Tips and Tricks

PLAYA DIVA TIPS AND TRICKS – BURNING MAN EDITION

In the spirit of the Burning Man principles, I have never received compensation for any of the items or links shared. Anytime I link to an artist I have asked their permission.

Click here playadiva packing list for a simple and printable Excel spreadsheet of my Tips and Tricks List.

Go to burningman.com and sign up for the Jack Rabbit Speaks (JRS) and read the survival guide and the first timers guide. The JRS is an email, and as the burn approaches they send out an email with essential information a few times a week. Sometimes daily.  My lists are created with the assumption you have read those basics.

Sign up for E-Playa to research anything that you want more information about. This year I am reading the Keeping Cool forum for new tips.

Label everything you care about with a Sharpie and blue painter’s tape, or any labeling system that works for you. This includes your bike, phone, headlamp, and ID (in recent years I have been finding a lot of IDs on the playa). If you can fit it all in, include on-playa and off-playa info such as:

• Name
• Camp name
• Camp address
• Phone number
• Email address

If they don’t find you on the playa, they have your contact info for finding you off-playa.

Put your Burning Man ticket in your bag NOW!

SHOPPING LIST ESSENTIALS:

Bike – Read my article about Bikes on the playa to get a better understanding of the bike culture at Burning Man, and why you need to bring a bike with you.

Tent, Home – Read my article about Homes on the Playa, and my Tent Addition for tips and tricks. THIS is the tent I have used for a few years now (the same tent has now been to over 7 burns). The Coleman Instant Cabin 6 person. It is super easy to set up (one person can set it up in under 5 minutes), is large enough to stand in, and has no vents or poles to worry about (all the poles are connected). When choosing your home, keep these things in mind:

• Safety – Read this section in the BM survival guide about how to properly stake down your tent and shade structure.
• Time – how much time do you want to invest in creating your home? Some folks love spending their entire week building stuff at camp, others prefer the quick and easy solutions.
• Money – how much money do you want to spend on your new home? You can get great deals on tents on craigslist, just make sure you set it up before you buy it to check for missing/broken poles, etc. You can also order tents online for around 50$, or buy one at a large retailer like Target. Or you can invest in a tent that will last you for a few years like an amazing Kodiak canvas tent that is around 700$.
• Size and weight – If you are bringing the tent on a plane, how much does it weigh? Will it fit in your luggage? Depending on your airline and where you are traveling from, it might make more sense to purchase a tent once you get to Reno. Here is a guide to Reno shopping.

Shade Structure – Yes you need to keep your tent out of the sun. I am not a crafty girl in this area, so I have used a 10×10 pop-up canopy like THIS and attached fabric around the sides for additional shade. I have not found one that has lasted more than 1 burn, so I dont have any specific recommendations. I would love to build a gorgeous shade structure after I read these tips. But realistically, that is just too ambitious for me.

Camp/Sleep Stuff 

Rebar Stakes – Again, read this section in the BM survival guide about securing your structure. Don’t let your tent or shade structure fly away and cause injuries. The stakes that come with your tent are NOT enough in these conditions.

Tennis balls, small stuffed animals, swimming pool “noodles”, etc – to cover tops of rebar. More BM injuries happen from exposed rebar than anything else! Make your camp safe, cover your rebar!

Warm Sleeping Bag – It can get very cold at night.

Bed – Getting good sleep at Burning Man can be a challenge. I say rest whenever and wherever you can. Your home should, at the minimum, be a place you can get some precious sleep. Do you prefer an air mattress or a sleeping pad?

• Air mattress – pros: comfy and off the ground. cons: holds in cold air so at night you will need to use a sleeping bag or foam pad between you and the surface. They lose air every day so be prepared with a battery-operated pump (and batteries). If it is electric, make sure your camp has a way for you to plug in that is accessible to your tent. I love the all-in-one option, the cot helps regulate the temperature and you can store items under the bed.
• Sleeping pad – if you are traveling from afar and don’t have much room, a camping-style pad may be your best option. Otherwise, there are lots of foam pad options to choose from.

Foam Earplugs – not everyone wants to go to bed at the same time as you

Tarp – At least 2, 1 that goes under the tent to help with temperature fluctuation, and 1 that goes over the tent for shade. See my notes above regarding shade structures.

Lantern – battery operated for inside of tent. I have tried quite a few over the years and have not found the “perfect” one to recommend.

Cooling system –  Bucket Top Misting Fan is made to go on a big orange bucket from Home Depot. Put your cooler water in the bucket and the fan will evaporate it and cool you down.

Duct tape, work gloves – to help with strike and setup

Extra batteries – look at your devices and find out what batteries they use. Bring extras of each size. Do not store your batteries loose in a bag, they will lose their charge. Keep them organized like THIS.

Big “contractor” bags for garbage – these help with the smell as you will need to drive your trash to a location that accepts trash from burners. Pack it in, pack it out! Leave no trace!

Food & Drink Stuff – This edited list is for those who cannot bring a kitchen, stove, and grey water disposal system.

Plan every meal– Pre-make what you can at home and put the meals in ziplock twist top locking containers (great for coolers – no leakage and you can eat right out of them). If you plan well you won’t end up with a bunch of left-over food. You will not be very hungry on the playa.

Cooler – I have used the Igloo 60 quart with wheels and handle and it has lasted me about 5 years so far. I find it large enough for 1 person’s needs for the week. I put a small trash can inside and I put a bag of ice in the trash can. All my food & beverages go around the trash can. Things stay cold enough (not super cold), it is so easy to change out the ice every couple of days (purchase ice at Arctica), and the melted ice water does not even touch my perishables.

JetBoil – My new favorite item for the minimal traveler. It is lightweight, compact, and boils a cup of water in one minute. They are a little pricy at $75 for the smallest one, but if this is all you are bringing it is well worth it. Heat water quickly to make tea, instant coffee, noodles, etc. If you just use it to boil water, then add that hot water to your bowl, cup, etc, you will not need to clean it. Seriously. Amazing.

Water! – bring at least 1.5 gallons per person per day. You will need at least 1 gallon of water per day for drinking, making certain meals, and adding to other beverages like tea, Gatorade, and coffee. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics and will drain moisture from your body so you have to drink more water to compensate. You will also need a bit extra of water per day for showering.

Electrolytes – I use Electrolyte Drops simply because I dont like sugar or stevia. It is convenient to add to water at any time. Any type of Gatorade or electrolyte powder is great. I had serious muscle cramps/spasms one year due simply to lack of electrolytes, so now this is at the top of my MUST-HAVE list.

Cup with lid and carabineer – various locations offer drinks/smoothies/coffee and it’s always BYOC (bring your own cup). Sometimes I find these at places like Target or Costco. You can clip it to you so you don’t lose it.

Plate/bowl and eating utensils – Anything non-breakable and reusable. Just wipe them when you are done and reuse them later. I use the plastic dinner bowl and utensils from Target.

Snack foods – bars, trail mix, dried fruit, jerky, almond butter. I like healthy options like dehydrated kale chips and fire roasted red peppers that do not need refrigeration. When you get to Reno stop by Trader Joes or Whole Foods if you want healthy snacks for the playa. There are many other grocery options, here is a guide to Reno shopping.

Alcohol – as needed.

Ziploc bags – 1 box of gallon bags, and 1 box of sandwich bags. Do NOT use cheap non-brand plastic bags. Made that mistake one year, not fun. These bags are used for everything! Leftover snacks, batteries (don’t forget to recycle your old batteries when you leave the playa), anything you don’t want to be covered in playa…

Toilet, Shower, and Personal Stuff 

Biodegradable Soap – Dr Bronner’s soap at your local health food store

Spare toilet paper – buy the porta-potty safe stuff = 1 ply only!!

Flip flops – for late night bathroom trips

Headlamp – I prefer more lightweight, compact & quality. My favorite is this one because I can put it on a hat or on my wrist when I don’t want something on my forehead.

Shower bags – If you are camping somewhere that has a shower system. I recommend bringing a 5 gallon size shower bag & 1 large carabineer clip like this or this to hang it up. Label your shower bag. If your camp does not have a shower area, use premoistened body wipes that are created specifically for when you don’t have the time or facilities to bathe or shower like Action Wipes.

Toiletries Bag – toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving stuff, tampons, condoms, etc

Towels – bring 2, because they can get muddy

Smaller hand towels – I bring about 10 and use them for everything from clean up to wipe down

Paper towels – I never use more than 1 roll of VIVA signature cloth

Sunscreen – any continuous spray, no rub, clear sunscreen, SPF 20 or higher. Do NOT use lotion, lotion spray, or hand pump kind. The lotion turns into a goopy mess, and the hand pump puts your hand into a cramp. I prefer oil-free, hypoallergenic, waterproof, PABA free.

Aloe Vera Gel – one of the best things for your skin. Will heal cracks, scars, soothe and heal sun burns.  I recommend buying the organic, natural gel for ultimate skin amazingness. Avoid anything with alcohol, which can burn the sunburned skin. You can easily find this at places like Whole Foods, or from natural beauty stores online.

Eye drops – contact lens issues

Neti pot, nasal spray, or nasal drops – to flush out your sinuses. Golden Salve will save your nose and lips.

First Aid kit – basic items like tweezers, bandaids, blister care, nail clippers

Foot care – lotions, salts, vinegar, mole-skin. Take care of your feet! You don’t want Playa Foot.

Lip moisturizer – buy several with SPF protection. I have tried endless brands and homemade organic whatever. But my favorite is always Blistex Medicated lip ointment in the red and white tube.

Wet Wipes – Baby wipes rock for late night cleanup, pre meals, or just to cool down during the day

Prescription meds

Clothing and Costume Stuff  – No feather boas or things that will break off like big loose sequins – we have to pick up all those teeny little things!

Dust protection – Watch this video about super pro dust protection on the playa. Buy muslin fabric at your local fabric store. Make sure it is the kind that is already soft before your initial wash, not the thick fabric that people use for canvas. Cut long strips to make it into a scarf. When the wind and dust kicks up, wrap the scarf in front of your face. You will still be able to see through it (kind of), and you will be able to breath. Desert Nomadic tribes have used this method for many years.

Basic white dust/allergy masks: These come in packs of 20 for 20$ or so. I like the kind with respirators like this. I carry 2 or 3 with me at all times. When a dust storm hits and I am out in the open playa, I can give one to someone next to me who needs one too. Full face respirators: I bought 1 a few years ago but never even took it out of the box. They are a pain to lug around and feel slightly claustrophobic.

There are more unique, fun, handmade options from sellers on Etsy. Or in the sports genre like this sportmask. But I tend to just stick to the basics.

Bandanas: lots of folks wet the outer side of a bandana, tie it around and go. Personally, not enough protection for me during the major white outs but some people swear by it.

Goggles – ski/snowboard goggles are what I like to use. Get clear lenses. THESE would probably work great. If you want to have more fun with your goggles, Etsy is again a good place to look.

Playa Diva in dust protection: Muslin and goggles

Hair – Read my story about playahair

Hats – The more the merrier: decorative, protection from the sun, and at night for warmth

Sunglasses – If you have sensitive eyes, I recommend investing in good eyewear protection. I notice a big difference when I have worn $100 high-quality sunglasses that are polarized vs $10 cheapos.

Comfortable shoes – avoid stiletto heels. Read my article about shoes HERE

Make-up – nothing messy! no glitter! think shower and playa cleanup

Coats/cloaks – it can get really cold at night

Rain gear/Poncho – BM 2000 = Freezingman

Gloves – decorative and for warmth

Keep a clean set of clothing in a giant ziploc bag for the ride home. Consider stopping at a truck stop for a real shower on your way back.

Entertainment & Misc Stuff 

Cameras – For the minimalist I recommend using a good camera phone. If you have a professional camera that you really want to bring to the playa, talk to some of the photographers that have already gone through this for special tips. They can be protected by encasing them in a large Ziploc bag with the lens poking through a hole – and use gaffer’s tape to seal the bag around the hole for the lens.

Gifts/Trinkets – don’t barter – try gifting for the pleasure of gifting. Watch this video about Gifting by Halcyon.

Water vessel: I put 2 of the Nalgene 32 oz reusable water bottles in my bike basket when I am out and about. Then I know I have 1/2 a gallon of water with me, and I like that they are not metal or glass (which are too heavy and loud in the basket when biking around). You can never have too much water. Lots of people use a Camelbak, but I don’t like wearing one and they always leak.

Day Bag: I just use a vintage overnight bag from a thrift store, throw it in my bike basket, and strap it down with mini bungee cords. Here is a sample of a Burning Man daily bag. If you prefer something more substantial, the Camelbak Transformer is a camelback and day bag in one.

Things I am interested in but have never used:

• Glow in the dark tent rope
• portable ice maker
• Solar-powered generator– my friend was using this at a festival recently and it changed my life. Yes, you can have a generator that is solar-powered and runs your AC unit! To have this and an AC unit in my tent is my idea of perfection.

New things I’m bringing in 2023:

• solar string lights – I used them at a festival recently and they were amazing. I plan to use them outside my tent in a loungey area.
• foldable round chair – it’s not a camping chair, but when I sat in one it seemed perfect! I find normal camping chairs to be uncomfortable.