I am wondering how the GFC tent has held up at Burning Man? Did the dust ruin things permanently, or can you hose off the tent afterwards and it’s OK? How about the interior effects?
I have never gone to BM but am considering it. I would love ALL suggestions, especially how to stay cool, and how to protect my tent and topper from getting ruined.
Thanks! Merry Christmas to all!
Not been to Burning Man, but plenty of time wandering around Black Rock and similar deserts. I have a V1, things are kinda permanently dusty but nothing near “ruined” classification!
FWIW, I’m told the pro-tip for BM is to go with somebody else and sleep in THEIR fancy RV.
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Not been to BM but plenty of times out in Blackrock and surrounding desert. The fine silty sand will get into every crack and crevasse but won’t ruin anything.
I always take a small Makita blower and pack as little as possible.
I would also plan to close up every morning to avoid the dust up of everyone moving around and the occasional winds.
I went this year. It was my first time.
The sand reminded me of weightlifting or climbing chalk. Very fine.
There were storms before i got there and after i left. But, the weather was nice while i was there and i had a little dust in my bed. It was easily cleaned. I believe I kept the tent closed at least during the day. My understanding was the weather overall was good this year so experiences will vary.
It took some elbow grease to get it off the undercarriage of my truck but I have not experienced any ill effects with my truck or the GFC.
My clothes and shoes etc. on the other hand were covered in dust.
I was advised to clean everything as soon as you could.
I recommend you look at joining an established camp. They will
Probably interview you and you will have responsibilities but you will be connected to experienced burners and depending on the camp they will be from all over the world.
It was very expensive but worth the experience.
Thank you so much. I don’t think I responded to this. I think I just saw it. Have not been on here through the winter. I really appreciate it. My son’s van is still a dust storm inside!
Hi @Dancebuff,
22 year BM veteran here. Black Rock City is one of my favorite places on earth and I’ve camped there in nearly every imaginable way; in the open bed of my pickup truck, in a ground tent, in a VW camper van (w/roof tent), in a RV, in a truck camper and in a travel trailer. All of those methods work just fine and none of my stuff was “ruined” in the process… your GFC tent & topper will do just fine! Yes, it will be dusty, but you can give it a bath afterward, however don’t expect to be able to clean of all of the dust… it will get into places that you can’t even begin to imagine.
There really is no right or wrong way to camp at burning man and if you want to camp in your GFC then go for it! However there are a couple things to consider before asking “will my GFC get ruined” (it won’t!), the first of which is how will YOU do?; What’s your personal tolerance for being exposed to the elements? How much sleep do you need? How much dust are you willing to have inside your habitat… and inside your bed? How dedicated will you be to the post-event clean up process? Are you willing to live with some dust in your stuff forever? Another major consideration is the weather; 2024 was quite mild during the event, but 2022 and 2023 were pretty rough. It can be 110ºF in the afternoon and then 30ºF that same night, the winds can blow 25-30 MPH for hours on end and gusts can be 60+, and then there’s rain which can turn the whole lake bed into a soup-ey mess.
As far as protecting your truck, topper, and tent: Keep all of the windows closed, once you get to BRC do your very best not to go in and out of the cab, cover the fresh air intake with tape so dust doesn’t get into your vents, keep the AC on recirc’ mode, then plan to wash everything a couple times when you get home. Staying cool usually means having some sturdy shade at your camp (do a Google search for Burning Man shade structures). Stay in the shade during the heat of the day and drink lots of water and when you’re done drinking water then drink some more water. You can add electrolytes if you like, in my case I find that adding some flavor & salt to my water gets me to drink more.
I only have one rule for my wife, kids, and friends who camp with me… Pack yourself a little go-bag (I prefer a CamelBak backpack), and never-ever-ever leave camp without it! The bag must contain the following: 32oz of water, goggles (the kind that seal to your face, like motorcycle or ski goggles), and a N95 dust mask (the kind with an exhalation valve). Keep the mask & goggles into zip lock bags. Dust storms can whip up out of nowhere and having these things with you will make the difference between a fun day and a crappy one. Since you have a bag you might as well toss in some snacks, lip-balm, and a tube of sunscreen 
As for me ; I LOVE the weather in BRC and the big storms and rain have been some of the most exciting and enjoyable times I’ve had there, but they were certainly not the easiest. I’ve historically driven an older pickup truck to BRC, and I now own an small, old (but very functional) travel trailer that I’ve used exclusively for BM for the past 10 years. However this past year I decided to bring my 8 month new '23 Jeep Gladiator with the GFC Camper on it to BRC, My Gladiator is my dedicated overlanding vehicle and I bought it knowing full well that I was going to use it, scratch it, dent it, and get it muddy. Since it was just going to be my transportation and not my habitat, I removed the mattress, bedding, and all of my regular camping gear so that I would not have to clean all of that stuff once I got home. However ultra fine playa dust has a truly remarkable ability to get into absolutely everything… and now there’s dust in the cab of the Jeep, in the bed, in the tent, and inside the extruded frame of the GFC. Of course I’ve washed it, and then re-washed it, but 6 months later there’s still dust dribbling out every time it rains. There will always be dust, and that is just part of the Burning Man experience… but ultimately I am disappointed with my decision to bring my Jeep/GFC there.
Feel free to reach out if you have additional questions.
See you dusty!
-Mark (aka. Sparky)
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