10+1 survival tips for festivals

As we know, festival season has already started in some places and you might be going to one of the amazing festivals in Hungary. It’s time to rummage up your tent in the attic, save up some money for the parties and figure out what to bring with you in your backpacks. Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu put together a list for last minute packers, first time festival goers and basically everyone, to help with their preparation.

1) You need a house…
…or at least a good tent. This place is going to be your home, your roof when it rains, your sauna in the sultriness, so it’s advisable to keep it neat and check beforehand whether or not you left something in there last year. It’s worth arriving early at the festival to get a good spot for your tent: preferably in the shadows, on an easily memorisable path, not too far from the toi-toi and the stage, on a smooth surface. Your waist will be thankful afterwards!

2) Thievery inhibition
The classic small locks are suggested for your tent. Even though pessimists say that they are useless as thieves can easily get into your tent with a knife, years of experience attest that they just won’t spend extra time with locked tents, when there’s a Canaan of unlocked igloos on a festival.
3) A satchel never hurt nobody
The most practical festival bag is a normal sized satchel that is crossed over your chest. Fashion icons don’t suggest it at all, but it is, for one thing, very comfortable and handy, and for the other thing, it is less likely that you’re going to lose it as it basically forms a part of you.

4) Survival kit
Here come some of the “musts” that you need to have with you on a festival. A festival is neither a ball nor a survival show, so you should only take the necessary toiletries with you. You can find mini versions of everything in drugstores with which you can save a lot of hands and plus kilos. Go for the mini tooth paste, shower gel, shampoo, sun cream and hand sanitizer. Besides this, you might want to have a strip of toilet paper or a handful of tissues in your satchel. They are multifunctional and always come in handy.
5) Home medicine cabinet
This doesn’t mean that you have to unpack grandma’s medicine cabinet, but it’s advisable to have at least painkillers, anti-diarrhoea medication and bandages with you. Moreover, calcium-effervescent tablets and glucose candies can be very pleasant on days after.
6) Always, in all conditions!
In other words: how to prepare for Saint Peter’s disasters. You can’t always win on the weather pools and even though you can guess whether or not you’ll need bathing suit or rubber boots during the day, a few clothing items can be jolly jokers when it comes to daytime sultriness or night-time artic winds. To prevent these, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu suggests our granny’s favourite saying: layer up! Besides shorts and loose dresses there’s always space for stockings, a cosy sweater, the indispensable sneakers, and the flip-flops! There’s nothing worse than trying to avoid hair or whatever there might be in the communal bath.
7) Light in the night
Finding your way to your tent or the toi-toi can be quite hard without a miniature flashlight. Even though most smartphones have a flashlight function, it is suggested to buy a keyring sized gadget. There is a double argument behind this. On one hand, using the application constantly on your phone eats up your battery and obviously, you won’t be able to charge your phone in the middle of the night. On the other hand, the combination of a toi-toi, a balancing body, and the phone held in your hand indicate some dangers…

8) You can say no to smartphones
Once we’re at the topic of mobile phones, if you’re a more wild or clumsy type of festival goer, you should consider leaving your smartphone at home. If you can live without Instagram, GPS or Facebook for a few days, then you should renew the relationship between you and your old ‘dumbphone’ so that separation won’t be so hurtful in case of an unexpected fall or stage diving.
9) Alternative bean-feast
Although most festivals are not about eating, food is indispensable for survival. It’s hard to resist the amazing smells of the gastro streets, which you don’t necessarily have to resist. However, it is important to have enough energy for the night in more modest conditions as well, and to not to drink the first spritzer on an empty stomach. A compelling festival food is bread with pâté or minced meat, which is divine for hungry festival goers. And luckily they let in the most type of tinned food to festivals as well, and a good line of cans help a lot with alimentation.
10) Water, water, water!
This is the most basic necessity that we cannot emphasize enough: drink water in the day because of last night and drink water in the night because of the next morning. This way it’s much easier to tide over the mornings after as you won’t wake up with a Sahara in your mouth.

+1) Luxury items
If you managed to pack only the most necessary stuff in a way that you don’t need to be a weightlifter to carry your backpack, sleeping bag and tent, then it’s time to pack all those things that might seem unnecessary but are essential for you. Let it be a horse head, rubber animals, heart-shaped sunglasses, a bunny costume, a tulle skirt, water-pistols or whatever your heart desires… 😉

Photos: www.facebook.com/SzigetFestivalOfficial

Copy editor: bm

Source: http://www.szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu/