The Burning man festival is going on this weekend -- a huge encampment of neo-hippies in the desert north of Reno. So its hot and cold, completely dry, far from resources (no cell coverage) and dusty. Sounds like a training exercise. Could you survive a week?

Also - the ground is slightly alkaline...bad for bare toes...

Burning Man and other outdoor gatherings have some commonalities: preparation, not all as ad hoc as they make out. Organizing committees, lessons learned from prior gatherings, assessing the terrain, planning for the number of people attending. Its all doable, as any event organizer can tell you - a safe number of EMTs to have on hand per thousand of attendees, how fast can a port a potty fill before it gets emptied, food and food preparers. I know one EMT who went down to do medical response at Burning Man the past couple years. Another friend of mine likes to go and cook. Most of the basic preparations happen as planned, otherwise there would be headlines.

The Rainbow Gathering is another moveable feast of a few thousand folks who choose an outdoor environment and camp out there annually. They rely on volunteers to do the heavy lifting, food, shelter, medical work etc etc. It all tends to come together, although I'm sure no one is prepared as possible for a sudden windstorm, lightning strikes, snow in July, lahar etc. Generally speaking in the event of a disaster I'm certain most people would just start bugging out, or stay put. Every year there's a celebrated child birth or two, every year there's also a death or two in the camp, usually from natural causes - that's just the actuaries talking, at any given moment a few of us are going to die, and some of us may die during a Rainbow moment. This year I think there were two deaths, and at least one person gone missing, although the circumstances of the disappearance weren't clear, it may be the case of someone just deciding to go walkabout after the gathering.

Oh, I almost forgot - the Rainbow Gatherings also include mitigation, replanting and rehabilitation of the meadows where the gathering takes place. That's very organized apparently, to the point that the Forest Service actually permits thousands of folks to trample public lands in such an obvious way. People pitch in, and if its done to the FS satisfaction, probably they do a thorough job - what the FS expects. If only the quad rallies and other ORV gatherings could attempt at least as good a job as that.

I guess that relatively non-destructive voluntary gatherings of consenting adults is better than many alternatives, but I always wonder what diagnoses are suggested by a feeling you need to attend and what my own feeling that such events are a bit creepy is diagnostic about me.

I know Philip goes every year, he would be a great knowledge base on this event. I know he had said in the past he rents a Sat phone for emergency's out there. When he gets back, maybe he would give a good break down on the what he carries as for food, water, etc.. I think he rents or takes a RV there, Water and a toilet I think would be the biggest players here. With the winds you would need a good mountaineering tent.

I think they have plenty of portable toilets, but you might want something like a Luggable Loo for the tent.

At this time of year, the heat is the big killer. Tarps for shade and plenty to drink would be my #1-A and #1-B. Next would be protection from blowing sand, esp for your eyes.

Sue