23 Things You Should NOT Bring to Burning Man!
I have been to Burning Man 10 years in a row and I also volunteer with the Gate, Perimeter, & Exodus crew each year. I have seen people turned away at the entrance for bringing an excessive amount of plants, as well as having items like rifles and fur coats confiscated, so I know what you shouldn’t bring.
Leave No Trace is one of the 10 Principles, which are the guiding values and ethos of the event. A lot of these items you shouldn’t bring to Burning Man because they can create MOOP (Burner slang for trash or debris) and can harm the desert ecosystem.
Black Rock City is on Indigenous land (the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe) so we need to be respectful of how we Burn and what items we bring out there, so here’s the list of what NOT to bring to Burning Man.
If you need a list on what you should bring to Burning Man, read my ultimate packing list for the Burn here!
Burning Man Slang
in This Post
Playa — A playa is a geographical term for a dry, alkaline desert lakebed such as the environment where Burning Man is held.
The Burn — Another name for “Burning Man” ie “enjoy your Burn!”
Black Rock City — The temporary city where Burning Man is held.
Burner –– A participant at Burning Man.
If you want to learn more Burning Man slang before your trip, grab my free guide here!
What You’re NOT Allowed to Bring to Burning Man (and Common Packing Regrets)
There is actually a list of questions Gate volunteers ask each participant before searching their car and letting them into the festival. The first items on this list are actually forbidden or banned from Burning Man –– from obvious things like weapons and fireworks to not-so-obvious items like glitter and plants.
The rest of the list covers common packing mistakes and regrets that can make your experience more difficult than it needs to be.
1. Glitter, Sequins, & Anything That Creates MOOP
MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) refers to anything that doesn’t naturally belong on the playa — from glitter and sequins to food scraps, plastic, and even hair. Cheap costumes may fall apart in the desert wind, creating MOOP everywhere.
Remember the Leave No Trace principle: if you see MOOP on the ground, pick it up!
Experienced Burners take this very seriously! My ex partner even picked up human poop once from the playa and chucked it in a porta-potty.
Bring This Instead :
Choose a simple costume or high-quality faux fur that won’t shed MOOP across the playa. You can also go nude at Burning Man if you want to skip clothing altogether!
2. Hidden People In Your Car
If Gate finds someone hidden in your car without a ticket, your entire vehicle will be denied entry to Burning Man. Gate crew has found people floating in fish tanks and hidden behind fake RV walls. They are thorough: do not risk this!
Do This Instead :
If you’re thinking of trying to get into Burning Man for free, (understandably, it can cost a lot) just find a group to volunteer with and you can get a discounted or free ticket for the next year! Only certain volunteer departments at Burning Man allow you to work toward discounted or guaranteed future tickets.
For example, volunteering with Greeters does not count towards a ticket, while departments like Gate, Perimeter, and Exodus (GP&E) use a points-based system where you can earn credits for shifts –– with midnight and undesirable shifts worth more points.
I have done many midnight shifts, it’s more fun than it sounds!
3. Plants
Plants destroy the desert ecosystem, so Gate is strict on this rule. They are also likely to die in the harsh environment and can easily create MOOP, so leave them with a friend for your Burn!
When I was volunteering in 2025, a lady came in with a van (her home) full of plants and was in tears when confronted by the Gate crew.
Bring This Instead :
If you want to decorate your camp space, choose fake plants and foliage instead! Make sure it’s decent quality so it doesn’t create MOOP.
🌿
4. Animals
Burning Man permits legitimate service animals but not regular pets! If you do have a service animal, you need to contact the Burning Man organizers in advance.
If you arrive at the gate with any pets, Gate staff will turn you away.
5. Weapons
I thought this would be an obvious one but we still had to confiscate five rifles from a man who claimed he was borrowing his neighbor’s RV and didn’t know about their existence.
The playa is already chaotic enough without weapons making it even more dangerous.
Gate staff will check even the smallest compartments in your RV. This is done just to keep everyone safe on the playa!
6. Fireworks
You can not bring your own fireworks to Burning Man, it is a safety hazard for the desert hills and you! Let’s be real, the playa has enough fireworks as it is.
7. Lasers
Laser pointers have been banned at Burning Man since 2015. Working with Gate crew, I heard the story of “Ranger Halston” who was permanently blinded in her left eye by a handheld laser and suffered damager to her right eye as well from a vehicle-mounted laser.
I thought this was a Burning Man myth meant to scare people out of bringing lasers but I looked it up and realized it’s a true story!
8. Drones
Bringing a drone requires a lot of registration, and only a few dozen applications are approved by Burning Man each year. Burning Man also has their own separate rules for operating your drone on the playa.
Why bring a drone when the best views are from free airplane rides?
9. Illegal Substances
The Burning Man site warns that it is important to remember that all federal, state, and local laws still exist in and around Black Rock City. As Gate crew, we are not looking for this when we search your car BUT know that Law Enforcement can pull you over and search you whenever they please.
From my experience, cars with hidden or obscured license plates are more likely to be pulled over and searched, so keep those plates visible!
More laws to be aware of while attending Burning Man here.
10. Class 3 E-Bike
Only Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes under 750 watts are allowed at the Burn! If you bring a Class 3 e-bike, it may be confiscated at Gate. Learn about the best type of bike to bring to the playa here.
Unfortunately Class 3 e-bikes are too fast and dangerous for the playa, and there have been incidents –– including one with me! Someone hit my parked bike while my camera was on the seat and it catapulted my camera! Another reason not to bring your valuables.
11. Glass Bottles
Skip the glass beer bottles! If you bring aluminum cans, you can bring them to Recycle Camp at Center Camp! Broken glass is hard to see and pick up, as well as a hazard.
My first thought when I briefly went barefoot in the mud-pocalypse of 2023 was “I hope I don’t step on glass.”
12. Dust-Sensitive Valuables
The playa dust can ruin everything! There’s an unwritten rule, don’t bring anything you don’t want ruined by the playa dust.
I love photography so I bring my camera but I wrap it in plastic to avoid getting dust in the lens.
Bring This Instead :
In 2017, I decided to leave my fancy camera at home and brought only disposable and point-and-shoot cameras. This is a reloadable film camera from Lomography using red-scale film, here’s one with purple film. Great for Burning Man!
13. Excess Packaging
If you are buying a lot of new items for your trip to the playa, unpackage them before you arrive to Black Rock City. Leave the packaging at home, it will be a lot less for you to pack in and out.
Remember: There are no trash cans on the playa and each participant is responsible for their own trash!
14. Multi-Ply Toilet Paper
Before Burning Man, I didn’t know toilet paper had levels: single-ply vs multi-ply. Bring only single-ply toilet paper (which is thinner), so it’s easier on the porta-potty cleaners!
I always bring a couple of rolls and chuck one in my bike basket in case there are none in the porta-potties.
15. Wet Wipes
For some Burners, this is an essential item. I find them wasteful and see a lot end up in the porta-potties. I have seen Burners using them to wash their face but that’s putting a lot of chemicals and micro plastics into your skin.
If you need to, there are biodegradable ones.
Do This Instead :
For your face: Use lotion or coconut oil. I bring a washcloth and water to wash mine.
For cleaning items: Use a (separate) washcloth with vinegar. Vinegar neutralizes the alkaline playa dust.
To feel refreshed: Use a mister bottle to spritz yourself to cool down. I recommend a long hose gardening pump sprayer, so you can gift sprays to other Burners.
16. Single-Use Water Bottles
You can not buy food or water at Burning Man, so you have to bring all your water. There are better options than bringing single-use water bottles since they create unnecessary waste and the hot desert sun could penetrate the micro plastics into your water.
Find BPA-free jugs and dispensers.
Bring This Instead :
My Nalgene water bottle lasted 9 Burning Mans! To bring 1.5 gallons of water per day (the recommended amount for the Burn), I use these two of these five gallon water jugs.
Joining a theme camp is great because they usually provide shared water, so you don’t have to bring the full 20 gallons for yourself.
17. Too Many Clothes
My first year I brought 3 garbage bags full of clothes and found it difficult to scramble through them to find outfits! Bringing too many clothes can be a pain because even the outfits you never wear will probably end up getting dusty and needing a wash after!
18. Foods That Spoil Quick
My first year we brought cooked potatoes in a container that ended up leaking and got moldy real quick! If you have a fridge or RV, you’re all good!
Moldy food is a burden because you’ll need to pack everything you brought in, back out and your tent may get smelly.
19. Cheap String Lights
For years I bought the cheapest string lights found on Amazon and strung them on my bike and they would disintegrate literally on the playa!
I prefer the disco bike light to cheaper string lights. The same one has lasted me over five Burns, just remember to bring extra batteries. Here’s more tips on how to decorate your Burning Man bike, which kind of lights to get, and even where to get a bicycle for the Burn.
20. Showers
Shower water is considered gray water which should not touch the desert floor. It’s also difficult to pack out, as you’ll need a water containment system and rely on evaporation in the sun to dispose of it.
Do This Instead :
Some theme camps often have showers and have a grey water disposal method –– check Facebook groups on how to join a camp or post an ad on Spark Classifieds (the Burning Man Craigslist or Gumtree).
Also, there’s a famous shower camp called Dr. Bronner’s. I refused to shower on the playa for years (I like my playa hair), but did not regret my first time going to Dr. Bronner’s and getting showered.
21. Fuel Containers
My first year, I thought we’d run out of gas driving to Burning Man, so I brought a full fuel container and left it sitting in my hot car the whole week. If you fill up at all the gas stations within 100 miles of Black Rock City, you should be good.
Fuel containers are a hazard in the hot desert. Of course, if you have a generator or RV, this may be necessary so just keep the containers in the shade.
22. Small Trinkets as Gifts
The gifting economy of Burning Man is great but remember, you can bring your music, personality, or cooking as your gift! Gifts don’t have to be small trinkets that someone will likely lose or possibly could become MOOP.
23. Uncomfortable Shoes
You will be walking or biking a lot so don’t bring shoes with poor support. I recommend having closed-toe shoes and bring extra socks to keep your feet clean and protected from the playa dust.
Two years ago, I suffered from Playa foot –– a terrible phenomenon where the skin on your feet starts cracking from too much dust –– because I decided to go barefoot a few times. I always bring sturdy boots that are stylish and practical.
That’s the list! Here are some resources for first-timers and frequently asked questions.
Quick Burning Man Resources
Here a few resources for you to jot down before your trip!
Emergency & Medical Services — Located on playa at 3 & C, 9 & C, and 5:15 & C.
Black Rock Rangers –– If you need help, these are the first people I’d recommend. These volunteers are not law enforcement and can help you in any situation concerning safety, navigation, conflict resolution, and potential bad trips. They have a Burning Man logo patch and wear khaki.
Law Enforcement –– If you need to report a serious situation, but remember they are active policemen and can arrest you if you’re breaking a law, so go to the Rangers first if you’re worried. There are undercover cops as well who may ask you for illegal substances and want to go to your camp. Do not trust random people who ask this!
Burner Express Bus –– Transportation service from Reno and San Francisco to the playa, allowing for easier and faster entry.
Burning Man Profiles –– Making a profile on this site allows you to access the ticket sales.
Open Camping –– If you are coming to the playa alone and doing solo camping, you can camp between H & K streets, generally between 2 & 5. If you need help, talk to a Black Rock Ranger or check the Placement Office at 5:59 & Esplanade.
Lost & Found –– Mark your items with your camp & name information! But if you lose or find something, check Lost & Found at Playa Info (5:45 & Esplanade).
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters –– ASL interpreters can be reached via Playa Info between 9 am and 10 pm. For urgent needs, go to the Black Rock Ranger walk-up windows at Esplanade & 6:30 or find any Burning Man staff with a radio, and they can help page someone.
Here’s a map layout of Black Rock City to help locate these services.
Frequently Asked Questions
General playa questions answered…
What Is Banned At Burning Man?
This is the exact list I ask every participant when coming into the festival before I search their car: weapons, fireworks, lasers, plants, animals, drones, hidden people, or anything that can create MOOP like glitter, fur, or sequins.
These items are forbidden and can result in confiscation or getting turned away at the entrance Gate (if it’s a serious item like a pet).
Can You Bring Glass To Burning Man?
It is technically allowed but I would advise not to bring any glass! Choose aluminum cans over glass bottles when you can. You can bring your aluminum cans to Recycle Camp at Center Camp.
Be careful with huge mirrors (you don’t want 7 years of bad luck and a glass shard MOOP disaster!).
Final Wishes
ENJOY YOUR BURN! Now you should be prepared on what not to bring to the playa, guaranteeing you a great experience in the desert.
If you want more guidance on your Burning Man trip, check out my other guides here.
