7 Musical Festival Tips

1. The Best Camping Spot

Don’t underestimate the importance of picking a good camping spot – there are certain standards that must be achieved. Apart from arriving early so that you have a good selection, keep the following in mind:

– Is the site close to water like a river or stream? Will water flood your campsite if it rains?
– Close to the toilets but far enough to avoid unwanted odors.
– Not directly beside a footpath but also not too deep into tent infested territory.
– Choose flat ground. Sleeping at an angle or on bumpy ground is no fun.

And much, much more.

2. S-Hooks

Wondering what to do with your coat, bag or bumbag when you go to the toilet? Those wet, filthy floors are simply not a good place and you can forget a convenient hook in a stall to hang your belongings on. S-hooks are the answer for any music festival junkie who knows that the toilets will never be clean or dry.

Simply hook one end over the bathroom stall door (or anywhere else that is convenient) and you have the perfect hook to keep your belongings clean and dry and your hands free to …. well do your business. These hooks can also be used in your tent or other areas where there is a loop, a rail or anything that you can hook the hook on – everything from your wet clothes to glow necklaces. Take multiple hooks along to hang multiple items on.

3. Intruder Alert

Security is not something that you can rely on when camping in a tent. The basic design allows for anyone to gain entry at any time that they wish. So if you are concerned about someone attempting to enter your tent while you are inside sleeping, there are a few things you can do to alert you.

Keep a few beer cans with the ring-pulls still attached and pull a string through all the rings. Tie the string to the zipper of the tent and voila – you have an instant alarm system. The moment anyone touches your tent door or zipper pull, the cans will make a horrific clanging, clatter and hopefully wake you. You will need a few ring pulls in order to make sufficient noise to wake you, especially if you’ve been up all night partying. 

Be aware that thieves are most likely to intrude during the hours when you are no in. Putting a padlock on the zipper is basically like putting up a sign that there is something worthwhile inside. Rather leave your tent in a mess to make it look like too much effort to rummage through and leave the flap open slightly to give the impression that you will be returning shortly. Keep your valuables (like money and jewelry) on your person at all times – preferably not in a bag that is easy to swipe but in your pants pockets.

4. Reusable Water Bottles

It is very easy to become dehydrated when exposed to the elements of the great outdoors – even in the UK. Take a reusable water bottle and keep it filled so that you can prevent feeling tired and getting a headache by drinking constantly. There should be plenty of taps around where you can fill-up for free.

*Bonus Tip: Wrap your water bottle in duct tape. Not only will this help keep your water cool but you never know when a length of tape may come in handy while camping or enjoying the festivities.

5. Bin Bags

Some music festivals may provide bin bags at the campsites but it is recommended to take along a few of your own. Nobody wants to leave their campsite in a mess for someone else to clean up. Be environmentally friendly and keep one bag for recyclable goods and another for the other rubbish.

It is very easy for trash and litter to accumulate quite fast at a campsite. A good rule to follow is to leave only footprints and take only pictures. So keep your bin bag in a convenient location so that you can throw away rubbish and clean-up constantly.

When you leave the campsite, take your full bin bags with you to the designated rubbish collection point. Remember to keep the bag for recycling separate. The event organisers as well as other festival goers will be grateful to your contribution to cleanliness and so will the planet. If every festival goer would do this, it would make for a much better experience all round.

6. Pack A Power Bank

Keeping your phone and other mobile devices charged at a music festival is going to be a challenge. A power bank or portable charging station is the solution to this problem. Simply plug your phone into the power bank when it runs flat and it will deliver the necessary charge. Don’t forget a USB cable. When your power bank runs out of power, just charge it at any charging station.

A small power bank of at least 20,000 mAh, fully charged, should be sufficient to keep your phone charged for the entire festival. While some festival goers are dead set against taking mobile phones to musical festivals, they can be very useful to locate friends and capture the experience through videos and photos forever.

7. Wear A Utility Belt

That extremely unfashionable bum bag or a utility belt would under normal circumstances be taboo but are really essential items at a music festival. Being able to keep your hands free while all your belongings are stored safely on you can liberate you to enjoy the festival to the full.

The multiple compartments and style of a utility belt is far more convenient and cooler but will cost you quite a bit more than the traditional bum bag.​