Anika Begay
“Stay away from camps that provide ‘services’ like stylists, hair and makeup artists, staff, or anyone offering lodging and ticket packages,” Feldman says. “These are red flags. The people who go there probably won’t have a great time, and the entire camp could shut down mid-burn and you’ll be stranded without shelter, food, water, etc.”
If you want a more sustainable campsite, look for one that takes food scraps to a composting site, collects cans for recycling, and has some sort of solar system.
One trick to determining how good a camp is is to check how it performed in terms of Leaving No Trace last year. When the Burning Man team does a walk-through of the playa after it’s all over, they note how much MOOP (matter out of place) is left on each camp site. If the camp is in the red, that’s a bad sign.
Determine your shelter
Your shelter options include a tent, camper, or trailer. You might also try a Shiftpod, a reflective shelter designed by Burners for desert camping.
Hardcore burners will swear and swear that you don’t need air conditioning to enjoy your burn, just a battery-powered fan for your tent, but that may not be true for much longer. Nearby Reno, Nevada is warming faster than any other city due to climate change.
“As much as I hate AC units because they’re bad for the environment, they can be a real lifesaver depending on the heat,” Collins says. He says you can find a used AC unit for between $200 and $500. If your campsite doesn’t provide power, you’ll need to bring a small generator—solar panels can’t run an AC unit.
If you’re tent camping, make sure your camp has a quiet, well-shaded or even air-conditioned shared lounge area where you can nap during the day. Or, in an emergency, find out where your friends with air conditioning are staying.
The hexayurt made of taped insulation panels was more popular, but it was cumbersome to build and transport, so the Shiftpod, an insulated dome that comfortably sleeps two, has largely taken its place. In fact, both Collins and Rueben Pacheco, who participated in his first burn in 2009 and brings a gnome-themed art car to the playa, own Shiftpods. Feldman bought a trailer several years ago, but may buy a Shiftpod in the future.
The Shiftpod sells for $1,600, comes in a large duffel bag, and can be set up in 20 minutes. It keeps dust out pretty well, and people who stayed in it during last year’s deluge reported that their floors stayed dry. “It’s a really good investment,” Collins says.
Many Burners flying into a nearby city choose to take an RV to complete the trip. With its built-in air conditioning, beds, kitchen, and refrigerator, it offers more comfort and lighter packing. It’s also much more comfortable than driving a car in a 12-hour exodus line. The downside is the expense (expect at least $2,000 per person for rental, taxes, and gas) and the stress of piloting that cumbersome monster around Reno and in and out of Black Rock City, especially since Burning Man’s governing body, the Org, banned RV deliveries starting last year. Oh, and RVs are arguably Burning Man’s most polluting lodge, with a high carbon footprint and a large generator drain, which means more noise and particulate pollution on the playa.
Decide how you will get there
You can reach the Burner Bus (in order of cost), by driving your own car, driving a camper or arriving by plane.
