--- > What are the recommended self-care procedures for Burning Man? Find tips for dealing with playa mud, sun exposure, cold, medical emergencies, sleep, food, drug interactions, and any other situations that have been called- out. ___ Treat self-care as a daily system, not a first-aid kit you open after something breaks. Official guidance is blunt: the desert will try to injure you, medical help exists, and **you** are still the first responder. --- ### The daily loop (do this before anything fancy) Use **H.A.L.T.** — Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Those four states cause most “I made a stupid decision on playa” stories. Eat, sit in shade, find a person, sleep. Then go back out. **Water rule:** at least **1.5 gallons per person per day** for drinking, cooking, and washing. Carry a bottle whenever you leave camp. Pee every couple of hours; aim for pale urine. Alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs all raise dehydration risk. Electrolytes with some of the water, not only plain water if you are sweating hard. **Hands:** sanitizer after every porta-potti. Camps should have a wash station. Gastrointestinal illness spreads faster than dust. --- ### Sun and heat You are at nearly **4,000 ft**. UV is stronger than Dallas. Skin, lips, and eyes burn fast. - SPF in the morning, again at midday, after sweat. SPF lip balm. - Shade is infrastructure. A tent is not shade. Rest in the hot hours. - Wide brim, sunglasses, long loose layers that actually cover skin. - Cool with shade and water, not by chasing **dust-control water trucks**. That water is not potable and the wet playa is slick. **Heat exhaustion vs heat stroke (get help early)** Move to shade if someone is dizzy, nauseated, cramping, or “off.” Official first-aid guidance: go to a medical station if they are confused, worse after an hour of rest and fluids, keep vomiting, or do not pee within two to three hours of hydrating. Chills **under the midday sun** is a red flag, not “I’m fine.” Do not ice-bath a large burn or a collapsing person in wind; hypothermia is real even in daytime if you over-cool someone who is already crashing. --- ### Cold nights Drops of **50°F** after sunset are normal. Lows can be in the **40s**. The people who get hypothermic are often the ones who left camp in a harness and no jacket. - Pack a real sleeping bag rated for the 40s, not a sheet. - Bike with a puffy or fleece in the basket after 6 p.m. - Change out of sweat-soaked clothes before you sleep. - If someone is shivering, clumsy, or slurring: dry layers, insulation under them (pad off the playa), warm sweet drink if they can swallow, and medical if they do not improve. --- ### Dust, eyes, nose, throat, lungs Alkali dust is high pH. It burns skin cracks, eyes, and sinuses. Prevention beats treatment. - **Goggles + particle mask** on you, not in the car, when the wall of dust appears. - Whiteout protocol: shelter. If you cannot reach camp, **sit, back to the wind, cover face, watch for vehicles**. Drivers **stop**. Do not “feel your way” on a bike. - Saline nasal spray several times a day. Neti only with **sterile or boiled-then-cooled** water, never raw playa water. - Saline eye wash. Do not rub dust into the cornea. - Moisturizer after you get the dust *off*. Alcohol-heavy scented lotions sting cracked skin. --- ### Playa foot and skin Official recipe: soak **20 minutes** in **4 parts water : 1 part vinegar**, then lotion and socks. Do this daily if your feet are cracking, not after they are hamburger. Also: - Closed shoes + real socks. Flip-flops for the shower only. - Wash dust out of cracks before it becomes a chemical burn. - Coban / self-adhesive wrap holds better than Band-Aids in dust. - Finger cots over small wounds so playa does not pack into them. **Mud year extra:** stay out of wet clay. It pulls shoes off, hides rebar and lag screws, and wrecks ankles. Have camp shoes you can sacrifice and a dry pair in a sealed bin. Do not drive. A twisted ankle plus mud plus 2 miles to medical is a long night. --- ### Sleep Sleep debt plus sun plus stimulants is how people get lost, hypothermic, or hit by art cars. - Dark, earplugs, eye mask. Expect generators and bass. - One guaranteed “down night” mid-week. - Benadryl is in the official kit as allergy **and** a possible sleep aid; do not stack it with alcohol or other sedatives. - If you cannot sleep for two nights and start feeling unreal, that is a medical/mental-health problem, not a badge of honor. Rangers and Crisis Support exist for this. --- ### Food Most GI disasters are camp kitchens, not “mystery grilled cheese from a stranger,” though both happen. - Keep cold food **under 41°F**. Ice is a medical supply. Cut melon counts as perishable. - Cook animal protein to **165°F**. - Drink water you trust. Do not share bottles. - Bring the boring calories: nuts, tortillas, instant meals, electrolyte mix. Costume weeks fail when people eat only gifts and booze. - Constipation from dust + low fiber + dehydration is extremely common. Official kit includes **both** anti-diarrheal **and** a laxative. Use water and fiber first. --- ### Drug interactions and substance harm reduction Official line, which is enough: **alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs increase dehydration risk**, and heat plus altered judgment is how people get left in the sun. Medical care on playa is described as non-judgmental. Use that. Do not hide a heat emergency because you are afraid of being scolded. Practical rules that match the environment: - Never mix **heat + heavy exertion + anything that impairs temperature or thirst signals** (including a lot of alcohol). Sit down on a schedule, not when you collapse. - Sip fluids with electrolytes when dancing; do not chug gallons of plain water. Both dehydration **and** over-hydration can become emergencies. - Do not stack sedatives (alcohol + extra sleep meds + opioids, etc.). - Prescriptions stay in **original bottles**. Closest pharmacy is Fernley/Reno, not Gerlach. Bring extras for a weather delay. - If someone is overheating, confused, seizing, or unresponsive: **shade, cooling, radio for ESD**. That is not a “let them sleep it off in the sun” situation. I will not give dosing or mixing recipes. If you use anything, pre-decide a sober buddy, a time to be back at camp, and a plan to go to medical without debate. --- ### Medical emergencies — how help actually works Do **not** start with a cell-phone 911 as your only plan. Coverage is bad and the call may bounce through off-playa dispatch. Fastest path: **flag anyone with a radio** (Ranger khaki, ESD yellow, law enforcement, staff) or send a person to a station. **2026 map to memorize** | Resource | Where | |---|---| | First aid / plaza medical | **3:00 & C** and **9:00 & C** (red cross) | | Main ESD / Rampart emergency care | **5:15 & Esplanade** | | Ranger HQ | **6:30–6:35 & Esplanade** | | Ranger outposts | behind **3:00** and **9:00** plazas | | Crisis support | ESD stations + Ranger posts | If you carry a radio, BRC emergency dispatch has been published as **451.9000 MHz, CTCSS/PL 91.5**, 12.5 kHz, 4-watt handheld limit. Confirm on the current Survival Guide before you program it. If you are evacuated to Reno: take **ID, insurance, phone, wallet, ticket**. There is **no shuttle back**. A friend has to retrieve you. Sign the release so staff can tell your camp where you went. Wear or carry ID. Unconscious patients cannot tell Rampart who they are. --- ### Other situations that get called out every year **Wounds and burns.** Clean, dry, cover. Dust is an infection factory. Burns and deep cuts belong at a station, not under a bandana for three days. **Bike and night.** Lights on **you and the bike** are a survival item. Art cars will not see a dark rider. Lasers are not bike lights. **Consent and sexual health.** Bring barriers you will actually use. No means no when someone is intoxicated. Rangers handle boundary and safety problems; you do not have to “handle it in camp.” **Mental health.** Isolation, no sleep, dust, and big feelings stack. Rangers and ESD Crisis Support are 24/7. That is self-care, not failure. A 2026 on-playa death notice again pointed people to those same desks. **Tetanus and “I just had surgery.”** Official: do not come fresh from major surgery; keep tetanus current. Puncture wounds + playa + rusty shade hardware is a bad combination. **Keys, glasses, meds.** Spare car key on a person who is not you. Glasses strap. Meds in a labeled dry box. **Gray water and fuel spills.** Those are environmental emergencies above small volumes. Stop the leak, contain it, get Rangers/Earth Guardians. Do not dump gray water on playa. **MOOP that injures people.** Count lag screws in and out. Flag them. A buried lag in mud is how playa foot becomes a trip to Rampart. --- ### Small kit to keep on your body Water, electrolytes, SPF, lip balm, mask, goggles, light, whistle or radio plan, a few doses of your meds, blister care, and a camp address written on you. The full camp kit from Burning Man’s list (vinegar, Coban, saline, Benadryl, antacid, Imodium, laxative, thermometer, aloe) stays at camp in a sealed box. The short version: **drink, shade, cover skin and lungs, sleep, wash hands, go to the red cross early.** Most playa medical problems start as pride plus a preventable deficit. --- Sources Thinking about your request Gathering Burning Man self-care tips ### Searched web Burning Man Survival Guide 2026 health first aid dust mud sun hypothermia 8 [Survival, Health & Safety – Survival Guide 2026 # Survival, Health & Safety – Survival Guide 2026 # Survival, Health & Safety Burning Man sure is… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/) [Survival – Survival Guide 2026 * An extensive first-aid kit * Sunscreen/sunblock & sunglasses * Warm clothing * Particle/dust mask… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Health – Survival Guide 2026 # Health – Survival Guide 2026 # Health ## You’re Sick or Hurt in Black Rock City. What Are Your… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/health/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/health/) [Burning Man 2026 Survival Guide | Sparked Magazine The desert is part of the programme. Heat and cold can arrive in the same day. Dust and wind will… ](https://www.sparkedmag.com/burning-man-2026-survival-guide/) [Sparkedmag](https://www.sparkedmag.com/burning-man-2026-survival-guide/) [Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips 1. Pack With… ](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leave-no-trace-tips/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leave-no-trace-tips/) [Playa First Aid Kit – Burning Man Project Packaged in an airtight container (Ziploc, Rubbermaid, etc): * Rapid COVID-19 self tests *… ](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/first-aid-kit/) [Burningman](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/first-aid-kit/) [Wilderness Medical Society Clinical Practice Guideline on Care of Burns in the Wilderness - Cindy C. Bitter, Michelle Storkan, Alex Overmiller, Jessicah A. Respicio, Torree McGowan, Andrew Park, John T. Culhane, 2025 Cooling of burn wounds has been used for centuries. 27 Burns of <10% total body surface area (TBSA)… ](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10806032251345768) [Journals.sagepub](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10806032251345768) [Getting Help – Survival Guide 2026 1. If you get hurt on playa and are transported while unconscious, we can identify you. 2. In case… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/getting-help/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/getting-help/) Searching for official Burning Man survival guide ### Searched web Burning Man official survival guide medical emergency Rangers ESD playa foot 8 [Health – Survival Guide 2026 # Health – Survival Guide 2026 # Health ## You’re Sick or Hurt in Black Rock City. What Are Your… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/health/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/health/) [Getting Help with Emergencies – Survival Guide 2026 # Getting Help with Emergencies – Survival Guide 2026 # Getting Help with Emergencies If there’s a… ](https://survival.burningman.org/law-enforcement/getting-help-with-emergencies/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/law-enforcement/getting-help-with-emergencies/) [Playa First Aid Kit – Burning Man Project Should an injury be serious or require more advanced care, the Emergency Services Department is… ](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/first-aid-kit/) [Burningman](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/first-aid-kit/) [Health and Wellness – Burning Man Project This section will give you the information you need to keep yourself healthy, and tell you where to… ](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/) [Burningman](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/) [Emergency Help on Playa – Burning Man Project # Emergency Help on Playa – Burning Man Project Get up-to-date weather, traffic, and other info.… ](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/emergency-contact/) [Burningman](https://burningman.org/black-rock-city/preparation/health-safety/emergency-contact/) [Survival – Survival Guide 2026 * An extensive first-aid kit * Sunscreen/sunblock & sunglasses * Warm clothing * Particle/dust mask… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Getting Help – Survival Guide 2026 The Rangers’ ideal outcome is to help people solve their own problems with a gentle nudge in the… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/getting-help/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/getting-help/) [Participant Passes Away at 2026 Burning Man Event | Burning Man Journal # Participant Passes Away at 2026 Burning Man Event September 3, 2026 By It is with heavy hearts… ](https://journal.burningman.org/2026/09/black-rock-city/participant-passes-away-at-2026-burning-man-event) [Journal.burningman](https://journal.burningman.org/2026/09/black-rock-city/participant-passes-away-at-2026-burning-man-event) ### Searched web Burning Man harm reduction hydration alcohol heat exhaustion playa dust sinus 8 [ Basic Prevention Bring these! Use these!! Water Water, with or without electrolytes. 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That creates two opposite… ](https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1uwuk5d/guide_to_mdma_harm_reduction_summer_festival/) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1uwuk5d/guide_to_mdma_harm_reduction_summer_festival/) [Protecting your ears, nose and throat on the playa - Surviving Burning Man I recommend you provision carefully here and take care of those little crevices and parts of your… ](https://www.survivingburningman.com/2017/12/29/ears-nose-and-throat-care/) [Survivingburningman](https://www.survivingburningman.com/2017/12/29/ears-nose-and-throat-care/) [Don’t Get Sick | Burning Man # Don’t Get Sick | Burning Man Black Rock City 2026 Preparation Resources # Don’t Get Sick A few… ](https://burningman.org/event/preparation/health-safety/dont-get-sick/) [Burningman](https://burningman.org/event/preparation/health-safety/dont-get-sick/) [Burning Man Hydration Pack Guide | Water & Lights on Playa – Drippy Hydration The Survival Guide is unambiguous. **You must bring 1.5 gallons of water per person per day** —… ](https://drippy-hydration.com/blogs/news/burning-man-hydration-pack-guide) [Drippy-hydration](https://drippy-hydration.com/blogs/news/burning-man-hydration-pack-guide) ### Searched web site:survival.burningman.org first aid health dust storms mud 6 [Survival – Survival Guide 2026 * An extensive first-aid kit * Sunscreen/sunblock & sunglasses * Warm clothing * Particle/dust mask… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/survival/) [Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaving No Trace: Pro Tips 1. Pack With… ](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leave-no-trace-tips/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leave-no-trace-tips/) [ When a dust storm hits, have your kids put on goggles and mask, get inside a predetermined… ](https://survival.burningman.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BurningMan_Family_SurvivalGuide_2025.pdf) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BurningMan_Family_SurvivalGuide_2025.pdf) [ 1.5 gallons of water per person per day A reusable water bottle Food & beverages An extensive… ](https://survival.burningman.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BMSG-2022_SM.pdf) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/BMSG-2022_SM.pdf) [Survival, Health & Safety – Survival Guide 2026 # Survival, Health & Safety – Survival Guide 2026 # Survival, Health & Safety Burning Man sure is… ](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/survival-health-and-safety/) [Leaky Things & Spills — the Most Common LNT Issues – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaky Things & Spills — the Most Common LNT Issues – Survival Guide 2026 # Leaky Things & Spills… ](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leaky-things-spills-the-most-common-lnt-issues/) [Survival.burningman](https://survival.burningman.org/leave-no-trace/leaky-things-spills-the-most-common-lnt-issues/) ---