Festival Tips & Tricks

Just a few tips I've picked up over the years!

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HOTEL VS CAMPING ?

Which one do you go for every year? Personally I choose to camp, but everyone has their preference! I thought I'd compile some reasons why people go for one or the other, for you to make your choice if you're going to a festival for the first time, or if you wanted to compare the two for your next festival. We'll start with CAMPING! Positive reasons to Camp! - This option is usually completely FREE of charge to weekend wristband holders! (Some festivals may charge a small amount extra to cover facilities) - It is an easy option if you are getting direct travel to the festival (Via national express, megabus, Big green coach etc) you won't have to worry about finding your hotel and you'll always be close to the action! - You'll always be close to your friends, you'll wake up together in one place and it's a really nice bonding experience! You'll get to know each other inside out after a weekend together. - Campsite banter! There's nothing like it. Things to consider about CAMPING -Weather. If it's sunny and glorious you're in for a lovely weekend! If it rains on the other hand, your spirits won't be the only things that are a bit dampened. -Noise! If you're going to a music festival you've got to expect a bit of noise. This isn't so common with family festivals but it still won't be a peaceful nights rest. -Theft. Theft is rife in campsites so make sure to not take any valuables with you. -Actually getting to and from the festival, you'll be carrying so much equipment on the day you arrive and the day you leave. -Shower & Toilet facilities. Some will be lovely and others will be gross. Not to mention the queueing! Positives of HOTELS! -You know you'll be getting a lovely night's rest whatever the day you've had. -There's shower facilities whenever you need them, and a clean toilet to come back to! -Warm/Cool room depending on the weather, and shelter from the extremities. -Breakfast in the morning is prepared for you and usually included in the room rate. Negative points of HOTELS -you have to book MONTHS in advance. -You're usually charged quite a large sum of money because some hotels/b&b's use the festivals to their advantage. (Use a hotel comparison site like trivago or booking.com to find the best deals and ALWAYS use TripAdvisor to check the place out first) -They're not always close to the site, which can incur taxi fees or a long walk to the arena. (Check up on the location and distance from the site using google maps) -Check in / Check out times can interfere with festival start/end times.

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What to take into the Arena!

I always bring a bumbag (fanny pack) into the Arena. You can get these anywhere! I bought mine from EBay for about £5, and it’s got lots of pockets and zips for different bits and bobs. If you’re brave enough to take a rucksack in, only take essentials in. (They get really heavy even if there’s not much on them and give you backache throughout the day, and get caught on EVERYTHING in a crowd)

My main things I take in with me are:

*Money (about £20. If you have a locker you can always go back and get more or your card if you need to, and there’s less to lose if you bring less in) *A packet of tissues! You never know how the toilets are going to be in the arena, or you might need them for something else. *Hand sanitiser, again for hygiene reasons after being to the loo.

Carry in an empty water bottle for you to fill up when you get in. This saves spending about £2 on a bottle of water! There are plenty of water refill stops for you.

Other bits and bobs that are useful to carry in with you could include:

*Hair elastic/clip to tye up your hair *Wet wipes (travel pack) *Mini body spray/deodorant *Battery pack for your phone *Plasters/mini first aid kit (if you’re in a group try and distribute the contents)

And my top tip for keeping your bag contents safe is to use a safety pin to keep the Zips together! It’s a lot more hassle for a pick pocket to undo the safety pin without you noticing.

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What to do about Food. Bring or buy?

When you plan to go to a festival, check out whether there's any supermarkets nearby. If there are, you don't have to pack groceries in your camp gear! Yay! But if there's nothing nearby, what should you bring? Here's my little guide to help you choose what to do. If there's a supermarket nearby: Only take in your camp gear a few essentials like these to tide you over until you can get there; *Bottles of water *Cereal bars *Crisps *Apples/bananas/pears or any non squishy fruits *Nuts like Almonds, Cashews or Pistachios *Chocolates/sweets Then when you get to the supermarket you can go a little wild and pick foods to take to the camp with you. Some of my favourites to take into the camp are: *Strawberries/Raspberries *Tangerines/Clementines *Ready prepared fruit like Pineapple, Pomegranate, Mango etc. *Tinned Spaghetti/Beans *Pot noodles/Just add hot water type snacks *Bread rolls, Crossaints, Pastries *Biscuits (ones in mini packs are great!) If you want to pick fresh foods like dairy or meat products, I'd advise for you to get these day by day. To keep these cool I suggest you take a cool keep box, and when you get to the supermarket buy 2 bags of ice, and if you plan to eat meats the following few days (on a bbq etc) , buy it frozen! It'll last at least another day in the cool keep because it needs time to defrost anyway. Some nice fresh / Frozen BBQ meats & ideas could include: *Chicken thighs *Chicken drumsticks *Ready cubed chicken breast *Fresh king Prawns *Marinades *spice mixes *Cubed beef steak *frying steak (it cooks quicker) *Cubed pork *mixed peppers *pineapple chunks If there's no supermarket nearby, never fear! Take some of these snacks to keep in your tent: *Crisps *Cereal Bars *A variety of Nuts *Apples/Bananas/Oranges *Tinned Spaghetti/Beans *Loaf of bread / Bread rolls / Crossaints and pastries *Jam *Dried Quick cook pasta *pesto There are plenty of food stalls at festivals! They can be on the prices side so check out what people are coming back from the stalls with for an idea of quality. I'd stay away from beef burgers and hot dog type vans. Some of my favourite types of food at stalls are : *Mexican Burritos *Nachos and chili *Fresh stonebake pizza *Hog roast roll *Veggie chilli in a tortilla bowl *Falafel Pitta pocket *Fresh fish & Chips *Southern fried chicken and chips *Chunky veg soup and fresh bread *Pulled pork roll with chips & apple slaw And that's just a few of the meals I've had! There's always something for everyone. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR OWN DRINKS TO CAMP! Drinks cost a fortune in the arena so bring a bottle to refill whilst you're in there. Take these into camp with you and bring plenty! *Bottles of water *Bottles of fizzy drinks *Cartons of fruit juices

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ULTIMATE CAMPING LIST

I’ve compiled this list over the past 5 years, adding different bits and bobs as I go. If you’ve got any suggestions just drop me a message!

CAMP STUFF *Tent *Sleeping bag *Mattress (e.g yoga mat, inflatable lido, self inflating mattress, blow up bed, take your pick! They all do a good job) *Foldable Chair ( pick a light one so you can take it to different places within the festival, they’re fab for watching the main stage on!) * Extra blanket (you never know when you might need it!) * Multi tool - always handy for opening crates of booze, opening bottles etc. * Knife & fork (plastic disposables are good if you don’t want to wash up) * Lighter * Cups (bring re-usable ones if you can!) * Plates ( Paper are usually easier, although there are wash up sites for you to do your dishes in the campsite) * Straws * Plastic tumbler (with lid, for your drink to carry about!) * Plastic ponchos * Groundsheet * Extra tent pegs * Duct tape (it fixes EVERYTHING) * Washing up bowl

ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS I like to keep these in a plastic wallet so they don’t get lost and they’re easily accessible.

* Tickets * Locker confirmation (if you have bought a locker) * ID (wristband/drinking purposes) * Bus/Train tickets * Money * Debit card * Tablets/prescription (just in case) * Charger & cable for your phone & devices

TOILETRIES

*Toilet roll!! (Very important, take about 3 rolls) *Mini tissue packs (toilet roll is sparse in the arenas!) *Hand Sanitiser (mini bottles are easiest) *Wet wipes * ‘Dry Shower foam’ (you can pick this stuff up from primark and Wilko for about £2!) *Shower gel/cream *Shampoo & Conditioner *Travel clothes wash (just in case) *Makeup bag & skin routine stuff (details of what to include to follow) *Flannel & Bar soap *Contact lenses & kit (Saline solution, lens case etc) *Birth Control! (Emergency contraception can cost you up to £30 on site!) *Any medications & prescriptions that you need. *Toothpaste *Toothbrush *Mouthwash *Chewing gum *Paracetamol/Ibuprofen *Sleep aid / Calms (for when you get sleepless and grumpy) *Hair brush *Bobbles / Grips / clips / hair bands etc

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR MAKEUP BAG

<p>*Light / Medium coverage foundation *Concealer *Waterproof Mascara *Eyeliner *A few eyeshadow shades (nudes are best) *Funky false eyelashes & glue *UV face paints / pencils *glitter pots (take a small pot of hair gel to use as an adhesive too, it works!) *Eye makeup remover *Facial cleanser/soap *Cotton Pads/buds *Moisturiser *Spot treatment *Oil blotting sheets (for through the day) *Cooling mist/spray water bottle

OTHER BITS AND BOBS YOU MIGHT NEED

*Torch & spare batteries *Lantern *Portable Phone charger *Digital Camera *Phone *Solid fuel stove & fuel blocks *Disposable BBQ’s (they cost a fortune on site!) *Mini fan & batteries

CLOTHES- A ROUGH GUIDE FOR A 5 DAY FESTIVAL / CAMPING

* 2 x t shirts * 2 x leggings * 1 x shorts * 1 x play suit * 1 x dress * 1 x hoodie/jumper * 1 x onesie * 1 x pair pyjamas * 4 x pairs fluffy socks (for night time/wearing wellies) * 5 x pairs normal socks * 7 x pairs underwear * 2 x bras * 1 x raincoat * 1 x jacket * Scarf & gloves (it gets cold!) *wellies *flip flops (for the showers) *comfy shoes (vans, converse)