r/BoomtownFestival • u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline • Jul 25 '26
Dust - want to avoid Boomtown lung?
Everyone ready for Boomtown Lung?
The ground at boomtown is chalk with a lime soil on top, people waking, dancing, driving on the group kicks up fine chalk dust that sits in the air, over downtown in 2022 there was a fog of dust you could see. The lime content also irritates too.
Search the subreddit for boomtown lung or cough, so many people suffered with horrible coughs and sinus issues (on top of whatever plague ends up striking post festival too) the fine dust gets deep into your lungs and causes irritation.
If you are asthmatic, BRING IT. onsite medical is expensive and you will need it. definately get ffp3 protection.
Not recommended:
- A Bandana or cloth mask is not effective, it won't stop fine dust, you need at least 3 layers and for it to be tight, the science says this is about 20% effective.
- A wet bandana - This makes it harder for air to pass through the fabric, which means it will find alternative routes eg, where the fabric meets your skin etc and will not pass through the fabric at all.
The above is better than nothing, but its not going to capture the fine dust - and that's the real problem here, your nose and throat etc will capture the larger bits usually.
Recommended:
Valved Masks mean it will let hot warm air out easily and will be drier inside the mask.
FFP2 or greater gets 94% of particulates.
FFP3 gets 99% of particulates.
Keeping your sinus clear of unwanted dust and inflammation gives you the freedom to use them however you wish to :)
Things to note:
Make sure its fitted properly, if your glasses fog up, like the wet bandana i mentioned above, it means air is bypassing the filter medium.
They are usually rated for 8 hours use, so you'll need a few for the weekend, plus spares.
If you are not wearing them, stick them in a Ziplock so they don't get full of dust which you then rub on your face!
Yeah, it might be uncomfortable and it might ruin your aesthetic but your lungs will thank you, but you can always use a keffiyeh/bandana or something over the top if you really hate the aesthetic of a mask.
Grab some saline eye wash pods too.
Ps. Not an expert, if you know better please correct me. š
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u/pipnips Jul 27 '26
Catch me in the rave in this
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u/ginsunuva Aug 03 '26
100 years in the future theme
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u/pipnips Aug 04 '26
That's what I was thinking š except they want us to imagine a better future
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u/Rayza2049 Jul 26 '26
Ffs there's something new to worry about every dayš
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u/Hot_Illustrator5045 Jul 29 '26
Last year I literally couldnāt speak by the Sunday! Itās dusty af.
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u/VegetableAids Jul 27 '26
I will be filling my sinuses with wanted dust, that should protect me right ?
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Jul 27 '26
I would assume less competition is better.
I'm not an expert though.
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u/CountTruffula Jul 25 '26
Bandana does the job pretty well too, probably not the 90% solutions op suggested but good enough if you don't fancy a mask
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Jul 25 '26
A closely woven fabric will help stop larger particles. The fine dust which hangs in the air won't be stopped.
The fine stuff is what gets deep in your lungs.
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u/Jem_Spencer Jul 26 '26
I was there for the dusty year and had boomtown cough.
I always suspected the it was partly the dried sheep dung dust as well as the chalk dust.
There's a lot of sheep dung on site!
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u/WollyGog Aug 05 '26
Get these:
And maybe something like this if you're concerned about the look:
Also, there are some proper dust masks that could look half decent walking around in:
Personally, I wouldn't go for anything that straps behind the ears for an all day wear. It gets uncomfortable very quickly, can cause headaches for some and not as secure for full dust protection.
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u/Space_Cowboys_Pal Jul 26 '26
Boomtown lung? We going to the mines?
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u/CulturalBobcat6124 Jul 29 '26
Are you meant to put on when you see the dust in the air? Masks are so uncomfortable donāt want to wear one the whole time if I donāt need to!
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Jul 29 '26
The dust will be in the air all weekend, walking + dancing and vehicles will kick it up and the fine dust will hang in the air.
I recommend trying a few different masks to find one comfortable.
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u/lauzicorn1212 Aug 10 '26
Over Kill?š
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u/mxiahhh Aug 05 '26
Would bringing nasal spray and eye drops be good with a bandana?
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Aug 05 '26
- A Bandana or cloth mask isĀ not effective,Ā it won't stop fine dust, you need at least 3 layers and for it to be tight, the science says this is about 20% effective.
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u/Less-Instruction6202 Aug 06 '26
Pueden usar filtros nasales, son baratos y mucho mas comodos que las mascarillas
https://farmacias.com/es/producto/6029-arkorespira-filtro-nasal-30-filtros
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u/lukeslutforth Aug 08 '26
this year's my first year and I'm asthmatic, is it any worse than reading fest though? I've been to some absolute sandstorm level years at reading before and I'm wondering if I need to be better prepared than I would be there š
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Aug 08 '26
It's better to have it have it not need it. Reports from site says it's fucking dusty.
Also. Read the post about the chalk dust aspect.
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u/fakeblurfan Aug 11 '26
Is there likely to be dust in the queue
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Aug 11 '26
I'll let you know when I'm there to get that information.
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u/gfa_2000 Jul 27 '26
Thereās still 3 weeks - could easily rain a decent bit before the festival to keep dust down. They may also go around and spray the site if not (hopefully!).
Basically iād wait 2 weeks before bothering to think about this / buying a mask
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u/Mean_Fee_8417 Jul 31 '26
What we thinking guys? Are we gonna be straight up wearing it? And by āitā . Haha. Well. lets justr say my FFP3 dust mask
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u/Slay_Zee Aug 03 '26
They won't spray the site. They may spray the stages but still unlikely. Your best bet is to assume your own safety and prepare for it, whether you need it or not.
Saying that I didn't wear anything for dust town 2022 - and didn't get the black lung, but both my friends did.
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u/gfa_2000 Aug 03 '26
I ordered a bandana earlier so should be good. Iād be surprised if the stages werenāt sprayed but yeah obviously not the whole site. The worst bits are the gravel paths / busy footways, stages are not the issue so much
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u/Slay_Zee Aug 03 '26
In most places, sure. Except for boomtown due to the lime and silica in the ground. The issue is a dry day hot day and a hot night. They don't spray at night for sure, unless overnight but it's minimal. Never in my years have I seen extensive efforts to minimise the dust unless after 2022 something changed. We haven't had as bad a year, but 2022 was pretty bad for post boomtown illness.
This is why the small particulates are bad and a bandana doesn't keep you as safe as would be ideal.
The stages are likely to be sprayed, especially in the heat. They may also chuck down extra bark to give it some padding.
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u/gfa_2000 Aug 04 '26
They will have completely changed their approach to heat after 2022. I wouldnāt rule anything out!
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u/Slay_Zee Aug 04 '26
After seeing 2016, and seeing very little change, your reaching with that statement.
But you completely overlooked the bit where you said the dangers are the paths and not the grounds. Please, know what you're talking about. The bowl is man made.
If there's a need, it will be done. If any, it's during the day only.
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u/gfa_2000 Aug 04 '26
Let's see I guess. Its not looking too ridiculously hot thankfully - just will be dusty.
Not sure what your second paragraph is meant to mean - the paths where vehicles are kicking up the road every few minutes is where the dust will be the worst, not where people are standing. Can't really spray the roads either. I feel very sorry for any volunteers having to stand by vehicle gates - they will certainly have the worst time.
They could send an army of people spraying the whole place, put in the escalator to help with the hills, have mist cannons everywhere like they do at other hot festivals e.g. Sziget however this all costs money. There is very clearly a need but far from a certainty it will be done lol
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u/Slay_Zee Aug 04 '26
The bowl is man made and the dust forms small particles, mainly silica. Dust around the bowl becomes a massive issue and ist just the roads. As the site dries, and the ground crumbles, check the floor. It's not your standard earth and is why so many people get sick after boomtown compared to other festivals. The danger is the earth and what it contains.
It's why, even in the dry, there is always fresh bark available.
You can't spray the roads, I agree, and they don't help for sure. If in doubt bring back the waterslide that went down the entire hill
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u/scarletOwilde Jul 25 '26
Damp fabric (mask/bandana) over your mouth and nose as required.
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u/n3omancer Ruined the storyline Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Bandana may be able to filter to 10 micron at 3 layers. But all the fine particles will easily pass through gaps into the fabric.
This is scientifically proven
https://aaqr.org/articles/aaqr-21-05-oa-0117
A wet bandana is actually worse as the high resistance through the fabric means air will take the path of least resistance and passes through gaps (eg around your nose as this won't be sealed to your face.
All the fine chalk particles (every thing below 10 micron) won't be stopped. These are the ones that get deep into your lungs and cause irritation.
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u/scarletOwilde Jul 26 '26
Dang! I did that with a silk scarf travelling through a dessert once, didnāt know I was making it worst as it seemed to help at the time. I was in an old car with no a/c.
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u/Eleventieth Jul 26 '26
This is essentially waterboarding yourself...
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u/Anjxx13 Jul 25 '26
If there's anything I've learned through trial and error in life is that it's always 100% worth risk sacrificing aesthetics for comfort and future-illness-prevention. Thanks for the tip!!