Camping at festivals: a fool-proof guide

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You haven’t really done a festival if you haven’t camped at one. Camping is fun, affordable and convenient, but it also requires a bit of forward-planning to make it as comfortable as possible. With this in mind, here’s a handy guide to becoming a proper camping champ – as curated from an editorial staff with decades of hard-earned experience…

Where to camp

Somewhere high up
Yes, it means an uphill climb back to your tent every night, but elevated spots tend to be quieter and more stable if it rains. Plus, the view from on high can help you get to grips with the festival site. Some are vast and pretty spread out, so knowing the quickest routes between the different stages is a major time-saver.

Close to a hedge
This is something of a calculated risk. Hedge-adjacent spots are more sheltered and easier to find because you can just trace the perimeter of the field you’re camping in. But – and it’s a big ‘but’ – some lazy festival-goers may end up using them as a makeshift toilet. The solution? Pitch your tent close to a hedge – but not too close.

Where not to camp

Close to the toilets
These are nearly always busy and noisy, especially first thing in the morning. They’re also likely to become, well, a bit less fragrant as the festival goes on. You don’t want to be downwind of a compost loo come day three.

Close to a water station
Also a busy spot, and you know what they say about the sound of running water…

Close to the dance stage
This will probably have a later curfew than the other stages, so you could be kept awake well into the small hours. And once the party’s over, you’ll probably be disturbed by a horde of buzzing techno heads making their way back to their tents.

What to bring

Plenty of plastic bags
For the next few days, these are your bin – and you’ll be surprised how many you get through. They’re also a great receptacle for all the mucky clothes you amass when you go hard at a festival for three or four days.

Something squishy
You don’t want to carry a full-sized pillow across field after field, though some of your fellow revellers will do just that. Still, all seasoned campers know it’s easier to get to sleep when you have something soft to rest your head on. A small cushion or travel pillow should do the trick without taking up too much space in your backpack.

A camping chair
Without one, you’re pretty much resigned to lying in your sleeping bag during your downtime. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to carry, but worth the extra effort. Just be aware that all your mates will be asking to borrow it.

What not to bring

Unnecessary valuables
Nothing expensive can be stored safely in a tent. You’ll only end up having to find an on-site locker so you can stow your laptop/jewellery/fancy fragrance while you’re out enjoying yourself. Follow the golden rule: if you probably don’t need it, definitely don’t bring it.

Toilet roll
It’s bulky and pretty much useless if it gets wet in the rain. Biodegradable wet wipes are a space-saving and ultimately more hygienic option. They’re also easy to stash in your bumbag as you roam around the festival.

Do…

Check the weather before you head to the festival
Knowledge is power. If overnight temperatures are low, you’re going to need extra bedding. And if the forecast says glorious sunshine all day, every day, your chances of grabbing a daytime nap in an unsheltered tent are next to zero.

Practise putting up your tent at home
This will save you time – and looking like a stress-head – when you arrive and find it’s trickier than you expected. It’s particularly difficult to put up a tent on a rainy and/or windy day, so it definitely pays to know what you’re doing.

Don’t…

Forget where your tent is
It’s easy to avoid this rookie error by pitching your tent next to a bigger, snazzier, more conspicuous one. If your own tent is small and generic, you might want to plant a flag on it to make it stand out.

Leave anything behind
No true festival goer abandons their tent at the end of a festival – it’s entitled and bad for the environment. And you’re going to need every one of those tent pegs next time, so double check you haven’t left any in the ground.

Tent etiquette

Take off your shoes before you enter
Every single time, without exception. This will stop your tent from turning into a grassy disaster zone or – worse still – a wet muddy mess.

Zip it up properly whenever you leave
This will keep your tent dry, cosy and reassuringly insect-free. You wouldn’t leave your front door open at home, would you?

Say hi to your neighbours
First of all, it costs nothing to be a friendly, decent person. Second of all, you’ll probably pick up some useful festival hacks during the course of your conversation. And third of all, they’re more likely to let you off if you make a racket when you get back to your tent at 3am.

Keen to put some of these tips to work? Here are the best-selling camping festivals coming up this summer (data courtesy of viagogo) – grab tickets while you still can!

1. Reading Festival – August 21-25
2. Green Man Festival – August 15-18
3. Creamfields – 22/08 – August 22-25
4. Leeds Festival – August 21-25
5. Boardmasters – August 7-11
6. Wilderness Festival – August 1-4
7. Kendal Calling – August 1-4
8. Lakefest – August 7-11
9. Towersey Festival – August 23-26
10. Y Not Festival – August 1-4

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