipes for your privates & sanitizing/baby wipes/plain water wipes - as a lady, definitely bring some wipes that are specially formulated for your sensitive spots. And you’ll definitely want some baby wipes for after the toilet, and sanitizing wipes for your hands. YOU CANNOT throw them into the porta potties, so as much as I hate how wasteful they are - buy them individually wrapped. Bring more than you think you’ll need. You probably want to get some water wipes too - they’re great for cleaning up because in real life you probably won’t be bathing too much.
lady time reinforcement - bring it just in case, even if you’re not even close. Invest in a few pairs of period panties if you know you’ll be on the rag. You will be SO happy you did.
toilet paper - don’t rely on the porta potties. Make sure it’s porta potty friendly!
a silicone funnel if you’re aversed to public restrooms. Some ladies swear by them. You may also find that it’s comfortable to stand on the sides of the toilet seat as a girl, just please clean up after yourself if you mess a bit.
a first aid kit including moleskine - nice to have, you probably can live without it. But it’s good for your camp to have one. Also medical grade superglue, in case someone chips a tooth.
vinegar - I only needed to use this once, but if you’re in a tent and don’t have access to a shower you might find it more useful. “Playa foot” is where your feet (or other exposed body parts) dry out and crack - and it’s pretty painful - from the alkali playa dust. The vinegar will neutralize the dust. I’ve heard Dr. Bronners works well also. Some people are lucky and don’t experience this, but it’s no fun if you do.
sealed tubs to keep your clothes and most importantly - undergarments. Others swear by plastic bags if you’re flying in.
lots of underwear - think 2-3 pairs per day, more if you’re in a tent. Some people may argue this one, but you sweat a lot and if you’re riding around on a bike your parts will appreciate fresh undies. During the day, I ran around mostly just in my undies w a fanny, backpack, & dust protection.
light sweaters or wraps to protect from the sun. Ideal materials are cotton or silk which are easy to thrift. Synthetics are fine but you’re more prone to sweating in them.
leggings or tights along with additional options for layering at night. Let me repeat, even if the weather forecast says it will be warm - IT WILL BE COLD AT NIGHT. I often rocked leggings, a bralette, and my fur.
MOOP-free costumes - this means no feathers, sequins, glitter - anything that can fall off and get left behind on the playa. Cute pasties are fun, hand fans are a nice to have. There are themes like White Wednesday and Tutu Tuesday, so if you’re interested pack accordingly.