What to bring?

What do you need to survive Burning Man? Here’s my (Kiba’s) list—although you can find more exhaustive lists on the interwebs, here’s what I think you actually need, tailored for what our camp provides.

Need more shopping guidance? Google “<product> burning man reddit” and you’ll find tons of advice from experienced burners.

First, some important notes…

  • Don’t bring it to the burn unless you’re OK with losing/breaking it. The playa can chew up and spit out nearly anything.

    • Wondering why? Playa dust is dry, alkaline lakebed sediment, and the ground (which is otherwise flat and hard) is covered with it for miles and miles. It’s as fine as powdered sugar, easily picked up by the wind, and will get into literally everything. It dries out anything lubricated, can short electronics if it gets damp, permanently discolor some plastics, and it’s notoriously hard to get out.

  • Put your name and our camp’s address (7:45 & B as of 2026) on your bike and other valuable stuff. There is zero phone signal!

  • Remove extra packaging around things before taking them to the burn to cut down on the amount of trash you have to keep track of and dispose of at the end.

  • If you’re bringing stuff in the camp box truck (2026 only) or want to store anything in the camp shipping container that will be locked up until the next burn, it must be packed into this exact 27-gal tote box. These are the standard unit of Burning Man storage, and useful even if you aren’t using our cargo truck. You can bring more than one.

But first you need these

  • Ticket to the event. Check with the camp leads on whether you’re covered in the camp’s allocation, or apply for a Ticket Aid ticket.

  • Transportation to/from playa: driving, carpooling, in an RV, or on the BXB (Burner Express Bus—did you buy a ticket yet?)

  • Transportation for your bike/first 48h of water/food/stuff. Check the camp telegram for up-to-date shared transportation info; if on the BXB these may be separate add-ons

  • A plan for what to do with your trash on the way out

  • Vehicle pass, if you’re driving in

  • Setup Access Pass, if you’re arriving before official gate open Sunday 12:01A

  • Paid camp dues. Check the camp Telegram chat for up to date info.

  • A photo ID

If you’re bringing a RV

  • Booked RV (plan ahead for Burning Man fees—all RV companies charge them!) see shelter guide

  • Enough reflective insulation to cover all windows and the windshield

  • 2” vinyl tape. Don’t use duct or packing tape, it’ll take the paint off and/or leave residue. Paper tapes can come loose in wet weather

  • Sharp scissors for the tape/insulation

  • Floor covering

    • I like plastic adhesive stuff, but it it takes two people. You might like paper, but you’ll probably have to replace it midweek.

  • Utility knife to cut the floor covering

  • Power strip

  • Bedding that fits odd-sized RV beds

  • Pillows

  • Spray bottle with diluted vinegar, rags/paper towels for cleaning (water alone won’t get alkaline playa out)

  • Broom or brush & dustpan

  • Warning: don’t use your RV bathroom/shower, and use sinks sparingly. RV tanks are not sized for more than a weekend of use without emptying, and can leak/smell VERY easily

  • Optional:

    • Lights to decorate your RV in/out

    • Doormat (helps stop tracking dust in)

    • A lockbox for your RV keys—or just hide them in a exterior cargo compartment

If you’re bringing a tent

  • Tent capable of withstanding 50 MPH gusts and rain, see shelter guide

  • Your tent’s rain fly

  • Enough rope lines to secure all necessary sides (6x for shiftpod wall center hubs, 6x more for shiftpod fly)

  • Lantern-style light to hang inside

  • Emergency patch kit

  • No stakes: the camp will provide lag bolts & an impact driver

  • AC if you want it, or at minimum, a fan

  • We are providing 5 Power strip

  • Air mattress or sleeping bag pad

  • Bedding

  • Pillow

  • Optional:

    • Eye mask (even ShiftPods don’t block all light)

    • Lights to decorate your tent in/out

    • Small mirror

Water

  • If you’re arriving Friday during setup, your first 48h of water (3 gal)

  • Sealable water bottle for exploring with, or hydration pack

  • 5gal office water jug or other large container to keep water in your shelter and avoid extra trips to the camp tank

  • Pump if you’re bringing a 5gal jug

  • Cup (lid advised) with a color copy of your ID taped to the outside for alcohol, soup, ice cream, etc… around playa

Food

  • Food to last you all the days you’re at the burn (9 days from setup to temple burn)

    • You can bring a cooler and buy ice on playa, but this is a big pain

    • You can bring an electric cooler, but they’re $$$

    • The easiest thing is bulk backpacking food that only requires hot water. We will have a microwave and measuring cup for microwaving water.

  • Ready-to-eat snacks/meals for being stuck in gate traffic if you aren’t on the BXB (could be 8h, both on the way in, and out)

  • Do NOT assume you’ll find food at the burn, and don’t bring anything that generates a lot of moop (trash), because we have to pack it all out with us. Come prepared!

  • Optional:

    • Heatproof snacks to take with you exploring

    • Powdered drink mix

Bike

  • Bike with dirt, extra-wide, or hybrid tires (in that order—no road tires!) A gear shift isn’t necessary.

    • Why? Parts of the playa are covered with small silt dunes. The wider your tires, the more you can roll over these without getting stuck.

    • Warning: at minimum, any bike that goes to the burn will require a deep cleaning and re-lube, and possibly new parts. Do not bring an expensive bike!

    • If you want to bring an e-bike, they must be class 1 or class 2:

      • Must have pedals

      • Max speed 20 MPH (but the speed limit on playa is always 5 MPH for all vehicles!)

      • Max motor power 750W

  • Dry lube-you WILL need it, the playa will dry out your lube by mid-week, making it hard to pedal

  • A rag to keep the lube from hitting playa when you apply it

  • Light-up decoration for your bike, visible in all directions for safety (this is required!)

  • A headlamp for your bike—high power ones are best, but cheap is OK. Your personal headlamp will work in a pinch.

  • Cable combo lock. Keys get lost easily!

  • A few releasable zip ties, for emergency repairs, attaching decoration, etc…

  • Highly recommended but not strictly necessary:

    • Phone mount

    • Bike cargo basket/shelf/bag

    • Spare inner tube/tire

    • Portable toolkit

    • Air pump

    • If your bike does not have a suspension, a seat post suspension can help keep your butt from getting sore going over bumps

Survival

  • Headlamp: IPX rated dustproof, rechargeable, or bring rechargeable batteries & charger.

    • DO NOT bring the popular style with a big light bar, that’s the fastest way to piss everyone off around you when you blind them! Make sure it has a lens/reflector and aims down.

    • Make sure USB-charging lamps have a port cover, or your port will stop working

    • One with a red light option is nice to keep your night vision and keep from blinding everyone

  • Goggles for dust storms. You WILL be caught in one at some point, be prepared! The big ski goggles look cool, but these are the most comfortable and practical.

    • If you only get one pair, get clear so you can see at night

    • You may want tinted ones for day

    • The cute heart shaped or steampunk ones tend not to be comfortable

    • Avoid big vents (dust gets in)

  • N95 mask for dust storms

  • Sunglasses

    • These won’t be enough for dust storms, so bring your goggles EVERYWHERE!

  • Sunscreen. The Korean/Japanese non-sticky ones are the best by a mile

  • A towel for showering

  • Moisturizer, specifically CeraVe cream. (Cream works way better than the lotion)

    • I advise doing this after every shower, or your skin might feel like sandpaper by day three

  • Moisturizing eyedrops

  • Moisturizing nasal spray (see a trend here?)

  • Chapstick, or better yet, Aquaphor

  • Portable bottle of hand sanitizer—theoretically at the portos (port-a-potties) but often empty

  • Earplugs (foam for sleeping, music-attenuating for parties)

  • Your prescription meds in the bottles they came in to pass security

  • Basic first aid kit: at least a few bandaids

  • Charged electric razor (there are no sinks unless you have an RV!)

  • AA/AAA batteries for your light up stuff

  • MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) bags-drawstring trash bags, and a small plastic bag to collect trash in on the go (yes, we pick up other peoples’ moop too!)

  • A small backpack or sling bag for your goggles, N95, water bottle, etc… on the go

  • Warning: BRC is on federal land, so federal drug laws apply, including THC/weed. Questions? Ask an experienced member of the beta board.

  • Optional

    • If you get hot easily, bring a spray bottle/fan

    • A backup roll of TP you can take with you to the neighborhood portos in case they’re out—don’t put wet wipes in the portos! They cause big headaches for the sanitary crews

    • Disposable urine bag (if you really don’t want to track down a porto—no, you can’t pee on the playa!)

    • Shower-size wet wipes if you want more than one shower per day

Clothing

  • Loose, light, cool clothes for hot days (100˚+)

  • Shoes that can get dirty

    • I like practical hiking boots, but I’m very unfashionable

    • Do NOT try to survive on sandals, Playa Foot is a thing and you do NOT want it.

  • Jacket/pants for cool nights (down to mid 50s), warm hat

    • Burners like faux fur clothing for this

  • Light up stuff to wear at night for safety

  • One set of clean clothes you keep in a ziplock bag for when you go back to the default world

  • Pup gear

  • Tutu for Tutu Tuesday

  • Do NOT bring MOOPy clothing (sequins, glitter, feathers, anything that can fall off and become trash)

  • Note: can you be naked just about anywhere? Yes! As long as you aren’t being sexual in front of children

  • Optional:

Digital

  • Small Bluetooth speaker for your tent and/or bike

  • Download your favorite playlists

  • Download our camp’s schedule, and note when you’re scheduled to volunteer

  • Download offline maps before leaving home (Apple Maps, Google Maps)

    • Warning: the small towns around BRC make a killing off ticketing people driving into the burn, so follow all traffic laws EXACTLY after passing Reno.

  • Warning: if you have an expensive uninsured phone, keep it in a ziplock. Always ask permission before photographing anyone.

  • Download Black Rock Compass and Dust, update their data just before losing signal in Gerlach. The schedule and map aren’t released until very close to the event, so be sure to open the apps and check they’re working before you leave signal!

All questions are good questions! Ask in the camp Telegram.