Festival packing list

Who just like to get a Wacken Open Air 2014 ticket will probably have to wait a long time. Because it was just two days after the presale start completely sold out. And the pre-sale started sunday midnight right after the W:O:A 2013 – madness! Fortunately I was just able to get one for 2014 :-)

Very well. I do not want to write about festival tickets or the various line-ups here, but about the most important time before a festival – the preparation time. This time is very exciting I think. It is already clarified in advance with friends who brings catering and useful things, so that you are optimally prepared for the time to spend there and enjoy it. To keep an overview, I have here the most important "items" listed that you should not forget. In addition, I give you a few useful tips from my own experience.

1. Tent

I can only recommend to go camping on festivals. The atmosphere, the feeling to be a part of all, is when you go camping on a paddock with thousands of other visitors simply indescribable and not comparable to a property, such as a hotel or a hostel. Of course it's colder, more uncomfortable in a sleeping bag, it not always possible to take a shower every morning and to have a classic breakfast — but hey, it's a festival! There are instant coffee and pre-packaged chocolate croissants for breakfast, home-cooked noodles and 5 minutes instanht food, noise and dirt simply part!
However, there are a few exceptions, such as WGT (Wave-Gotik-Treffen ), which has a different festival character. There a hotel or similar rather is unavoidable.

Tip: Do not forget to check the number of your pegs and take enough! Be always careful with them and set up and dismantle the tent reasonable. Keep it always closed so that the eventual sudden rain can not sponges your "bed" when you are on the festival ground. Eventually close it with a lock to make sure that no one can easily steal something (no one in the years has ever stolen something of my things or vandalized). After the festival, you should set up the tent once more at home in the garden (or wherever you have some space outside), clean, ventilate and let it dry. Finally, it should still experience a few more festivals! ;)

2. Camp chair

You will need a camping chair anyway. Because if not (yet) start no (relevant) concerts or the festival site is not yet open to the public, then you are lucky if you do not have to sit in the wet grass in the morning. And it is also quite tiring to stand all the time. You can get a chair already for 10 euros in any camping section of a building centre, and it is well worth it. The only downside is that they are quite large for transport. If you travel by your own car, it should not really be a problem.

Tip: Put the camping chair always aside, if you go away from the camp or if you go sleeping. Because if you have no roof (a pavilion etc.), then it can be quite uncomfortable if you accidentally sit down on a wet-soaked chair, because it has rained in the night. Abgesehen davon ist es sicherer. Probably it is not even intentional, but I can imagine that the chairs are also often mix up sometimes.

3. Pavilion

If you are traveling in a small group, then I can advise you to buy a cheap pavilion (around 40 euros at the building centre), which is not so bad if any strong wind bends the one or other linkage. Are you as eight people, then these are just five euros per head – and that is in relation to what you get, really not much. The rain, wind, and sun protection is best for festival because you always get shelter there. If time passes a little shiver, then you must not remain alone in your tents, but you can celebrate further in the dry and have fun regardless of wind and weather. When the sun shines very strong, then you are also happy not to sweat in the hot midday sun and have a shady, nice place.

Tip: Really pool the money. The money is useful invested when you have more or less protection all the time on the paddock. But in turn there is also an disadvantage, because I think they are quite unstable. Take enough (stable, strong) adhesive tape with you, if the wind will blow away the pavilion. Then fix the rods just with the tape, then it should hold the few days.

3. Camping mats

The more the better! Take with all camping mats that you have. You should have at least the entire tent completely covered with one layer. There you can place all things dry (when at night and in the morning everything is damp) and you do not catch a cold. The cold comes from below, so blankets are not enough. If you have a rest on, then use them for a second layer because in addition it "cushions" a little bit. Without these mats you never should go camping. Also, if you use an air mattress. Finally you do not want to be sick right after the festival.

Tip: To save space, you shall first put all the mattresses spread over each other and then roll them together. So you only have a large role and not many small to medium sized.

4. Air mattress

So that your sleep is not too uncomfortable, I would take an air mattress or air bed. Only the inflation is a bit annoying at first but you will not regret it if you comes out of your tent well-rested in the morning, while your neighbor plagues of back pain, because it is so hard to sleep on the floor. Do not underestimate it! It's really not fun to spend the night on mattresses only.

5. Air-pump

You do not inflate the air mattress yourself exhausting when you bring an air-pump. It is usually not great and saves you a lot of time, effort and nerves. If you use such a mattress, then the pump is almost inevitable.

6. Sleeping bag

Small, practical and warm. What to say any more. A sleeping bag is as important as a tent. At night it is sometimes really cold outside and it's really uncomfortable when you are cold all the time. So, take-away is also required here!

Tip: A good, snug alternative is an usual duvet. For transport rather inappropriate, but if you arrive by car it should not be a problem. With an usual duvet you almost feel like home.

6. Pillow

A sleeping bag usually has no regular pillow, that somehow bothers me every time. Therefore, I would also bring a pillow, so you have it as comfortable as possible.

7. Blankets

If you are a person who freezes quickly, then I would take blankets, to place them under or over your sleeping bag again. That also warming.

8. Earplugs

They are not only optional for the concerts (if the volume is too loud, or you just want to protect your ears), but also good for the night. Do you have a light sleep, so you can fall asleep not good at noise and noise wakes you up again, then I would wear earplugs at night. Then you don't really hear much. A festival actually never sleeps – it is always something going on, even late at night. So do not forget earplugs! And you feel them almost never at night, you get used to it pretty quickly. But remember: In the long run you should not use it at night!

9. Pocket lamps

Oh, how often I have wanted my stuff at night in the dark in the tent, because I forgot a pocket lamp. Necessarily take with at least one and places them always at the entrance to the tent or the awning! Then you find yourself cope well at night in your tent. Nowadays, mobile phones or smart phones have indeed a "flashlight", but I would not waste the whole battery capacity.

Tip: Take with also alternative batteries!

10. Sanitary article

Toothbrush, toothbrush cup (at festivals always useful), toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, brush, cosmetics (eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, powder etc.), hair bands and cleansing or facial tissues may not be missing. Your creams, ointments, tablets should be there (festival is not just to be blowzy) and especially for the girls: Do not forget the pill!

11. Towels, kitchen towels or handkerchiefs

Small and large towels you will need everytime. Either if you squirt water on your face in the morning and want to dry yourself or when you even manage to shower at a festival. Kitchen towels or handkerchiefs are always useful. Either to wipe dirty dishes or if you want to blow one's nose.

12. Clothing

But not too much! I can speak from personal experience that you will not need many clothes. Of course you still should have enough clothes to change and to layer (in the night).

13. Raincoat/poncho

Nothing is more annoying than rain during a concert. It is uncomfortable, wet and cold. A usual rain jacket or a poncho can really "save" the one or other concert. Ponchos you get partially for one euro. And one euro should have left. It's totally uncomfortable when you wear half the day wet clothes. Apart from this you can then also be faster ill. So buy before a festival a "single-use poncho" if you don't own a rain jacket. I can really recommend it (e.g. a big pack with 10 pieces (also for friends) you get for a few euro on eBay).

14. Robust boots

Preferably with steel cap, which are waterproof. You will meet so many people, you are in a confined space with so many, there it can happen that one or the other foot is on your. And with sneakers or for the girls with ballerina shoes it can be quite painful. Will you have to go through mud, you are also glad that you are wearing these boots... they are robust, tight and you do not lose them in the deepest mud (if they are laced properly).

Tipp: Nehmt auch ein Paar Ersatzschuhe mit!

15. Gas stove with pots and dishes

The classics: cook water, pasta or ravioli on the camp ground. A camping stove is really helpful there. It is easy to use and it your food is hot after a few minutes more or less. Of course it does not replace a stove, but it is still better than nothing.

Tip: Take at least one alternate gas canister! If you use it a lot, then even more ones. It would be very annoying if you have enough food and dish, but you miss the gas for cooking.

16. Water

Water is always helpful and almost always required. Wash the dishes, wash youself, brush your teeth, for drinking and especially for cooking (hot water for food, noodles, etc.).

Tip: You should get you one or two cans and fill them with water. This saves you the search and the transition to the drinking water containers at the festival. An alternative would be some liter bottles of still water.

17. Drinks

You will need to drink at a festival – and by that I don't mean just alcohol. Drinks are on the festival grounds very, very expensive, so I can only advise you to take enough soft drinks at the campsite so that you are already properly hydrated.

Tip: You should previously inform you whether glass bottles are ever allowed on the camping ground! Otherwise take plastic bottles for refilling. Or go buy drinks in allowed packaging.

If you still want to save more money, you should take with you a few 1 liter Tetrapak drinks. These ones (or filled with water) can take on the grounds on some festivals. With tape you can easily build a "carrier" to the Tetrapak to hang around the shoulder. This is especially not only cheaper, but you will be glad to stand in the middle of the mass of a concert and not have to give away the place to have a drink. It is unfortunately quite often at concerts that people drink not enough (especially at some concerts one after another), causing that visitors get circulatory problems or even collapse. And that no one wants!

18. Food

Take enough food! I can only recommend that to any festival visitor. Food is usually very expensive there. Fast food, such as ravioli, spaghetti and soups are always made ​​very easy and fast. Bread is of course always good.

Tip: Buy some waffles and these bag-rolls and croissants (usually they are with chocolate) and take them with you. You will be grateful if you can eat some bread in the morning even on the last day. Usual bread is moldy quickly, but because they are individually wrapped in plastic, I really think they made ​​for festivals.

19. Crisps and co

Snack on for the appetite or in the evening, especially the first night, very nice :-)

20. Money

But do not take your entire money in your wallet with you, but let, if possible, something locked in the car! Because if you really lose your wallet, then you are at least not entirely destitute.

21. Mobile phone

Best lock your expensive smartphone in the car or do not take it with you and instead always an old cell phone, so that you can always reach and find your friends in an emergency.

Tip: Speak with your friends and define always an "emergency meeting place" where you can return, in case you really lose each other, and sometimes when you can't reach by mobile phone. So it saves you the searching on the large ground with people. The prerequisite is that all have and keep a reasonably clear head.

22. Festival ticket

The best for last: the festival ticket! Put it in your purse or to another place where you do not lose or forget it. Nothing is worse and more annoying to have traveled at a festival, but to have forgotten the ticket!

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