Are you a festival virgin? You’ll want to check out our festival dos and don’ts for top tips on how to survive music festivals.
You’ve probably planned your hit list of acts to see and outfits you’ll wear but probably haven’t put quite as much thought into what else you need to take. Being unprepared could eat into your beer fund though. There will always be someone at the festival charging an arm and a leg for mobile charging or a can of deo. Check out our handy festival checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything!
You’re at a festival and you want to let your hair down but sadly there are still rules you need to stick to. If the festival rules state you can’t take glass into the campsite, forget those bottles of wine. If they’re confiscated it’ll be costly! Some campsites also won’t allow camping stoves so make sure you check before you go.
Drinking enough is important especially if it’s warm, and no we’re not talking about beer! Make sure you always have a bottle of water with you. At most festivals you will generally be allowed a 500ml bottle of water into the arena and many will have water points around so you can refill.
Instead of risking damage or loss to your brand new mini SLR, it’s a nifty idea to take a few disposable cameras with you (with flash capabilities for those awesome night-time shots). The cameras are light and compact and the prints will have a kitsch retro feel to them too!
Rips and tears can occur at any time, be that in your poncho or tent. Duct tape is perfect for making quick, DIY fixes to your gear so always make sure you take some.
Festivals are not pretty affairs, especially if it rains. If you’re rather fond of your 6-man waterproof behemoth, leave it at home and substitute it for a cheap pop up tent. That way, when people start falling into your tent with their muddy wellies on or spill beer all over it, you won’t want to tear your hair out!
Now you’re definitely not going to forget your wellies as they are one of the key things to take to festivals, (don’t forget your wellies!) but you may overlook a wellies best friend- welly socks. Wellies will rub bare skin making for an uncomfortable experience, so if you plan on wearing your denim cut offs with your wellies avoid this by wearing welly socks.
If you turn up to the campsite at the last minute it’s likely your spend hours in the dark scrambling across guy lines and passed out festival-goers to find the last muddy patch of grass smack bang by the toilets. Not where you want to be! Try getting there in the early morning, allowing you to find a nice, clear patch of land for you and your mates to set up. Then feel smug.
There’s nothing quite like the niggling, incessant itch of bug bites to put a damper on your dancing. Keep a small tube of antihistamine cream in your bag encase of bug bites (especially at night) to keep you happy and soothed throughout the day.
If you’re expecting to get a good night’s sleep think again, unless you’re the world’s deepest sleeper that it is! A sleeping mask and earplugs are small essentials for those who want to get a good amount of forty winks for the day ahead.
You’re going to need illumination when navigating your way through the campsite and portaloos late at night. Hands free is always the way to go in these situations (for obvious reasons) so a headtorch is ideal.
Your probably be dancing all day and all night and but at some point you’re probably want to take a breather. Take a foldable chair or stool with you to take the weight off your feet, sitting on the floor for long periods can give you an achy back so they are better than a picnic mat.
Unfortunately, no one is 100% safe from thieves at festivals, but you can take preventative measures! People would think that padlocking their tent would keep out pilferers but all it does it draw their eye to the valuables inside. Tents are not hard to get into, so avoid drawing attention to yours with security measures and just leave your valuables at home!
See above! Festivals are no place for expensive jewellery, SLR cameras or delicate dresses. You’re going to get muddy, wet, pushed around and are more than likely to lose something dear to you. Do yourself a favour and replace something valuable with something cheap that you wouldn’t mind getting dirty or lost.
UK festivals are notorious for bucketing it down with rain but when the sun does come out you’ll want to be prepared. Sunburn does not make for a comfortable night’s sleep especially in a tent! A travel sized suncream is the ideal for popping in your bag.
For more essential festival items, check out the Mountain Warehouse Festival Checklist.
