Now Playing - The Ballad of Gus and Sam by Ferraby Lionheart
Okay, so you might enjoy the festival scene, but you still don't feel prepared, or maybe you are about to attend your first festival (everyone knows there are plenty of great fall ones coming up, and festival season, summer, maybe a year ahead but it's never too soon to prepare!!). Of course you are wondering what all you need to stock up on to make it a safe time, a fun time, and also a memorable and comfortable time. Here's the unorganized but from-experience guide to what you will need in the field! (no matter the weather!)
Mind you, these are in no particular order, just the order in which I thought of them, and some are more luxury than necessity, however if you go to festivals very very often, they might become necessity!
This memory-foam type mat can be found online at themoonmat.com, or purchased at temporary stores posted up at different music festivals. It isn't at all of them, but I have seen it at a few, Bonnaroo for instance. The price is usually 30 for the mat and an extra 10 for the strap to carry it with. Trust me, the strap is worth it. The little holes are where they cut out several hundreds of little ear-plugs they sell for a dollar. Some of the mats are sold with a couple still in them. Free earplugs! Maybe it's intentional, I'm not sure, but this is our favorite tool between my sister and I. Not only is it violently bright so that you can find each other in a crowd, but it is very comfortable and not hard to see. If you plan on camping a spot at your favorite outdoor concert, these are great. You can sit on them for hours, get up, and have plenty of leg room, as most people will ask to stand on it instead of just doing so. It is also comfortable to stand/dance on, so during the concert, you aren't suffering as bad from concert fatigue as the rest of the group, and your bookbag when you put it down for a moment, isn't lost amongst the horde. It's right there in your little spot! This is probably one of the best festival buys you can get. They never seem to cease in their elasticity and they don't get very dirty. If they do, it's just as easy as taking a wet napkin to it or a hose. These things are -very- resistant!
We, like most festival newbies and whatnot during our first go, did the 'responsible' thing in the Tennessee heat during our first bout to Bonnaroo, and bought ourselves tons of blue Powerade for the trip and for the actual concert, to avoid dehydration. Certain security people would let them pass, but others are sticklers, even for sealed bottles, as it is protocol at pretty much every single fest ever. One thing that is permitted though, is the standard water bottle.. however, I can tell you that water bottles can be a pain, having to hook them to stuff and otherwise. The camelbak is a much easier solution. Working much the way a waterbottle for a gerbil might, you suck on the end of the tube, press the stopper in, and water flows right to you through the little tube. If you bring your empty camelbak to the check in, it will get approved, and most festivals have refilling stations. Bonnaroo's are very easy to use, much like a standard water fountain (x10 in one of the booths). Firefly had stations where you had to wait in line, every festival is different. I have yet to see a festival or event that does not allow these, but as always, check the rules of the individual event. These are very easy to use though, and very convenient, as they are not heavy or a nuisance, and they carry a good amount of water to help you avoid dehydration (which happens quicker than one might think).
If you have a smartphone, these are usually a great idea! The skins are great because they are water resistant, so if you are being sprayed, running through water, or maybe caught in a bout of annoying rain. Most you can even use the touchscreen through the thin plastic!
As far as the phone goes, they are very handy at most festivals. Though signal is usually poor at said festivals, most festival apps do work offline, and occasionally when you do have signal, you can use apps such as Find Friends to locate any friends that you prior have synced to your phone, so that you may locate each other in the masses of people, or find where they are in the crowd!
Okay so this isn't the creme de la creme, but as you will have seen in my "how not to be that guy" post, those with detachable lenses are not allowed. If you have the base model though, such at his one ( this is the exact camera I have), you can still take high quality pictures in any environment of your favorite artists and friends. They usually come with a neck strap and a lens cap and are very travel friendly. You can find some as cheap as about $100 and some as expensive as $1,000. Mine I got for around $400 and some change, but I have been using it for years and it still works like a dream!
Adidas makes great ones, but other brands do too. These are my go-to festival backpacks. Don't get me wrong, ladies in cyberspace, I do love my purses, but they are just so inconvenient at these! The great thing about backpacks is you are able to bury your expensive items at the bottom beneath countless layers of towels, sunscreen, and lipbalm. Trust me, you would definitely notice the offender in time if he managed to unzip and dig all the way to the bottom for your wallet! Not only that, but you won't have to pay as much attention to it during the concerts, and their contents don't spill out if they get knocked over, unless they are unzipped, which many handbags do. These are fabulous for all of your possessions and they last a long time.
One of the best ways to make random friends is to have previous concerts, bands, or music festivals in common with them! It's a great way to reminisce about great events, and make good friends for the concert and maybe even long term! It is also a great way to rep your favorite artists and events!
These are good for random aches and pains, and especially dehydration which is likely to happen if you aren't vigilant. This is more of a precaution than anything else, but it is always good to have on hand for yourself, or for others. It is guaranteed that you will be seen as a lifesaver if you stumble upon a dehydrated stranger, and come to the rescue with water and pain reliever in tow. Another way to pay it forward!
Many concerts have a lot of wildlife, and by wildlife, I mean pesky insects. If you would like to avoid the itch of bug bites accompanying your itch for good music, it is always good to have a bottle of this on hand for yourself and maybe for others who might have forgotten it on their list.
I usually use this, by Neutrogena. It isn't the cheapest, but coming from a Liquid Paper white girl, it will literally save your life in the Summer heat. I have even managed to get sunburns when it is overcast outside, so even if the sun isn't beating down, it is never a bad idea to apply again and again! Keep an extra bottle on hand for emergencies. I usually offer it to people I see starting to turn pink. You'd be amazed how thankful some people can be!
Though this is more of a luxury item, you will find it to be one of those items that is a staple of a good time! Some people throw them into crowds, give them to friends, give them to strangers, but glowsticks always make the day more fun, and many people like to keep them as keepsakes! They are a wonderfully colorful addition to any night time concert, and most festivals allow them in.
Another luxury, these are also really cheap and really fun, and add to the over all vibe of a concert fest. Not only are they something that can keep you busy while you are laying out on your mat, waiting for the concert to begin, they bring about instant smiles from strangers winding their way through the crowd, hearing music in the distance, bubbles floating everywhere. It gives a strange sort of utopian vibe to be surrounded by colors and bubbles and happiness! When pulled off right, some of these aspects truly can make the most boring person into a flower-child era festival goer for the duration of the fest. Bubbles are a must have if you want to contribute to the vibe! Another good thing to contribute to the vibe is a Water Bottle sprayer. If you get one, and spray it on yourself and others, It'll be refreshing.(: I see many folks spray them in the air in the middle of the day during concerts.
Whether fluffy or not, with cool design or solid color, these are always a good idea. Good for drying off after rain, after running through a fountain, or even good to sit on if you don't have a moon mat. These are just essentially helpful, and are always a staple when it comes to going to festivals.
These are always fun because they add color and also you interact with others on the basis of these. Others might want you to paint them, or compliment you on your neat bodypaints. Anything that adds color and flare to the event will make it more memorable. People also sometimes purchase Holi powder (from the middle eastern holiday) and throw them on each other and strangers!
These items are also luxuries, but they are great conversation starters, and you may get asked to be in people's pictures. They are a cute addition to the ambiance and they might make you feel more in-the-moment as there aren't many places that you just go around wearing fairy wings!
For those unlike me, that hate rain or being rained on, it is best to bring these versus an umbrella. Most of the time umbrellas aren't allowed, depending on the area or how big the event is, but they can also be very inconvenient. These also fold up conveniently and fit in your backpack!
Last but not least, totems. You can make these out of anything. A Broom handle, a stick, and some random item attached to it -- a cut out, an inflatable flamingo, a road sign, anything! These help you find others in your group, as most people go to music festivals in groups. If you don't do the marco polo type thing mentioned in the previous festival tips post, this is a very helpful and identifiable way to find others in your group. Even if you cannot see them, it would be really hard for them to miss... say... a giant carebear in the sky!
I hope these items and tips help you all, and if I miss anything, do email me at carmen.laughlin@rocketmail.com, or hit me up on twitter @BelleCoquine.
Happy festival going!
xoxo
Karma
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