The Ultimate Guide To Attending Burning Man Festival, Black Rock City
OH HEY FUTURE BURNER! ? So you want to go to Burning Man?
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphThe fact that you even clicked to open this post probably means you have a tiny desire to explore Black Rock City for yourself and if you have a desire, I suggest you pursue it!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraph(Apologise to your parents and your bank account for me. #sorrynotsorry)
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There are many stages in the preparation for attending Burning Man and the whole thing is a bit of a minefield if you’ve never been before.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphLuckily for me I had the guidance of my crazy Kiwi girlfriends who are veterans of this festival and guided me, quite literally, from start to finish. I honestly wouldn’t have booked my ticket otherwise; it’s not the kind of experience you want to turn up for clueless. (However, I NEARLY DID .. but that’s another story).
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphBurning Man requires a serious logistical attack.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphSo get reading and get planning, and see you on the playaaaaa!
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Step 1: Book Your Ticket (Or Try To Anyway)
/wp:heading wp:paragraphThe Burning Man ticket release comes in a few different stages which you can see the details for on the official website here. Tickets for this magic land are, as you can imagine, in HIGH DEMAND and sell out pretty quick.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphBefore the tickets go on sale you must create a ‘burner profile’ which you can do here.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphThis gives you a profile with a log in that you must then use to access the ticket sales.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphAs a self-employed independent fashion designer with fluctuating funds in the bank, I made the right decision by applying for a Low Income Burning Man Ticket. I applied in March 2018 and it got accepted about 3 weeks after failing to get tickets in the main Burning Man ticket sale. Winning!
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:paragraphTip - If applying for the Low Income Ticket: Take some time to read about the 10 Principles of Burning Man and being a Burning Man citizen. Then think creatively about your application, make sure to mention some of those key principles and how you would fit into Black Rock City ... what could you provide? ..etc!
You can read the official 10 commandments of Burning Man here.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphWhen purchasing your tickets in the main March sale you can buy max x2 tickets and x1 vehicle pass. Vehicle passes are $80 which you can split between the people you’re going with.
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The ticket buying process was quite frustrating. I entered the website on the second the tickets went out for sale and begun my attempt to purchase a golden ticket. The queue page was circling for about 40 minutes before it let me in to buy a ticket. When it finally did and I selected 1 from the general admission drop down it stated that tickets had sold out. As you can imagine my heart was racing and I was like NOOOO!
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:quoteTip: Keep refreshing the page once you make it past the queue. I think as people drop tickets out of their basket and don’t proceed with payment, the tickets free up again to purchase. Don’t give up!
/wp:quote wp:heading {"level":4}Tip: If you live in Europe, to avoid the ticket posting fee (I like to avoid any costs possible haha), you can opt to pick up your ticket from WillCall when you enter the festival. This is actually awesome because there’s no way you can lose your ticket in the 6 months leading up to the event. If you lose it? You’ll be watching Burning Man from social media updates.
If You Don’t Manage To Get A Ticket In General Sale?
/wp:heading wp:headingDON’T STRESS.
/wp:heading wp:paragraphI think around 60% of the group I went with didn’t. It’s a long and stressful process. So many people buy tickets in case they want to go and then nearer the time things come up, they change their mind etc.
/wp:paragraph wp:heading {"level":4}So, next options for tickets?
/wp:heading wp:heading {"level":4}The OMG Sale At The End Of July.
/wp:heading wp:paragraphNote: If you didn’t purchase a vehicle pass when you bought your ticket in March, you have the opportunity to buy one here.
/wp:paragraph wp:heading {"level":4}Next option for tickets? Buy one from someone.
/wp:heading wp:paragraphThroughout August people sell Burning Man tickets left, right and centre.
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:quoteTip: Source a friend in California that can pop a FB status up for you. It’s all about who you know.
/wp:quote wp:headingTip: Search #burningman #burningmantickets on FB and Twitter to locate people selling ticket
Step 2: Book Your Flights
/wp:heading wp:heading {"level":4}Booked and sorted? Awesome!!! You’re off to the playaaaa!
/wp:heading wp:paragraphI flew from the UK to LA with Norwegian airlines, then returned San Fran (Oakland airport … cheaper!) to London after the burn (purely to see some new cities!) and bagged myself a round trip for around £600 when I booked in June. Keep checking flights and get it booked to motivate your preparation.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphThe closest airport to Black Rock City is Reno. I personally road tripped from LA and stopped overnight in the Yosemites and then Reno to break up the journey. If you don’t want to hire a car or are coming alone there is a Burner Express bus that runs from Reno and SF to Black Rock City. Additional fees apply for taking bikes and you would need to purchase water in advance for pick up.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphYour best bet is to rent a car or preferably RV and share it with some fellow burners!
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In Advance…
/wp:heading wp:headingWho are you going to Burning Man with?
/wp:heading wp:paragraphThis is something you’ll probably want to consider before you buy a ticket and is something you should consider wisely. Burning Man is a pretty unique and at times very intense experience and you want to be around people that have a similar vibe and are looking for a similar vibe to you.
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What Are You Going To Sleep In, What Is Your Home?
/wp:heading wp:paragraphPeople stay in anything from 2 man tents to camper vans, yurts, Haul (American removal vans) to full blown RV’s which is what we did. (Recommend highly!)
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphOne thing I will say (if future years are anything like 2018) is that it’s HOT. If you’re down to party at BM then chances are you will party right the way through the night and then sleep in the day ready to go again.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphIf you sleep in the day like me you’ll want shade for sure but will be CRAVING aircon.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphI recommend a Hexayurt and a generator for aircon all the way. Unless you can afford an RV, then do that 100% !!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphSee Euphoric Threads complete packing and shopping list for Burning Man here.
/wp:paragraph wp:headingThink About Being Part Of A Big Camp..
/wp:heading wp:heading {"level":4}And perhaps enquire about joining a themed camp…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphIt is definitely possible, you just have to choose one.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphIf you get accepted onto a camp you will usually have to pay a contribution which goes towards the camp bar / offering / art car fuel or you will be asked to do a few shifts at the camp bar, for example. It depends on the camp.
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We simply paid I think $100 each to be part of a smaller rogue camp with a bunch of legends from LA, our camp was called BEAVER DAM, located 9 + J.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphNot all camps (like our one) make themselves public and for a selection of them it’s a case of a ‘who you know’.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphMany of the guys I went with were friends with an awesome Aussie camp called ‘Camp Bang Bang’ I would definitely recommend joining if you can get accepted!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphMake sure to check out the public camps you can get in contact with here.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphFor the extra money, in the grand scheme of things, I think its definitely worth joining a larger camp. Our camp had a few interesting art cars to travel around in, but most of the time you are off cycling, partying and exploring, or passed out in the RVs. Our camp was purely to share generator costs and have help with unloading RV water wastes etc .. ohhhh the logistics of an RV!
/wp:paragraph wp:headingStart Buying (or making) Outfits…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphAs soon as you have bought your tickets and are getting plans into place, start getting creative!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphMyyyyy god didn’t I have fun! Euphoric Threads galore!!
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As a fellow creative I went a bit mad, glue gunned and gemmed the shit out of everything, made some sick hats and goggles. So if you ever need any extra unique and handmade Burning Man accessories - Give us an email!!
/wp:paragraph wp:quote {"className":"is-style-large"}/wp:quote wp:paragraphAt Euphoric Threads we would LOVE to custom make you your Burning Man outfit. Drop us an email!
Honestly once you start shopping you’ll want everything so starting early spreads the cost out and gives you time to look and time for delivery / size swaps.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphTo make it easier for you, we have completed the ultimate packing list for Burning Man.
/wp:paragraph wp:headingTravel Insurance…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphMake sure you have it!
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:quote {"className":"is-style-large"}Remember: Don’t take anything to Burning Man that you would be soul destroyed about if you lost / broke. The dust get everywhere including in-between buttons and inside camera lenses and shit goes down.
/wp:quote wp:headingTip: GoPros are the perfect camera for the playa!
As It Gets Closer To The Burn…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphEnsure you have everything on my ultimate packing list. Make sure you have done all those Amazon orders and purchased all of those LED lights!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphCheck out where your friends are camping and make note in case you don’t get or want signal on the playa. Use that awesome Facebook app I mentioned in my last post, where you can to log in and pin where you are staying and then you and your Facebook friends will be able to find each other. Genius!
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A Couple Of Days Before You Leave…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphComplete the mission that is the massive food shop (leave the water until you get to Reno if you’re road tripping in!) We took a trip to CostCo, holy shit its humungous … stock up on it alllll!!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphPick up your bike if you’ve ordered one (or you can pick that up in Reno at a Walmart with your water too!)
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphPick up your rental vehicle if you’ve hired one (probs the first thing you’ll do!)
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphGirlies, get waxed, lasered and shaved – you’ll be living in hot pants, bikinis and heat so it’s the most comfortable and convenient option to go for!
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphCheck the weather and acquire any last minute essentials you need accordingly.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphMake sure you have all medication you will need for the week if you need any!
/wp:paragraph wp:headingEn Route To The Playa…
/wp:heading wp:heading {"level":4}(A Lot Of People Stop Off And Leave Pick Ups For Reno As It’s The Biggest And Last Town On The Way)
/wp:heading wp:paragraphPick up bikes at Walmart (I didn’t pre-order my bike like most people did, we were lucky enough to walk in the night before and purchase the cheapest cruiser bike for $88 from Walmart in Reno!)
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphI remember our last meal all together was at Reno Casino …. ALL YOU CAN EAT , so good. Probably the MOST food I ate on my entire trip - perfect way to line our stomachs before a week of debauchery.
/wp:paragraph wp:paragraphPick up your water for the week too ! (picking it up in Reno means you can travel lighter for the majority of the way and pick up water at the last possible location)
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:headingNote - About 40 minutes before you get to the playa there are some clever bunnies that have set up roadside stalls and are selling everything you’ve probably forgotten plus extra costumes. They aren’t actually too badly priced and yeah, this will be your last option to buy anything before you enter the burn!
On The Playa…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphI don’t want to tell you everything now, do I? The mystery surrounding what actually goes on on the playa and the survival of it is half of the fun! .. Just know that we have you covered on preparation and we'll see you on the other side!
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When You Leave…
/wp:heading wp:paragraphAs the Burning Man commandment states: you shall ‘Leave No Trace’.
/wp:paragraph wp:quote/wp:quote wp:quote {"className":"is-style-large"}Tip: You cannot leave your bin bags at Black Rock City (under any circumstance) but as soon as you drive out of the festival there are trash drop offs.
/wp:quote wp:image {"id":2271,"width":1024,"height":1024}“ Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them. "
Big love to all you burners heading to Burning Man 2019. Make sure to get in touch if you want some custom made Euphoric Threads festival outfits!
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