packing
list suggestions
The official
burning man web site says burning man is "an exercise in
radical self-sufficiency," but I think it's really more of
"an exercise in radical pre-planned consumerism". With
that in mind, here are some packing list suggestions.
essential
things:
- your
ticket --
'cause it'd be a major bummer to get turned away at the
gate
- water
-- 2
gallons per person per day -- 1 gallon for drinking, the
other for washing, food preparation, etc.
- water
bottle -- keep a bottle of water with you all
the time
- food & drinks --
enough food for your entire stay
- ice
and/or dry ice -- dry ice is great if you can
get it -- using lots of regular ice works too
- an
ice chest or two -- if you're staying for more
than a few days you probably want to bring two ice chests
and use the second as a "freezer" which you
only open once a day to move ice (or frozen Gatorade)
into the first
- first
aid kit
- warm
clothing -- for cold nights
- cool
clothing -- for hot days
- solid
shoes -- going barefoot on the playa is not a
good idea, mostly because the playa is highly alkali and
causes "playa foot"
- warm
sleeping bag -- a warm bag to keep you toasty on
cold nights
- tent (or other shelter) -- winds can
exceed 75 mph, so you'll want a sturdy tent
- tent
cover --
if your tent wasn't born blue, you'll need have a blue
cover for the tent -- you can get blue plastic tarps for
$5 or $10 at Home Depot or most camping stores or
hardware stores
- tent
stakes --
preferably
18" lengths of rebar
- tent
stake covers -- to prevent foot injuries (tennis balls,
plastic bottles, stuffed animals, etc.)
- car cover
-- if you bring a car that's not blue, you'll need have a
blue cover for the car (e.g. tarps from Home Depot)
- garbage
bags
-- you need to pack out all
your own trash, so plan accordingly
- medicine
-- (any prescription medicine you need, plus
tums or advil or whatever you want)
- glasses
or contact lenses
- emergency
backup contact lenses and contact lens
paraphernalia
- flashlight
and spare batteries -- or better yet, a headlamp
thing
- sunscreen
- chapstick
- sunglasses
almost
essential things:
- hand
soap and/or dish soap and/or
shampoo -- or just. dr. bronner's
- toothbrush,
toothpaste, comb, nail clippers, etc.
- dish
sponge
- knife,
fork, spoon, bowl,
mug
- towels
- earplugs
- zip-lock
bags -- for cameras, food, trash,
medicine, etc.
- skin
lotion or aloe gel
- rain
gear
- toilet
paper
- a
wide brim hat
- costumes
and funky clothing
- bicycle
- bike
lock
- bike
light
- bike
decorations -- blue fur, or blue
cardboard, or whatever
- bike
tools
- bike
tire repair kit
good
things:
- safety
pins
- sewing
kit
- scissors
- rope or
string
- tape or
glue
- cooler
lifter -- blocks or boxes to lift your cooler a
few inches off the ground
- cooler
cover -- a tarp or something to shade the cooler
- bungie
cords
- body
paint
- handi-wipes
- chemical
glow sticks
- camp
lantern
- sealable
plastic boxes -- for storing food, loose items
- milk
crates -- for storage
- plastic
basin -- for washing dishes or washing hair
- condoms,
vibrators, lube, etc.
- spray
bottle -- for misting yourself with water
- a
cooking stove
- portable
shower (e.g. Sun Shower)
- thinsulite
pad or foam sleeping pad
- pillow
- work
gloves -- for handling rebar and for clean-up
day
- goggles
or dust mask -- for sandstorms
or windy times
- whisk
broom -- for after the sandstorms or windy times
- pharmaceuticals
-- anything you might want
to take at burning man other than the prescription
medicine listed above
- a
book to read
- rugs or
carpet remnants
- camp
chairs
- parasol
- flags,
kites, flashing lights, inflatable toys, etc.
- things
to give to strangers or neighbors -- candy,
food, etc.
- extra
batteries -- for everything that takes batteries
things
not to bring:
- pets
- tiki
torches
- glass
bottles
- food
that melts
- feather boas
-- picking the feathers off of the playa at clean-up is
pain
- tools to dig
holes
- firearms or
other weapons
clothing ideas -- as
excerpted from the official Burning Man site:
- rubber Birkenstock
clogs/shoes that won't get trashed by the alkalai
- several pairs of
cotton bike-style shorts
- small long-strapped
bag instead of fanny pack
- sarongs; skirt, dress,
turban, Interplanetary towel...
- hiking boots (light
ones just don't have enough support)
- long sleeve cotton PJs
(provide great protection from sun)
- comfy, loose shorts
- warm tops &
sweatshirts for night
- POCKETS ON EVERYTHING
- cotton bras
- longsleeve lightweight
shirts (100% cotton SPF)
- Chinese pjs in bright
colors
- Chippewa steeltoe
boots
- clean socks &
undies (stored in ziploc bags)
- bandana squaredance
skirt with the "Seven Year Itch" movement
whenever the wind blows
- The Big-Assed Shade
Hat
- parasols
recommendations --
specific products you might want to get:
- Safeway Select "Glacier
Wave" drink -- a bright blue gatoraidesque drink
- blue mop heads from
Home Depot -- they make great wigs
- blue tarps -- Home
Depot or almost any camping store or hardware store
- rebar -- Home Depot
- blue rubber gloves --
Safeway
- costume stuff
- blue blinking lights
- glow sticks
- black light bubbles
- electroluminescent
wire
- blue henna
For more detailed
thoughts about the packing list you might also want to check out
this site -- http://www.softcom.net/users/rocksci/bman/bring1.htm