There’s nothing quite like festival camping even for experienced campers. Unlike camping at structured campgrounds where it’s clean and organised, anything goes at festivals so it’s vital to be adequately prepared for all sorts of shenanigans. People will be partying all through the night (and possibly to your tent), the wet smell of mud will be everywhere, and you’ll spend a lot of time waiting in queues either to charge your phone or buy a meal and drinks.
Don’t get me wrong – music festivals are a tonne of fun and they’re a great way to let your hair down, but it’s important to embrace the good and the bad and be well-prepared for anything! To give you some insight into some of the factors you should consider, today we’ll be offering you our top 6 tips for festival camping.
- Tent
Your tent is a crucial piece of equipment when festival camping as it lets you escape the chaos and mayhem into your own solitude. You clearly don’t want to bring a huge, expensive tent as it will likely get damaged, but you also don’t want to buy the cheapest, smallest tent because it simply won’t suffice. Aim for the middle ground regarding your tent and always opt for slightly larger than what you’ll need. Try to block out the early morning sunshine with blackout fabric and always bring good quality ear plugs to drown out the noise if needed!
- Make your tent stand out
There will be thousands of tents surrounding you and the last thing you need when stumbling home after the last set is forgetting where your tent is. It’s a practical idea to make a mental note of some landmarks near your tent (toilet block, showers, etc) and mark your tent with something unique. An Australian flag won’t cut it as there’ll be heaps of them, but a great idea is to use glowing guy ropes or illuminating tent pegs which help you find it easily in the dark.
- Valuables
Chances are you won’t be dry the whole time at the festival so it’s best to bring a zip lock bag for your phone and wallet. It’s also a wise idea to leave your iPhone X at home and bring an old-school Nokia that just has the basic features and a long battery life. You don’t want to be lining up in the queue with everyone else just to charge your phone, so instead bring a portable charging device to give your phone an extra boost when needed.
- Stay hydrated and energised
There’s no question that alcohol makes you dehydrated so if permitted, bring a water bottle from outside to refill at the various water stations around the festival. You should also be able to bring snacks into the festival so make sure you have plenty of bananas and breakfast bars to keep you energised. And lastly, don’t forget to eat at least two decent sized meals each day packed with carbohydrates and protein!
- Keeping clean
Gumboots have made a return to fashion at festivals and for good reason – after the third day of heavy traffic the grass will undoubtedly turn to mud which will smell and stick to everything. If you’re not keen on lining up in the public showers, then bring an absorbent, compact, and fast drying towel along with biodegradable soap so you can clean up easily. It’s also an excellent idea to bring some rubbish bags so you can keep your clean and dirty clothes separate (and the bad smell isolated)!
- Leave early or leave late
Planning your getaway can make a huge difference to your timetable so it’s best to leave early in the morning before the other punters or take your time and leave in the afternoon after the crowds have thinned out. After waiting in line for a couple of days, the last thing you’ll want is to be stuck in traffic for an extra two hours trying to get home! Also, be kind and take the time before you leave to clean up your camp area.
Music festivals are heaps of fun as long as you’re prepared to get a little dirty and have the right gear and equipment with you. If you’re in need of any camping gear or equipment to make your next camping trip more enjoyable, get in touch with the professionals at TJM Australia by phoning 07 3865 9999.
