At its core, this temporary city in the Black Rock Desert, as well as other Burn cities around the world, has forged a permanent community of people who are dedicated to celebrating creativity, self-expression, cultural differences, knowledge sharing, releasing social stigma, and so much more.
All to create this massive, unique experience, filled with individuals from all over, smack dab in the middle of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. It is beautiful to see how such a barren place can bloom and blossom with art, friendships, and collaboration. All you need is people who are devoted to the concept.
Not a Festival
Over the years, Burning Man has evolved from a bonfire among friends in San Francisco to an international phenomenon attended by modern-day hippies and tech moguls alike. It is many things, however, despite what people say (and by "people" we mean "we, in this very article"), the organizers insist that the event is NOT a festival.
Whatever it is, it is held together by a dedicated community and set of organizational rules and principles. Here we take a peek into the Burning Man take on a double-decker bus — a truck with an added tier and a couple of antennae chauffeuring people around the Playa.
Departure
Here we see rows of hundreds of cars, vans, trucks, bikes, and various hybrid, man-made vehicles a la Frankenstein on their departure back, as they leave Black Rock City to return to the world. Many arrive by car but the few Burners who can afford it arrive by private planes or helicopters.
It's not an easy place to get to — it's not like you can just take a bus or the subway. Still, once you get there, it can also be incredibly hard to leave. But those people who are prepared to make the strenuous journey do it because they want to be there.
A Community
Over the years, Burning Man has evolved and fashioned its own governing organization along with real city problems and opportunities. (Just imagine what it takes to provide any kind of infrastructure to tens of thousands of people for just one day. Now multiply it by nine days. Yup — insane.)
Nevertheless, the sense of place and community at Burning Man is undeniable. When organizing a community, it’s essential to clearly outline what you expect from the participants if you want them to be willing and active members and advocates. It also helps that one of the core principles is active participation.
What to Bring
When one arrives at Burning Man, you are expected to come with absolutely everything that you could possibly need while you’re there and then some for the community. It all depends on what you can gift people and what is required from you based on your camp's needs. Most camps will divide the equipment and workload among their people.
That includes water, shelter, a first aid kit, food, flashlights (the desert is very dark at night), apparel to accommodate extreme and unpredictable weather, batteries, a mask (to protect yourself from breathing too much of that powdery sand), and trash storage.