Summer festivals are all about great music, good food and lots of fun. But there is also an art to surviving festivals and here at Her.ie, we’re going share our top tips with you.
Before you step out the door, you need to pick your outfit. Choose something that looks effortlessly cool but is bang on trend and practical. This summer we are going to be rocking denim shorts, ankle cowboy boots which must be waterproof and a loose-fitting tribal print top. With tousled hair and lots of cheap jewellery, you are good to go. A word of warning: don’t wear anything that a) you would mind getting covered in muck and b) can’t afford to lose. Whatever you do ladies, don’t forget your wellies!
Packing your bag is the next step. First and foremost, bring identification and enough money to do you the weekend as most cash machines will have a queue as long as your arm and will run out of money quickly. Make sure you keep your money on you at all times and hide an extra stash of emergency money somewhere or with a friend, just in case of emergencies.
To see you through the, more often than not, cold nights bring a warm sleeping bag and a sturdy tent. Unless of course you want to be a real hippy and sleep underneath the stars while also getting hypothermia. We thought not. Also throw in a thick jumper, a raincoat and extra socks. You can never be too careful especially with our weather and landing back home with a sore throat and runny nose isn’t very rock’n’roll.
Toilet roll is a must. Just because you are at a festival does not mean that you have to abandon all etiquette. With everything you need – including your tickets! – packed into your bag and a fabulous outfit that Kate Moss would be jealous of it’s time to hit the road.
Arrange lifts for getting to and back from the festival. Sort out pickup times and rendezvous points with your friends to ensure everyone knows where and when to leave.
Get to the festival early to get a nice patch for your tent and set it up immediately, not before you want to go bed and having had a few drinks. Drunken hammering leads to casualty.
Speaking of alcohol, keep track of your drinking and do not accept drinks or drugs from anyone. Always keep you mobile phone on you and stick with your friends. Do not wander around on your own and arrange a place to meet if the group gets separated.
It’s not just your personal safety you have to watch out for but also what you bring with you. Festivals are one of the easiest settings for opportunistic thieves. From money to mobile phones to tents, people will take anything when given the chance.
That is why you should keep your valuables on you at all times. For guys this is easy but for girls, it can be tricky, especially with fitted denim shorts. The easiest way around this is getting a small zipped bag that goes over your shoulder or a passport holder that can go under your loose top.
By mastering the art of festival-going, you will not only enjoy yourself but will arrive home with everything, including your pride and well-being, still intact – hopefully. If you’ve got some festival survival tips you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. Just pop them into the comment box below.
