ELLE's Ultimate Festival Checklist Survival Guide: How To Camp, What To Take And How To Skip Toilet Queues​

Festival ticket
Reusable water bottle
Tent
Sleeping bag
Roll Mat (and no, a yoga mat does not do the same job)
Wellies, trainers, flip flips
Toilet roll/a six-pack of tissues
Sun tan lotion (at least Factor 30. Who are you kidding?)
Plasters
Plastic bags (for dirty washing, makeshift seats etc)
ID
Hat
Contraceptives
Food: Cereal bars, Cheese Strings, Frubes, dense fruit (sounds stupid, but your body will thank you)
Portable phone charger x 2 (er, hello, Instagram)
Duct tape (Think broken tent-poles, tears in your tent canvas, holes in your wellies etc.)
Waterproof coat
Paracetamol
Dry shampoo
Anti-bacterial hand-wash
Wet wipes
Bin bags
Dry pair of clothes (It’ll make your journey back just that bit more comfortable)
Imodium (because…portaloo fear)
Portable cooling fan
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodrant, solid perfume, make-up, lip balm)

No matter how much you budget for a festival, you’ll no doubt spend more. After all, who are you to turn down the offer of a Yorkshire pudding roast dinner for £8 or a jazzy penguin hat worth more than a round of ciders?

However, here are some easy tips to help limit the damage to your bank account during the festival:

1. Take out cash before you go (debit/credit cards should be hidden away at the bottom of your bag and only used in emergencies).
2. Decline offers to take part in rounds of drinks. Instead, keep a reusable water bottle for alcohol with you at all times and top up throughout the day.
3. Allow yourself to buy one big meal a day, one snack and two cold beers. Stock up on light snacks/breakfasts (cereal bars, crisps, brioche buns) before you go and leave a crate of beer in the tent.
4. Put emergency money in your phone/bra

Denim shorts – Remember, skin dries quicker than clothes so denim shorts are a must in rain and are far more durable than leggings.
Cheap flip flops – Give your feet some much needed air while walking around your tent area. Don’t forget to change into wellies/trainers before visiting the loos, though. Bin after use.
A tight-fitting hoodie – An essential during cold nights and doubles up as a pillow. Baggy hoodies are pointless for warmth.
Socks and pants – Always three more pairs than your think you’ll need for wet weather, journey home and that fresh fresh feeling.
A sequined top/playsuit – For days when you want festival vibes with minimal effort
Gym leggings – Comfy, stretchy, durable and colourful
Tights: For cold evenings.
Toiletries: Store in a clear plastic bag (steal a few from the airport next time you’re travelling) in order to limit what you bring and can see its content clearly in the night/while you’re drunk.

*Dungarees, swimsuits, and onesies – Pack at your own peril. Portaloos are not your friend.

Camp near a landmark

Locate a fixed sign, colourful tent or flag and plot your location in relation to that point.

Don’t camp near the toilets

Camping near toilets is for the ill-experienced or late comers. Pitch your tent within a maximum two minutes walking distance from the facilities.

Camp off the path

Drunk people falling on your tent at 5am do not make the most welcome sleeping partners. Get to the festival as early as possible and pitch your tent on flat ground or, ideally, on higher ground to avoid the swampy bog from rainfall.

Create a communal area

Tricky to do, granted, but attempt to pitch your tents in a circular formation, leaving a space in the middle for morning debriefs and pre-drinks. Just make sure you don’t leave too much room for a late comer (otherwise known as festival d*ck) to pitch their tent slap bang in the middle.

1. Say you’ve lost your friends while looking slightly troubles/sad/lost/confused
2. Point in a random direction towards where you’re heading and say your mates are in there
3. Go to the side of the stage and weave in (never go in from the middle or back)
4. Agree on a hand signal (peace sign/chicken beak) to use as a marker for friends to locate/follow you
5. Get the smallest member of your group to be lead ‘pusher inner’
6. Start yelling a random name (‘Jenny, Betty, Sarah’) to make it look like you’re trying to find a mate as you wiggle your way through the crowd.

If all else fails, resort to the 'sorry, excuse me, can I just...?'

No matter what anyone says, you don’t want to be one of the last few people leaving a festival once the party is well and truly over.

On the last night of the festival, pack up your belongings and leave them in the tent. Stay up throughout the night and when it starts to get light, take down the tent and head off towards the exit/bus station/train queue. A speedy getaway is essential for team morale when you all feel like broken souls.

Get up, get out and get on your way.

There’s no simple rule when it come to toilet queueing but here are some suggestions we’ve learned over the years:

1. Pack a shee-wee: Reusable, good for the environment and practical in a rush
2. Schedule your wees: First thing in the morning, before you leave your tent for the day, after lunch, mid-afternoon set, and before pre-drinks. Try not to drink too much before your favourite sets, is the basic rule.
3. Avoid communal trips: You need the room to wee in peace and who knows what your tummy will surprise you with. However, agree to hold each other’s essentials, water bottles and jackets.
4. Head to compost toilets: Better for the environment and still the best kept secret of festivals
5. Choose the end line: Ideally, where there’s a corner of portaloos as this – from past experience – increases your chances of getting a loo quickly.

*Top tip: Carry a travel perfume with you at all times. When you encounter a nasty smell in the toilets, smell or spritz your perfume to avoid wanting to be sick.

Whether it’s sun stroke or passing out after too much straight vodka, we’ve all had that one friend who has been broken by a heavy day of partying.

Locate the Medical and First Aid Festival Medical Services (FMS) on your first day just in case things take a turn for the worse.

For help in an emergency, make your way to a medical facility or approach a Festival steward, Festival Information, a Markets Office, a security person or a police officer, for assistance.

FMS has the following health advice for festival goers:

1. Eat before drinking and consume plenty of water, regularly (regular sips are better than one large volume)
2. You can sometimes purchase the ‘morning after’ pill from on site festival pharmacies but do check before hand.
3. If you take prescription medicines, ensure it is in its original container and clearly labelled with the pharmacy sticker and bring your repeat prescription counterfoil

Find out more here.