A Burning Man checklist you can tick off.

Ticket, ID, and the vehicle pass sorted

Not a product. Do this before you shop for goggles.

Ask camp what they already provide

Shade, kitchen, power, and toilets change your list. Get a direct answer.

A bottle with a lid you will actually carry

An open cup on the bike is a splash. Put your name on it.

An insulated cup with a lid, for the hours you are out

Coffee, a cold drink, a handle you can hook. Your name on the bottom.

Your name and camp address on the bike, the lamp, and the bottle

The playa is full of identical gear. A fine marker, and more than one, because they walk off.

A large hand fan

Bamboo, cloth, no glitter. It cools you and it comes home.

A sun hat with a chin strap

A brim without a strap is a gift to the wind.

Prescriptions, in the bottles they came in

Plus the personal supplies you already use. The playa does not stock them.

Closed-toe shoes you can bike in

The ground is rough, hot, and full of things you do not want in a sandal.

More socks than days

A merino hiker sock with some structure. Bag the clean pairs. The listing opens on one size.

A rain layer you can bike in

The week is famous for dust. It has also turned to mud. A small shell lives in the day bag.

A spare car key, not on the same ring

Hide one. Carry one. Locking the only key in the car is a classic.

A clean set of clothes in a sealed bag

For the drive home, and for the clean socks. A heavy gallon bag. Everything you wore all week is a dust bomb in the car.

If the RV or the truck is a rental, say where it is going

Get the playa and the cleaning fee in writing. There is no dump station in the city.

Sealed goggles, plus a spare pair

Capped vents. The spare stays in a zip bag.

Particulate respirators for whiteouts

When you can't see ten feet, the scarf isn't enough. Put the respirator on.

Lip balm with SPF, in the day bag

The dry air cracks lips before you feel thirsty. Cap on.

Cotton shemagh

Rothco, about 42 inches, cotton. The link opens on olive drab. In a whiteout, use the respirator.

Saline rinse

For the dust you already breathed. Use clean water.

Lubricant eye drops

For the grit that got past the seal. Tip off the dust. Follow the label.

A saline nasal spray

The portable version. The rinse kit at camp is still the wash.

HEINPRO handheld blower

DeWalt 20V is the one we use. Same blower for Makita, Milwaukee, and Ryobi. Battery not included.

A compatible battery and charger

If you do not already own the tools. Cheaper than the name-brand pack.

Drinking water, about 1.5 gallons per person per day

Two 7-gallon jugs are a serious start for one person. A camp needs more.

Hydration pack with a 3-liter reservoir

The pack, if you do not already own one that takes a bladder.

Hydration bladder, around 3 liters

The reservoir alone, when a pack you already own will take it.

Electrolyte packets

Start before you feel wrecked, including the drive in.

Meal shake packets

Calories when you will not cook. Mix with water you already counted. Packets come home.

A bowl and a spork

Wash water goes in the gray-water jug, not on the playa.

Protein bars in the cooler

One in the day bag. The rest stay cool. Wrappers come home.

Open silver knit sized to a real frame

The 10 by 15 we opened has holes you can see through. Larger cuts are on the menu. A blue tarp bakes the camp.

Long lag bolts or 18-inch rebar

Every foot, not just the corners. Cap exposed rebar. Pull every one.

12-inch hex-head lags, if that is the anchor

Twenty-five bolts with washers. They are 12 inches, not 18. Back them out with a socket.

A straight-leg 10 by 10, if camp does not already have shade

Leave the solid top in the car. Put the open knit on the frame. The mesh walls sail.

Caps for every exposed rebar end

Orange mushroom caps, or bend the stake into a candy cane. An open end finds a shin.

An impact driver if you are lagging the shade

Tool only, on the same battery platform as the blower. A socket that fits the lag head.

Ratchet straps

Shade, bins, and the load on the drive.

A hemmed tapestry for a privacy wall

Tied at every corner. No fringe. Aluminet is still the roof.

Tarp clips for the hem

The two-pack we opened is a start. A full roof wants more. Lags still hold the frame down.

A compact umbrella for the walk

Midday sun while you are away from camp. A whiteout turns it into a kite. It comes home.

If you are flying, rent the bike before the gate

Reno, Sparks, Nixon, or Gerlach. Paid rental inside the city is not allowed.

A front basket, unless the rental already has one

Water and a layer ride in front. Take a quick-release basket with you when you park.

A drawstring cover for the cruiser seat

The listing opens on black velour. If a fur color sheds, leave it home.

Front and rear bike lights, charged

Hard mounts. Take them with you when you park.

A tall bike flag

Pole or pool noodle. Handlebar height is where everyone disappears.

Pump, spare tube, and tire levers

Match the valve. Practice once before you need it in the dark.

Dry chain lube, applied before you leave

Wet oil and playa dust make a paste. Wipe the extra.

U-lock

Through the frame, every time you get off. The cable only holds a wheel.

Headlamp with a red mode, plus a spare you can find

The second lamp lives in one box by the tent door.

A compass for the friends who are wearing one

Bond them at camp. One per person. Bag it in a whiteout. Still name a meetup.

Small lantern that dims

Hang it in the tent. The bike still needs its own front light.

A clean layer over the bed

A fitted sheet, or a pillowcase for each day. Peel the dusty one off.

A clip fan, after the shade is real

Aimed at the cot. Charged before gate. Shade still does the heavy work.

A tent with a full rainfly, under the shade

Mesh-only tents fill with dust. The shade structure is still a separate roof.

A packable warm layer for the ride back

The afternoon was hot. The ride back isn't. No feathers, no glitter.

Long underwear, top and bottom

Under the bag and the jacket. Cotton as the only layer stays cold.

Hand warmers for the ride after midnight

In a pocket, over the base layer. The used packs come home.

A pillow, plus a clean case

Peel the dusty case. The next one is already on.

Cot

Off the ground. Measure the car before you fall in love.

An insulated inflatable bed, with a pump and a patch kit

On the tent floor or a rug, never on bare playa. The bag still goes on top.

A foot pump that fits the bed

So the power station stays for lights. Try the valve adapters at home.

A small table inside the tent

Lamp, cup, headlamp. Low enough that the door still closes.

USB fairy lights over the bed

Warm, switched, and the whole string comes home.

12V string lights on the shade frame

From the station. Clip them, and take them down before a wind event.

A synthetic bag rated near 40°F

Kelty Cosmic Synthetic. The link opens on the regular size. Wear socks. No feathers.

Foam earplugs

One pair in the tent, one pair in the day bag.

A blackout mask if you sleep after sunrise

Shade helps. It does not make the tent dark at 9 a.m.

Filtered earplugs for the hours you are still out

Foam plugs are for the tent. These lower the volume and leave the music on.

Small power station, charged before gate

About 300 watt-hours for lights, phones, a fan, and a laptop. A fridge and a sound system together are a bigger project.

A foldable solar panel, as a top-up

Wipe the dust. Match the plug. The packs still start the week full.

A portable AC only if the tent needs it and the battery is in the plan

EcoFlow WAVE 3. The add-on battery is separate. Shade still does the open hours.

Power bank, charged

Phone and lights, when a station is more than the camp needs.

Eneloop AAs, already full

An 8-pack, plus a few alkalines, so a dead cell at 2 a.m. isn't a problem.

A battery radio for BMIR

94.5 FM when the phone has no signal. Spare cells in the same bag.

Mineral sunscreen and a brim

Reapply. Dust on your skin isn't shade.

A first-aid kit you can find in the dark

Dressings, antiseptic, blister care. Add what you already take.

A labeled gray-water jug

Dish water and wash water stay in it. None of it hits the playa.

Unscented lotion

After the wipes, for the skin the desert split.

Plain aloe gel

Comfort after too much sun, on skin that tolerates it. Follow the label. Not a reason to skip the hat.

Moleskin for the hot spot

On the foot the hour you feel the rub. Break new shoes in before you fly.

Self-adherent wrap

Sticks to itself when tape gives up in the dust. This listing contains latex. One roll in the day bag.

Folding wagon for the walk from the car

Jugs, the cot, the shade roll. Bearings collect dust. Rinse it on the way out.

White vinegar in labeled spray bottles

Cuts alkaline dust on skin, bikes, and bins.

Clear spray bottles, labeled

One is vinegar. One is water. Plastic, not glass. Do not mix vinegar with bleach.

A collapsible basin for feet

A second one for dishes. Foot water is gray water. It goes in the jug.

Unscented wipes

They come home as trash. They do not go in a burn barrel.

Personal toilet plan, if camp does not cover it

Seat, correct bags, lid, pack it out.

Contractor bags and a moop sweep

Daylight, then a low headlamp pass. Pocket the zip-tie tails.

A magnetic sweeper for the last pass

Nails and lags. It will not find zip ties, glass, or aluminum.

If you are in an RV: drinking hose, sewer kit, leveling blocks

The drinking hose never shares a bin with the sewer hose. Level before you trust the tanks.

Gaffer tape, zip ties, gloves, a way to cut

The repair bin. If the shade needs tape to stay up, rebuild it.

Hand sanitizer, 60% alcohol or more

A small bottle in the day bag. Don't rinse your eyes with it.

An ABC extinguisher camp can see

Charged, gauge checked, within reach of the stove. One in the camper too.

A fire blanket by the stove

For a small flame. It does not replace the extinguisher.

A short shower, only if the gray water has a jug

Wipes do most days. A solar bag uses water you already counted.

A dry bag for the phone and the meds

Roll it closed. Rain and a tipped bottle both happen.

A tether on the phone

Clipped before you leave camp. Your name is on it anyway.

1-ply toilet paper, plus a roll in the basket

The portos take human waste and 1-ply. Anything else is a problem for the crew.

A rigid pee funnel, if you cannot already pee standing

Practice at home. Rinse it. In a tent, a jug with a screw lid. Not a medical device.

A small pack of wipes for the porto

The box may say flushable. The porto still wants only 1-ply. The used wipe comes home in a zip bag.

A pocket tin for butts, if you smoke

Ash is moop. A mint tin that closes is the ashtray.