Festival camping: The ultimate guide

LO_Team | Jul 24, 2009 | Comments 0

Pack your lagers and don your morning after reliefs, the festival music season is in full swing. If you haven’t already got a ticket yet I would suggest that you get your skates on fast because many are selling out quickly. But for those that booked early, it is time to start thinking about how you can make your trip extra special.

For some, festivals represent much more than sleeping in a field listening to your favourite bands play live. Put simply its about getting drunk, meeting new people and having a well deserved break. So whether you’re a festival virgin or not, it’s time to start planning your stay now.

Most festival mavericks will tell you the story about their first festival and how they had a terrible time. But you will of course find them next year at the same festival having a brilliant time. Why? They didn’t prepare and spent the whole weekend consumed by regret. I bet if you muted the bands playing for a brief moment you would hear the sorry sounds of revellers “I wish I packed another coat”, “our tent is leaking” and “are we close to anywhere to buy an air bed?” echoing around the field. And I am sure the cows listening from the adjoining fields moo the same thing each year, “Change the bloody record……” and “hey, that’s my piece of grass Daisy!”

So, a few moments spent now planning can save hours of regret. To help with this we have created a checklist of items which we feel are essential and some that are not essential. Print this off or email it to friends to show them you care and to make sure they don’t spend the weekend moaning to you.

Essential items to take

1. The tent

It was not a coincidence that we choose this as number one. The tent will be your shelter for the weekend and if you want to feel refreshed and energised each morning, you need to get a good one. Leaks and cold or sweaty nights are common with less than adequate tents so make sure you get one that is up for the job. Whatsmore you can also reuse the tent again and again if you purchase a good quality brand.

If you read our Tent Guide then you will already be a step ahead of the thousands of visitors to festivals each year that purchase the wrong tent. So my advice is to buy a good tent which is easy to set up, has adequate space and good ventilation. Make sure that it is from a reputable brand because then you will know it has been put through its paces and will come with a warranty. The Coleman and Outwell range make great affordable tents which tick all the requirements needed for a festival.

2. Sleeping Bags and floor protection

I personally dislike camping when I am getting a less than comfortable night’s sleep. But it is not the grounds fault that I did not pack a roll mat or a good sleeping bag on my last trip, but that’s another story.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night because you cannot get adequately warm? The body is built to maintain an average temperature of 37◦C. When it begins to fall it’s the brain will kick in and alert you of this. You will also notice its natural autopilot features kicking in, shivering and a lowering of the heart rate. So, help you body by keeping it warm in the first place. You can easily pick up a sleeping bag these days for the price of a M&S sandwich but it will not be properly insulating and will have no padding. Good sleeping bags will have technology in place that will ensure a good, warm nights rest and they needn’t cost a fortune.

For example some of the Coleman Sleeping Bags have thermo insulation in the zips, security pockets to hide cash and phones at night and are made of next generation insulation which is extremely warm but also well insulated on warm nights.

Another variable is the padding of the sleeping bag because no one wants to sleep on the hard ground for 3-4 days. If your sleeping bag does not have adequate padding I would suggest purchasing an air bed or roll mat. They are absolute necessities if you want to replicate the comfort of a good bed outdoors. Alternatively you could pack you bed and mattress and be have the best weekend of your life!

3. Cooking Equiptment

I am sure you festival weekend will involve some unhealthy habits but unhealthy eating needn’t be one of them. So, get yourself a Cooking Stove and some Cooking Equipment so that you can prepare your own meals and morning coffees. Besides it’s much cheaper than paying the extortionate prices for fast food at snack vans and you will be refuelling your body with all the right ingredients.

4. The Checklist : Forgotten but not forgotten

Now it’s time to list the items which most people forget to take.