Top hacks to survive this summer’s music festivals | AD – Paid Partnership

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of music festivals. I went to Glastonbury last year and have been to V Festival for the past two years as well. It’s fair to say that I love my music and my festivals, so when Maximise contacted me about writing a post sharing my top festival tips, I had to get involved. So, without further ado, here are my top tips for surviving a music festival.

1. Ponchos can not only protect you from rain, but also from mysterious brown liquids…  

We all hope for sun and blue skies when we go to festivals, but we all know that there’s always rain at Glastonbury at least. Therefore, a poncho is always useful to protect us from the rain, but also from those at the front that like to throw their drink – or urine – up in the air. Always keep a poncho to hand if you can, otherwise, invest in a good quality hat. In my case, a straw hat helps shield me from water and the sun, whilst also making me look like a Paolo Nutini wannabe.

2. Invest in a one-pole tent and expedition rucksack

Basically, imagine that you’re an ambitious student about to climb Ben Nevis for their Duke of Edinburgh expedition. In my case, I’ve kept on to my one-pole tent and expedition rucksack, and it’s amazing how convenient they both are. Of course, it may just be a five-day festival, but still…

3. Cling film, trolleys and wheelbarrows

This is something I learnt after being to a few festivals, and that is to bring clingfilm and either a trolley or a wheelbarrow. The last thing you want on a hot day, when you’re dashing to bag a place to pitch your tent, is to have to dash back to your car to grab more stuff.

So grab a wheelbarrow or trolley, dump all your bags, drinks and tents in it, secure them with cling film and then carry it to where you intend to stay. It’s much better than carrying it all on your back, that’s for sure.

4. How to get rid of those annoying wristbands

We’ve all been there – by trying to yank the annoying wristbands off our arms they turn into sandpaper and start scratching at our wrists? So how do we get the blasted things off our wrists without having to reach for the scissors? Well, there is a way for you to remove them whilst also keeping them intact as a souvenir.

However, it depends on whether you can adjust your wristband in the first place. If a member of staff has to place them on you, then you’re in a spot of bother. The best way to do it is to adjust it so that there’s enough space for you to fit your thumb in-between the wristband if you wanted to.

It’s a lot of work, but you then have you shuffle the wristband up to the bottom of your hand, and tuck your thumb in. At that point, your hand should become a ‘runway’ for you to slide the wristband off. Then, voila – both your hand and wristband are intact and you can keep it as another free souvenir.

5. Apps are where it’s at!

If it’s not the messaging apps which you can use to ask your mate for a burger, then it’s the official festival apps, which have really upped their game over the past few years. Whilst it’s a shame that V Festival’s app no longer exists, Glastonbury’s official app comes with a map and planner – so you can plan which acts to see way in advance!

6. If all else fails, return to your tent or get help from staff

It’s highly unlikely that your battery pack will run out and your phone will die suddenly, but if you can’t make that last-minute emergency call or text to your friends or family (and let’s be honest, the reception in the middle of the countryside isn’t the best), then just continue to rock out.

When my phone died at V Festival in 2014, going to the predetermined meeting point worked. If not that, the perfect ‘meeting point’ is your tent. If not that, then an obvious choice is to contact a member of staff.

So these are just a selection of my top festival tips, but if you have any, Maximise want to hear from you! Tweet your hacks with the hashtag, #UltimateFestHacks to get involved and share your festival survival advice.

What festivals have you been to? Comment below!

Liam

I was invited to write a post on festival tips by a PR company in exchange for Amazon vouchers. However, all opinions stated in this piece are honest and my own.