Festival Dos & Don'ts

Heading to a music festival this summer? Then make sure you know what you've let yourself in for. Festivals are an amazing experience like no other. This handy guide will help you avoid any mistakes and give you some hints and tips to make it one of the best weekends of your life!

• Don't - neglect the essentials: Cash, a torch, a phone, a tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat or airbed, changes of underwear, a waterproof jacket, a warm jumper/hoody, wellies, comfy trainers, light warm weather clothing, thick socks, bin bags, wet wipes, pain killers, sun cream, toilet roll.
• Do - hide cash in various places, e.g. socks, bra, various pockets. Campsite cash machines are expensive to use and will have large queues. Take a travel body wallet or money belt for an even safer way of storing money.
• Don't - take valuables such as iPads/tablets/expensive cameras. A cheap digital or even a disposable camera is sufficient for capturing the festival memories. If you have an expensive, uninsured mobile phone then it could be a good idea to buy a cheap pay as you go mobile for the weekend.  Also leave any expensive/sentimental jewellery at home, as well as the risk it doesn't really fit in the festival look anyway.
• Do - take a portable charger. It is essential to keep your phone charged so you can track down your friends. Campsite charging stations can be expensive, have large queues and be a waste of your precious festival time. You and your friends should decide on a pre-arranged meeting point if one of you does get lost and has no power left on their phone.
• Don't - bring a guitar, unless you're a very, VERY good musician. Don't be that guy. Your fellow campers are here to see the professionals do it on stage, not you drunkenly trying to remember the chords to some forgotten indie song from bygone years.
• Do - pitch your tent in your garden at home before taking it away to a festival. Firstly, to make sure there are no missing parts but also so you have an understanding on how to pitch it and put it away before you arrive. This is a great time saver and means the party can get started earlier.
• Don't - camp too near the festival toilets. It may seem like a good idea as you don't have as far to walk but by day 2 the smell will be very unpleasant.
• Do - give yourself plenty of time to find a good place to pitch and set up. Be aware of your surroundings, if you value getting a half decent amount of sleep then make sure there are no campsite DJ tents nearby. Many festivals offer early bird passes, which are the best way to ensure you get a good spot. 

• Don't - forget to take suncream! Even if the weather forecast predicts rain all weekend, the unpredictable British weather is bound to surprise you. 
• Do - bring a flag to help you find your tent in the campsite. This is particularly helpful after a few drinks on your first night!
• Don't - forget to take wet wipes, and plenty of them! Festival showers are a grim experience. Although even better than a wet wipe would be to take a solar shower. They are easy to use and take up barely any room in your backpack.
• Do - look at the band times and try to make a plan. There will likely be clashes so you'll have to make the difficult decision of choosing one of your favourite bands over another. Do this in advance to reduce the disappointment. If the festival website doesn't provide times then clashfinder.com is a great site to use. At the same time...  
• Don't - try to fit in as many bands as possible throughout the day. You will need to have rests if you want to make it to the headliner without your legs aching from a full day of standing/dancing/moshing.
• Do - check out the albums of some of the bands you intend to see but only know a few songs. Not every band you see will be one of your favourites and you'll have a great time discovering new music. However, there will also be those bands you go to see because you like the one or two songs you know of theirs. If you're just stood waiting for them to play their hit then you won't enjoy it as much as you would if you expanded your knowledge of their back catalogue. With free music streaming services this is really easy to do these days.
• Do - drink plenty throughout the day, and we're talking water here, not alcohol! The combination of dancing, drinking and far more walking than you'll anticipate means it's important to stay hydrated.
• Don't - forget to eat. It may be tempting to save that fiver for another pint but it's important to line your stomach first. Festival food has improved a lot in recent years, with a much improve level of hygiene and plenty of choice.
• Do - enjoy yourself! Festivals are time to let your hair down and have the time of your life. There may be the odd some stressful moment, but don't let it spoil anything. When you look back in a few years, you'll only remember the great bands and the amazing moments you shared with your fellow revellers.

Have you any additional hints and tips to add? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.