My Festival Tips

I may be a little late to the party when it comes to festivals, although I'm actually going to a festival for August Bank Holiday plus as it's the summer there's probably a few festivals still happening and I thought I'd share my own personal festival tips. However this could also be useful if you're going camping or any day event either way I hope it's helpful for any of you still wanting to go to any outdoor events this Summer.

1. Make a list of everything you need

If you've read my blog in the past, you know I love making lists and I feel like a festival is no exception because I am someone who likes to be prepared for anything I'm going to. A festival I feel like needs a lot more preparation as you're most likely going to be spending three nights in a tent and the last thing you want to do is forget important things like food, tent, clothes and toiletries. There are plenty of festival packing videos and lists online so you'll be able to find what you may need to bring on there. My biggest recommendation is to bring a rucksack because a suitcase is not going to do too well in a muddy field. Plus the more hands you have free then the more you can carry because you're probably going to be making a few trips from the car to the campsite and it's never a short walk. 

2. Make sure you have your festival ticket and ID ready to go

Obviously, you won't get very far if you don't have your ticket and ID as that will mean no entry to the festival and your age may also be put into question especially if you're planning on drinking alcohol. Keep your ticket in a safe place along with your ID. Put it in the bag you're planning on taking into the arena so that you know exactly where it is. Plus the first thing you have to do before you unload all your stuff is get wristbanded so it should be one of the first things you take with you. 

3. Invest in a decent tent

It may seem like the best thing to do is buy a cheap tent and some people when the festival is over end up leaving their tent behind. I don't understand this because you're giving the organisers more work to do in the clear up but also it's a waste of money. Buying a decent tent means you can use it every time you go camping or to any festival. Plus I find those small 4 man tents make it easy for people to trip and fall on top of you while you're sleeping which is my worst nightmare. I'm not saying buy a huge tent but having a decent size tent really makes the festival all the more better. Maybe chip in with you and the people you're attending the festival with to buy a tent together. It will honestly be so worthwhile. Sometimes if it's just a small group of you, circle your tents around so that you have a little circle in the middle of your tents. We've done it before we got wind breakers to stop people from walking in the middle of our space. It doesn't always work but sometimes it's better than nothing. I bought a tent this year which is one you can stand up in and I'm honestly so excited about it because I feel like you have made it somehow if you can stand up in your tent. It makes your whole festival experience more enjoyable if you have a decent tent to sleep in.

4. Air Mattress and a battery powered pump

Honestly, sleeping on an air mattress makes sleeping even more comfortable. I go all out with a duvet and pillow as well just to be extra. One thing though that made it all the more worthwhile is getting a battery powered pump. This is going to save you so much time when it comes to blowing up your air mattress because it takes seconds for it to be fully pumped. It's so worthwhile and if your air mattress gets deflated you can easily reflate it in a matter of seconds. 

5. Wear what you like

I feel like a festival is the perfect time to wear whatever you want. If you want to do fancy dress then do fancy dress. If you want to cover yourself in glitter. Do it! There are no rules on what you can and can't wear to a festival. Obviously remember that some festivals are family friendly so you may want to take that into consideration but honestly you can wear what you like. Festivals are a chance to escape from the real world and just have fun. It's a judgement free zone and if you go to festivals judging what people are wearing then you need to have a good long look in the mirror because your personality is ugly. Let people enjoy themselves and wear what they like. It's a festival after all and nothing needs to be taken too seriously. 

6. Take a reusable bottle in the arena

Now festivals are very strict with what you can bring into the actual arena and most likely you'll have many bag checks going into the arena. One thing you can take with you is an empty reusable bottle which is handy as most likely you're going to be doing a lot of drinking at a festival but it's so important to keep yourself hydrated and most festivals have water refilling points. Remember to stay hydrated especially if the weather is hot and honestly you do not want to be that person at a festival who peaks too early when it comes to drinking so remember to drink some water. 

7. Take a coat/poncho with you

Especially if you live in the UK when the weather could change within the hour from sunny to pouring with rain. Taking a poncho or a coat with you into the arena prepares you for the worst. If you can take a camping chair in the arena then you can leave your coat in the chair that way someone is less likely to take your chair. 

8. Bring ear plugs

One of the things I struggle with at a festival is sleeping. Especially with the loud music and people all around. It's a real struggle so bring some ear plugs with you to the arena as this might help with the loud noises.

9. Bring bin bags

Honestly, this is the one thing people may forget to bring to a festival but bin bags can be really useful. Especially when you're at your tent, eating and drinking. It's so important to clean your mess up so bring some bin bags with you because remember, the field is most likely a working field for farm animals so the worst thing you can do is litter. Clean your mess up and throw away your litter in the bin bags. Some festivals provide you with a bin bag on arrival but sometimes it's nice to bring your own. 

10. Know your limits

I know a festival is a great time to let yourself go, get drunk and just have a good time, drinking all day. It can be tempting to go extremely hard especially on the first day but it is really important to know your limits. My biggest tip is to stick to one drink whether that's cider, lager etc. because mixing drinks can really affect you even more and make you drunker, feel sick or just completely black out. It's really important to know when you're feeling that point between drunk and blackout drunk. I find myself drinking less as the evening comes and I stick to things like coke or water just to break up the alcohol. Remember you are stranded in a field and need to somehow find your way back to your tent. Plus you don't want to be that one person in your group that gets completely blackout drunk and your friends have to look after you because honestly that will ruin the mood of the group. Know your limits, take it easy in the beginning and remember to drink water throughout the day to keep hydrated and whatever you do, don't drink on an empty stomach. Have something hot to eat later on in the day to just soak up the alcohol. It will honestly help you out in the long run. 

Anyway, those are my festival tips. I'm so excited for this weekend as I'm off to a festival. Let me know if you have any other festival tips in the comments below. I would love to hear it.

Thank you for reading my blog and I'll be back again soon with another post. 

See you then.

Megan x 

*This is not a sponsored post* 

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