Got your ticket? Got your tent? Got your sleeping bag? So you’re all ready to go, right?
Wrong!
There’s an art to attending festivals and we want you to have the time of your life. Here is a rundown of some of the essentials that you might have forgotten.
Antibacterial Baby Wipes
Time was the best a festival could offer was a cold hose in the corner of the camp site but nowadays more and more festivals are offering some excellent shower facilities, especially in the VIP areas, which is really great news.
But when you’ve woken up late, there is a queue for the shower and it’s 20 minutes till the act you’ve come for is on you need something quick. Yes it’s a bit minging, but a good wipe all over is better than nothing. Don’t forget, you’re probably going to be eating with your hands later so you’re going to want them to be clean!
Plastic Bags
The most underrated camping tool of all time is the plastic bag because you can do so much with them. Carry your stuff, keep precious things dry, separate your dirty clothes from the clean and they work as bins. You can even wear them on your feet to keep your lovely suede trainers boxfresh. Just remember to dispose of them properly because you don't want to be responsible for the death of a badger.
Dry Shampoo
I’m betting there’s one or two of you out there that didn’t even know this exists but you can basically buy a shower in a can for your hair. Even works on beards.
Toilet Roll
There’s only one thing worse than a festival toilet. A festival toilet without any toilet paper. Going without any loo paper for 48 hours or more can be a fate worse than death so it’s worth bringing a couple of rolls just in case.
It’s lightweight, you can use it as a makeshift pillow and at a festival it’s worth more than gold (maybe).
Money
Some of the smaller festivals are cash only and can be a fair few miles to the nearest hole in the wall, and unless you’ve got sandwiches packed for the whole weekend you’re going to need a bit of cash just to eat!
Many of the bigger festivals do have cash machines on site but you can expect a queue. Also, they tend to run out quickly due to high demand and you can be waiting a while for them to be restocked.
Wellies & Cagoule
Let’s face it, we all know what British summertime can be like. Don’t take a chance and bring something waterproof. The more fashion conscious amongst you may be fretting but there will be something nice you can buy from that vintage shop. And geek chic looks so much better than drowned rat.
Rail\Bus\Ferry Ticket
It’s the night before Isle Of Wight Festival. Your bag is packed, you’ve got your tickets to hand and your custom made programme is even better than the festivals official app. The thing is you live up in Newcastle and you don’t know how you are getting down to the South coast, never mind the small matter of getting across all that water.
There are only so many seats to go round so don’t leave it to the last minute to work out how you’re getting there and back again.
Sun Cream
But just in case the sun does shine make sure you’ve got some sun cream on. Don’t say we didn’t warn you can’t sleep because your back is burnt.
Spare Clothes
Are you seriously just going down in shorts and that old Primal Scream T-Shirt and nothing else? Ok then…
A Cheap Phone
If you shop around you can often find a pay-as-you-go phone that costs little more than the credit already in it. Cheap and fun phones are virtually indestructible, the battery lasts forever and Snake is the most addictive game ever!
Clean Your House before you go!
Now this might sound like a strange one and its not strictly “essential” but after you’ve spent the past however long sleeping on the floor in an increasingly grubby tent and living life a bit like a Neanderthal at a rave there is nothing nicer than sinking into nice clean sheets ready to greet you when you get back home.
Plus, when all the wild times are over and suddenly its just you, the hangover, the filthy clothes and the leaning tower of dirty dishes it can all be a bit too much to handle.
Obviously this is just a quick guide and there’s a whole host of things we didn’t mention. We kind of assumed you were bringing a crate of cider and silly hat anyway. Have a good read of the festival's website and plan ahead.
And remember, your Mum isn’t wrong when she tells you to always wear clean underwear. Always.
Click HERE for a complete Festival Calendar.
Please leave your comments below. We would love to hear any of your festival anecdotes and also give other people the benefit of your experiences.