How to Survive and Enjoy Burning Man 2019
Easily one of The Surplus Store’s favorite times of the year is upon us once again — Burning Man 2019. In the past, we talked to you about the festival’s history and various past themes, along with apparel essentials to best prepare you for this year’s bizarre festival located in Black Rock City, Nevada. But this year, we want to help you survive Burning Man 2019. Yes, survive. As much of a fun and surreal experience it can be, it is a physically and mentally exhausting sensory overload, filled with challenging art installations and of course, sand—and lots of it. With Burning Man 2019 just two weeks away, peep these tips to ensure you survive your first ever encounter with the mythical Burning Man festival.
Hydration
This one is a given and yet for some inexplicable reason, festival-goers or in this case, “burners” forget to hydrate. Because you will be so distracted and absorbed by the sights and sounds of the unique event, it will be easy to abandon your large bottle of water or canteen. You may be having the time of your life, but once a little bit of nausea, headache and dizziness overcome your body, you will regret ever coming to Burning Man. To be certain you won’t suffer from dehydration; fuel up with beverages high in electrolytes like Gatorade, Pedialyte, coconut water, etc. Now, we get it—wielding a gigantic water bottle around may be too grueling of a task during your week’s stay inside of what is essentially another world. We suggest trying something smaller, like a canteen, which we also sell at our store.
Crazy Getup
Festival-going is an entire culture in of itself which also has a complete realm of attire of its own as well. Though Burning Man is a festival, the basic Coachella outfit will not do. One cannot go into Burning Man 2019 expecting the same “aesthetic” as their hometown’s lukewarm music festival. One has to go over the top and out of this world just to merely fit in at Burning Man. Though a little bit of DIY craftiness will be needed to not stick out as some Plain Jane; we have boots, hats, costumes, and Halloween costumes to set the foundation for your extravagant and maybe even extraterrestrial getup.
Hygiene
It’s the tail end of summer and it is incredibly hot. But at the event, you will be in the middle of a desert which means it’ll be burning like hell up in Burning Man. While it is important to avoid the emergency room by staying hydrated, it is also equally vital to maintain great hygiene. No, there will not be showers available for use. But there are steps you can take to ensure you do not smell. While it won’t thoroughly clean your hair, dry shampoo can keep it from looking oily but smelling great. A pack of baby wipes or shower towelettes may also be a great idea to bring. These won’t wipe away all of the sweat and build-up, nor will they keep you entirely fresh, but they will help you feeling semi-confident as you press onward.
Bandanas and Goggles
Remember when we said there will be lots of sand? Yeah, you should probably expect turbulent sand storms, but don’t go into one unprepared. Brace your eyes from the stinging pain of flailing sand and your lungs from dangerous dust inhalation with the best duo outside of peanut butter and jelly—bandanas and goggles. If you come to The Surplus Store, we can provide you with a wide variety of both bandanas and goggles to choose from.
An Open Mind
While not tangible, the most important thing to have with you going into an event like Burning Man is, of course, an open mind. There will be naked people, there will be people who don’t look like people and there will be art installations that may cause you to rethink core values and ideas that make up your foundation. But do not shake the experience with negativity because these things clash with your DNA and life experiences. Burning Man is all about inclusivity, openness, acceptance and unhinged freedom of expression. If you go into the week with a moldable mindset, we can almost guarantee a memorable week at Burning Man 2019. Have fun Burners!