Pyramex
Pyramex G204 splash goggles
Splash goggles with the vents capped, so dust stays out of the lens.
Often about $8
Opens in a new tab.Flying in to Burning Man
The suitcase is the constraint. A bike is a rental before the gate. The day bag is still yours, and the city's luggage page is the rule.
7 min read
Sits beside Rent a bike before the gate/Night bike kit/First-year crate/Questions to ask your camp/Renting an RV for Burning Man/Campervan from Europe
Shop the first-year crate. Each piece is its own listing. We don't ship a kit as one box.
Flying in is a packing problem with a weight limit, not a smaller version of the week. The desert is the same. The car is gone. What does not fit in the luggage has to be waiting with camp, in a rental kit you picked up in Reno, or it does not exist. Decide that before you buy a frame.
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.
The bag that is actually yours
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Read the note
- Goggles that seal, and a spare pair in a zip bag.
- Respirators still in the wrap. A shemagh for sun.
- A bottle or a bladder. Gallons are a camp problem, not a carry-on.
- A headlamp and a small battery bank, charged.
- Earplugs, sunscreen, lip balm, and medicines in their bottles.
- A warm layer and a shell, if they stuff small.
- A cup. Lights, a lock, and a flag if the bike is yours to equip.
A 20,000 mAh bank is the personal charger. The listing we use is in that class. Airlines publish their own battery rules, and you should read the one you are flying. The bank is not a camp power station. A station, a shade frame, and the drinking-water jugs ride with someone who has a car, or they are part of a camp you have already asked.
Dust and sun
- In your bags
- Goggles, respirators, a hat, sunscreen.
- With camp or a kit
- The vinegar gallon, if someone is driving.
- Do not count on it
- Buying goggles after you land, the afternoon you need them.
Water and shade
- In your bags
- The bottle you carry.
- With camp or a kit
- Jugs, a frame, lags, and the kitchen.
- Do not count on it
- A store inside the city. There isn't one you should count on.
The bike
- In your bags
- Lights, a lock, a flag, a tube. Maybe the bike, if the ticket allows it.
- With camp or a kit
- A rental picked up before the gate.
- Do not count on it
- A rental inside Black Rock City.
| What changes | In your bags | With camp or a kit | Do not count on it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust and sun | Goggles, respirators, a hat, sunscreen. | The vinegar gallon, if someone is driving. | Buying goggles after you land, the afternoon you need them. |
| Water and shade | The bottle you carry. | Jugs, a frame, lags, and the kitchen. | A store inside the city. There isn't one you should count on. |
| The bike | Lights, a lock, a flag, a tube. Maybe the bike, if the ticket allows it. | A rental picked up before the gate. | A rental inside Black Rock City. |
The bus, the bike, the kit
If you are on the bus, read the current Burner Express luggage page before you pack the tent you hope will squeeze. The page we read says two luggage items plus a small carry-on, 62 linear inches and 50 pounds each, with extra luggage and a bike as separate fees from Reno. A bike on that truck has to be locked. Their numbers win if the page has changed.
Paid rental inside the city is not a plan. The city's bike page says pickup and drop-off happen outside, in places like Reno and Nixon. A rental is a frame. Some shops include a lock or a basket. Lights, a tall flag, and a spare tube are still the night kit. Some Reno outfits rent a whole camp kit for people who cannot bring shade and a tent. Read what that kit includes, and still pack the day bag. We do not book those kits, and we do not ship one box.
The rental map is bikes before the gate. The city's own page is bicycles. What camp must answer before you skip the shade is questions to ask your camp. If the bed is a rental RV instead of a tent in someone else's camp, that decision is renting an RV, and the company has to know the desert is the destination. The order, if this is the first year, is the first-timer list. The Survival Guide is still the must-bring list. A suitcase does not shrink it.
CamelBak
CamelBak Crux 3L reservoir
Three liters on your back for the hours you're away from camp.
Often $30–40
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Anker
Anker 20,000 mAh power bank
A small bank for the phone, the lights, and a camera battery.
Often $40–70
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Cygolite
Cygolite front and rear light set
A throw forward and a flash behind, on mounts that stay put.
Buy this early
Often about $86
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Kryptonite
Kryptonite Evolution 11mm U-lock
A U-lock for every time you get off, including right outside camp.
Buy this early
Often about $110
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Black Diamond
Black Diamond Spot 350
A headlamp with a red mode for camp and a white beam for the work.
Often about $43
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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.Questions
- What should I pack if I fly to Burning Man?
- Pack the things that have to be on your body: goggles that seal, respirators, a bottle or a bladder, a headlamp, earplugs, sunscreen, and any medicine you already take. Rent or borrow the bike before the gate, in Reno, Sparks, Nixon, or Gerlach. Lights, a lock, a flag, and a spare tube are still yours. Water by the gallon and a shade frame usually ride with camp or a rental kit, not in a carry-on.
- What are the Burner Express luggage limits?
- The Burner Express bus page says a ticket includes two luggage items and one personal carry-on, given as 9 by 10 by 17 inches. Each luggage item may not exceed 62 linear inches or 50 pounds. Reno extra luggage and a bike are separate fees on that page. Their page is the rule if the numbers change. A shade frame and a week of water do not fit that allowance.
- Can I rent a bike after I get to Black Rock City?
- No. The city's bike page says fee-based rental, pickup, and drop-off have to happen outside the city. You ride the bike in. A rental is a frame. The night kit is a separate bag.
Free checklist
Take the packing list with you.
Dust, water, shade, the bike, a cold night, and a clean exit. The list is already free on this site. Leave an email if you want a copy sent later, and open it now either way.
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.
