Glastonbury Festival last year is up there in my top five favourite things I've ever done. I can't put into words how utterly significant it was to me as an experience but the place has this magic to it that I'm certain can't be replicated elsewhere. If you're going this year, I am incredibly envious - you're going to have an absolute ball - and here's a list of things I think you would benefit from taking. I'm no expert and you can buy pretty much anything you could possibly need at the festival itself, but I would recommend taking the following....
The essentials
- your festival ticket and any associated parking permits etc
- ID
- a tent :: if you haven't put it up before, do a test-run at home! Make sure somebody in your group brings a mallet/enough pegs etc
- sleeping bag
- a roll mat (unless you're taking an air bed)
- sun-cream/after-sun
- a bag for all of your stuff :: make sure you can carry it yourself and think about investing in some sort of carrying device in your group, but one that won't get its wheels stuck in mud!
- a backpack/small bag for daily use
- medication
- money
To wear
- enough clothes for the festival
- warm layers for sleeping
- clean clothes for home-time
- socks (more than you think you'll need)
- wellies
- trainers/a pair of comfortable shoes
- undies
- something to cover your hair :: a hat, headscarf, flowers etc
- hair ties
- sunglasses
- something waterproof :: trust me.
For hygiene purposes
- deodorant
- wet wipes and face wipes (millions of them) :: never has a damp cloth felt so refreshing
- dry shampoo
- hand gel
- a she-wee :: extremely clever contraption to avoid sitting and squatting!
- toilet roll
- packets of tissues
- if you plan to shower (hmm...), soap/shampoo/towel
- period equipment, ladies...
- hair brush/comb :: to minimise the knotty, tangled mess you're going to have to rectify come Monday
Other helpful bits
- bin bags :: loads of them for rubbish obviously, resting muddy things on inside the tent and all sorts of other unspecified purposes
- duct tape :: for fixing most things
- an air bed (+ pump) :: worth carrying for the extra comfort and warmth of being a little further away from the ground
- a phone that you don't care about loads :: I did take my iPhone and a portable charger (thanks gadget Dad!) but this only lasted 3 days or so in total and after that I was phone-less. You won't need a phone really but it is helpful for organising meeting friends etc so perhaps think about getting a cheap, temporary one with a little bit of credit for emergencies.
- some food that keeps okay in a tent :: breakfast bars, crisps, dried fruit, biscuits, sweets, chewing gum etc - there is plenty of food to try and I would recommend this as part of the experience as it is mostly delicious and good value, but you'll want to save some money bringing your own snacks.
- a big bottle of water :: to keep in your tent so you can always hydrate
- small bottles to fill up around the site
- any alcohol you want and are able to carry :: but not glass
- torch (+ batteries)
- plasters, including those handy blister plasters as you will be on your feet a lot
- a watch :: to ensure you don't miss your favourites
Let me know if you think of anything else, or if you've got any other festival tips and I'll add them to the list :)
