My first trip to Burningman

Burningman is a camping trip like no other.
So here’s how it all started — I was in NYC last fall, out with a group of friends at Shelter in Brooklyn. My good buddy, Adam Greenfeld (co-founder of The Go Life) was part of the crew, and he started telling me about his many trips to the desert for Burningman. It was the first time I heard about it. It sounded magical, crazy, and an experience like no other. Certainly not a normal trip I would book (no gyms, no restaurants, no recovery centers, no retail boutiques, no mountains, and no mountain biking!); but I told him to count me in on the camp he was organizing!
Fast forward a couple months — I was at Denver Sports Recovery chatting with my homie, Jack — an avid Pearl Jam fan and concert-goer, and he expressed interest in joining in on the trip. Jack did much of the planning and research on how we should get to Burningman, etc.
When tickets first went on sale, we both were on the computer and got blocked out from the initial ticket sale — bummer! There was a second go-around, at a premium price tag, and Jack scored both of us tickets.
Jack priced out various options for transportation, and landed on renting an RV in Denver, driving it 1,093 miles to Black Rock City, camping out in it, then returning to Denver. We picked dates, and decided to go for one week — 4 travel days and 3–4 days at Burningman.
In the week leading up to Burningman, I was very anxious + excited! I went to the Wizards Chest in Denver and bought crazy outfits / vests / a tutu! I bought a fat tire bike for my desert transportation. I read a million blog posts about what to bring, etc.! This was my favorite resource: https://medium.com/@dliebeskind/what-i-bring-to-burning-man-packing-list-2894bb512ab1.
Much of my anxiety was based around the lack thereof - exercise, food, recovery, and sleep. Those are crucial elements that I structure my day around — allowing me to perform at my 100%. I knew they wouldn’t be accessible in the desert.
On Friday, August 24th, Jack and I met at the RV dealership in Denver and picked up our big rig. I had never been in an RV before — so I had a lot of questions — is there a pillow-top mattress? Does it have AC? Haha! It was actually quite nice, and spacious — with two slide outs. We threw our shit in, and hit the road around 3pm. Night one was spent in Rock Springs, Wyoming. I woke up early Saturday morning and snuck in an 8 mile run on some picturesque country mountain roads. Day 2 was spent driving through Utah — what a beautiful state. Salt Lake City and the Bonneville Salt Flats were magnificent. We stopped at a Whole Foods outside Salt Lake City, and grabbed dinner and final supplies — more water, a pillow-top mattress (ha!), and a fan! We spent the night at a campground in Lovelock, NV, not far from a really creepy looking prison! I snuck in another long run Sunday morning before we embarked on the trip into the desert.

Getting into Burningman was a nightmare
We left Lovelock at 8am, grabbed breakfast at Wigwam in Fernley (highly recommend), then drove 2 1/2 hours to Gerlach.

We arrived in Gerlach at 12pm, and encountered a substantial lineup of fellow attendees. We turned on Burningman Radio, and it said it would be a 7 hour wait! Turning around and selling my ticket crossed my mind! Wasting time in lines + patience aren’t strong-suits for me! Turns out, we were in the midst of an epic dust storm — whiteout conditions that forced Burningman gate checkers to close down entry. Certainly understandable — at times you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I walked from our RV to the gate — to find we were about 2 miles back. We sat for 10 1/2 hours, before crossing through into Black Rock City! Lesson learned, I’d head in on Monday or Tuesday in the future, to avoid some of the wait time / traffic. Alternatively, time permitting, it would be fun to go early and help setup a camp / contribute to the community infrastructure.

Upon entering, it was fairy easy to find our spot — the city is a grid with numbers and letters, and it’s in the shape of a sphere. We met Mike + Lance — two of our camp organizers (Friends in high places), and they guided our RV into a spot. The entire city is based on “camps” — ranging from a few people to hundreds of people. Camp infrastructure also ranged from RV’s, to tents, to yurts, to motor homes. Having an RV there was definitely the way to go — for privacy and some personal space. After settling in, we went for a quick walk on our block to checkout this city in the desert.
My typical day:
I woke up around 7am, and was out the RV door by 7:30 to go for a run. With the exception of the marathon on Tuesday, you won’t find many others up and at it — and very few others running! It was my zen time, and provided energy for the day. The morning temperature is perfect — 60 and no humidity. I didn’t encounter any dust or dust storms.

At 9am, I joined our camp for breakfast, and met some incredible people — many, Burningman veterans.
From 10am — 5pm, I explored trying to see as much as I could by bike. Within each city block, you’ll find possibilities to interact with others + collect unique experiences — people from all over the world, sharing gifts. This is truly magical. There were libraries — where you could “rent” books for a year — bring it back next year at Burningman! There were jewelry stores — I picked up two incredible necklaces and a bracelet. I gave the kind craftsman pistachios in return! Bars are plentiful — free drinks, just bring your cup! The only two things you can “buy” are at the center cafe — coffee / caffeinated drinks and ice. You’ll find dodgeball, roller domes, and the thunderdome — google that to see what it’s all about!
The entire city is a giant canvas of art — the temporary structures, the art cars, decorated bikes, and beautiful people — some wearing nothing at all, but most donning highly eclectic outfits. It’s sensory overload. There are copious “workshops” throughout the day ranging from self development seminars, to yoga, to storytelling, to “how to flirt”, to extravagant parties — everyone is encouraged to contribute their unique knowledge / skill set to those in the city!
After exploring city blocks, I’d make my way to the “Playa”, a giant desert flanked by mountains, with art everywhere, people biking everywhere, and art cars everywhere. Exhibits ranged from cars stacked 60’ tall (that you could climb up — of course I did this a lot!), to interactive exhibits — one made of mouse traps that you had to navigate to score a burningman patch.
The wooden Burningman structure and temple were big attractions, but took a back seat to the many other art installations that were truly surreal — a Boeing 747, turned into a moving nightclub, giant letters and words, fire breathing dragons.

I’d usually scoot back to camp for dinner from 7:30–8:30, then back out to the Playa.
The playa at night — this was probably the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced. Tens of thousands milling about on neon-lit bikes, art cars creeping along, wild parties — DJ’s blasting EDM on ships + planes, lit-up massive art installations, and fire everywhere! Pure sensory overload. Pick your adventure — pick your party — just don’t crash into others riding their bike, or driving their art cart!

Some things that separate Black Rock City from any other city you could visit — there are no logos, there are no brands represented there. It’s a decommidified space that reminds you to be a creator, not a follower. There are no transactions — you give gifts. There are no trash cans — you are responsible for self containing your own waste. There are no drinking fountains or “food vendors”, you bring what you need to survive! Everything is unordinary — from the Bureau of Misinformation to the Orgy Tent — yes, there’s a unique experience for ALL at Burningman!
If it’s your first time, my recommendation: find a camp to join, and go with a group of six close friends. There are times when you’ll want to be alone, to do your thing, but much of the time you’ll want to be hanging + exploring with your crew.
Will I go back — fuck yeah! The crowd is eclectic ranging from free spirits, to heavy partiers, to young professions, to executives of fortune 500 companies. I saw very little debauchery — most people were indulging enough to enjoy themselves but not being obnoxious. Next year, I’d like to organize an interactive theme camp; I’m researching/conceptualizing this now, and enlisting others to help plan/setup. Message me if you’re interested in joining!
What to bring:
As mentioned, I found this list incredibly helpful: https://medium.com/@dliebeskind/what-i-bring-to-burning-man-packing-list-2894bb512ab1.
In addition to the above, definitely bring books, magazines, cards, games, etc for down time. The heat will break you down — and you want to have some energy left in the tank for nighttime festivities.
Bring warm clothes — it’s cold at night. You can score furs and outfits at Burningman, and roadside on your trek into Black Rock City. The more eccentric, the better.
A phone mount for your bike, if you want to capture videos while you’re out cruising around. Grab a gimbal while you’re at it!
Don’t hate — I know it’s a place where you’re supposed to tune out, but there is no cell service or wifi. I was hoping to connect with several others while there, but had no means (other than searching for them in the city) to get in contact. Bring a portable wifi unit if you want to stay semi-connected.
A nice lightweight camera — I brought my Sony Rx1r ii
A beach cruiser. My bike was overkill. A commuter bike with wide knobby tires will do the trick. The more extravagant the better!
Def bring earplugs + a sleep mask — the music goes all day and night. When you want to sleep, it’s nice to tune out.
A fanny pack. Seriously, a fanny pack! It went with me everywhere — carrying my phone, ID, goggles, dusk mask, cup, and gifts. This one from Matador is perfect: https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/matador-daylite-hip-pack?variant=48124017685.
I opted for a water bottle instead of using a hydra-pack. But you definitely need a way to carry water.
Bring gifts (I had a stash of energy bars / packaged food), or think of a service you can offer as a gift.
In Summary:
Here’s what Burningman will teach you:
Slow down, and appreciate those around you
Appreciate community
Gifting — sharing your craft + talents with the world
Self reliance
Who Burningman is for:
Those with an open mind
Those that want to express their creativity + Individuality
That that want to broaden their mind
Those that want to experience a different way of living
Those into art
Those into community
Those into architecture, design, and city planning
Those looking to experiment
Those that like to wander
Those into fashion
Those into self development + connecting with others
It’s extreme. It’s radical. It’s magical.
Watch this documentary if you’d like a real behind the scenes of the amazing art, people, parties, and community that make Burningman truly special.

