A recent thread on r/BurningMan kicked off a familiar — and gross — conversation: people finding actual human feces inside camps. The original poster says they attended often since 2001 and remembers “three or four times” people dropped a deuce in other camps, with one memorable incident at 4th of Juplaya targeting an open-carry pistol camp.
Several commenters shared echoing horror stories. One recounted a rainy 2023 night where porta-potties were unusable, an adjacent camp became the ad hoc bathroom, and guests woke up to feces outside tents and vehicles. Others mentioned poop in an evaporative pool, neighbors dumping a poop tank, and the folkloric “Mad Shytter.”
What’s behind this behavior? The thread floated a few explanations that ring true to longtime festival-goers: desperate sanitation failures when facilities break down or are flooded; drunken, thoughtless or antagonistic acts; deliberate vandalism or prankery meant to shame or provoke; and the occasional inside-job play for chaos. These aren’t mutually exclusive — messy events, intoxication, and hostile intent can all overlap.
Whatever the motive, the impact is the same: safety and comfort get compromised, trust between camps erodes, and the work to clean up falls on neighbors. For events built around communal responsibility and Leave No Trace ethics, something like this feels especially corrosive.
Practical takeaways for camps and festival staff:
– Make redundant sanitation plans: when portable toilets get overwhelmed or ruined by weather, have a backup plan (extra porta-potties, sealed waste containers, camp-only latrine areas with clear signage).
– Secure camp perimeters at night: lights, low-key patrols, and polite but firm signage can deter opportunistic asshattery.
– Rely on official channels: when an incident happens at Burning Man-scale events, contact camp leads, Rangers, or Playa Info so it’s logged and handled safely.
– Protect vehicles and gear: tarp sensitive gear and close gaps where people might relieve themselves near sleeping areas.
– Keep documentation: take photos, note times and witnesses — useful if staff or Rangers need to follow up.
This isn’t a festival-only problem — bodily boundaries get crossed at many large events — but at a place where community norms and mutual respect underpin the experience, it stings harder. If you’re a regular, remember the basics: plan for sanitation failures, camp like you mean it, and hold people accountable when they cross the line. If you’re new, this thread is a blunt reminder that festivals are wonderful and weird, and sometimes gross — plan accordingly.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1pa08u7/your_2_kinda_gross/