25 Dec 2015

We’re coming up to the end of the year now; Christmas has wrapped up once again and New Years plans are in full-swing, some of which may involve a road trip, plenty of booze and some crazy-ass dance moves. That’s right, festival season is on its way. Falls, This That, Lost Paradise… Whatever your taste, there’s a festival to match, and it’s the perfect way to wind down and blow off some steam if you’ve had a hard year working or studying.

If you’re a festival virgin, then I have two things to say to you.

1. You’re going to have an absolute blast!

2. You are probably incredibly underprepared.

Hate to burst your bubble here, but chances are if you haven’t been along to a festival before, then you’re not entirely ready for what’s in store, especially if you’re going to be camping. Cause as amazing as the music and atmosphere is, you have to remember that there are also cold showers, pit toilets and extreme heat, often interspersed with intense, tent-flooding downpours that proves the Australian climate is definitely out to kill us all (or at least ensure we’re in a perpetual state of discomfort).

To make sure you’re not in for a rude shock when you rock up to your first festival, we’ve put together a little guide explaining what you’ll need to remember if you want to make this festival season the best time of your life. Totally doable, so long as you remember:

1. Gumboots

Gumboots are essential festival attire, because chance has it it’s going to rain at least once during your trip. And if you don’t already own gumboots, then stock up now. Last year when I was making my way up to Falls Festival, just about every department store on the east coast had been picked clean of their gumboot supplies. The day before the festival, I was very lucky to find a Big W in a small town off the highway that had just received a new shipment of fluorescent pink gumboots (needless to say at that stage I was in no place to get picky). I have no doubt they would have been sold out by the end of the week.

2. Litres of sunscreen

This seems like a no-brainer, but I don’t think you realise just how much sunscreen you are going to need at a festival. And if you run out… well God have mercy on your soul. I have never felt so baked before in my life, I’m sure I was a could of degrees away from my skin literally turning to crackling. So on top of the bottles upon bottles of sunscreen, also pack an umbrella. It seems kind of ridiculous, but an umbrella is perfect for those middle-of-the-day acts that you just want to watch while chilling out on the hill. Just don’t try to mosh with it.

3. Warm clothes

It’s the middle of summer–it’s baking hot and the idea of a jumper seems ludicrous, but trust me, you very well might need it. This is especially important for people travelling south for the festivities–it might be hot in the day, but it can turn to freezing at night. Don’t get caught out without some woolies, or you wont be getting any sleep (you probably wont be anyway).

4. Portable charger or spare phone battery

If you want to maintain regular phone use throughout the festival, then one of the above is a must. While there are charging stations as the festivals, they are often expensive, and packed with people desperately trying to instagram their festival outfit before their battery dies. Avoid the line by packing your own means to recharge your phone.

5. Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones

Okay, so sleeping isn’t exactly high on the priority list at a festival, but if you do want to get even a wink of shut eye, you’re going to need something to block out the sound. There will be people screaming for no apparent reason into the morning. You will want to murder these people.

6. A big tent

This was my biggest mistake at my first festival. Thinking their would be space restrictions, my friend and I packed a two-man tent and naively believed this would be enough to house us and all our stuff. It wasn’t. After the first night, we actually had to catch a bus into town and buy a second tent, just so we’d have enough room for everything. Seriously, you’re going to want to be as comfortable as possible, so bring the biggest mother effin tent you can get your hands on.

7. A day bag

Something I definitely didn’t understand going in to my first festival was just how far away our tent would be from the festival ground… like a good 20 minute walk away. In extreme heat. With absolutely no shade anywhere in sight. It was brutal to say the least. To save yourself from having to run back and forth between your tent and the stages, bring along a day bag big enough to carry everything you could need at the stage–camera, wallet, water, sunscreen, sunnies, phone, etc etc.

8. A #YOLO attitude

If you let every little shitty thing get to you while you’re at a festival, you’re never going to have a good time. So, the line for the shower is 100 metres long, so you got a tent next door to the toilet block, so you missed your favourite band play because your friend was throwing up in the bushes… so what? This could be one of the best times of your life if you do what Elsa says and just let it go. Enjoy it while it lasts!