Top Tips to Having THE BEST festival experience of 2019

Top Tips to Having THE BEST festival experience of 2019

 

Each year as the weather warms up and the sun begins to appear, it is a reminder that festival season is just around the corner. If you have tickets for any festival this year, the question is, are you prepared? And if you haven’t grabbed any tickets to see your favourite artists live then why not!?  In this article, we aim to give you our top tips to help you have the easiest and most enjoyable festival life in 2019.

 

No doubt most people would rather lose their life savings than lose their phone. This is why there are a few must know pieces of advice when it comes to your hand-held companion;

 

• Take a portable phone charger that is full of charge! This way you are prepared for the dreaded red battery icon and flashing percentage that appears 4 hours after arriving. If your phone allows you to do so, equip yourself with a spare battery too.

 

• Take a few empty re sealable plastic bags, the unpredictability of the weather here in the UK is the main reason that you may need to quickly lock your phone in a zip up plastic bag to protect it from sudden downpours of rain (or snow ;)). To save your phone getting water damaged this is an easy and accessible way to prevent leakages from fluids or from that dreaded downfall whilst watching the must-see band you’ve waited all day for.

 

• Bags/backpacks are not just for show and don’t have too much pride to rock one! As much as we hate to admit it, thieves are everywhere and even at festivals, they may not think twice about taking your treasured possession from you. This means avoid from keeping your phone in your bra, back pockets or anywhere where it is likely to fall or be taken from. The best way to carry a phone is in zipped up trouser pockets that you can feel pressing against you at all times or in a around the waist bum bag that you can put a small padlock on. If this is your choice however, remember to keep a key with you and a spare key somewhere accessible at camp/in your car just in case you lose it. Some people may wish to invest in a cheap phone and swap their sim cards over for the weekend, this may not give you access to all your social medias throughout your time there but it is much safer and after all, you are going for the music!

 

Food is something that people fall reluctant to consume at festivals and with this, bodies and health are neglected. It is a must that you try and eat at least one solid meal a day minimum, and 2 to 3 grazing snack meals as well. The heat, movement, emotion and energy combination means that your body needs to refill what is being used and taken out of. Food and water are key ingredients not just to protect yourself but also to make sure that you have the best time. With the sayings “you are what you eat” and “what you put in, you get out” these couldn’t be a more accurate way to ensure that you give yourself some fuel and care. Food can be expensive so take with you some slow releasing energy foods such as cereal bars, nuts, oats and high calorie foods that provide for a happy snack such as a Mars bar. Before you head to the festival try and have a good set of meals that are substantial enough to give you a head start, eat lots of fruit and veg and foods with carbs in, the days before. Dehydration is a horrible feeling that can lead to many more health problems after your time having fun in the sun, this means that you should drink plenty of water and rehydrate yourself at every opportunity available. Alcohol does not constitute as proper fluids, so outside of your dark fruits and vodka, ensure that you are aiming to drink 3 litres of water minimum each day. At most festivals, they remove the lids from the bottles as they give them to you. It may be worth a thought to take some spare standard size fitting water bottle lids so that you can secure a drink for later and not have to down it right there and then.

 

When camping, always try to give yourself some extra room. This can mean buying a bigger tent than you feel is needed. This can allow you to have a cleaner mind at the events and stop yourself getting stressed from the small living space that is crammed full of rubbish. This gives you a space to relax and be comfortable and also a reasonable space for getting ready, laying out your outfits and having room to store food and drink. For every-one person sleeping in that tent, try and add one “man” to the sleeping capacity. The more room the more you will feel at ease. Aim to be a clever camper where possible, do not spend a large amount of money on a tent when it could end up getting destroyed by the events of the weekend. Arrive early and secure a good spot, give yourself plenty of time to set up and think about the location of your tent as you would real estate when it comes to housing. Position yourself close to your biggest needs, is this the music (if so think about getting a good night sleep) is this the car? do you have other friends close by, is it forecast to rain? (if this is the case do not park anywhere at the bottom of a hill). Setting yourself up in a good position can allow the brain to feel reenergised when it awakes from a good sleep in a quiet position that is well organised. If you struggle to find your car in a car park when you go shopping, the chances are you may need to set your camp up near a decent landmark in order to find your way back to the tent. Failure to do this could result in a cold, damp, drunken walk at 3am whilst you are crying for your pillow (on the subject of pillow, in times where you have limited room don’t pack a pillow but just pack a pillow case and stuff it full of spare clothes). In some cases, you may want to prepare and create a flag to certify that the camp site is yours and make it easily recognisable from a distance or from passing by. This will stop confusion for you and for others, no doubt there is 30 – 40 tents all in eye distance that look similar.

 

When it comes to possessions, the best way is to be minimal but be thorough. Cover the things that are essential first and then see what room you have left. If you drive to the festival, do yourself a favour and leave some dry comfortable items of clothing in your car. These are best returned to after a hard weekend where you want to feel happy driving home. They can also be used in an emergency that all your clothes get wet if the worst happens and it rains. Anything and everything that you pack, no matter the size, adds to the bulk and weight of your possessions. Share carrying the weight of toiletries where possible. If you are thinking about taking full items of use such as shampoo and shower gel, buy items that double up as both. You can buy travel sized items that come in mini bottles and this also goes for deodorant. You can also wrap toiletries inside clothing to save space. Think about the use of the item, is there a need to take a mirror if you are taking your smart phone and it has a 20mp front facing camera? Try and double up on items that have double uses such as a portable phone charger with a torch built in. When packing, even in the middle of summer accommodate an extra layer of clothing that is long sleeved and warm. You can never predict the full extent of the weather and the temperature can drop on summer nights.

 

The best and biggest rule is to not take anything that 100% you don’t want to be lost, broken, stolen, damaged or ruined.

 

A few more final tips:

 

Arrive early or arrive late and leave early or leave late, there is no in-between. If you arrive at a ‘normal’ times or leave at a ‘normal’ time, you are most likely to be stuck in the dense queues of traffic that frustrate you and make the experience more negative than it needs to be. Plan every aspect of the journey and allow yourself to know when the traffic is likely to be.

 

Keeping on top of sun cream is a must. If it is blazing hot on the first day and you forget to wear sunscreen then the whole weekend could be ruined. You may not think it is “cool” to wear sunscreen but on this occasion sun stroke and missing The 1975 or Billie Elish or applying a lotion to yourself and grabbing front row viewing to Matty’s hair…. your choice.

 

Stashing some emergency cash on your person is always a good thought, in your sock, the back of a phone case or inside a belt are some places that give you a saviour in an unforeseen situation.

 

Two final points, please take a roll of bin bags with you. They have many uses such as an emergency poncho, storage and waterproofing but most importantly they allow you to pack up your rubbish and take it home with your or leave it wrapped up ready to be collected instead of scattered around the place. The fields and environment are your home for the weekend, please aim to keep them in a reasonable condition.

 

Lastly, have fun! The main reason you are there is to hold a smile and lose yourself in the flow of the music and immerse yourself in your favourite art. Whilst taking the time to plan and be efficient is key, it will help you enjoy your time more. The main goal is to sing, dance and scream in love, we wish you all the best.

 

See you there – The Licklist Team

 

By: Thomas Healy