Burning Man is an alien environment for most humans; be aware of your surroundings. This isn’t an amusement park ride: be responsible for your own safety.

Of course you will want to take good care of yourself. You want to feel good so that you can have fun.

Your body and mind will get a work-out on the playa. Pause,  inhale deeply, stretch, and look around.

Appreciate who you are and where you are; stay healthy by eating well, getting enough rest and quiet time. Have a good time, explore, and always use good judgment.

A good attitude is the basic foundation of a healthy burning experience. Pick out your best attitude and install it before you get to the playa.

Eat healthy food that you know makes you ‘feel good’. The playa is not a good time to experiment with unfamiliar food.

If you are tired, rest. Have you been drinking enough water? Grouchiness is a sign of dehydration.

Encourage responsible behavior in others by setting a good example. Be alert. It’s much better to pay attention than to pick up the pieces later.

Get a good, bright bike light so you can see where you are going. Wear goggles that allow peripheral vision. Always, always wear lights on your body at night: this will help to avoid collisions with bikes and art cars.

Be prepared to care for your own minor medical needs. Bring a small first aid kit. Give prompt attention to any cuts, blisters, scrapes or slivers. A minor injury can turn into a big problem if it gets infected.

Wear heavy work gloves when unloading lumber and erecting your shelter. The alkaline dust is hard on your skin.

Use the medical facilities at Burning Man for problems that need professional attention.

Take your Playa Survival Pack with you wherever you go. Be prepared for fun!

Unfortunately, another consideration at Burning Man is prevention of crime. Protect yourself and your belongings. Keep valuables locked up in your vehicle and out of sight.

Thieves target bikes, cameras, etc, and have been known to raid empty camps while everyone is out watching the burns. Consider leaving someone in camp on ‘patrol’ on the nights of the larger burns.

Relationships can get a workout on the playa. Be patient with yourself and others. Forgive harsh words. Offer understanding and affection to those around you. If you are feeling grouchy, give yourself a ‘time out’: rest, drink some water. It’s hard to ‘take back’ mean-spirited words, and we all know how much words can hurt. Spread good energy instead. Remember what’s important.

Basic requirements of what to wear – what clothing should do for you

• Makes you *feel good*
• Keeps you warm on cold days and nights
• Protects you from the sun and heat
• Is comfortable enough to wear and move around in
• Feels good against your bare skin
• Helps to make you visible at night – light colored and/or reflective clothing can enhance your visibility
• Not be something you would be devastated to lose or have ruined
• Not get caught in bike chains or hung up on passing art cars
• Not shed or shred or leave parts and pieces all over the playa

Skirts, dresses and kilts are the perfect playawear, no matter your gender. If you have never worn a skirt before, there is no better time than Burning Man. Skirts are comfortable and convenient in the port-a-potties. Thrift shops usually have lots of ‘one size fits all’ skirts. Note: long skirts can be a problem on a bike. Plan some way to keep the skirt out of the spokes and chain.

Togas, sarongs, and other ‘large pieces of fabric’ are wonderful, fun clothes on the playa. Togas require 4 to 6 yards of fabric…a sarong about 2 yards or so. Uh, a loincloth takes only half a yard, maybe? Do a Google search on “how to tie a toga” (or sarong) for ideas…or just bring your fabric to the playa and have someone help you!

Cleaning your clothes after the playa is not too difficult. Playa dust comes right out in the washer. Costumes like elaborate belly dancing outfits that can’t be washed are a problem…and if you bring them to Burning Man, they will get dusty!

A sun hat is a necessity. Get something with a broad brim and a chin strap. Add a handkerchief to the back with small safety pins to protect the back of your neck. Straw hats are nice but sorta fragile. Some outdoor wear companies make foldable, non-crushable fabric hats with broad brims. An umbrella can be good for personal mobile shade, but don’t take it out in a windstorm!

Don’t forget your sunglasses. And don’t forget your *extra* sunglasses. Bring at least two pairs. Really. Don’t bring your $150 Zingispendos…get some comfortable cheap ones with fun frames and good eye coverage.

Love your feet. Bring lots of good fluffy sox. Bring some brand new sox. Pair them up with comfy shoes. Bring at least two pairs of comfy walking shoes or boots. You can bring uncomfortable shoes too. Just make sure those aren’t the only shoes you brought. Some people really like flip-flops and sandals on the playa. Others go barefoot all week. Be very careful about this: your feet can dry out and end up with painful cracks. Or the tops of your feet may get sunburned.

Dust protection for your face
Goggles and dust masks are handy to have on hand, bring several. Some people are sensitive to the blowing playa dust while others aren’t bothered. Be prepared: white out dust storms do occur. It’s essential to have face protection if you are caught out on the open playa. Be leery of goggles that restrict your vision, especially when riding your bike. Bring some cheap goggles and dust masks, or go all out and get the ultimate playa face protection:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp?xi=xi&ItemId=1611763136

A dust protecting scarf is an essential part of your playa clothing. This is a light-weight, thin, “see through” piece of fabric that can wrapped around your entire head during a dust storm, protecting your eyes, mouth and hair. Any fabric store will have something suitable. Between dust storms, a dust scarf can be used as a shawl, see-through skirt, cape, or belly dancing veil

Dust scarf requirements – what to look for at the fabric store

• Thinly woven enough to see through – hold it up to the light and look
• Tightly woven enough to keep out that fine playa dust
• Soft enough to be wrapped around your head or wadded into a small Ziploc when you don’t need it
• Stiff enough to “stand away” from your face a little – don’t get super limp fabric
• A color *you* love
• Fabric that doesn’t ravel too badly – if it does, you’ll need to hem the raw edges (don’t shed threads on the playa)
• Get about one and a half to two yards

The playa is desert, so it makes sense to wear the same clothing that desert dwellers have worn for thousands of years. Do a search on turban, shemagh, caftan, sirwal, dishdasha, abaya or nisqab to see a variety of clothing that has been ‘desert tested’.

Day or night, lingerie is delicious fun. Don’t you just love the feel of silky smooth satin against your skin? This is another ‘easy find’ at the thrift shop: you should be able to find lots of colors and styles. Seems like every Burning Man includes an impromptu gathering of burners in red lingerie. Be prepared to play “Red Rover”!

You will want your bathrobe, jammies and slippers. Burning Man is sorta like one big slumber party. Enjoy your mornings…stroll about in your robe and slippers with a cup of coffee. Go visit the neighbors. You’ll be glad you did.

It’s cold at night. And some years, it’s cold in the day time too. Bring warm clothes. Long underwear and tights will fit under almost any outfit to keep you warm on the inside, while you are fashionable on the outside. Ear warmers, hats and gloves are good to have with you, even if you never wear them. Bring a raincoat so it doesn’t rain.

Putting on makeup can be fun! It’s Halloween every day at Burning Man. Be aware that some types of make up are *very* difficult to wash off: this can be a real problem on the water-impaired playa. Put a layer of lotion on first, under your make up: this will help prevent the make up from soaking into your skin.

Accessories: jewelry, hats, gloves, veils, etc. Your local thrift shop probably has lots of interesting items in this category. Get out the glue gun and create your own playa accessories. Lighted accessories are wonderful, if not essential, at night. Handkerchiefs are handy for all sorts of things: bring several.

Bring a pair of sturdy work gloves. The playa dust is hard on your hands, especially when you are working unpacking or erecting shelter.

Isn’t it amazing what people will wear when they can wear anything they want? The humans at Burning Man are artwork in motion.

The playa is your opportunity to experiment with clothing. Get out of your closet and into someone else’s. Dressing up can be fun! Go to the thrift shop and see what catches your eye.

Have fun with colors, accessories and makeup. We all have a little clown/dancer/gypsy/alien in us waiting to come out.

Remember: Leave No Trace. Don’t even bring clothing with sequins or feather boas. These are a serious problem on the playa. Inspect your clothing for small parts that might shed or shred on the playa.

Preventing litter is *much* easier than picking it up later.

Being nekkid is one way to ‘dress up’ for the playa, but be very careful about sunburn. It’s hard to have fun if you hurt.

No matter what you wear on the rest of your body, your feet deserve comfortable sox and shoes.  Dress up from your ankles up, or decorate your comfortable shoes…but never wear shoes that give you blisters or hurt your feet! Your feet will work hard at Burning Man: be good to them

Comfortable, cotton clothing like loose shirts and skirts can actually help keep you cool. Sweaty damp clothing is a *good* thing in the desert. Spritz with water for extra cooling.

The weather and temperatures vary widely on the playa: hot, cold, hot, cold. Be prepared with layers of clothing. Bring light-weight long underwear or tights to wear under your costumes. A cape in another easy way to add warmth to any outfit.

Try on your playa wear at home. Can you move in it? How about ride a bike? Long flowing clothing like skirts, baggy pants and capes can get caught in the chain and spokes: be prepared with some method to ‘tie up’ loose clothing before riding your bike.

Caution: wrong thinking — dressing up *is* a form of participation, but don’t get caught into thinking that burners who *aren’t* dressed up aren’t participating. Dressing up is not required at Burning Man.

Anybody’s Playa Menu

Anybody likes a selection of food on the playa. Bring a variety so that you have a choice of what to eat at any given moment. Bring extra non-perishable foods: you will be comforted to know you aren’t in danger of starvation.

Beverages
Soymilk, fruit juice, Hansen’s Smoothies (frozen), Kern’s juices (frozen), Tang, hot cocoa mix, herbal teas, coffee, solar ice tea, Chai Mix, lemonade, beer, Kahlua (for your hot cocoa), wine

Breakfast sorta things
Grape Nuts, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Raisin Bran, oatmeal (instant and/or regular), granola
Eggs – crack open into a bowl and beat up with a pinch of salt, freeze in large Ziplocs. Makes great scrambled eggs!
Bagels, butter, cream cheese, jam: fry bagels in melted butter, top with cream cheese and jam…yum!
Biscotti, pastries, muffins

Lunch and snacky sorta things
Bagels, cheeses, peanut butter, lunchmeats (but eat within a few days of playa arrival)
Hot dogs (meatless or dead animal variety) or sausages and buns
Cans of tuna and/or salmon
Condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, relish, ketchup
Dried fruit like raisins, dried cranberries, dried pineapple, prunes. Taste test at home. Avoid sulfured dried fruits if you are sensitive to this preservative.
Baby carrots and other cut up fresh veggies and salad dressing or something for dip
Fresh fruit like apples, oranges, grapefruit and cantaloupe
Make a fresh salad at home. Put in Ziplocs and eat within a few days. Don’t forget the croutons and dressing.
Corn, pita and potato chips (Make nachos!)
Salsa and hummus: bring cans of garbanzo beans to make hummus on the playa
Cookies, graham crackers
Gorp (make your own at home), soynuts, shelled roasted sunflower seeds
Powerbars, other ready-to-eat ‘nutrition’ bars, fruit leather, Frutios

Major meals like potlucks and dinners
Spaghetti noodles and sauce in jars (or make your own sauce at home and freeze in Ziplocs)
Cans of soup: bring a variety of ones you like or make your own and freeze
Just-add-water type non-perishable mixes like Zatarain’s rice mixes: you can add canned tomatoes, vegetables, and canned or frozen meats to these if you want
Fresh onions, garlic, and potatoes: these keep pretty well on the playa. Make fried potatoes and onions!
Corn and flour tortillas
Cans of refried beans, jar of jalapeno peppers
Cans of chili and stew
Cans of tomatoes, corn, green chilies, black beans
Cans of chicken (or precook chicken at home, cut up and freeze in Ziplocs)
Many of your favorite meals will freeze well: make them at home for no fuss playa dinners
Make one or two fancy desserts at home. Make a kind that will travel well and take the playa heat. Eat early in the week.
Yakesobe noodles and sauce: stir fry with veggies for a yummy dinner
Rice is handy for a variety of dishes

Miscellaneous
Salt, pepper, sugar, honey, cooking oil, red pepper, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, Tapatio Sauce