Skip to content

Category Archives: Burning Man

Post-Burning Man (quick) tip - Cleaning up

There’s a lot of cleaning to do when you get home from the playa. This is due to dust-storms, the trip home, and simply living on the playa. Over the years, I’ve found these simple tips work:

Add vinegar to laundry and gear washing water. Around a cup per washer load or gallon of sudzy water […]

Burning Man (quick) tip 16 - Printable supplies list

Here is a PDF version of the supplies list from tip #9. There are blank spots for additional items and space for notes. You can circle the bullet when the item is staged (in the garage ready to go) and check it off after it’s loaded.
Your list may be different from this one, this is […]

Burning Man (quick) tip 15 - Pop-up shade shelter review

I bought a quick setup 10 ft. X 10 ft. canopy for the playa this year. My observations:
Good:
Easy
Inexpensive? ($79)
Canopy is green (not blue or white)
Metalized coating on inside of canopy blocks UV and creates dark shade
Bad:
Might be a two-person job to get the frame to fully extend and everything to lock into place
Will it blend? […]

Burning Man (quick) tip 14 - Car alarms (keep them quiet)

Some car alarms have a valet mode allowing you to silence the alarm so a valet can park your car, or the service department can work on it. It also silences the noise you make when you unlock or lock the car with a keyless remote.
Your playa neighbors don’t want to hear your car chirp, […]

Burning Man (quick) tip 13 - Coleman stove review

A very quick review of the Coleman 5469 series propane camp stove…
Cons:
The latch will be the first thing to break. It’s cheap
The propane regulator/tube connection will be the second part to break
It’s going to be a rattle trap that will drive you crazy on long drives (unless you pad it with a dishtowel)
Pros:
Inexpensive? ($59)
Electric start […]

Buring Man (quick) tip 12 - Flavor crystals

This summer I’ve been drinking my iced tea and water with flavor in it. I add a packet of True Lemon crystallized lemon substitute. The stuff is all natural and easy to use. I’ve found that I need two packets for my 32 ounce water bottle (they suggest one packet for each 10 to 16 […]

Burning Man tip 11 - Solar-powered LED light strings

If you’d like to add some solar-powered blinking to your camp or project, and you’re not afraid of future maintenance or the need to do some hacking, you might want to buy these lights from geeks.com. Just be aware of a few things:

The case and LED string aren’t waterproof
The connectors won’t stand up to any […]

Burning Man tip 10 - Bikes on the playa

Bringing your bike to the playa? Here are six quick bike ideas in comic book form.
More details after the jump…

Burning Man tip 09 - Supplies list

This week’s tip is simply a supplies list. I started with my 2004 supplies list and updated it. I crossed-out items that I don’t bring anymore, but left them on the list in case someone else would find them helpful.
I’ll update the list with recommendations, then I’ll convert it into a checklist that you […]

Burning Man tip 08 - Cleaning you

I hate the combination of sunscreen and playa dust. I feel so much better if I can remove a little bit of that crust. Weather permitting, I like to get cleaned up before dinner. Then I feel rejuvenated and ready for the evening.
Back in the “olden” days, we didn’t worry about getting greywater on […]