burning man clothing

I went to Burning Man for the first time this year and found that I brought too much of some things and not enough of others. I'm going to write down my experiences while they're still fresh so I can refer to them next year.

• sturdy pair of shorts
• two t-shirts
• three pairs of socks and underwear (eww, just three?)
• long pants
• sweatshirt
• wide-brimmed hat
• sandals suitable for walking long distances on hard ground
• closed-toe shoes
• a dust mask or two
• closed goggles
• sunglasses, if sunniness irritates your eyes
• a plastic poncho, if you're worried about rain
• two bottles of high-SPF sunscreen

You're going to be disgusting after a week in the desert, regardless of your typical hygiene standards. I erred on the side of bringing too many items of clothing (which isn't really a big deal; you're car-camping, not backpacking).

Most days were sunny and in the 90s, and I generally walked around wearing just a pair of shorts, sandals, and my hat. It didn't get as cold as I'd heard at night; I was generally okay wearing long pants, a t-shirt, socks, and shoes. There wasn't more than a few minutes of rain, and I think I would've been fine just staying under shelter without raingear if there'd been more.

There were hour-long dust storms the last few afternoons, so don't forget the dust mask. I had brought ventilated safety goggles and found that dirt got into my eyes when I was perpendicular with the wind. Swimming goggles would've been a better choice.

You'll want to bring or borrow some costumes too.

More to come later.