The Man Burns in 43 Days!

It’s that time again! Time for the gathering of more than 48,000 in the dessert to form their own experimental community for one week of what some might call pure craziness. It’s Burning Man time, of course. Seven days of radical self-expression, seven days of self-reliance, seven days of art, costumes, music, themed camps and giving. And that is just barely scratching the surface of the Burning Man experience.

Whether you are a Burning Man newby or Burning Man regular, I offer some ideas for you to make the most out of your experience. It could well be the experience of a lifetime.

First and foremost you’ve just got to spend some time getting all edumacated about all things Burning Man. Go to their website. It’s fricken amazing. I was amazed all the tons and tons of info they have out there for you. Here’s a few things that struck me – it’s going to be hot so bring water. When they say self-reliance, they mean it. There's so many other important things to know about this whole self-reliance gig, beside just water. Go read the Survival Guide.

Read about the Theme Camps and make plans to join one. And joining one, means being ready to be an active part. I think going to Burning Man as just a spectator would be a colossal waste. If you are going to go, participate. Not just a little. Go all out. Burning Man is all about throwing off the inhibitions, the arbitrary rules we all live by in the “real world” where most of us spend our time being anything but our real selves.

Every year there’s a theme at Burning Man. This year’s is “American Dream.” It’s a great idea to have your costume, your art, or your themed camp show off this overall theme in some way. This could include celebrating America and the good it has done, the admirable traits it has, or its history. It could also be a time to dream about America – what your hopes are for this country, what new direction it might take, or your own personal American Dream. You could also work within this theme by showing what you think of the “American Dream” – where it has fallen short, what makes it all ridiculous, what is a mockery. Whatever direction you choose to go within this recommended theme, or doing whatever theme stokes your own personal flame, you’ve just gotta go big with it.

Body paints, make up, and costumes . . . whatever. And I mean WHATEVER. It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you – and not even to you, when it comes down to it. Body paint and liquid latex always seems to find their way into the mix. (While these aren't available in our online store, we do have them at our retail store in Santa Barbara. So swing on by.)

In case you didn’t know this, Burning Man is held in the desert. And this makes total sense when you think about it. Would you want at giant party, with over 48,000 folks attending, going on for a week in your neighborhood? Uh, no!

So to the desert we go! And, well, how can I say this gently? It’s fricken hot in the desert at night and a tad chilly in the evenings. With that big secret out in the open, it seems obvious that you might want to choose your costumes accordingly. So body paint and liquid latex are big, since it allows you to go naked without being totally naked.

Crazy, wild sunglasses or goggles, wigs and hats are a must, no matter what your costume. Just find a way to squeeze them in and you’ll be glad you did.

Just 43 days until the big man burns. Make your plans now and GO BIG!