Wasteland Weekend
Wasteland Weekend: The EASY Way
Helpful tips for first timers and veterans too!
This includes a lot of helpful Wasteland links in one place!
There are a lot of misconceptions out there from people thinking about going to Wasteland for their first time. Questions we hear all the time are things like:
How do I get a ticket?
TICKETS are still on sale now.
That page also has information about how our tickets work, transferring a ticket to someone else, etc..
What’s up with bartering?
Contrary to what some people think, our event is NOT barter-only.
Food and goods vendors at our event take old world cash, and most of them take credit cards too!
Bartering is a fun side activity many Wastelanders engage in.
(Please, don’t barter food or drink, due to health codes.)
Are there any requirements this year due to Covid?
No.
Do I need to have a cool car?
Nope. Any vehicle will do. The dirt road to the event site isn’t too bad if you take it slow, so something like a Pius can make it out there no problem. The only place where you need a fully-themed car is if you want to drive into the themed Wasteland City area or participate in the car cruise.
Don’t I need a cool campsite?
Not at all.
Do I need to have a tribe with me?
No, you can just go by yourself if you choose to.
Themed camps and cars are great, but you don’t need one, You don’t need a tribe, either. Those are things people do who want to take their Wasteland experience to the next level. But Wasteland can be a hell of a lot of fun with a just few friends or all on your own with nothing more than a place to sleep; a tent, an RV, the nearby hotels, or joining an existing tribe that is recruiting new members (Wasteland Tribe Recruiting Facebook group), some basic supplies for camping for a few days (though there are also FOOD VENDORS on site), and something Wastelandy to wear.
Is this event way out in the middle of nowhere?
Yes and no.
The site is about 2 hours North of Los Angeles, and you can’t see any signs of civilization when you look out from Wasteland Valley where the event is held. But actually, you’re only about a 20 minute drive from modern conveniences like a hotel, groceries, drug store, gas station, and fast food.
Can I volunteer?
Yes!
Volunteering is a great way to experience the event, make friends, and get a complimentary ticket!
Applications are live now:
https://www.wastelandweekend.com/volunteer-program/
What about an outfit? Don’t I need some kind of post-apocalyptic costume?
Well, THAT part is definitely true. But it’s also the simplest part. We’ll get into that.
But first, let’s get the most basic stuff out of the way:
WHEN AND WHERE
Wasteland Weekend 2023 takes place September 27th-October 1st, in Edwards, CA.
For how to get there: MAPS under the HOW TO GET HERE tab.
You’ll also want to read our Event Entry Etiquette page, also under the HOW TO GET HERE tab.
As far as the map of the event itself, that’s the EVENT LAYOUT.
WHAT TO WEAR
Let’s talk about that. For first timers or those that don’t want to put in a ton of time, effort, expense, or creativity into a costume, you can always go with what we call Wasteland Basic. Our THEME PAGE goes into a ton of detail on what is or isn’t acceptable to wear, and you’re welcome to read it if you have the time, but for the sake of this short guide, we’ll just say a few things:
Wear earth tones. Skip the blue jeans and wear some brown or black pants/shorts/skirt instead.
Cut/rip holes in your clothes.
Make it dirty!
Brown and black paint rubbed on with your hands, brushed on, or spattered can work well.
You don’t need to win the costume contest, you just need to not ruin the sense of immersion by looking like you’re wearing regular, modern, clean clothes.
There are tons of great, simple tutorials for creating and distressing Wasteland / post-apocalyptic clothing all over the internet, and you can also find a wealth of information in our Facebook Groups.
Here are some of our official Facebook groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wastelandbootcamp
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WastelanderCentral
https://www.facebook.com/groups/291851204741479
Here are a bunch of photos of peoples’ “wasteland basic” outfits to give you ideas:
RULES AND SAFETY AND THINGS:
Since we are a FAKE post-apocalyptic Hollywood-style Mad Max party- and not the REAL apocalypse- we DO have a bunch of rules. But we think they’re pretty reasonable and won’t impact your ability to have a mind-blowing great time in an immersive make-believe world.
Please read our official event RULES and FAQs.
Some of the safety stuff is covered under those rules links, but basically, if you are at the event and have a current medical or security emergency, please go to the MEDICAL or SECURITY tents. There are also roving members of both our MEDICAL and SECURITY staff throughout the event site.
Or, worst-case, any of our staff or volunteers with a radio.
Medical has a tall pole with a lit red medical cross symbol at night.
Or you can find any staff member or volunteer with a radio/walkie-talkie and have them call medical or security for you.
Official Event MEDICAL staff wear shirts with this logo:
Official Event SECURITY Staff wear shirts with this logo:
We also have EMERGENCY STATIONS placed around the event that have instructions as well as a radio for calling for help. Look for the blue light high up on a pole if you need one of these stations.
The direct link for reporting serious incidents to our security team (when NOT at the event) HERE.
WHAT TO DO:
Wasteland has a TON of activities going on both day and night, including both official and user-generated entertainment (including amazing spaces, performances, and activities created by the tribes of Wasteland City.
Find out more HERE
IS THERE MORE TO KNOW?
Absolutely! A hell of a lot more. But we want to keep this short and as a place for you to come back to if you’ve forgotten where to find something. So for now, get started prepping for the party at the end of the world, and explore our website and browse our social media when you have more time.
Don’t forget to stop by the Wasteland Trading Post – aka our official merchandise booth, the ONLY place to get official merchandise. Check back for this year’s list of new and returning items.
Lastly, there are plenty of VIDEOS to get you in the mood.
