Lessons Learned from Burning Man 2023

This year marked my third attendance at Burning Man, with previous experiences in 2018 and 2022. The earlier visits were characterized by sweltering heat and relentless dust storms. In 2022, we even experienced a brief five-minute rainfall. Reflecting on those moments, I geared up for extreme heat but unfortunately was ill-prepared for unexpected rain and muck. This experience taught me a great deal about handling being stranded in a seemingly endless expanse of mud for three continuous days.

The weather during my initial three days at Burning Man was actually quite pleasant. Almost everything seemed to go smoothly until Friday morning, when whispers began circulating about an approaching storm. My son, who was back in Reno, warned me about possibilities of scattered showers and thunderstorms starting that Friday night and continuing through the weekend. This was definitely not the news I wanted to hear. A subsequent message confirmed that rain was anticipated to commence around 6 PM on Friday evening, and sure enough, it did.

I made it a point to be at my camp when the rain began. Once it started, I chose to simply relax and make the best of the situation. The rain lasted for roughly three hours, creating an unusually tranquil atmosphere on the Playa—something you rarely associate with Burning Man. Following the initial downpour, an exquisite double rainbow appeared, making a surprise spectacle for the 70,000 attendees, who erupted in applause.

During a moment of calm between storm waves, some camps resumed their music and life seemed to spark back into action, at least audibly. Where my camp was located, right across from Center Camp, very few ventured out due to the slippery, muddy conditions. Later on, I learned that two individuals suffered electrocution, likely due to those attempting to operate their sound systems amidst a large puddle.

I decided to call it a night around 10:00 PM, under the assumption that the worst of the storm had passed and that the Playa would be dry enough to navigate by morning. This, unfortunately, was a misjudgment. I could hear the rain continuing throughout the night from inside my tent.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was greeted by an expansive landscape of thick mud in every direction I looked. My first clear challenge was that I lacked suitable footwear. The only options I had were a pair of Chaco sandals and some Merrell hiking shoes. Even a brief trip to the nearby row of outhouses proved too challenging for my sandals. Every step left six inches of heavy mud clinging to the bottom, and by the time I returned, about 90% of the sole of my left sandal had come unclued from the base. Although I've used Chaco sandals on various adventures, they truly disappointed me that day.

As I looked around, I noticed that many attendees had creatively fashioned makeshift foot coverings for themselves. Some had taped small bags onto their feet, while others opted for large trash bags secured by hand. The first option seemed to be more effective. Thankfully, a fellow camper came to the rescue with a stockpile of Ziplock bags, which I cleverly used as footwear with the help of some electrical tape. This turned out to be an excellent solution! The mud failed to adhere to the plastic, keeping my feet completely clean. Others wrapped their socks around their shoes, a method that seemed to work, though I didn’t personally try it.

As the day progressed, the foot traffic of thousands created an uneven and rugged mud surface, making it quite difficult to walk any significant distance while just wearing socks and bags. While my running shoes, which were still encased in bags, did provide some support, they easily became entrenched in the mud. Their high traction rubber soles, which typically work well, were precisely the wrong fit for this muddy challenge. Moving in them felt like a constant struggle with every step.

Admittedly, I’m not a particularly religious individual. However, at this moment of challenging conditions, it felt as if fate intervened on my behalf. On Friday night, two bicycles were left abandoned at our camp, and each was equipped with a pair of shoes. While one was a woman’s shoe, the other was a man’s boot that fit me perfectly! These boots were crafted from heavy-duty rubber and leather with a flexible side material that made them easy to slip on. They were exactly what I needed for muddy conditions. I wore them for the remainder of the trip until I returned to Las Vegas, and I will always treasure them as an unexpectedly perfect solution.

Another item I neglected to bring was a rain jacket. The only outerwear I managed to pack was part of my magician's attire, which I hesitated to ruin as it was quite delicate. Luckily, there was a makeshift thrift store near my camp. It reminded me of the scene in 'My Cousin Vinny' when Vinny urgently needed a suit and had to settle for what seemed to be a doorman’s outfit. They offered me a similar jacket that I ended up wearing for the remainder of my stay whenever the weather turned chilly or rainy.

As far as food and water were concerned, I had more than enough. I packed plenty of snacks that I usually take on hiking excursions. Although I was a bit low on water, thankfully my campmates shared their ample supply willingly.

My tent was fantastic. It was a high-quality canvas model from White Duck, equipped with a rubber bottom that successfully kept the water at bay. Honestly, a small amount did seep into one corner initially, but that was my fault for not securing the Velcro correctly. I have great praise for that brand.

In summary, aside from my lack of suitable footwear and a proper jacket, I managed quite well. In the midst of this experience, I noticed that fellow Burners seemed to fall into two distinct categories.

Group 1 consisted of seasoned burners who took the rain and mud in stride. They remained upbeat and positive, embracing the inherent unpredictability of Burning Man's harsh environment. It is fundamentally part of the experience to navigate weather challenges within this one of the flattest locations on earth, where water has no place to drain—a real gamble that everyone faces.

Group 2 was made up of complainers who jumped at the first opportunity to escape. Although the gates were closed in both directions, many people chose to leave regardless. While the Rangers attempted to prevent anyone from departing, they were just volunteers with limited authority. It was stated that those who got stuck in the mud trying to escape would be among the last to receive assistance, which I believe is commendable.

Personally, I departed on Monday, which was the day my Burner Express bus ticket was valid. I ended up waiting in a lengthy line with those whose tickets were for Saturday and Sunday. Though my bus ultimately left five hours behind schedule, I had anticipated this delay. Considering the circumstances, the Burning Man organizers accomplished a commendable task in ensuring that everyone with bus tickets could leave.

Next week, I plan to elaborate further on my experiences from the trip, as the complete story is too extensive to encompass in just one newsletter.

Written by: Michael Shackleford