tara wrote:And I'd love to bring my bike, however I may just rent one when I get there.
Depends what you mean by *there*. You won't be able to rent any at Burning Man. You might borrow one from neighbors, but they will want to use it themselves a lot of the time. There are community bikes you can use when you find one, but they are in high demand, and others can take it, so if you park it somewhere it might be gone when you come back.
There are places in Reno that rent bikes for Burning Man. You have to reserve ahead of time and they usually do sell out at some point, so you want to reserve early.
tara wrote:as far as our outfits go, should I take stuff knowing it will get ruined? I have some bellydance outfits I'd love to wear. Should I not take them?
I try not to take anything that I would mind if it got ruined. That means if it's too expensive, or too precious to you, I'd leave it home. That said, most textiles clean better than a lot of other things. There are things that you will never get the playa dust off of. Most clothing that you can machine wash is usually fine afterwards.
tara wrote:And finally where do you dispose of coolers and things you will not be taking back on the plane? Drop them at local dumpsters? Or can we donate them?
There is a couple of costume boutiques on the playa, and I think they take costumes to bring again next year. I've not heard of someone taking coolers. You could ask your neighbors if anybody wants an extra one.
Savannah wrote:Sealed non-perishable food and sealed alcohol can be donated to the Department of Public Works (DPW) during Exodus. (They also take feminine hygiene supplies).
They also seem to like Tobacco, (clean, wrapped) socks, and once we were asked for condoms.
And if the alcohol is good stuff, they might relax the 'sealed only' rule.
tara wrote:And what is good footwear for the playa? Should our feet always be covered?
There is a bunch of opinions on that, and a ton of threads on this board to go with them. Generally, some people run around barefoot or with flip flops, while other have problems with their feet if they get exposed to the alkaline playa dust for too long. They will prefer closed shoes or boots.
Some threads to get you started:
Frequently Asked Questions (also has another question regarding instrumentsNeed new playa shoesISO the perfect playa bootsPlaya Bootsyour opinion if these boots are suitable for the playabootsUGG boots on the Playa?playa impact on shoesAdvice on Shoes for Guys on the PlayaComfy shoes for the ladies?Shoes for the PlayaShoes & Boots: Your Best Friend On The PlayaMen's Shoes At BM