Let me preface with Burning Man is more tech than you think. It is pretty common knowledge that Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt all went (and as the story goes, that is why Google hired Schmidt). My point is that a lot of tech/Silicon Valley people go; they just may not publicize it. Anyway you may have seen some burners running around the city and thought they looked ridiculous. That’s fair, but their outfits make sense in the desert.
During the day the heat is quite intense so no shirt is perfectly acceptable. To step that up add a furry vest with some baggy jeans or shorts. A hat is very important because there is no shade (unless you make it at your campsite) so a big brimmed hat or cowboy hat will help keep you from getting burned. Sunglasses are obvious, but sometimes there are dust storms so it is pretty handy to have some goggles around.
When the sun goes down the outfit completely changes. It starts getting very, very cold. A coat or jacket is preferable. Think Mad Max meets Waterworld (sans water) meets the Flintstones. A big fuzzy or furry jacket works fine. A really important addition is lights. Glow sticks, glow necklaces, glow bracelets, blinking lights, and head lights are a really important way not to get run over by bicycles and art cars. Feel free to get more creative and make cool glowing shapes on your clothing (like a happy face).
Shoes are a little tricky because the ground is really dusty. This isn’t beach sand; it’s kind of like clay. The area (called the Playa) used to be a basin that dried up and now the dust is alkali. This can cause foot irritation so I recommend closed toe shoes. Some people wear sandals during the day since it is super hot but then you risk getting playa foot which isn’t serious but uncomfortable (a mild chemical burn when the alkali dust gets in a cut or crack of your foot). Whatever shoes you do wear, they will eventually have a white dusty film. At nighttime, boots are preferable.
People are very, very, very nice at Burning Man but if you show up just wearing normal clothes you will be labeled a “spectator”. No one is going to go up to you and call you that, but Burning Man is an opportunity to let loose and embrace this temporary, artistic city in the desert.
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Photo Courtesy of Time Magazine
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