Playa Issues
The following information is something I share with my campmates who are making their first trip to the playa. This is far from any kind of authoritative survival guide, it's just some things I've picked up over the years and am passing along to those who might be interested. - Trilo
Trash Issues
Leave no trace basically means that you take your trash home with you. However, you can minimize what you have to take home without a lot of effort. In fact, it boils down to one simple word - SEPARATE. For the playa, you want to have three separate trash cans. Label each one clearly, so it's easier for people to do the right thing and put stuff in the right place. My recommendation is to print up a sign on the printer with the type as big as you can (two signs for each trash can you're going to have in your camp). if you have access to a laminator and you really want to be fancy, get your signs laminated. Don't get too colorful or arty, go for bold and high contrast - you want people in any/every state of mind to be able to read it easily.
- CANS - use this one for aluminum cans only. Yeah, other types of trash are recyclable back home, but at Burning Man there is a Recycle Camp that will collect your empty aluminum cans and do all the recycling for you (anyone who cares to know the details of why they'll only take aluminum cans can check the Recycle Camp page). They're located next to Center Camp, which makes it convenient to bring out recyclables when you go to get ice (Camp Arctica is also next to Center Camp).
- BURN - use this one for all your environmentally friendly burnables. Note that this isn't like a bonfire where you might burn anything that will catch fire - think environmentally friendly here. Paper cups or plates, napkins, pieces of cardboard, scrap wood, biodegradable stuff like peels, etc. Plastic cups/forks, anything with potentially toxic ingredients and all that should NOT go in the burn bin. At several spots near the Esplanade (inner-most street), they set up special 'burn platforms' where you can take your burnable trash and get rid of it.
- TRASH - the stuff that can't go into one of the above cans is trash. We want as little of this one as possible, since these are the bags we're going to have to put into our vehicles and take back with us when we leave. Ideally, of course, we find a friendly dumpster along the way to unload these potentially smelly bags, but realistically that's not going to happen any sooner than Reno (which is a 2-hour drive under the best of circumstances).
Water Issues
You're going to hear "hydrate" and "piss clear" more times than you care to remember out there. While it may seem annoying (especially if you've been out in the desert before), it's for a good reason. Burning Man takes place in the high desert. The elevation is 4400 feet above sea level. What that basically means is that your body will get dehydrated much more quickly than it would in a normal (low altitude) desert. If I'm being annoying in offering water or suggesting you hydrate, it's because I've helped take a few people to the medical tents because they didn't drink enough water and their body overheated. If your water bottle or hydration pack runs dry or you forget it and you're thirsty, don't be afraid to ask for a drink. Anyone out there would probably rather share their water with you and keep having a great time than to have you be in any kind of distress.
Alcohol Issues
Yes, lots (of alcohol, not issues). Well, as much of whatever you want. But here's a tip my campmates gave me that has worked well, and I'll gladly pass it along. If you drink during the day, try to stick to beer-drinking. Hard liquor has a higher alcohol content, and will dehydrate you more than beer, so save that stuff for night-time. Of course, exceptions should be made for mimosas, bloody mary's, or any other secial occasion beverage that might come your way. I mean, if some kind of stranger randomly offers you a frozen daquiri or margarita in the middle of a hot day, who are we to refust such a kindness?
Temperature Issues
Info from Token on Tribe
Humidity is extremely low. Typically less than 10% in the general area but even lower on the Playa itself due to the salt acting as a desiccant. With super low humidity, our bodies evaporate water much faster than in more temperate settings, causing a general refrigeration effect. In most temperate regions 85F feels hot, on the Playa the same temperature feels nice and in the shade a touch on the chill side. This also allows misting with water to work so well in the heat of the day. Wind Chill combined with low humidity amplifies the body refrigeration effect. The wind will increase removal of heat significantly. UV Index. Very high UV index means that most people will suffer some form of sun exposure effect. Even if you sit in the shade all day, there is enough reflected UV going around to have an impact. Sun exposure may induce a mild fever. Putting the cheap Mylar emergency blankets under your bedding will improve warmth of the bed. Also, if you are using an air mattress, putting a quilt or heavy blanket between you and the mattress will keep you MUCH warmer.
Bike Issues
Do you need a bike at Burning Man? That's a good question, and only you can answer it for yourself. To help you figure that out, here are a few considerations.
- Size of Black Rock City - It's a big-ass place. No, seriously. Just under 2 miles across.
- Distance from Center Camp - Or in other words, how far away do you plan to camp from the place you get ice? In 2006, I was camped at 9:30 and Brave and it was over a mile each way from Camp Arctica. And remember, the temperatures could be pushing a hundred or more during the daytime. If you're just going to be down the block, it may not be as much of an issue.
- What do you want to see? - Some people are fine with wandering around their neighborhood and exploring their immediate surroundings. Others look at the city map and target specific camps and installations they want to see. I guess the real question is: do you care more about the destination, or the journey?
- Bring an extra tube - There are some bike camps that will help you fix flats and make small repairs, but they run out of supplies through the week.
- Tire pump - Make sure someone in your camp has one.
- Deflate your tires - Let some of the air out of your tires before you go to Burning Man. Between the change in altitude (Burning Man is held in the high desert, at an elevation of 4400 feet above sea level) , and the high daytime temperatures, the air in the tire expands and a fully inflated tire could actually burst (I saw one explode once - it looked really cool, but sucked for the owner of the bike).
- Bike light - You want to be able to see where you're going, and let others see you.
Miscellaneous Issues
These are seeminly dumb/stupid/trivial ideas, but they can make the difference between a good trip and a bad trip.
- Playa Foot Salad - the dust on the playa is very harsh. It's not just really fine particles of dust, it's really fine particles of alkali dust. Alkali is a base, kind of the checmical opposite of an acid - it's corrosive. Walking around in barefoot or working with your hands can lead to you getting a nasty case of athlete's foot (jokingly called "playa foot"). That's where playa foot salad ocmes in. Someone in your camp needs to bring a bottle of white vinegar and a bottle of olive oil. Once a day, pour some white vinegar on a washcloth and wash your hands and feet with it. That will neutralize the alkali. Then massage the hands and feet with olive ooil for a few minutes, and that will not only cut down the vinegar smell, but the massage feels good. The salad dressing smell will go away in a few minutes, but your hands and feet will be good to go!
- Playa Goggles - You think the dust is harsh on hands and feet, try getting it in your eye! When the wind kicks up (not a question of if, but when), you'll want to have protective eyewear. Regular sunglasses don't cut it because the wind/dust can come from any direction. You don't need to spend much on them (cheap ones can be had for $5 a pair), but I recommend buying two pair. A tinted pair for daytime use, and a pair with minimal or no tint at all (because dust storms can kick up at night, too).
- Dusk Masks - If you think the air quality can get low living in the city, wait til you take a deep breath during a dust storm. As harsh as it is on your hands and feet, you can imagine how uncomfortable it is in your lungs. Some people will recommend getting special dust masks, others will even suggest getting gas masks, but I've foind that a simple/cheap bandana does the trick. You can get them for a couple bucks at any army surplus store.
- Small Flashlight - Everybody talks about lights for your camp and lights for your bike, but a small personal light is essential (and dirt cheap). At least it is if you plan on going to the bathroom at night :-)
- Batteries - Figure out what size batteries you'll use for your stuff, then stock up the next time you're at your favorite big box retail store. Before leaving for the playa, take the batteries out of the packaging and put them in a ziploc bag (so you don't have to haul a bunch of packaging out there only to have to haul it back later as trash).
- Bedding - Regardless of what you're sleeping on, you should have some kind of cover for your bed to protect it from the dust. You can get a 9x12 piece of painter's plastic for a couple bucks at most hardware stores.
- Storage Bins - These can be found at Costco or Home Depot for about $6 apiece, and are great for packing your gear for the trip. The flip top lids are easy to open and close, and don't get lost or blown away since they're attached. They're stackable and can be used to store just about anything throughout the year as well.
- Fire Extinguisher - One of the few things you bring out to the playa in the hopes that you don't have to use it at all. Your camp should have one for the kitchen area, as well as additional extinguishers fi there will be any fire performing or open flames elsewhere in your camp space.
- Coolers - If you wind up buying a cooler for the trip, spend the extra couple dollars on "5-day" or "Endurance" coolers. They're exactly like regular coolers, except that they use a next generation insulation material that can keep things cooler for longer periods of time. If you want a portable freezer, just use an extra cooler and put dry ice in it. Make sure you keep your coolers out of the sun (for obvious reasons). For added effectiveness, keep your coolers up off the ground, and keep them covered (adding another layer of insulation).
- Ziploc Bags - It's all about airtight storage for stuff. Not just food (keeps stuff from getting damp or wet when the cooler ice melts), but anything else you want to keep dust-free. I highly recommend the bigger Ziploc bags for your camera gear and any other electronics (you can then pull them out as needed, then put them back in the bag afterwards for safety).
- Food Prep - This one isn't so much about being lazy as much as it's about using your time wisely. If you want to come out to the desert to spend all your time in a makeshift camp kitchen, great. I like to cook, but I prefer spending my time on the playa doing other things. So instead, make stuff in advance. Make your famous whatever-the-hell-it-is (in abundance, so you can share it with others) at home, spending the hours it takes to craft it to perfection - and then freeze it (or refrigerate it). Then on whatever day/night you choose to dazzle your campmates and friends with your culinary masterpiece, it's a simple matter of heating things up quickly and serving. Even if you can't pre-make everything, you can probably come up with some time savers. Measure out your dry ingredients and put them in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container. Grill up those chicken breasts. Hard boil those eggs. See how many pounds of bacon you can cook up in one session. And on the subject of bacon, that brings me to my next point.
- Bacon - If you're a vegetarian or vegan, skip this part. I'm a huge fan of bacon - it's one of those foods that you can use to improve almost any meal. But cooking bacon can be all kinds of a hassle, especially when you're half naked in the middle of the desert in a questionable mental and/or emotional state. You've got two options. Pre-cook a bunch of it at home, or go for pre-cooked bacon. Most of the time, I'd say make the real bacon in advance. But I've found a really good pre-cooked bacon that tasts real, gets crispy, and you can make it a slice at a time (or cook it all) in a minute or so on a pan. Hormel makes two types of pre-cooked stuff. The stuff most grocery stores sells is crap - avoid it. You can tell - the slices look really fatty, almost like raw bacon. The good stuff is sold in one of a couple ways. In warehouse clubs or Smart & Final they sell it in a larger pack for arounf $10-$15 that has the equivalent number of slices as three pounds of bacon. In some grocery stores they sell a package for around $5 under the Hormel name that has the equivalent of a pound's worth of slices - it's in a black cardboard package and has a plastic sleeve inside.
- Electralytes - Your body will need plenty of them. Aside from being out in the desert and all that business, you're probably going to be physically exerting yourself beyond your daily routine (with all the walking, biking, dancing, etc). To keep you going strong, you should consider something to replenish your electralytes. While some people go with Emer'Gen-C or Pedialyte, I prefer Gatorade. It tastes a lot better, and a few glasses a day will keep you going. Buy it in powdered form and then mix it up on the playa as needed.
- Immodium AD - Somebody in your camp should bring along a bottle of this stuff. It's like a fire extinguisher in that you hope it never gets used. But in the unlikely event that you begin to experience "digestive issues" it's best to take Immodium AD and solve the problem immediately rather than spending hours in a porta-potty. Whether it's during the cold dark night or the sweltering heat of the day - there is never a good time to have to spend a lot of time in one
- 5-HTP - This is a vitamin supplement sold at drugstores, pharmacies, and vitamin/health stores. It makes your body produce seratonin more quickly, which can be great for recovery - as well as for general health, energy, and vitality. If you're the sort of person who can get cranky or moody when exhausted, this is pretty handy to have around.
- Baby Wipes - Very handy to have for miscellaneous washing up and wiping down between showers.
- Pocket Pack Tissues - Great to stick in a pocket or your hydration pack, in case you need to rid yourself of some kind of mega-playa-booger, or you find yourself in a porta-potty that has run out of toilet paper.