Conditions · Burning Man
Burning Man
Weather & terrain
The playa swings hard: expect roughly 100°F at midday and the 40s after midnight, plus dust storms locals call whiteouts that can cut visibility to nothing inside a minute. Rain is rare, but when it lands the alkaline clay turns to sticky mud that can strand vehicles for days, so pack as if the gate could close without warning.
The typical range
Expect days 85-100°F at the hottest point and nights 40-55°F — that swing, not the average, is what your layers need to cover. It can hit 90 at noon and 40 at 4am. Real insulation — a warm coat, fleece layers, a beanie — is not optional, and fur coats became the cliché because they work. Pack for a cold camping trip that happens to contain a city.
Build around conditions, not averages
Historical conditions help you choose categories, but a current forecast and official alerts should decide your final layer, rain, dust, and heat plan.
A simple final check
Seven days out, recheck the forecast, event communications, travel route, and your official rules source. Repack only what those current conditions change.
Official source
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The Burning Man packing list
The saved checklist plus 43 gear picks chosen for these exact conditions.
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