I have been going to BR since 2010 and have stayed in a pull trailer, an RV, and slept in a tent. My 20+ year old EZ Up is still going strong and has survived winds that have destroyed others. Same with my similarly aged Coleman tent.
For tents guys are a must. I always use the rain cover which adds additional guy points. I just use the regular triangular stakes that you can get at Walmart and they have never pulled up. But guys are the key. It has survived 50+mph winds there.
For most EZ Ups it doesn't matter how strong your stakes are. The superstructure will generally fail before the stakes pull up. The key is to have a plan to lower the canopy and remove it at the first sign of trouble. You need a backup plan with your neighbors in case you are away from your site when wind hits. I have video from several years ago when a really strong storm blew through and bent the frames of a lot of EZ Ups that otherwise stayed put. Obviously strong stakes are a must but the best way to avoid damage is to take the canopy off if wind hits.
Which leads to another big issue. Lots of folks leave stuff out on their tables when they leave their site. Doesn't matter how well EZ Ups are staked down if things are blown off the table and across the playa. I've seen whole tool boxes flipped off tables when they were left with the lid open and the wind caught it. Worst are rockets that get blown over or off of a stand. Always plan on wind.
And don't take anything that you ever want to look new again. As others have mentioned the playa dust is extremely fine and gets everywhere. It is nearly impossible to completely remove. It is very drying to skin, nose, and throat. Take good lip balm, hand lotion, and sunscreen. A well fitted hat is necessary as the wind will blow off anything else.
It does get cold at night so a good pull-over or other warm jacket is required. Bring a good flash light as well. Actually, bring everything you need. If you need any launch gear other than a standard 1010 rail you should bring that as well.
In all the years we've been there we've never left the playa to get anything. We show up Wednesday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Many years we are nearly first on and last off. We use the porta-potties provided and don't shower while on the playa. We cook as much as possible in a manner to avoid creating dirty dishes that require immediate washing.
Also bring radios. An FRS radio to listen in to the launch announcements and a HAM radio to communication over longer distances. And a real GPS of some sort. In the last few years we've started to have some cell service out there I think due to Burning Man. But I would not count on it everywhere.
The launch site was way north last year in a terrible location. The Burning Man crew usually puts up markers to keep us away from their site as they are still cleaning up. But your best bet is making sure you have the GPS coordinates to the site and checking out the websites already mentioned.
It's a great time. The first time I went just two of us drove 30 hours straight thru to Reno where we rented a trailer. Then we went out to the playa. Almost ran out of gas as we underestimated how bad our milage would be once we were towing the trailer. Made us appreciate how expensive gas is in Gerlach.
Once at Gerlach how long it takes you to get to the launch site depends on how fast you are willing to drive on the playa. Go slow your first time. It's generally less than an hour to the launch site from Gerlach. Lots of folks stay in Gerlach every night and drive out in the morning.
All in all, it's a great trip enjoyed by a very small group of folks. Really a great experience and well worth all the trouble.
Tony
Thursday night 2015:
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Rocket recovery 2016 (min dia 54mm to 23,500' on L935, Mach 2.3):
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