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We may be in the heart of winter, but the absence of an all-pervading Northern bastard wind leads to a feeling of lukewarm suspension in time. ‘Twere colder my mind would not be coloured in such nostalgic hues. As such, here I am: writing, dejectedly, a comprehensive, though not exhaustive, list of do’s and don’ts for music festivals. 

Firstly, before you embark on your hedonistic adventure, you must sustain some semblance of rationale. This comes in the planning stage. Ensure you start early with booking your travel – trains, coaches and minibuses will cost considerably more the closer you get towards the date of the festival. I have been to Reading festival twice. The first time I got a train, the second a privately-hired double-decker bus. Without doubt the latter was the better of the two. Not only was it cheaper, it was also much easier (I didn’t have to lug my huge bag from train to tube to tube to train to festival entrance), and much more enjoyable. Remember to have the foresight to understand that the adrenalised energy you feel at the beginning of the festival very abruptly regresses into an irritable fatigue – the train home is torturous.

What to put in that bag, then? You’ll of course need a tent – the decision as to who carries it is purely down to the tautness of your friendship string (that is, of course, if you’re going with other people. If not … er, enjoy your solitary weekend, I guess), though I would suggest, if you are not the type of group that thrives off of each other’s pain, each of you take turns in carrying it in a separate bag. You’ll need toiletries – take everything in small amounts. Buy them cheap types of pocket-sized toothbrushes and toothpaste, dry shampoo and deodorant. Baby wipes are essential – you’ll find it hard to find the time to shower and you will definitely be sweating. Don’t worry too much about hygiene though, just focus on the basics. You’re there to have a laugh, everyone smells to the point where no one smells – don’t be that person who spends too much time worrying about cleanliness; no one likes that guy. Food is an area that a lot of people get wrong. The last two times I went to a festival I took enough for breakfast (that being, for every morning, a two Yazoo milkshakes and a breakfast bar) and some snacks (crisps and sweets, avoid fruit because it easily gets bruised in your bag). I also took a Pot Noodle for every day I was there. If the festival you go to is anything like Reading, there will be a Salvation Army tent that only requires a small contribution and they’ll give you some boiling water. Take enough money so that you don’t have to worry about it. I worked throughout the summer holidays purely on the fact that I wanted my conscience to be at ease when I felt hungry. 

Image Credits: music-festivals.co.uk