How to pick out the right eye protection for a week on the Playa.
Art and free expression are king at the Burning Man Festival. The whole community of artists arrive every year out in the desert to celebrate and commune. But a week in the desert can ruin your eyesight if you don’t bring any eye protection. There is a lot of dust and debris that can kick up over the course of the week, and sandstorms come frequently, and without warning. So it’s important to find eye wear that is comfortable and cool, and still protects your eyes. Because even if you’re wearing nothing at all, you’ll still find yourself always wearing your goggles.
Glasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from the glare, harsh wind, and dust, that makes the desert so rough. A good pair of motorcycle or aviator goggles are designed for this purpose specifically. They block out the wind and dirt that would normally blow in to your eyes, and they come in tons of colors, styles, and looks. A good pair of goggles will create a seal around your eyes, keeping them from getting red and irritated by the fine dust that is everywhere. Since it is out in a desert, you may also consider finding lenses that with tints that protect you from the glare of the sun off of the desert floor.
A normal pair of prescription glasses won’t provide you with the same protection as goggles, so it’s important to find a pair that will cover all sides of your eyes. Some companies offer over sized goggles that fit completely over your prescription glasses. If you can’t do without your glasses for the whole week out on the Playa, than try a pair that will allow you to wear your glasses, but keep the sun and dirt out of your eyes. And if you’re not sure you want to wear a large pair of goggles, try finding a pair that offers prescription lenses. Some goggle manufacturers will create lenses for you based on your prescription.
Since there’s so much to see at the Burning Man, a pair of goggles with large lenses may be a better choice than other aviator goggles. The big goggles are designed to give you full range of vision, such as snowboarding goggles, so you won’t be limited in what you can see. Snowboard and ski goggles work great because they wrap around your face as well, and block out all the dust and sun, but are designed to breathe well, keeping your face cool.
You’ll also need goggles for things that go on at night. Since the wind and dust sometimes don’t stop, it may be hard to see at night with a pair of tinted goggles. Choose a pair with a slight tint or no tint so you can still enjoy burning at night. Some companies even offer goggles with interchangeable lenses. With these, you’ll be able to change the lenses easily and you won’t have to carry around a second pair of goggles with you.