Water thread

[Theraplst]

What is your water plan?

I plan on buying today (4) 5 gallon water jugs for our 3 person camp, as well as filling all of our smaller containers prior to going. 2 of us are only staying 5 days and the other is staying the whole time. the burningman water section says you'll need 1-3 gallons per day per person but I can't imagine myself drinking that much water. I'll also be going to a drug store and getting some electrolyte suppliments. I should note idgaf about bathing, I've gone weeks without a shower and I manage to keep a good smell somehow.

So, what will you be bringing in the way of per person/per day? our rati is 1.17 gallons/pppd, not counting other containers we'll be filling prior (which may turn out to be a substantial amount).

[Elliot]

Methinks you should expect to do more washing of your dust-clogged skin. Or bring a ton of... what is it?... baby wipes, I think. The dust is like talcum powder, but alkaline. And you will need to drink much more water than you seem to expect. If you have plenty of water left at the end of the week, give each other "jug showers" in the sun -- there is nothing like it.

I like Gatorade for electrolytes.

A little vinegar in the wash water neutralizes the alkaline dust. You'll want to do that a couple of times a day with your feet.

[FIGJAM]

[Ano]

I'm using a few 7-gallon aquatainers for myself and my girlfriend. Weigh about 60 pounds when full, but seem sturdy enough. A little worried they might leak around the spigot, but that's nothing a large amount of tape and some tipping can't fix... right?

[captain mcguiver]

I should note idgaf about bathing, I've gone weeks without a shower and I manage to keep a good smell somehow..

...That's what YOU think.


I'm bringing a 55 gallon barrel for me and my GF. Granted, I have a swamp cooler as well.
All I know is every year I bring back or donate half my water. I hear this year will be really dusty though. Might need more.

[Theraplst]

That was my original plan actually, but budget constraints didnt allow it.

[danibel]

My boyfriend and I pick up our water at the Save-Mart on Keystone in Reno. We buy eight (or so) 2.5 gallon "suitcases" for shower water and washing dishes, ect. Then we get eight to ten single gallons with twist lids so that in the event we have grey water left at the end of the burn we can funnel it back into the empty gallons.

I drink about a gallon of water a day on the playa. Sometimes more if I drank a lot of booze the night before. Last year we had about 5 gallons left over at the end and gave them to some campmates that were leaving the next day. I use my melted cooler water for foot baths. And we freeze five one gallon water bottles (perfect for replacing ice!) before we leave and drink them as the melt.

We always have extra water at the end, and that is OK. I would much rather have too much than not enough.

[Theraplst]

Update from op:

as is right now we're a ways over what I expected to get. 5 gallon aquafina bottle, (4) 5 gallon party rental food grade containers, 2 gallon water jug, (5) 1 gallon jugs, plus misc water bottles.

[dragonpilot]

We bought 24 gallons of water for 5 of us. We brought home 11 gallons. We each hydrated plenty discovering that there's water in fruit juices, milk, electrolyte drinks, beer/coffee/tea (albeit slightly diuretic)...and then there were the offerings from others...

Each person should bring what they feel is necessary...nothing wrong with having too much water on the playa.

[incubus_pantomime]

As newbies, we were careful to drink water constantly. We picked up 30 gallons of water in Reno on Sunday, all in the 2.5 gallon "suitcase" containers. When we left the next Sunday morning from the playa, we only had one 2.5 gallon jug left. We all took two quick showers during the week, but we were all able to get washed from one fully-filled sun shower bag. The rest went right into our Camelbaks. Our water was in the shade, which helped keep it quite cool. We also took all ice bought from Arctica and placed it into gallon freezer baggies before we put them in our cooler, and poured off the slushy ice water into our Camelbaks as a treat every other day. The only other stuff we drank was the occasional Gatorade when we thought we needed it, and a couple drinks from the Lamplighters bar each day when we attended the theme party of the day.

[Noboundaries]

There were two of us in our camp on the playa this year. We took our water in 5 gallon mylar bags purchased from Emergency Essentials fro $3.50 each. They are TOUGH bags with a very convenient spout. They actually hold more than 5 gallons, but we loaded each bag with exactly 5 gallons, then put the filled bag in a 5 gallon orange Home Depot bucket with a lid for protection ($3.50). Once empty, the buckets serves as a trash can or for hauling unevaporated grey water off the playa. Total investment about $7 per 5 gallons. Next time to the playa we just clean the bag and fill with tap water.

We were on the playa for 5 days. Drank 10 gallons of water, about 2 gallons of coconut water made from a powder, and a gallon of protein water. We took a shower every day using 2.5 gallons of water each time, so another 12.5 gallons of total shower water, but at least half the shower water was melt water from our coolers. We'd drain the coolers into the shower bag in the morning and it would warm to ambient by the time we were ready to shower in the evening. I'd use about a half gallon or so and my wife would use the rest. After 32 years of marriage I've learned some arguments just aren't worth having. I let her shower first one day. Big mistake.

We used a little less than 2.5 gallons for dishwashing/rinsing, and body wipes during the day. Total use was just under 28 gallons of water for five days and it felt rather decadent actually.

[JesseGrrl2009]

There were two of us in our camp on the playa this year. We took our water in 5 gallon mylar bags purchased from Emergency Essentials fro $3.50 each. They are TOUGH bags with a very convenient spout. They actually hold more than 5 gallons, but we loaded each bag with exactly 5 gallons, then put the filled bag in a 5 gallon orange Home Depot bucket with a lid for protection ($3.50). Once empty, the buckets serves as a trash can or for hauling unevaporated grey water off the playa. Total investment about $7 per 5 gallons. Next time to the playa we just clean the bag and fill with tap water.

These were exactly what i was looking for! So glad I found this post, these look easy to transport, plus you can't beat the price! Already thinking of a way to mount them in a reusable sling
**EDIT** I found these on BePrepared.com

[Simon of the Playa]

well, this should make things easier for burners...

[9ah]

11 gallons for myself, I was there for about a dozen days. I took two quick showers that didn't use more than a gallon of water each time. Juices are nice to mix in during the week.