Apogaea is a Colorado Burning Man regional event
that adheres to Burning Man’s 10 Principles.
The Apogaea 2024 Survival Guide is OUT!
Survival Guide
Attending Apogaea takes planning and preparation in order to keep yourself happy and healthy before, during and after the event. Please become familiar with what it takes to be prepared by reading the Survival Guide. Even if you’ve been to Apogaea before, or if you think you know everything there is to know about Apogaea, read the Survival Guide!
THE SURVIVAL GUIDE IS REQUIRED READING! Feel free to use color-coded highlighters for the most important stuff. There will be a quiz at the gate and they are authorized to punish you for failing to adequately prepare (they are really creative too, so don’t mess with Gate).
Help make this document better by participating in its evolution. To volunteer to help with any aspect of the Survival Guide, contact [email protected].
Past Survival Guides
Relive the past (or refresh your memory) by reading past Survival Guides. Here, you will be able to view different theme camps, workshops and art installations from years gone by.
2023 • 2022 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2010
Event Checklist
- Ticket and Photo ID.
- Liability waivers are available to sign at the gate! No need to print and bring one!
- Water: 1.5 gallons per person, per day. Piss clear!
- Enough food for your entire stay and a way to prepare it.
- Weather appropriate clothing. The sun is bright, rain is wet, snow is cold, hail hurts, etc. Apogaea is in the mountains of Colorado – anything can happen.
- Bedding and shelter. Did we mention this takes place in the mountains in Colorado? You’ll need something to protect you from sun, rain and cold.
- Garbage bags: this is a Leave No Trace event and no trash services will be provided.
- Sunscreen/sunblock, sunglasses, and a wide-brimmed hat. The sun is more intense in Colorado. You burn more easily here.
- Flashlights and/or headlamps with spare batteries. It’s dark in the woods. You’ll want to see where you’re going at night.
- First Aid kit, toiletries and prescriptions: single-ply toilet paper, prescription drugs, soap, insulin, ibuprofen/aspirin, lube, condoms, and anything else you need to maintain your health and comfort.
- Common sense, an open mind and a positive attitude!
We strongly suggest you bring:
- A reusable cup or mug. Don’t miss out when someone offers you the best drink at Apogaea because you didn’t have a cup!
- Shade structures, umbrellas, parasols, sheets, canopies, tarps, tents, parachutes, and/or something to break the midday sun.
- Earplugs. Not everyone will want to sleep when you do.
- Handi-wipes. Use your imagination here.
- Watertight protective bags for cameras or electronic gear. You want your camera to work when you see the guy doing back flips on stilts while breathing fire because none of your friends will believe that really happened.
- Costumes. You can’t be too costumed, too decorated, too body-painted, too weird, too fabulous, or too beautiful!
- Gifts, toys, trinkets, baubles, magical fabulous-ness and swell stuff to give to your new friends.
- Something to decorate and light yourself at night.
- Duct tape, zip ties, and Swiss army knife: the toolkit that can fix pretty much anything.
- Insect repellent.
- An extra set of keys that you can leave with a friend. Locksmiths are expensive and hard to find in the forest.
- Smokers: Carry a portable ashtray (such as a mint tin) with you at all times, or put butts in your pocket.
DO NOT bring:
- Firearms, fireworks, or explosives of any kind. This isn’t the wild west…
- Glow sticks. You can find reusable LED lights pretty easily on the internet.
- Charcoal grills (white gas and propane are okay).
- Pets. Mr. Pickles and Chairman Meow would rather stay at home and sleep on your couch.
- Stuff you want to sell – VENDING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
- Feathers of any kind based on their MOOP tendencies. Try marabou instead.
- Glass containers of any kind. Guess what? When glass breaks it is sharp!
- Excess packaging from food (for example, remove outer box from cereals and just bring the bag).
- Glitter or sequins or anything that will break up and blow away in the wind like confetti, loose paper, etc. It all just ends up as MOOP.
- Nuts in their shells. Treat yourself and get them shelled so you don’t have to deal with the trash.
- Styrofoam coolers. Do these things ever not break? No. Then the foam goes all over the place.
BAMF Presents: How Not To Die!
- If Apogaea is under a Stage Two Burn Ban (see above), that means there will be no outdoor smoking allowed. Smoking is permitted only in vehicles and a limited number of BAMF approved smoking tents. Tents will have to be enclosed on at least three sides with bare soil, a fire extinguisher with a current annual service tag and a container for cigarette butts. Contact BAMF for the process to get a smoking tent approved. There will be no campfires allowed, including propane fire pits in camps. Propane cooking stoves are allowed. We will post an update on final fire restrictions on Monday before the event. We are still on track for approved fire art and fire spinning. Look for more updates as our event nears. Check out https://apogaea.com/fire/ for more information and email [email protected] with any questions.
- Parking in tall grass at your campsite will not be allowed (and is a terrible idea). Plan on being prepared and bring a weed wacker with you to make your campsite safe for parking and other activities. It will be your responsibility to prepare your camping area so have the tools you need handy when you first arrive onsite.
- Do you have a generator? Will you be running a propane stove? Are you just too hot to handle? If the answer is yes to any of the above, bring a fire extinguisher with a current annual service tag (or receipt if it is new) and then bring one more for good luck. Seriously, BAMF wants you to bring two so you have a back up and are radically self-reliant.
- If you have a generator in your camp, or are running stoves with propane, be aware of your fuel storage location! Keep fuel in an obvious location and far away from sleeping areas. Also clear out one of your extra containers to put your fuel in to have secondary containment and help protect our land.
- Prepare for hot days and cold nights! Daytime highs are 85-90 degrees with full sun, and nighttime lows are 50-55 degrees. Consider it an excuse to bring even more costume changes and practice your affirmative consent gathering as you make new snuggle friends.
- BAMF reminds you that alcohol is not water– you need to bring at least one and a half gallons of water per person per day.
- Bring your own first aid kit. BAMF is your third aid! Practice radical self-reliance and anticipate common camp injuries: we are not here for boo-boos. We do have Band-Aids, but if you would like Band-Aids in any flavor other than vague shame, bring them yourself (you know, in your first aid kit). Additionally, if you know you need prescription or OTC medications daily or occasionally, bring them!
- BAMF reminds you to know your limits! We love you and want you to experience the event beyond the confines of our medical tent or the sanctuary trailer.
- Be spark aware this year! No spark creating devices (generators must have spark arrestors, dragons must be sternly talked to). Please be safe, sane, and responsible: we all have a role in preventing wildfires.
- Cooking at Apogaea? Be smart about food prep and cooking to stay safe and healthy. Keep your kitchen clean. Keep raw and cooked food separate. Ensure to cook your food thoroughly and store food at safe temperatures. Don’t let your kitchen send you to our Medical tent unless you are bringing some good yum yums for us to eat!