Image by TheeGoblin

Reading, Leeds, Download, V & Glastonbury— all amazing British music festivals.
All will leave you feeling slightly less glamourous & smelling more off-key, than when you arrived.

Whether it’s camping at a festival, pitching your tent for a weekend away with your other half or staying in the middle of nowhere for a girly getaway, you’ll need to travel light & pack items that are versatile.

Is camping for me?

I’m not going to lie to you. If you’re at a festival, someone will try & pee on / poo on / burn / jump on / sleep on [delete as applicable] your tent. Nobody knows why— perhaps it’s a mix of the buzz of live music, sweat, dirt, cheap alcohol & freely available hallucinogenics, that induces people into marking their territory with their scent. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it either apart from scream, holla & yell at the perpetrator, in their act!

So if you’re a girly girl who doesn’t like to rough it (not that anyone who does, would enjoy their temporary home being doused in urine) & would rather gauge your eyes out, than not shower for three days & sleep on a ground sheet, then maybe the camping option isn’t for you! If you book early, you can find a hotel near your chosen festival with all the luxuries of home (ah, running water) or even rent a camper van or caravan if you still want to be in the thick of it on the campsite, but would rather your house didn’t blow away, with a sudden gust of wind.

Safety first (or in this case, second)

Book your tickets early & from a reputable seller. There are a lot of dishonest people out there (not just on eBay!) that will try to scam as many as people as possible, out of their hard earned money. Beware of touts outside campsites selling dodgy tickets, too. This thread on a Reading Festival forum has lots of hints & tips (that can be applied to other festivals too) about making your booking, including a list of approved ticket sellers & other great ideas, such as notifying your bank that you’ll be spending a large sum of money (especially useful if you’re buying more than one ticket!), so they don’t block your card or decline the transaction, thinking it’s something suspicious. If money isn’t on your side, then save money & guarantee your ticket by working for it. A lot of charities like Oxfam approach students to be volunteer stewards. Sorted!

Don’t bring any valuables with you, if you can help it. The majority of your belongings are going to be left in your tent, so if there’s something you don’t want to lose or get broken, leave it at home! Keep your money & phone on you at all times.

Getting there

When it comes to making your way to your campsite, make sure you leave in plenty of time, whether you’re driving or you’ve booked train tickets, as the traffic will be horrendous & missing out on valuable festival time is not an option! Be nice to the environment & car share with people– chances are if everyone did this, there’d be less traffic & you’d get there a whole lot quicker! Sell off spaces in your car for petrol money.

Pitching Up

DO ensure you know how to pitch & dismantle your tent before you arrive
DON’T pitch your tent too near the toilets– they will flood & smell like something you’ve never smelt before!
DO make sure you’re in walking distance of them though!
DON’T stay right in the middle of a campsite– running through other peoples campfires & mud & puddles just to get to a toilet / stage / food place, is not fun, particularly if you’re in a rush!
DON’T put your tent right on the edge of a path either– in a drunken state, people will mistake it for a bed / toilet / something worse & the temptation to destroy it in some way will be too much!
DO bring a lilo or an airbed to sleep on for extra comfort & to stop moisture from the ground seeping into your sleeping bag!

Fashion

As much as we could argue that your weekend away is all about the music, it’s just as much about peoples eclectic style too. Life is one big blank canvas, so make it look good & flaunt it! Ultimately, you should wear what the hell you want, any time, any day, any place. Just remember that festival-wear should be versatile & multi-purpose, so you don’t have to pack your whole wardrobe! I love:

Think light cottons; multiple layers; knee high socks; waterproof boots; sunglasses; scarves for warmth (& sitting on!); a hat to cover up unwashed hair & the sun out of your peepers; shorts; vests; cardigans; small across-the-body bags that you don’t have to carry.

Health, Beauty & Hygiene

This is what puts most people off festivals, isn’t it? They love the part scene but, understandably, don’t love the lack of hygiene! There are now hot showers at most festivals, but the queues are just not worth it. Do your research beforehand & see if any local leisure centres are opening their doors to festival go-ers to use their facilities. It’ll be worth the walk! If not, you can always use one of the taps that are dotted around, but beware other people will have the same idea & the water is freezing!

Ensure your backpack contains:

+ babywipes– can be used to remove make-up, wipe dirty hands, freshen your face, armpits, moistening legs for shaving & a whole host of things!
+ toothpaste– there’s nothing better than fresh breath to wake you up & feeling clean again! Look out for travel-size tubes. (See gotiny.co.uk.)
+ Dr Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap– now this is a multipurpose product if I ever saw one! Dr B’s soap can be used for body-washing & your face, dishes & even laundry! Super.
+ deodorant– need I say more?
+ razor– hairy bits = no!
+ moisturiser with SPF– now is not the time to be getting burnt!
+ toilet roll– remember to take this with you when you visit the portaloo!
+ dry shampoo– this will only work for a few days, so remember a scarf or hat to hide greasy hair!
+ mini first aid kit– plasters, paracetemol & anti-histamines. Better to be safe than sorry!

As for cosmetics, you really won’t want to wear much at all, particularly if it’s hot & sweaty, so just invest in concealer, waterproof mascara & eyeliner & a bit of bronzer or blusher, if you really can’t bare being bare-faced!

Food & Drink

Take as many long-life dry groceries with you as you can, such as tins of soup, beans, fruit, instant noodles, biscuits, crisps, crackers & anything else you desire. Hot food such as chips, hot dogs & burgers will be available too, but many stalls are overpriced. Don’t forget to bring bottled water for hydration, as well as cooking (invest in a portable stove for boiling water & heating food) & rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth!

If you intend on drinking, bring as much alcohol with you as possible to save money! Often, you’re not allowed to bring bottles into the actual arena / stage area, (but drinks are available for purchase, in some lovely plastic tumblers!) so be aware that you’ll have to leave it in your tent, where it could go missing.

Ultimately you should go out, be happy, make new friends, listen to amazing music & HAVE FUN !

Related posts:

 Living & Studying in London A few weeks ago, I received this email from a...
 Perfecting Your Daily Skincare Regime We’ve all done it— you come stumbling in late one...
 Be A (Brave) Bare-Faced Beauty + I’m a bit of a girly-girl who enjoys...
 London Style When I wrote about Living & Studying in London, Caity...
 The Art of Revising Images by Wenday Let’s set the scene: your exams...