Burning figures, breathtaking structures, out-of-this world outfits and aesthetically pleasing pastel colour palletes. Ever since I set my eyes on the dusty photographs documenting the magical event that is known to most of us as Burning Man, I knew I had to make my way there eventually.
Luckily, after a couple of years of wanting to head to Nevada to join in the happening, I managed to finally take part this summer. By joining onto a group of close friends who went there before, I was ready for my first burn to become a reality..
I'll be honest. This is how I saw it - the strange outfits and a dreamy desert backdrops didn't give too much away about the event itself and left me a little puzzled with plenty of questions. No matter how much I googled and browsed on YouTube, I couldn't quite comprehend what the event would be like in reality. Naturally, the idea was always there however only when it became a reality I realised why 70,000 people from all over the world escape civilisation and make their way to Black Rock City.
I'm not going to lie - with the amount of prep one needs to put in as well as the difficulty of getting hold of tickets that sell out in minutes, not many decide to take part in this special event. You really need to want it and embrace the conditions you may face there with your whole heart!
Let's escape reality for the next minutes and explore what this magical event is all about..
First of all, Burning Man is very deeply rooted in its ethos - of "leaving no trace" - as Black Rock City rises, so it disappears. Therefore meaning that throughout your whole time spent on the desert, any form of littering is a big no - nothing must be left behind. Black Rock City is a temporary community and it requires for all of the participants to understand the value of this by respecting it's rules, which the Burning Man community defines as their 10 Principles:
Radical Inclusion
Gifting
Decommodification
Radical Self-Reliance
Radical Self-Expression
Communal Effort
Civic Responsibility
Leaving No Trace
Participation
Immediacy
The 10 principles mentioned above is what should define all Burners and is essential to the values portrayed by Burning Man.
The creativity is the fuel and the manpower behind it are - people, us. It is not everyday you see 5 storey structures rising in a creamy desert dust or a person wearing an outfit that could be out of a futuristic space movie. It is also not every day you'll find yourself in 35 degree heat that can really expose you to the risk of heat stroke. Henceforth it is absolutely essential to plan and prep accordingly. Regardless whether you'll be going in an RV, staying in a Yurt or camp - prep is KEY. In the next steps I am going to try my best at explaining the bare essentials as well as vital points you should account for when planning on becoming a Burner.
The great thing about staying at a theme camp is you'll get to meet plenty of new, amazing people from all around the world. I stayed at Teddies camp that event had a Teddie cuddle dome - it was awesome. I was napping on giant teddie bears 24/7. We also threw our own parties and organised events!
If you are interested in heading out to Burning Man this year, I have written down some tips and pointers if it is your first time. I am by no means an expert as I have only been once. However I really wanted to share some insights that a first timer might find helpful. I will keep updating this post on regularly if more useful tips spring to mind.
1. Research, watch, read and talk to other people who have taken part in Burning Man before. It will help you understand what it's all about and it will provide a great intro into the event. This means browsing forums, YouTube and especially Burning Man's won website. It may be the case that its not something for you. The principles of the temporary city created by Burning Man participators really roots itself into the 10 principles mentioned above. Once you are in Black Rock City there is no
currency- one can trade and gift too instead.
2. Dates - as much as Burning Man is all about enjoying yourself there are some important dates to remember and keep in your calendar in order to assure you'll have a ticket. You'll need to refer to Burning Man's official website for more details - it will look something like this. This timeline from 2017, is an example - it shows all of the important dates that your should pencil into your diary.
source: burningman.org
3. Tickets - there are different ticket prices depending if you're keen to get hands on the tickets earlier and willing pay more -pre-sale ticket prices are quoted at $900 and $1200 dollars and regular main sale tickets go for $425. Burning Man tickets are not too easy to come by and sell out within the 30 minute mark. Fast internet may come in handy but the overloaded servers will still slow you down anyways. This could be quite discouraging for those who'd like a slightly easier ticket access to the event. However, do not be. When my group was purchasing tickets, only 4 people out of 10 people managed to get tickets on early in the game. Yet, all of us ended up going. As some of you may already know, I am a firm believer in the will and way maxim. Therefore the bottom line is if you really want to take part in Burning Man, you'll get hold of one eventually - even if it is only on the day.. (not advised!)
4. Prep - the list of things you should take may feel a little overwhelming at first. This is exactly how I felt when it really hit me I am going to be in the desert for a week. Luckily the organisers of the SF based camp that I was a part of were super helpful and gave a lot of pointers in relation to this during our Skype chats. I am not going to go into extreme detail but the items mentioned below are the 'holy grails' of things you'll definitely need to have with you:
Camelbak - I didn't get one and really regretted it - carrying around a 5 gallon bottle wasn't handy
Night & Daytime Goggles to protect your from the dust as well as dust storms
Scarf /Shemagh
Hat,
Fairy lights (for the night)
Flashlight -
PLENTY of water - official BM guidelines state you should
Food & drink supplies (requirements will vary depending if you'll be a part of a camp or setting up your own one but protein bars always go a long way regardless)
Oral rehydrate solution
Sunscreen
Lip Balm
Saline Nasal Spray
Hand Sanitizer
First Aid Kit
Bike - you could go without it but getting to everywhere would take long - Black Rock City covers an area of 7sq miles
Vinegar will neutralise the dust - yes, the dust gets EVERYWHERE
Baby Wipes
Warm Jacket - it gets really cold at night
This is only an extremely basic outline of where to start, just to give you a rough idea of what you will need to take. The packing list below is far more extensive - make sure to google more too.
Put in an online pre-order with a Walmart that you'll be heading to prior to the event. However remember that often items may be sold even though they were reserved - we had this happen with one of our bikes last year. This is often the case with the Walmarts in the Bay Area, Sacramento and and near Reno as many people buy supplies there before Burning Man.
5. Getting there - naturally this will depend upon where you'll be coming from. I flew into LA from Europe and then continued onto Reno, Nevada from there. (Naturally it is better to fly into San Francisco, I just decide to road trip up the Californian coast) Our group stayed the night before in a hotel in Reno and then continued onto the desert the next day, early in morning. It's roughly a 3h drive but there are also flights from Reno to Black Rock City for those who would rather fly. Additionally, there is also a possibility to take the Burner Express and not drive in - tickets can be purchased online over at burnerexpress.burningman.org
6. The Queue - if you decide to drive into Burning Man and not fly or take the Burner Express (the Burner Express takes the fast lane). Regardless of whether you'll get there early or late the queue will be there. Make sure to equip yourself with a respectable amount of patience, you're nearly there! Last year we waited around around 4 hours which is not actually that bad as people who arrived later in the day waited much longer in the long dusty queue of keen Burners. The process takes time as you may have seen from the aerial shots - everything is super organised which makes locating things fairly easy. On top of this cars cannot speed in Black Rock City because of the dust so everyone is driving slowly, which also prolongs the spot allocation phase. Make sure to remember your vehicle pass which should be stuck on your front window in the bottom corner. If you're part of a camp you'll receive the localizaton prior to your venture into the desert.
The plan below shows you the mapping system of Black Rock City, Nevada - each ring (aka street) is named alphabetically from A-L with Esplanade being the odd one out in the front. This is the last ring before the playa begins. Whereas each individual street that is stemming in a parallel direction is located in relation to a clock face as pictured below. 10B would be 10 O'clock (first line) where it meets with Breath. Easy!
7. Welcome Home After picking up your tickets at will call (if that is the case) you'll move onto the next point where you'll be greeted by other Burners who will Welcome you Home and provide you with some last minute tips along with a small book ( & BRC map) that lists all of the happenings in Black Rock City in the next days. The book is full - it's impossible to do everything as so much is always happening from sunrise yoga classes to various workshops. Furthermore musically whether its Stravinsky's Ballet with a 40 people orchestra or Lee Foss playing a Robot Heart sunrise set - Burnign Man has something for everyone. However it is important to note that some events are repeating whist other not, so make sure that something you'd like to experience doesn't go amiss.
8. Now - it's time to get lost and wonder. Don't be afraid to spend the day alone and open up your mind to new experiences. The art installations, the music, the desert but most importantly the people will shape your time there into an unforgettable and a highly charishable experience.
Look after yourself as well as others and most importantly enjoy yourself - keeping in mind that you should leave no trace just like the other 70,000 burners. Happy Burn!
I hope this post provided some enlightenment on Burning Man. This is just a rough guide so remember to research and watch more so that hopefully I'll be seeing you in the playa dust!!
