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People tend to associate Burning Man fashion with either “Mad Max” cosplay or models in crystal-covered bodysuits and six-inch platforms, but that’s not the norm.

One of the 10 principles of Burning Man is radical self-expression, and what better way to express yourself than through your style? The key, though, is making sure you can bike all night in whatever you wear.

I packed all my clothes in a heavy-duty moving bag (easier to squeeze into an RV with four other people than a suitcase), and organized each outfit in its own Ziploc bag to protect from any lingering dust outside. Here’s what I packed:

• Fun jackets for cold nights — I lived in my faux fur coats
• An outfit for Burning Man’s famous Wednesday white party. My camp leaders got married on this day, so our entire camp was in white for their Burning Man wedding!
• Fun tops, shorts, skirts, and dresses, but nothing with loose feathers, glitter, or sequins — anything that can litter the playa is known as “MOOP” and is looked down on by Burners
• Boots you can ride a bike in all night — I brought one colorful, funky pair and one classic black pair (neither survived the week)
• Bodysuits and swimsuits, which are great to throw on for hot days and easy to dress up with accessories.
• Sunglasses for both fashion and eye protection
• Jewelry, robes, belts, and other accessories for extra flair

• Goggles with foam so the dust can’t get in
• A sweatshirt for sleeping on cold nights
• Loose and comfortable loungewear or PJs to sleep in
• Slider sandals for walking to the Porta Potties
• Many, many pairs of socks. We’d wear these even with our sandals to protect ourselves from the alkaline dust — no one wants Playa Foot!
• Underwear, specifically cotton for the heat
• Sneakers for helping set up or tear down camp
• A clean set of clothes for the long ride home, protected from the dust in its own Ziploc bag

You might have noticed I didn’t bring any rain gear, which was a big mistake when the infamous Burning Man mudstorm hit in 2023. Next time, I’ll throw in a rain jacket and waterproof shoes. Walking to the bathroom with my feet covered in garbage bags is an experience I’d rather not repeat.

Most people don’t shower during their Burning Man experience. You have to bring all your water to Black Rock City, and you can’t spill any used for cooking, cleaning, or bathing (known as “Gray Water” in Burner lingo) onto the playa. So, a stocked bag of toiletries is essential for staying clean.

• Baby wipes or body wipes (this brand I found on Amazon has been my go-to for any camping festival)
• Face wipes
• Witch Hazel, which helps neutralize the alkaline in the dust while cleansing the skin
• Lotion and/or moisturizing cream
• Foot cream to help prevent the skin from cracking
• Razors and shaving cream
• Toothbrush and toothpaste

I had a second toiletry bag dedicated to items that would protect me from the sun, dust, and Porta Potty germs. It included:

• A first aid kit
• Sunscreen and aloe vera
• Many, many tubes of Chapstick with sunscreen
• Medicated lip ointment, tissues, eye drops
• Cuticle cream (that alkaline dust can also crack your cuticles)
• Nasal saline spray to rinse out the dust in your nose every day
• Hand sanitizer for the Porta Potties — there are no provided sinks or soaps at Burning Man
• CBD cream and Icy Hot patches for muscles sore from biking
• Medicine kit with Advil or Tylenol, cough drops, throat spray, Tums, and Pepto Bismol (the 30-and-up crowd knows why)

One of Burning Man’s 10 principles is gifting, and many camps choose to make their gift food and drinks. The only items you can buy at Black Rock City are ice or coffee.

There are camps whipping up delicious buffets, serving miso and sake at sunrise, or handing out hot dogs after chasing you in their ketchup and mustard costumes.

But you never know what’s going to happen at Burning Man. When the storm hit in 2023, we were stuck in our camp for three days because the mud was too thick to bike through. When you’re in the middle of the desert, you want to have backup food. This is what my RV packed:

• At least 1-1.5 gallons of water a day per person
• Gatorade or electrolyte packets
• Pre-packaged dehydrated meals that just need hot water (we loved the options from Mountain House)
• Ramen, canned chili, soups
• Iced coffee and/or energy drinks
• Shelf-stable snacks like chips, trail mix, crackers, jerky, protein bars, and dried fruit
• Sweets and candy
• Beer, liquor, bottles of prosecco to pop at sunrise on a dance floor

Black Rock City measures 3,879 acres and holds nearly 100,000 people during Burning Man. Not only are you riding your bike daily for hours on end, but you also have to park it whenever you visit a different camp — usually among hundreds of other bikes. (It’s much harder than finding your car at the mall.)

It’s crucial to pack a bike that’s comfortable but also distinctive, meaning it should be decorated with lights, streamers, and totems.

Here’s what I packed for my daily rides:

• A bike with a seat, cushion, and lock
• A CamelBak or reusable water bottle to keep me hydrated
• A backpack and a fanny pack to store supplies
• A reusable cup and collapsible silverware for eating and drinking gifts from other camps
• Dust mask and a pashmina or bandanas for Whiteouts
• Battery-operated lights to wear and put on my bike at night to help avoid crashes
• An LED headlamp for biking at night
• Extra batteries (someone’s lights are always dying in the middle of the night)
• A mini flashlight for the toilets — a pitch-black Porta Potty is a scary place
• Extra toilet paper (1-ply to be Porta Potty safe)

There are a variety of ways to camp at Burning Man, from canvas tents and Shiftpods to cars and RVs. There have also been luxury “plug-and-play” camps, where everything is set up for you at a hefty price, but Burning Man Project is trying to make those a “thing of the past,” according to its website.

My friends and I opted for an RV, where we eventually had eight people sleeping after the storm hit and flooded three of our friends’ tents. Here’s what we had packed:

• Sheets, pillows, and blankets for the RV’s beds and couches
• Sleep masks and foam earplugs
• A hanging shoe organizer and storage bins
• Coolers for drinks and food that won’t fit in the fridge
• Reusable cups, plates, and silverware for the kitchen (collapsible items help save space)
• A whiteboard and dry-erase markers to hang outside the RV. Since we didn’t have cell service, this is how we coordinated meet-ups with friends.

Most Burners who rent RVs know that the likelihood of getting their security deposit back is slim to none, even after paying the hefty Burning Man fee that most rental places charge.

But we still packed items to help protect and clean the RV, including:

• A canvas cloth to cover the RV floor from any outside dust
• Mylar film to cover the windows and keep heat out of the RV
• Garbage bags, paper towels, cleaning spray, and soap for cleaning
• Extra gas and a spare tire in case of any road emergencies
• Bungee cords to help secure our bikes on the rack while driving to Black Rock City (any nicks or scratches are coming right out of that security deposit)

One of the most beautiful parts of Burning Man is Temple. The wooden structure acts as a sacred place for Burners to hang photos, letters, and other mementos they’ve brought from home.

These items could be from a lost loved one, a pet who died, a relationship that has come to an end — whatever they need. At the end of the week, Temple is burned to the ground, giving people a chance for closure or cathartic release.

It’s a beautiful and essential part of the Burning Man tradition — it might just be the hardest thing to pack.