Camping at a festival is probably the most varied camping you're likely to see, you'll see groups with large family tents pitched up next to little two berth pop up tents. The gear you take is obviously up to you and your budget, but for the most comfortable festival possible, we've put together a checklist so that all you need to worry about is which band clashes affect your day.
Leave no trace is the number one rule of the outdoors, it helps us to care of the green spaces that we all enjoy, this is especially important with regard to festivals which for many years have created large amounts of waste with left behind camping gear.
When the festival is over it's important to take home everything you brought with you, or dispose of items you do not want in the correct way. If for some reason you do not wish to bring your tent home, ask the festival if they have any drop off points for unwanted tents. Even if this is the case, the tent will need to be in usable condition, so please do take care of it. While some people may think that all tents that are left behind are donated to charities, this is simply not the case and most tents left at festivals go to waste.
Discarding your tent creates landfill that is very difficult to dispose of, and we urge all festival-goers not to leave behind any of their camping equipment.
While it shouldn't need to be said, don't destroy other peoples kit either, this only adds to the chance to somebody will leave behind their waste.
One of the main reasons cited for not bringing home a tent is not knowing how to pack it back into its bag, or thinking that it is difficult. The best way to learn is to practise and we promise you that it's really simple, check out the video below for some helpful tips.
These are your festival essentials
It's always tempting to buy the cheapest tent you see when you're going to a festival, and while every tent servers a purpose, it's important to work out whether that tent is the right choice. Look out for these things when buying a tent:
We're not going to try and tell you what to wear, and you probably wouldn't listen to us if we did. Here's a list of items you really should take, to make the weekend as comfortable as possible. Even if the weather says it will be one thing, always expect the worst. This is Britain.
Look after yourself at a festival, if you're on medication make sure you're fully stocked up. Festivals can be dirty places (especially the toilets) so keep yourself clean and safe.
Do your bit, always bring your festival gear home with you. Buy camping equipment you want to use again and again and in the long run you'll save yourself money.