Music, Mud and Making Memories: 5 Essential Festival Survival Tips

Festival season is well underway, and hundreds of thousands of people this year have been or will be pitching up their tent and dancing to live music until the small hours.

We’ve got some seasoned festival attendees here in the B&M office - who’ve been to Glastonbury, Download, Bestival and Kendal Calling, to name a few - and we’ve asked them some of their top festival camping tips, to ensure that any newbies have the time of their lives.

Here’s our handy festival survival guide!

Keep hydrated

Even if the sun isn't beating down, it’s essential that you keep hydrated during your time at a festival and we don’t mean downing more cider! Each year at many festivals, people fall victim to dehydration due to not drinking enough water, so it’s wise to keep a bottle in your bag at all times.

B&M Top Tip: the festival will have taps dotted around the site, where you can fill up your water bottle. Familiarise yourself with the whereabouts of these so you can easily get to one if you need quick access or start feeling a bit light headed.

Keep warm at night

Festivals are located in the countryside where it can get significantly colder at night than in urban areas. Factor in that it’s only a thin bit of material separating you from the outside elements and you have a recipe for chills. Best pack a warm sleeping bag and some thick PJs to ensure you get a good night’s kip.

Respect the sun

Trust us, you do NOT want to get sunstroke at a festival. Wear a hat even if it doesn’t seem that sunny - there are some great festival hats out there so it doesn’t have to ruin your look!

Also, while we’re on the subject of the sun, it’s a good idea to wear sunscreen every day. A red face is not a good look when you go back over your photos.

Some points on hygiene

No camping survival guide would be complete without some personal hygiene tips. Let’s be honest, the chances of you having a decent shower while you’re at the festival are pretty slim. Avoid smelling like you’ve just been for a run by using deodorant every day, as well as spraying on some scented body spray, or Lynx for men. Dry shampoo is a lifesaver too.

B&M Top Tip: take baby wipes with you - they may not be as good as a shower but you’ll feel cleaner after using them!

Wear welly socks

That brand new pair of Hunters may look amazing, but without welly socks there’s a pretty decent chance that they will start rubbing against your shins eventually (very painful!). Welly socks provide a sort of cushion effect, which not only avoid rubbing, but also make your wellies altogether comfier - amazing if you end up wearing them for four days straight!

 

Do you have any festival camping tips that you’d like to tell? Share them with the rest of the B&M community on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Happy camping!