I love festivals! Today I wanted to share with you all the tips and tricks I've learnt to survive festival life. Originally this post started as a guide to Glastonbury but a lot of the points apply to any of the summer festivals. If you are heading to Glastonbury 2016, be sure read to the end for some Glasto specific advice. Enjoy!
Before You Go
1. Even though everyone always tells you to take a crappy old phone to a festival, I just can't live without my iPhone. I'm not losing my vintage Nokia 3310 in a field, is way too valuable! That being said, keeping it juiced up is a nightmare. Off to Glasto? Order an EE power bar and you can swap it once a day for a charged one at the EE Power Bar in the festival. If you a love to take lots of photos or videos, or if you want to stream music in your tent, I would advise an additional portable charger just in case. If the festival you are going to doesn't have the Power Bar service, pick up a portable charger. In my experience the charging trucks tend to be pretty over priced for what you need.
2. Use the official app for the festival. I love the Glastonbury App to schedule all the acts that I don't want to miss with alerts to remind me to get to the stages. Plus there's usually an interactive map of the site to prevent you getting lost.3. Book a full body massage for your return. As first world problems go, aches and pains from partying too hard at Glastonbury are up there with some of the most ridiculous, so I know this is going to sound very self indulgent. However it's worth giving yourself some extra recovery time after a weekend of all-nighters, booze, and dancing. You're body with love you for it.
Packing
4. Write a list of everything you need to pack beforehand, set it all out, then pack it up in your bag once everything is accounted for. You are so much less likely to forget something essential.
5. Don't take anything with you that you would be upset about losing or ruining. Expensive jewellery you'd hate to lose, designer goods that would be spoiled by mud, and tech items you know you won't actually need, just don't bring them. I know this conflicts with my point about taking my iPhone, however I have insurance and don't mind paying a £50 excess if I do lose it.
6.This may seem a little intense but bag up each outfit in a separate plastic bag within your rucksack.
A. If your bag somehow gets wet, hopefully all your clothes won't.
B. If you figure out each daily outfit (& spares) before you go, there's no I-have-nothing-to-wear panic.
C. You don't need to rummage through your whole bag to find everything you want to put on.
8. Pack a bloody mac, and make it a good one! You have to remember that if it rains and you get wet, you can't go inside and dry off. I lost my mac at a festival once and it was a nightmare using the shitty ones you can buy at the stalls. They don't keep you dry and rip very easily.
9. This is obvious but BRING WELLIES! The amount of idiots I saw ruin pristine Stan Smiths when it rained at Glasto last year was ridiculous! I love my Hunters. Yes they are expensive but they are so worth it. Cheap wellies are a false economy. In busy crowds wellies can get ripped or torn, but Hunters are invincible. As someone who had a pair of cheap wellies for a festival disintegrate when the storms hit a couple of years ago, trust me it's worth it!
10. Equally though, pack some summer sandals. If the weather is scorching, you will want some footwear to let your feet breathe. Wellies are very sweaty places in the heat.
12. I know this goes against every festival tip list you may have read, but wet wipes & baby wipes just won't cut it. Get first aid antibacterial wipes to stay sanitary. They will kill bacteria and prevent odour.
13. Equally a small blob of hand sanitiser rubed into your armpits will make you feel fresher and combat stinky moments when you wave your hands in the air like you just don't care! I recommend the Hand Cleanse Gel by The Body Shop, especially the mango, satsuma, & coconut scents.
15. On a similar note, ladies if you can, buy a shewee or make use of toilet areas that offer them. You don't want to sit on any festival toilet seat if you can help it, I have seen some unspeakable disaster zones in the porter loos!
17. Bring a small pair of scissors and some string. Very helpful when packing up your stuff at the end of the festival.
18. Don't forget bin bags. For your dirty clothes, for your rubbish, for you wellies when you drive home. Don't underestimate how handy these suckers are.
19. A collapsible water canister means you don't need to keep going back to the communal taps all the time. They are pretty cheap. I usually pick one up from Poundland.20. Plastic cups. Use them for drinks at your tent or out and about in the festival. Also the best method to clean your teeth is the 2 cup method. Clean water in one cup, spit/used mouthwash in the other. Don't queue up for ages just to use the communal taps in the morning.
21. Don't underestimate your sleeping situation. Bring a blow up mattress and a proper pillow. Your back will thank you in the morning.
22. Don't take your whole purse with you. Let's face it, it's highly unlikely you will need your Boots Advantage Card in the middle of a field! Stick to one cash card, ID if you look under 18, and some money. If you lose it there's less to cancel.
23. Bring a torch. It's 10 times easier to find your tent in the early hours. Tripping over everyone else's tent guy lines is so embarrassing.
When You Arrive
24. Don't be the idiot trying to to carry everything at once. If you can take multiple trips to your car, why break you back? I wish I had done this last year at Glasto. I made the rookie error of loading myself up like a donkey, then ended up desperately dragging my backpack up the hill near the entrance!
25. Don't camp next to any walking paths. Your tent will be trampled on and will be fucked by the last day. Aaaand pitch your tent uphill. No one wants to end up waterlogged.
In The Festival- Glasto
26. Drop your booze off at the valuables safe keeping tents scattered around the festival fields. That way you're never far from a top up! Put you snobbery aside and embrace boxed wine. I carry around a plastic bottle and fill it up when I need to.
27. Go to Pilton Palis, the cinema tent, when it rains in the middle of the day. Grab a few drinks, a blanket to sit on, and chill out. Last year I watched Tomorrow Land (meh!) and E-Machina (now my favouite film) while it tipped it down. This year Finding Dory is playing on Sunday at 11am!
28. Don't limit yourself to just the main stages, there's so much extra to experience when you don't just stick to Pyramid & The Other Stage. Last year I found a brilliant spot with live bands playing in a granny's living room set up!
29. Don't expect to be able to call anyone after one of the big acts finishes. Everyone is trying to call each other at the same time and it's a nightmare. Instead agree a meeting point before you split up with your friends and meet them back there.
30. And lastly, if you don't go to the top of the hill one sunny morning where the Hollywood-esq Glastonbury sign is, you're missing out! It's a gorgeous view and a great photo ops!
I hope you found this post helpful. Let me know your favourite tips for festival life in the comments below. I'm also putting together some tips for festival fashion & beauty so keep your eyes peeled for that post coming very soon.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time!
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