Festival Guide - What to Take

Festivals...they're all about the toilets and tents. Believe us, there's a reason why festival survival guides are compiled year on year!

Festivals are fun. But in order to have a truly enjoyable camping experience you need to pay a little thought to the tents, camping equipment and the festival accessories you'll need. With a little preparation, you can concentrate on chilling out. You won't need to find the nearest boy scout or research the survival skills of Ray Mears or Bear Grylls. There will be beer on tap. Heck, you won't have to splash out on expensive camping gear suitable for the SAS camping out on blizzard-hit mountains. In fact, you can buy budget Festival Survival Packs that come complete with tent and camping accessories - it's easy, cheap and cheerful.

Get Down (and not so dirty)

Wet wipes are one of the essential festival accessories. Not all music festivals have showers. And it's something of a rite of passage to avoid soap for three days camping out in a muddy field. But just because you're rocking out, doesn't mean you have to rank. Wet wipes are the perfect quick, hygienic and portable solution.

Toilets, toilets, toilets....

It's all about the toilets. Toilets become something of an obsession for festival campers. The dreaded portaloos are enough to put the faint hearted off completely. Even hardened campers, who've pitched their tents at every festival in the land know that the one thing you can't leave home without is the humble loo roll. When you consider the sheer volume of people at a gig like Glastonbury, it's been estimated the crowds produce around 700,000 gallons of human sewage. Although the toilets at festivals improve year on year, be prepared.

Don't forget your toothbrush

Just because you're grunging out in a tent for a day or two, doesn't mean you should forgot those essentials like toothpaste and toothbrush. After a night of cider and burgers, a minty clean can help put the zing back into your smile.

Tents and camping

Of course, the most important thing you pack is a tent. You don't need anything high tech or huge - but you do need a professional, waterproof tent complete with the necessary accessories (no point packing a tent, without the tent pegs). Your tent will be the only privacy and solace you'll find in a field rammed with revellers. If you're off to Glastonbury or Leeds festival goers are crammed into a field, but at other gigs like the Cambridge Folk Festival their minimum two-metre gap rule between tents means you'll be able to create a more civilised, spacious camping experience.

Festival Camping - The Essential Checklist

For sleeping:

Tent

Tent accessories (pegs, ground sheet)

Sleeping bag and if you want a bit of luxury - an airbed

Towel - perfect for showering and can double up as a pillow (rolled up)

Essential Toiletries:

Wet wipes (or baby wipes), toilet roll, deodorant (for your fellow campers' sake), sunscreen (even if it's overcast, sunburn can happen), insect repellent, dry shampoo (in case you bump into your rock hero or pop pin-up), condoms (ditto)

For safety:

A flag of some kind to mark your tent out from the crowd so you'll find your way home

A torch and batteries

Water bottle - if the sun shines, keep hydrated! Even if it doesn't, you'll need H2O to dilute the effects of beer and cider...

Shades - they look cool and protect your eyes, win-win.

For luxury:

Consider a fold up camping chair so you can lounge in comfort if the grass is gooey.

Chocolate - if it's not too hot, chocolate is an essential for all events.

Festival Fashion:

Clothes are crucial - you want to look hip. Don't forget the wellies - it's part of the essential uniform of all festival goers (check out Kate Moss).

Camping waterproofs - a jacket at least - is essential. Always keep some emergency dry clothes in a bin bag. Bin bags can be useful to protect your stuff.

Festival Food:

If you're cooking, a camping stove or disposable barbecue set works well - don't forget the tin opener and a lighter or matches.

Looking for Tents, Camping Equipment or Festival Accessories?

Find dedicated Festival Survival Packs at Tentastic - the outdoor leisure online camping store. Tentastic have some great deals with massive savings ensuring you'll get through the festival fever season and have a tentastic time! Need help or advice? Call us on 08451 307072.