How I Survived my First Burn: the Virgin’s Guide to Burning Man

How I Survived my First Burn: the Virgin’s Guide to Burning Man
Burning Man is something I’ve dreamed of experiencing ever since a friend in college talked about it. I clearly recall him animatedly talking about this β€œexperience” out in the middle of the desert where a community is built out of practically nothing for a week. Where anything goes. Of course, I was intrigued, so I looked it up online and was amazed by all the art I saw, and, the concept of Burning Man itself. I vowed that when I had the $$ (aka not a poor college student), I’d go and experience it myself.
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Every sunset on the playa was different and just magical.

Fast forward to 2015 when my plan to go was finally coming together. I was able to convince my bestie, Karla, to commit to going the following year. Convincing her was easy – I just sent her pictures and articles describing Burning Man, and that basically sealed the deal!

I still remember staying up till 3:00AM in India with three laptops and two phones, in line in the virtual waiting room to get the General Sale tickets. Karla, all the way on the East Coast, was doing the same thing, and we were extremely lucky to score two tickets and a vehicle pass!

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THE VIRGIN’S GUIDE TO BURNING MAN: HOW I SURVIVED MY FIRST BURN

Β Virgin's Guide to Burning Man

SO, WHAT IS BURNING MAN?

Burning Man is a week-long culture and arts event that occurs at the end of August yearly out in the desert of Nevada.
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Each year, almost 70,000 people come together from all around the world to participate in a community that’s guided by ten principles:Β radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, immediacy.
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The organization grants numerous art grants every year so artists and collectives can make their extraordinary sculptures and art installations a reality.
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
One of the (many) reasons I choose to attend is because of my love of the artistic and creative; I fell in love with the giant sculptures and installations that are scattered across the desert surface – the playa is a place where your participation is necessary, and touching the installations is encouraged: you become a part of the very art you’re looking at.

WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?

Virgin's Guide to Burning ManThousands of Burners make the yearly journey out to the Black Rock Desert, three hours from Reno in northwestern Nevada. Burning Man always happens the week before Labor Day, with the effigy of the man burning the Saturday before Labor Day.

WHAT’S IT LIKE OUT THERE?

Since there’s no buying and selling at Burning Man (the only three things one is allowed to purchase in Black Rock City, also affectionately known as the playa, during the week are coffee, tea, and bags of ice), Burners have to come in with everything they require aka adhering to one of the principles – radicalΒ self-reliance.
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
There are theme camps that ‘gift’ meals out on the playa…the best meal I had last year was by Chef Yana at the Filipino theme camp, It’s More Fun in the Philippines!
This means preparing your own food, but since you’re out in the desert with no modern refrigeration techniques, the food you make has to last you the week and survive in ice coolers without spoiling.
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I’m someone who hasn’t ever roughed it before in her life – sure I’ve been camping, but my camping always included cabins, wasn’t in a harsh environment (the playa wrecked havoc on my sinuses and hair), and if I forgot something, I’d still have easy access to a store to go get it. Having to bring everything I needed to take care of myself for an entire week was daunting. And on top of that, Karla and I chose to go the tent route when it came to our sleeping situation which meant our restroom situation was the porta potties. And, showering? Oh, we only took an actual shower once. The rest of the time it was baby wipe wipe down!

YOU GOT YOUR TICKET. NOW WHAT?

Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Photo Credit:Β Karla

Congratulations, it’s no easy task to get a ticket! If you haven’t already, sign up for the BM newsletter, Jackrabbit Speaks – this will be your most opened email newsletter, trust me!

INTERNATIONAL VIRGINS

I flew in to LAX and drove up from LA to Reno. We took the 395N up (which you can read all about here) and stopped plenty of times along the way. It was a fun road trip before the Burn – so if you have time, I would definitely recommend driving up. It was a smooth yet long but scenic drive. On the way back, we decided to save on time and take the 99 down – I definitely do not recommend that, especially after the Burn. We weren’t expecting all the advertising and signage, our senses were overloaded. Not something we were prepared for.
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This year we’re flying in to Sacramento, getting our rental, and driving up to Reno where we spend the night, get our food and any last minute supplies before heading to Black Rock City. We like to fly Southwest because they let you check in 2 bags for free, and they’ve been an awesome airline in the past!
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RENTAL CAR

Since it was going to be the two of us, we decided to rent a compact cargo van (ours was a Dodge ProMaster City) and it was honestly just what we needed. The truck fit all of our supplies, bikes, and was cosy. Ideally, you want to get your rental six months in advance, but since we weren’t sure if we’d even get tickets, we decided to wait.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Photo Credit:Β Karla

There are a lot of rental companies that won’t rent their vehicles out to those going to Burning Man because the playa puts some serious damage on the car. Or they add a pricey cleaning fee if you do rent, especially if you’re renting in the Bay Area. Since we chose to rent down in LA, they didn’t suspect where we were headed, and we made sure to give the car a thorough cleaning before we returned it. This year, however, we’re going to plan on hitting up one of the auto detailing shops in Reno that is Burner-friendly before we return the rental, because we spent a long-ass time getting it cleaned ourselves. Lesson learned!

HOTEL

Depending on where you’re coming from, I highly recommend booking a hotel room a day before and 1-2 days after the Burn to decompress. You will need it…especially after.Β There’s this high you come down from where the ordinary world just seems so bleak.
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There are great Burner-friendly hotels in the Reno area where decompressions happen with plenty of pool time for the tired, and oh so dusty Burners. We originally made reservations, but turns out, one of Karla’s good friends lives in Reno and he was more than willing to let us two virgin Burners crash.

Joining a Camp at Burning Man

We originally thought about camping on our own and not being part of a camp. But, as we started our plan and prep, we came to the realization that since we were both coming from quite a distance (me from overseas and Karla from the East Coast) maybe having a camp with amenities such as a kitchen, shower etc would be a good thing. Thus, began the search to find a camp.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning ManTheme camps at Burning Man are a great example of some of the principles of Burning Man (participation, radical inclusion, communal effort, gifting) and being a part of a camp has its advantages. Looking back, it ended being one of the best decisions we made because we fit right in to the camp, made incredible friends, our camp β€˜work’ shifts allowed us to give back to the community & participate, and the camp provided us with equipment we otherwise wouldn’t have able to bring in on our own – a generator, solar shower, and a fully equipped kitchen with a stove.
Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Happy Hour at our camp…we serve wine every day beginning at 6pm. Come find us!
We were both part of the UAE Burner Community group on Facebook, which is how we found our camp. Our camp’s founder, Da Vinci, posted saying the camp was open to new members and it seemed like the perfect fit for us. I drafted an email expressing interest and a few Skype calls later, we were virgin burners who were part of a theme camp!
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Virgin's Guide to Burning ManThe Burning Man website has a list of theme camps every year (check out the 2017 version here)- some of them are small camps, some large. You can also check out the Reddit forum, your local Burner community, or eplaya for camps looking for new members. Not every camp accepts new members, so you have to reach out and ask. We’re camping with the same folks as last year and pay dues every year, which, for what we get, is more than an acceptable amount.

Getting Around Black Rock City

Once you get to Black Rock City and you’re all settled in, the vehicle you entered in stays in the same place until you’re ready to leave – unless it’s an emergency.
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So you’re left to three options to getting around:
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Walking

Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
You never know what you’ll find when you’re out for a walk…

It’s a great way to see your neighborhood, talk and interact with people in ways a bike wouldn’t allow you to. You’re going to be doing a lot of this the entire week you’re out there, so comfortable shoes and thick socks are a must. Even though my shoes were comfortable, I still ended up with painful blisters, so this year I’m going to bring more cushion-y bandaids to save me from the pain!

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Biking

Virgin's Guide to Burning ManIf you’re questioning getting a bike or not, here’s some great advice, GET ONE! The city is so big, especially if you want to get to the art sculptures in deep playa. We used the Kiwanis Bike program to get our bikes – I highly recommend it if you’re not looking to spend too much on a bike. At the end of the Burn you can return your bikes, or keep them (we chose to keep ours and get them serviced this year before heading out to the playa) and they get recycled into the program again.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Light up your bike (and yourself) at night…the playa is completely dark otherwise – people won’t see you if you’re not lit up!
PSA get a numerical lock for your bike. Every year unlocked bikes are borrowed or stolen by other Burners…and that’s something you don’t want happening to you. One of our campmates had her bike taken, right outside her RV in our camp of all places! So you really can’t be too vigilant. Oh, and don’t forget to add a ton of lights to your bike (and yourself, too!) if you’re venturing out at night. It’s completely dark out on the playa, and if there’s a random dust storm, no one will be able to see you if you’re not lit up and that’s how accidents happen.
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I learned how to ride a bike for the first time out on the playa and ended up with saddle-soreness from all the riding. So this year, I’m getting a bike seat cushion to save my rear and my Burn.
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Getting on an Art Car

Virgin's Guide to Burning Man
Fancy a ride in a hot air balloon…ship?!
An art car is a modified-car that has been licensed by the DMV (on the playa it’s the Department of Mutant Vehicles) and you’ll find them all throughout the city. The larger art cars/buses/trucks can hold a lot of passengers on-board and are a unique way to see the city, especially at night.
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Food & Supplies for Burning Man

I wrote a comprehensive Burning Man packing list to help you plan your first Burn. Pinterest also proved to be a great resource for me (especially if you’re a visual person, like I am) – here’s my pinterest board if you’d like to follow.
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Just know that no matter how much you have, you won’t feel prepared. No matter how many times Karla and I went over the list, we still felt so unprepared. And this year? We feel even worse than we did last year. That’s just the nature of the beast, and what I recommend is for you to embrace it!
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I also read the BM Reddit fervently, and since we were going with a camp, I had the opportunity to ask past Burners for advice. So if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me…I’ll be happy to answer to the best of my abilities. There are a wealth of resources out there to help you prep adequately for the Burn…I suggest you use them. This is what I recommend:
– ePlaya
Reddit

Clothing at Burning Man

Being on the playa for the week means surviving in one of the harshest environments imaginable. The weather can go from 100F temperatures during the day to below freezing at night. On top of that, complete white-out dust storms are the norm that makes seeing a few feet in front of you, impossible. And it’s hard to predict what it’ll be like the upcoming year, so it’s best to be prepared for the unknown. That’s all part of the Burning Man experience!
Virgin's Guide to Burning ManWhat I enjoyed most about being out on the playa is that you wear (or not wear, if you prefer to be naked) whatever you want. I’ve never seen more naked bodies of all shapes and sizes just doing their thing out there, and no one gawks or stares. It’s all part of the Burn, and was quite refreshing for me. I also have to say the photos you see if you google Burning Man, of the model-esque beautiful men and women in their platform boots and perfect outfits (like how does their hair still look great after coming in contact with the alkali playa dust?!), that’s just a fraction of the 70,000 people that attend.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning ManVirgin's Guide to Burning ManOne piece of helpful advice I read online was to separate your outfits into ziplock bags – it helps keep things organized, especially if you’re in a tent and there’s not a lot of space. It’s also good for reducing the amount of clothes you end up bringing if you know what you want to wear every day – morning and night. I also pack an exodus outfit – a clean, fresh pair of clothes that I can change into after packing up and completing the camp’s tear down. Also, everything gets affected by the fine, alkali playa dust E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G – your clothes, shoes, cellphones will never be the same again.
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Two things I wouldn’t leave my camp without (other than water and snacks) are a dust-mask/scarf and goggles. Even though I was pretty good about keeping my mask on during a dust storm, and rinsing out my sinuses daily, when I got back to Reno, my sinuses were bad – like bloody snot bad. This year, I’m going to invest in a better mask for the whiteouts and see how my sinuses fare.
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My guide is by no means comprehensive, but it’s a good start. Everyone’s Burn is different, which means, everyone preps and plans differently. Hopefully my experience as a virgin Burner last year helps someone prep for their first Burn. It can be an intimidating experience, trust me, I still have the same nervousness leading up to the Burn as I did last year, but there’s a lot of reading you can do and questions you can ask.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning ManBurning Man is an incredible experience, but is not for everyone. If you’re looking to just party, listen to music for a week and not participate, then it’s probably not the right place for you. If you want to experience building a community in the harshest surroundings, peacefully co-existing and most importantly, participating for a week, then I recommend you consider going one year. If you’re interested in learning more about the 10 principles, you can do so here on Burning Man’s website.
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Virgin's Guide to Burning ManI learned a lot about myself in that one week, how to connect with people by paying attention, what my limits are and how much I can let go without it affecting my sanity. The most refreshing thing was being able to disconnect from social media for an entire week – that was the best gift I could have given myself and those around me. It allowed me to be in the present.
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Have you been to Burning Man before? Or is it something you want to go to? Why?
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About Author

Christabel

Christabel is the blogger and editor behind Where's Bel. She lives to travel, and is often restless if she's not out exploring, scoping out new restaurants or happy hours. Say Hello!

39 Comments

  • Wow! Thank you for writing such a thorough post about Burning Man. It sounds like one incredible experience. Your post has convinced me that I need to go!

    • Thank you – it is an unreal experience. Pretty cool that I get to help build, participate and be part of a 70,000+ person city for a week.

  • Insane! I had no idea what it was and especially that it was so cool! Thank you for introducing this to me!

    • I’m glad – there are a lot of misconceptions around what Burning Man is, especially portrayed in the media, so happy I can shed some light on my experiences and what it means for me to participate every year!

  • This is SUCH A COOL EVENT! I see those perfect photos on IG and wondered if everyone is really so rad out there. Well done on conquering the event! Very comprehensive guide you have right here, I’m sure whoever’s intending to go will get a lot of benefit out of your post πŸ™‚

    • It is – I have to say the playa at night is my all-time favorite part. Everything is lit up and just magical, pictures don’t do it justice.

  • So can families go out there just for a day or two?

    • Families can go – there’s a cool theme camp called Kidsville for families that bring their children. I have heard great things – the tickets you buy are good for the entire week, which is what is recommended since there’s so much happening. Think of it as spending a week exploring and participating in a foreign city! But if you wanted to go for the tail end of the week ie Thursday, Friday, Saturday and stay to watch the man Burn on Sunday night, then you can.

  • What an adventure!
    Oh that feeling of dust and sand everywhere! I just crossed the border to Senegal after cycling the Sahara desert and finally I can eat bread without sand again!
    Our belongings will forever be dusty!πŸ˜‚

    • Your trip is seriously so amazing! Just biking (leisurely) for a week at Burning Man was intense for me, I cannot imagine doing a world trip on a bike. And yeah, when you go to the desert it’s a given that your clothes and things will never be the same!

  • Burning Man looks like such an intense experience! I’m not sure if I’ll ever go, but I’ll definitely use this guide if I do. Love all the insider tips!

    • It is intense – definitely not for everyone. But if you ever decide to go, I’ll be more than happy to help you plan!

  • Ah I love it! I’ve been wanting to go to Burning Man. Hopefully next year! πŸ™‚

    • I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you – one of the biggest things is getting tickets. They’re harder to obtain each year. Good luck!

  • This is unlike something I have ever heard of! It must have been such a cool experience, and you must have made memories for lifetime. The disconnect from social media must have been such a welcome break.

    • It’s sometimes hard to describe Burning Man – the experience is different for everybody. I loved disconnecting from social media, it gave me such a different perspective on living, especially in the moment.

  • What an awesome experience! My cousin went last year and totally loved it! Loved reading your tips!

    • Thank you – one of my favorite life experiences so far. Happy I get to do it again this year πŸ™‚

  • I am fascinated by Burning Man and dying to experience it. Somehow the flight, tickets, work leave, camping logistics have never been in my favor till date. This makes me want to GO NOW! The art installations are amazing and the ticket itself is so cool, like a pretty souvenir. It must be an insane experience.

    • Yes! That’s how I felt for the longest time – things fell into place at the end of 2015 which allowed me to go last year. There’s so much that goes into planning that week out on the playa, but it’s so worth it. Let me know when you end up going!

  • I knew very little about Burning Man before reading this. It looks so amazing! All the lights and art are so incredible! What a cultural adventure! I’m definitely going to need to check this out.

    • Yeah, the art installations are some of the best in the world. It’s crazy to think that a lot of the sculptures are made of wood and are often burned at the end of the week – a symbol of the impermanence of life.

  • This is a great collection of photos and valuable information. What kind of camera did you use? Was it difficult to keep it from getting dusty?

    • Thank you! It was just my iPhone 5s which hasn’t been the same since I got back from the Burn. Dust gets everywhere – I started with it in a ziplock bag but the outside of the bag got so dusty that I just gave up during the week and took it out. My camera stopped focusing a couple of months later so I had to have it replaced, but it still sucks. There are articles about protecting your equipment from the dust if you plan on taking out a dslr etc. I’m not willing to risk mine, so I might just get an used point-and-shoot and see what happens!

  • Amazing comprehensive post! I’m going for the first time this year and found some of this super helpful. I’m going with 6 people in an RV and our planning spreadsheet is 10 pages deep. It’s crazy all the little things you need to deal with. We have every meal planned out and our water rations planned out to a T. We’re coming in from Germany, but gave ourselves some extra time on either side. I will try and stop by for happy hour at your camp and say hello!!

    • Yay, I look forward to seeing you out there – I’ll be at 4:45&B – we also have a face board so if I’m not around you can leave me a message and I’ll come find you. Yeah, planning is no joke, I feel very unprepared this year but we’ll see how it goes out there. If you have any questions, just ask, might be able to help with something!

  • Wow wow wow. I have heard about burning man so much but never fully grasped what it was all about. This sounds amazing and something I would love to experience.

    • Yeah, it’s hard to wrap your head around everything that happens at Burning Man. There’s something for everyone to participate in and experience out there, it’s unbelievable!

  • Thank you for your thorough BM info …. I’m excited to experience my first burn in just a couple weeks and your info is helpful to ease some of my virgin anxiety!

    • I’m excited for you – I hope you have a safe first Burn! It can be a lot especially not knowing what to expect and hoping you have all the supplies out there – but don’t worry too much, it’s all part of the experience. Most importantly eat, and stay hydrated πŸ™‚

  • LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! Burning Man has been on my radar for 10 years, but I’ve just not made it happen yet. Someday, soon, I’ll be on the playa… thanks for sharing your experience!

    • Let me know when you make it out there – it’s a lot of prep for that one week out on the playa, especially if you’re coming from overseas! All worth it. πŸ™‚

  • Really nice post, thank you! I’ve added a few things to my list after yoir advice.
    It will be my first Burning Man, but I have been to the smaller Spanish regional one (called Nowhere) last Summer to test the waters before the big thing. I loved it and I love the way the community interacts.

    xXx
    Laura

    • I’m glad I could help – I’ve never been to a regional before but they definitely are a good way to see if the larger Burn is something that’s for you. See you out there in the dust!

  • This is awesome! I have never been but it looks really cool. It’s really comprehensive guide and I have saved it for later. Love your pictures too!

    • Thank you!

  • This sounds incredible! Not to mention a great learning and growth experience. I found myself cringing and smiling, wondering if I could master what you two did that week. Engaging writing! Love the photos.

    • Ha, it was way out of my comfort zone, I’m not sure how I survived. But, I must have liked it enough to want to go back and do it all over again this year!

  • 2016 was my first burn… alone (with 70,000 strangers) for my 40th birthday!! It was all the things you described and more wonderful than I could have ever imagined!!!) This year in less than two weeks, I will go home again and this time I’ll be sharing it with my husband! I am beyond thrilled!!!

Comments are closed.

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