Reposting this, as it seems topical to some of the discussion in the comments.

This infographic may be useful for first time Burners to know what they may have to prepare themselves for. Out of 50,000 attendees in the permit, 4,461 of them needed medical treatment in 2009 – that’s almost a 9% chance. The closest hospital emergency room to Burning Man is in Reno – a long way to go in an emergency, even by helicopter. Fortunately, your ticket comes with medical insurance – all treatment you receive on site at Burning Man is free. The medical center is staffed by volunteers from all over the country – ironically, you probably have a better chance of getting treated rapidly and properly at Burning Man than just walking into an ER in a major city.

It seems like in recent years Burners are getting better at it:

The 2011 event had a total of 2,307 patient contacts, a decrease of over 50 percent compared with 2010; 33 patients required transport off of the playa, two of which occurred prior to scheduled ambulance deployment. EMS personnel transported 28 patients by ground, a decrease of six from the previous year, and 5 patients were flown to Reno via Care Flight

Burning Man, a former US Navy Site, is a great place for all kinds of medical and sexual experimentation…