Real talk: this is my actual packing list... the spreadsheet I check off before I drive into the dust every year. I'm sharing it because the desert is unforgiving to the unprepared, and I'd rather you spend your week dancing than suffering.
What started as a chaotic pile of notes has become a 157-item spreadsheet that my camp now treats as gospel. Here's the condensed version — and if you want the full checkable spreadsheet with a progress tracker and RV dust-proofing tips, it's free at the bottom of this post.
The four things that actually matter
Everything on the list serves one of four survival rules. If you remember nothing else:
1. Water is life. A gallon and a half per person per day, minimum. Never leave camp without a full 3L bladder. Electrolytes are not optional — the desert pulls water out of you faster than you can drink it.
2. Dust wins every battle you don't prepare for. Goggles in your bag at ALL times, not just when the sky looks sketchy. Whiteouts come out of nowhere. A buff or bandana over your face, eye drops for after, and ziplock bags around anything electronic.
3. The desert is two climates. Days can hit 100°F. Nights drop into the 40s. Whatever you're wearing at sunset, you'll want a warm layer within two hours. Pack for both, every single day.
4. Be visible at night. Out there, art cars and bikes share the dark with thousands of people on foot. Someone with no lights is called a "darkwad," and it's not a compliment — it's a safety problem. Light your bike, light your bag, light your body. (Yes, this is the part where I mention that I solved this problem so thoroughly I built a company around it. A fur coat that glows is warmth and visibility in one — which is honestly how SugarFur was born. But a $2 strand of battery fairy lights also works. Just don't be darkwad.)
The daily carry — what lives in my bag
This kit never leaves my side: 3L water bladder (full!), a cup and collapsible bowl with a spork — a personal cup means you can accept drink gifts from strangers, which is half the fun — headlamp, multi-tool, sharpie, earplugs, chapstick, goggles, dust buff, eye drops, backup phone battery, and an ID tag inside the bag with my name and camp address in case we get separated.
The categories (condensed)
Essentials & documents: Ticket, vehicle pass, ID, cash in small bills (ice and coffee are the only things for sale), a printed event map, and a copy of your license with your camp address written on it.
Bike: Bike, lock, lights front and back, spare tubes, pump — and a tennis ball for your kickstand so it doesn't sink into the soft ground. Tag your bike with your name and camp address.
LED gear & power: Whatever glows, plus more power banks than you think you need (I bring a tiered set — small for accessories, big for coats), spare charging cables, and ziplocks for every controller. Test all your light gear at home. There is no downloading apps or replacing cables in the middle of the desert.
Clothing: Pre-pack each outfit in its own labeled bag — future-you at 6pm in a dust storm will be so grateful. Many, many extra socks. Fresh socks are playa gold. A warm hat and real jacket for nights. And a sealed clean "go home outfit" that stays in the car untouched all week. Trust me on this one.
Health & first aid: Prescriptions, ibuprofen, allergy meds, electrolyte packets, sunscreen, extra contact lenses (dust eats them), sanitary supplies, and harm-reduction basics like Narcan and test strips — you carry them for your community, not just yourself.
Hygiene: Baby wipes by the bulk pack. Lotion constantly — the dust is alkaline and dries your skin like nothing else. The veteran move: a foot bath of 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water at the end of each day neutralizes the alkali and saves your feet.
Camp: Shade, chairs, a table, carpet in front of your door, a wagon for hauling, and lighting for your space so you can find it at 4am.
Leave No Trace: Heavy-duty trash bags, a way to crush cans, a broom and dustpan, and cardboard under any vehicle that might drip. Pack it in, pack it out — all of it. The desert should look like you were never there.
The mistakes I'll never make again
Cheap tape (the desert melts it — spring for real gaffer's tape). One pair of goggles (bring two). Assuming my phone battery would last (it won't; cold nights drain them fast). Skipping the vinegar foot bath (playa foot is real and it is not cute). Arriving without small bills for ice. And packing my cute outfits but forgetting that the version of me at 3am just wants to be warm, fuzzy, and visible from across the open desert.
Take the list
The full 157-item checklist is a free spreadsheet — organized by category, with a progress tracker and a whole tab of RV dust-proofing tips (painter's tape is your best friend). Download it, make it yours, share it with your camp.
→ Download the Playa 2026 Packing Checklist
See you in the dust. Stay hydrated, stay warm, and please — don't be a darkwad. ✨
— Ashley
