festival advice and tips

Discussion in 'UK Parties and Protests' started by jonny2mad, Apr 24, 2008.

  1. jonny2mad

    jonny2mad Senior Member

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    I posted this on another board may be useful here if you have advice on how to pack or what to take or what to do or not do post here

    I steward loads of festivals and its quite interesting watching what people bring and how badly packed the average person is

    Anyway get a rucksack I have one big enough where everything I take fits inside the rucksack so I don’t have to strap things up on the outside , why this is good is you don’t have things bouncing about or hitting you while you walk , you don’t have things catching in things or getting stolen or lost.
    in the main sack I have my tent I have a waterproof bag to put it in if I have to take it down wet strong bin liners will work at a push but you can get better rucksack liners , I have my thermarest inflatable mattress and sleeping bag also in the main compartment .
    I generally take a full Gore-Tex set of trousers and coat the coat I keep in the top compartment so I can get to it easy the trousers with some pushing will fit in the main compartment.
    Everything else I take fits in the two 20 litre side pockets and a small mess tin pocket that my rucksack has and any odd spaces putting things that can get wet in waterproof bags.
    You want stuff that dries out fast don’t take jeans rohan make fast drying trousers or British army lightweights are good, trousers with zips on the pockets are a good idea.
    I take a rucksack cover most rucksacks are not waterproof and you don’t want to be carrying more weight in water and getting your stuff wet.
    When I’m walking in if its good weather Id wear a tee-shirt so its good if everything you take will fit in your rucksack.
    Normally I take a stove and cook set, two trousers 3 tee-shirts 2-3 shirts and a wool jumper with pockets and spare underwear for every day I’m there and spare socks .

    Get used to wearing a rucksack you need to learn how to adjust all the straps so its comfortable and how to pack it so its comfortable repack it several times to get it right , when your shoulders hurt tighten your belt a bit and take the pressure on your waist a while and when that gets tired take the weight on your shoulders .
    Normally a rucksacks centre of gravity should be high on your back with say a 60/40 distribution of weight between the shoulders and hips its important to have your waistband done up as other wise your shoulders are taking the strain with out the help of your legs and hips .
    A rucksack should be strong enough you can sit on it to compress it, I take a 120 litre Bergen. I’ve gone with smaller rucksacks but you end up having to carry things loose or outside the pack or carrying things and as I get older I like to take a thicker sleeping bag and more comfort , but its quite possible to go the lightweight route .
    Down sleeping bags are great I have a few but they ruin if you get them wet so id take a man made fibre one although they take up more room and weigh more.
    Get used to checking you have your stuff every time you move from somewhere while you’re travelling around site.
    Also on the last day don’t rush to leave what I normally do is pack up my gear take it to the car then come back in and walk around a bit or sit talking in cafes rather than sit in long traffic jams .

    have you noticed most of the small rucksacks people have today seem to be designed to hang at the base of the back this is the worse place for a rucksack to hang as a rucksacks center of gravity should be high on your back , avoid this sort of rucksack if you can.
     
    dhARmaMiLlO likes this.
  2. nynysuts

    nynysuts No Gods, No Masters

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    Sounds like D of E advice...

    Yeah, my tip is to wear lots of the clothes your planning on wearing on the way down then strip off when you get the tent up, thus saving space on the way down. The soace where the tent was can then be used for your clothes.
     
  3. jonny2mad

    jonny2mad Senior Member

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    only problem with that is if its hot and you have to walk a few miles to get on site thats why i take larger rucksack .
    and it is sorta D and E advice or the sort of thing most army cadets or boy scouts should know , but its amazing how many people dont know how to pack or fit a rucksack .
    you see them with handfulls of carrier bags , or shopping bags or just things tied by strings to a rucksack and the rucksack not done up or hanging at the base of their spine
     
  4. nynysuts

    nynysuts No Gods, No Masters

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    I need to buy myself a rucksack, at the moment I'd be using a 25l rucksack, a shoulder bag and a holdall lol.
     
  5. Peace-Phoenix

    Peace-Phoenix Senior Member

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    Good call Jonny, will pin this....
     
  6. lithium

    lithium frogboy

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    Excellent advice good Jonathan, this reminds me of being up in the fire tower at Reading festival and you pointing out what was wrong with everyone's rucksack carrying technique:)
     
  7. jonny2mad

    jonny2mad Senior Member

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    reading hardly anyone was well packed , instead of looking for the badly packed it was looking for the few that looked like they knew what they were doing.

    remember the stout looking fellow dragging the bergan by a bit of string and carrying a small rucksack at the base of his spine , he reminded me of the guy who goes mad in full metal jacket or some poor soul in dantes hell
     
  8. Peace-Phoenix

    Peace-Phoenix Senior Member

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    Reading is a festival of fools....
     
  9. psykoman

    psykoman Member

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    global gathering festival stay in same clothes all wk end no matter what state u get in tent to have a plave to chill - you dont sleep well there sleep on the bus back!!! thats what i did the main thing i took was a big bag of goodies ordered online hehehe
     

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