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Packing for Burning Man the thrifty way is not to be confused with packing cheap. There are some things you should not go cheap on, which is your supplies. For example, I opted to purchase the $4 headlamp from Amazon, which broke after 20 minutes of arriving to camp. I later realized I should have purchased the $20 headlamp. A headlamp will be the best accessory you can have while on the Playa, you will be happy after day 5 when yours still works while you are walking to the porta potty at 4 in the morning.
Sleeping bags and tents are most important. Pack like you are going into the desert where the days are hot and the nights are freezing. Sleeping at night is your only option because the days are too hot. Good luck and Godspeed on that piece of advice. A quality sleeping bag should used as the nights are very cold and you will likely be sleeping on the desert ground. An RV is always an option, if your budget allows that sort of luxury. Mine did not, therefore I slept in the back of ‘Diego’ the jeep that barely made it the 650 miles from San Diego.
Bike. Please bring a bike fully equipped with lights and a basket! Burning Man is about 7 square miles, everyone uses a bike to get places. It is the most useful thing! Accessorizing your bike with crazy fun lights isn’t to look cool, it is to differ yours from others in the middle of the night amongst 40,000 other bikes.
Utility belt – you will not want to wear a backpack, as it is too hot, but you will want to carry you essentials with you at all times like your I.D. A fannypack would suffice as well, depends on your personal preference. A pack of some sort will do you well as you may need other amenities like chap stick, sun block, a water bottle on your person at all times.
Bring your own cup! The alcohol flows freely but not without your own cup. I recommend a tin cup to latch onto your utility belt. I would also recommend bringing your own plate and utensil kit.
Clothing. You may be a person that will add to Burning Man’s unique flair with a fun and crazy costume or you may be like me. I was very concerned more for my comfort than how I appeared to other people. Dressing nice and wearing makeup is for the people in the RV. Down in the camps we have to worry about sweat, dirt, and sun block soaked skin with minimal shower time. Either way I was never really comfortable at night when it was cold I would bring a jacket but then it would get hot while dancing. There was really no fighting against mother nature or the desert. During the day a swim suit will act as more than enough clothing after all, the majority of people will not wear anything.
Footwear. The 15 minutes I chose to wear flip flops were the worst 15 minutes of my life. I recommend boots that are comfortable for your feet to walk in for 12 hours a day. I say boots because they cover more of your skin from the fine dust. Tennis shoes were fine at night, bring two pairs of footwear in case something happens and because your feet will likely need a rest from one pair. Happy feet = happy festival goer.
The Burning Man toiletries needed for everyday use: Toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, hair ties, Gold Bond foot powder, BANDANNAS (face and hair), breathing mask (3M), wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, Neosporin, Band-aids, feminine products (females if you do not bring your own, you may be in BIG trouble, this is not a common thing found on the Playa), chapstick, sun block, camera, notebook and pen, lotion. This is my personal list of everyday things I tried to keep with me most of the time. The desert is very unforgiving and the Playa is so large with so many activities to partake in that you may not return to your camp for hours on end.
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