Dust, sleep, feet, health, and hygiene

Protect sleep, breathing, feet, and medication

• Fit goggles and a particle mask before departure; pack a backup.
• Keep dust protection, water, a warm layer, light, and essential personal health items with you whenever you leave camp.
• Schedule a realistic sleep window and bring ear protection plus warm bedding.
• Wash and dry hands before food or eye care; pack hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol for times when washing is not available.
• Rotate clean socks, dry feet fully, and inspect hot spots before they become wounds.
• Bring enough prescription and routine health supplies for delays, not only the planned dates.

Playa tip (community practice - not an official requirement): Create a small clean zone inside a closed bin for contact-lens, wound-care, and medication tasks. Do not perform them on an open dusty surface.

Whiteout behavior

When visibility collapses, seek immediate shelter. If shelter is not near, stop moving, sit down, turn away from the wind, cover your face, and remain alert for vehicles. Drivers and cyclists should stop rather than trying to navigate blind.

Know when to get help

Expert guidance: CDC heat resources identify dizziness, headache, weakness, nausea, heavy sweating, and muscle cramps as warning symptoms. Confusion, altered behavior, slurred speech, fainting, or unconsciousness can indicate a life-threatening emergency.

Move someone with heat symptoms toward shade or a cooler place and get qualified medical help. On playa, flag a Black Rock Ranger, Emergency Services person, law-enforcement officer, or anyone with an official radio. Cell service can be unreliable.

This is general preparation information, not medical advice. A clinician who knows your health, medications, allergies, breathing, eye, or skin conditions should guide your personal plan.

Common mistakes

• The only goggles fog, leak dust, or cannot fit over prescription glasses.
• A mask lives at camp rather than on your body.
• Sleep depends on everyone nearby becoming quiet.
• Foot care starts only after pain makes walking difficult.
• Medication is exposed to uncontrolled heat or buried in checked luggage.
• Friends debate symptoms instead of requesting help.

Test before departure

Wear the exact goggles, mask, shoes, socks, and day bag for a long dusty or hot practice walk. Set up the sleeping system and use it for one night. Confirm that essential supplies remain reachable without unpacking the camp.