Festival Survival Kit ideas

clarelou2

My younger sister is going to Leeds Festival in August. As this is her first festival I wanted to make a kind of survival kit for her to take. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what to put in, so far I have: -
disposable toilet seat covers
wet wipes
paracetamol
plasters
sun cream
energy drink
safety pins

I don't mind if things are practical or jokey - just need some more stuff. Thanks in advance.

SugarSpun

I wouldn't bother with the toilet seat covers - even covered nobody would sit on them anyway!

Roll of toilet paper, wellingtons (you could maybe use them to store all the small things?), blister plasters, sunglasses, rain poncho, box of ziplock bags, phone credit voucher .... and a note reminding her that if she's driving more than a couple of hours to keep a spare outfit (including flip flops) inside a sealed plastic bag and to change at one of the service stations on the way back. She needs to be off the site when she does it otherwise everything gets filthy anyway, but there is nothing quite so relieving as putting on clean clothes after five days living in your own dirt. You're still grubby underneath but it's sooooo good.

Stryder

Some suggestions - sorry if duplicates:

1) Sun protection: Hat/SPF20 or higher cream

2) Water

3) Water

4)Water (if you run out the lack of water will make you feel tired and ill, and may if difficult/expensive to get. August festivals can be very hot!) Maybe get 2x 6 packs of water at supermarket so what is needed can be carried around with you.

5) Toilet Roll - maybe an idea to fold sections out flat in a sandwich bag - that way you are not making it too obvious if you take it around with you.

6) Peanuts - When you drink, or if its hot, you lose lots of salt [as the drink leaves you] so salted nuts will give you slow release energy and the salt you require]

7) Two packs of wet wipes - essential. But if you can a small pack to use to wash hands after you used the toilet/before you eat and another big pack to clean up with in the tent.

8) Socks sealed in bags/plastic. No matter how wet it gets you will feel better with dry socks. Generally a change of clothes sealed in plastic ideal
plasters

9) A glow stick - if she is in a tent you can put one or two on the tent to make it easier to find.

10) Ear plugs - can be used if you're close to the speakers (you get better sound as it cancells out the distortion) but also if you need to sleep as the night will not be quiet.

11) TEA BAGS! Sounds stupid but if you like a decent cuppa you may want to take a handful of a really nice strong cuppa (like English Breakfast Tea) as the tea they often sell can be terrible. Plus it may be cheaper to get hot water.

12) LED headtorch - ok - maybe a dubious fashion accessory but great if you need to find the toilet at night or do stuff in your tent.

13) Laminated card with key numbers (including reverse charges, all key numbers, etc). We rely on mobile phones to remember our numbers and it does not always work.

14) One key thing is to separate your kit into 3. 1 - emergency kit for the car (1 change of clothes, a little money, etc); Base camp kit - the stuff you use on a day to day basis in your tent. Minimal kit to carry with you - do not lumber yourself with too much that can get lost - including bags. Bags are great but they should be able to be carried on shoulder or bag and if poss, secure. You take a bag you have to carry it will get left somewhere, sometime.

15) And I do not know ages involved, but Condoms are useful - if not for yourself to give out (better safe than sorry). But they are sterile and make useful bandages in dirty conditions [cut up - esp. good for burns as they don't stick] and believe it or not, for carrying water. Just remember to wipe off the lubricant before you do! They can also be used as replacement plastic bags to store anything in.

16) paracetamol/asprin/rennie tablets - just a mix of the essential "get you over feeling rough" kind of things.

17) Also if you are taking a camera take a picture of your name and contact details. Then if you lose the camera it can be tracked back to you (useful for disposable or film cameras!)

18) If you can, take fully charged spare mobile battery as it will probably get used a lot - esp. if its got a camera.

19) Any samples toiletries you can get your hands on make ideal carrying essentials rather than bulky cosmetics/toiletries. soap (shower gel), moisturiser, etc in small sachets may provide a welcome relief at the end of the day.

20) If it rains and you have a decent tent, consider less can be more. Some people prefer to wear shorts and t shirts if they get wet, as long as they know they can change into dry clothes shortly afterwards. For light showers on warm days, your skin is waterproof and your clothes will dry quickly. Take too many clothes and if they get wet it will be hard to dry. So less can be more - especially if you also have the emergency poncho to hand in case its a heavy shower. If you may get wet always take some talc and take care of your feet or athletes foot may find you. Remember, if your feet hurt you will not enjoy the festival!

Anglea

Spare Large bin bags for all those muddy emergencies

Tell her to work out with her friends what will happen if they get parted, where to meet up even if they've got phones, its still a worthwhile thing to do, as sometimes even phones can go missing.

Is this just for the day - or a camping trip?

Something like a rack on wheels just in case you have a very long walk to the camping ground and you have tons of luggage ( and crates of drink!)

porlock

4)Water (if you run out the lack of water will make you feel tired and ill, and may if difficult/expensive to get. August festivals can be very hot!) Maybe get 2x 6 packs of water at supermarket so what is needed can be carried around with you.

At a festival like Leeds, I believe the general rule is that they will only be allowed to take one 500ml SEALED bottle of water into the arena (the bit with the bands). You can buy it inside, which adds up (last year 500ml bottles of drink were £2 each)! However, most festival have a running supply of safe drinking water inside the arena. You'd be better off keeping an empty bottle/flask with you and filling it up inside.

Bin bags. At festival you can never have enough bin bags. You can sit on them if it rains. You can put muddy/wet boots in them/on them to stop your tent getting muddy. You can put stuff in them. First time I ever went to a festival, I had all my clothes spread out over my tent, left them there all day, it rained, all the stuff touching the sides of the tent damp, I wore soggy clothes for the rest of the weekend. Never again.

Leeds you could probably just about get away with leaving the wellies out, although a sturdy boot would be advisable.

Hand sanitiser - tiny bottles, self-drying - wouldn't be without it.

Also, I don't bother taking bulky loo roll - get multipacks of tissues (the 10 to a pack ones). Takes up far less room and does the same job.

Wet wipes or, more so if it's a girl, I swear by the cucumber-scented make-up remover wipes from Boots/Superdrug. They do the same job, and if it's been a hot day, kicking back with a cool, damp, cucumber-scented tissue over your face is one of the nicest things on earth.

Also, who are they going with? Is it a whole bunch of first-timers? I'm a bit of a wuss at times, but Leeds & Reading are known for being quite rowdy onsite. Sunday night, after the bands, watch out for out of control campfires, gas canisters being blown up, toilets being pushed over etc. If they are all first timers, I'd maybe get on a fetsival forum and ask where a good place to camp is - you don't want to be stuck in the middle when it all kicks off.

Hope this helps!

clarelou2

Thanks to all the replies, there are loads of great ideas there. Will definately be going on a shopping spree at the weekend to get some more bits.
She is going with her boyfriend and some friends - about 6 of them. It will be her first time but I think some of her friends have been before. They are camping for the duration but will be coming back Sunday before all the trouble starts.

overlykeensaver

how about some snack/museli bars (not chocolate because if the weather is good it will just melt)? My OH laughed at me for packing them but was grateful for them when he was starving hungry early in the morning!

C_J

There are some brilliant suggestions in this thread - thank you to everyone who has posted. I too am putting together a Festival Survival Kit for my 16 year old daughter who will be attending her first one this summer with a group of friends, so these ideas are very useful for me too.

My only suggestion to add is that Poundland have loads of camping items in their stores at the moment - I bought a roll-up foam camping mat (for underneath your sleeping bag), inflatable pillow, camping lantern, etc etc. At those £1 prices, if anything gets lost or broken, I shan't be too upset about it

VeganClaire

Some really good ideas.
Remind her to take something warm for the evening - I ended up buying a coat when at leeds as it was really hot in the day but cold at night.
A warm sleeping bag (or a light one and some blankets).
A cushion or inflatable pillow/ big jumper that can double up as a pillow.
There are usually camping zones - people who have been before will know which zones tend to be quieter.
Some snacks as buying food gets expensive - things like crisps, apples, cereal bars, cartons of juice, biscuits, bread, dried fruit, sweets etc
Some nice hair bobbles, a thinck hair band that hids a lot of your hair, or a hat might be good as she won't be able to wash her hair on site (hat would also protet her from the sun).
Definatly wellies and waterproofs. She should pack all her clothes in sealed (labeled) plastic bags to help keep clean things dry and put a liner in her ruck sack (a thick giant plastic bag can be bought very cheaply from army and navy stores).
A mini first aid kit is good includng stuff to treat insect bits and sunburn. There is St Jones abulance on sight that are really helpful for minor injuries.
Great idea about planning with her mates where to meet if they get separated as mobiles will run out of battery. (When I went there was an orange stand that woulkd recharge them for you for free so it might be worth looking out for that).
Cash - there was only one cash point on sight and there was always a massive que.
If she has asthma or any other medical condition make sure she takes her medication with her and that her friends know what to do in an emergency. Hayfever tablets if she gets hayfever.
If they are planning on cooking have they checked the rules for camping stoves etc?
Sorry for the long post! She will have an excelent time

JailhouseBabe

I agree with the small bottles of hand-sanitiser - they have these in packs of 4 in Poundland.
Lots of binbags - the green gardening ones are usually stronger and make good ponchos.

The only thing I can really add to the list is dry shampoo - it comes in an aerosol (I know Tesco do one for about £2), so she can keep her hair clean without water and a hairdryer.

toofy

Duck/Duct tape...all manner of uses!!!