How to Burn
Whether this is your first burn or your fifteenth, here's what you need to know about burning with us. Read the 10 Principles, check the packing list, and remember: the playa provides, but you should still pack sunscreen.
These are the foundation of Burning Man. Know them. Live them. Clown them.
The official Burning Man 10 Principles — the foundation of everything.
burningman.org →Disposable cameras over phones? Something to consider. The playa eats electronics, and there's something magical about not knowing what your photos look like until you get home.
We haven't nailed down exact hours yet, but here's the general breakdown. The goal is balance — we want people to not feel burnt out or overworked. If you show up big for build, your week is lighter. If you mostly help during the event, that's cool too.
Some of us will probably start working in Reno on Monday of build. We'll then probably start building the camp on Playa on Wednesday. We mainly need to make sure we have the build/breakdown teams balanced, but don't need everyone for build.
We want one night where everyone participates (for a bigger camp party vibe), but probably only one other interactivity shift for sure otherwise.
We cook most components in Reno during build week and freeze them. On playa, a kitchen shift includes:
Schedule: Build dinners Wed-Saturday, full camp dinners Sun-Sun. Sunday breakdown gets a cold pre-made dinner.
Everyone that is there helps with breakdown. No exceptions. Many hands make light work (and faster escapes from the exodus line).
Leads start working in Reno. Prep meals, organize gear, convert chaos into slightly-less-chaos.
Start building camp on playa. Shade structures, frontage, kitchen setup. Build dinners start.
Finishing touches. The dock. The circus tent. The clown nose distribution centers.
Full camp arrives! Gates open. Camp dinners begin. The sideshow starts.
Sideshows, fishing, clown fights, lounging, exploration. This is why we're here.
Leave no trace. Everyone helps. Pack it up, MOOP sweep, head home with memories and playa dust.
Click to check off items! This is just the highlights. For the full list, check the community packing spreadsheet.
