Acclimating
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The playa is a high-altitude desert. Virtually everyone needs to acclimate to this environment. The altitude means that the air is thinner and contains less oxygen. It's also extremely dry, which takes some getting used to as well.
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Heat
Daytime temperatures are usually in the 90's, and shade is hard to find if you're walking around the playa. Try going without AC for a one or two weeks before you leave for the playa. Once you get there, the heat won't sap you as much.
Altitude
The Black Rock Desert is about 4000 feet above sea level. This means that there is about 13% less oxygen than there is at sea level. [1] The effect on most people is about a day of low energy and sluggishness as the body adjusts. However, anemics may have a stronger reaction and may need to acclimate somewhere more comfortable than the playa. (Reno is about 4500 feet above sea level, so it makes a good option.)
What Happens to Your Body
- Your body works to take in more oxygen by increasing the depth and rate of your breathing.
- Your blood pressure increases to filter more blood through the capillaries in the lungs.
- Your body starts to produce more red blood cells to carry oxygen plus more of an enzyme that helps to extract oxygen from your tissues. Once these take effect, you will start feeling more energetic, your respiration rate and blood pressure will return to normal
Most of the above is summarized from http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/altitude.html, a guide to high altitude acclimatization. It's meant to apply to elevations of over 10,000 feet, but should also be somewhat applicable here.
Moisture
The Black Rock Desert is also extremely dry, which can take some adjustment. This is easier to handle than the altitude. Start drinking a lot of water as you drive out to the desert (it's easy to go through a full liter on the drive from Reno to Gerlach) and continue to do so for the first couple of days as your body adjusts. Be sure to also consume enough electrolytes (fancy word for salty stuff like pickles or spicy tomato juice) which will help you retain the water you drink. Otherwise, you'll be making a lot of bathroom trips. After a couple of days, you'll find that you need less water.
Other Tips for Acclimating
- Rest up before getting to the playa. It's easy to wear yourself out preparing in Reno or driving a long distance. You'll want as much energy as you can muster to deal with the initial fatigue of getting to the playa.
- Similarly, avoid partying too much in Reno or en route to the playa. That hangover will be 10 times worse once you step out into the dry, hot, rarified playa air.
- Try to avoid excessive drinking or consumption of other depressants your first day or so. These tend to slow down your body's mechanisms for dealing with the new environment, so you'll feel particularly sapped of energy. [2]
