Sleep
Tent with a full rainfly
A tent that keeps dust and a surprise rain out. Shade still goes over it.
Buy this early
A tent you trust is often $150–400
Opens in a new tab.Sleeping bags for cold Burning Man nights
The afternoon was hot. The ground is cold, the neighbors are loud, and a sheet won't fix either.
7 min read
Sits beside How to sleep in Burning Man heat/Best tent for Burning Man/Sleep kit for Burning Man
Shop the night out. Each piece is its own listing. We don't ship a kit as one box.
Days on the playa can clear 100°F. Nights regularly fall into the forties, and wind makes that feel worse. People who packed for a festival afternoon spend those nights awake, then have a rough day in the sun. Sleep is part of the plan. The heat note is the other twelve hours.
We are an independent outfitter. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Burning Man Project. The event name is used so you know which week this gear is for.
Off the ground
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Read the note
The surface pulls heat and finds every lump you missed at noon. A wide cot is heavy, and that is fine, because you drove. A thick flocked air bed is the other way people sleep: pump and patch kit in the bag, inflated on the tent floor or a rug, never on bare playa. The sleeping bag goes on top either way. A pillow you can stuff into a sack keeps the dust you wore home off your face. Peel the case. The next one is clean.
The bag
The bag we opened is a Kelty synthetic the maker rates at 40°F. The link opens on the regular size, which they say fits sleepers up to 6 feet. A long is on the menu. Comfort ratings assume you are already in a merino or synthetic base layer. Wear socks. A cotton t-shirt you danced in is damp, and damp is cold at 4 a.m. Change. Leave feathers and glitter at home. They shed, and they do not sleep warmer.
The ride back
The bag stays in the tent. The ride home wants a warm layer you can put on over the costume, and hand warmers in a pocket, over that layer, for the hour the wind is in your face. Put the layer in the basket before you leave camp. The version you meant to grab from the bin is the version you do not have at the far side of the city.
The noise
Earplugs matter as much as the bag. Foam plugs are the sleep pair. Filtered plugs are the pair you can still hold a conversation in, and they belong on the night-out kit, not as a substitute for foam at 4 a.m. A lamp that dims, and a headlamp that can go red, keep you from blasting white light through a tent wall. You will like the neighbors more if you cannot hear all of them, and they will like you more if you are not a lighthouse.
What fails
- Afternoon
- A dome in the sun.
- After midnight
- A sheet and bare playa.
- The ride home
- The layer you left in the bin.
What we pack
- Afternoon
- Shade over a full fly.
- After midnight
- Cot or air bed, 40°F bag, socks.
- The ride home
- A warm layer and hand warmers.
| What changes | Afternoon | After midnight | The ride home |
|---|---|---|---|
| What fails | A dome in the sun. | A sheet and bare playa. | The layer you left in the bin. |
| What we pack | Shade over a full fly. | Cot or air bed, 40°F bag, socks. | A warm layer and hand warmers. |
A cheap dome tent with no shade over it is an oven by 9 a.m. Sleep systems and shade are the same problem seen twelve hours apart.
The hot half of the same week, shade over the tent and a fan after that, is sleeping when the day is too hot. The tent under that shade is the best tent we will describe.
Sleep
Long underwear base layer
Top and bottom for the night that drops into the forties.
Buy this early
A top and bottom are often $40–90
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Sleep
Packable warm layer
A jacket for the fifty-degree drop after sunset.
Buy this early
A packable jacket is often $40–90
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Sleep
Air-activated hand warmers
A pocket full of heat for the ride after midnight.
A box is often $10–20
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Mack's
Mack's Ultra Soft foam earplugs, 50 pair
Foam earplugs for a camp that doesn't get quiet.
A 50-pair jar is often $15–25
Opens in a new tab.Soft Landings
Soft Landings SoundControl earplugs
Filtered earplugs that lower the volume and still let you hear the music.
$24.99 at Soft Landings
We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. You buy it from Soft Landings, and they ship it.
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Black Diamond
Black Diamond Moji R+
A small rechargeable lantern you can hang in the tent or set on a bin.
Often about $50
Opens in a new tab.Questions
- How cold do Burning Man nights get?
- Days can clear 100°F. Nights regularly fall into the forties, and wind makes that feel worse. A sheet and a costume are a night awake. Pack a bag for that drop, and a warm layer for the ride back.
- What sleeping bag should I bring to Burning Man?
- A bag rated for a night in the 40s, worn over a base layer and socks, on a cot or a thick pad. The Kelty we opened is a synthetic the maker rates at 40°F. That is the maker's number, not a promise you will be warm at 40. The link opens on the regular size, which they say fits sleepers up to 6 feet. A long is on the menu. A sheet is not the bag.
- Do I need a cot?
- You need to be off the ground. A wide cot is the heavy answer, and you drove, so the weight is fine. A thick flocked air bed on the tent floor or a rug is the other answer. Bare playa pulls heat and finds every lump.
- What earplugs are for sleep, and what are for a party?
- Foam plugs are for the tent, when you want the neighbor's camp to go away. Filtered plugs are for the dance, when you still want to hear a person next to you. Bring both. The foam pair lives with the bag.
Shop the kit
A kit is the shopping list for one job. Each piece is its own listing. We don't ship it as one box.
