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And I am going this year - it's been a while since I have been (to Glasto or any other festival for that matter).
Now that I am older and less inclined to slip into an alcohol-induced coma-like sleep each night I want to ensure I remain comfortable and enjoy myself so - what do I need to take, what tips are there for decent places to camp (don't care about a long walk – I intend on cooking breakfast each morning then walking in to spend the remainder of each day at the music tents so will buy food and drink from stalls).
So far I have:
Expandable water carrier, heavy-duty ear plugs, sleeping bag, roll mat, spork, cup, gas ring, phone, money, wellies.
Tent
Yep - no tent yet (niece is coming with me (and her dad) so she's got my little tent to herself). I am still trying to find a reasonable one second-hand that I can share with my brother and then sell again without losing much/any money.
Please leave your gazebo at home!
You've forgotten to pray for decent weather
if your near huddersfield Ive got a cracking tent you could have for 50 quid!
check list is
about 500 quid in cash
a waterproof tent
good waterproof boots + good socks
shorts
warm coat
hat
Deck chair.
I did 6 glastonbury trips in the 90s. Back then the best place to camp imho was up near the farm house. Flushing bogs, no through traffic, less dealers, good view, less scumbags due to the police HQ.
andybrad - what is it? Might be interested (in Harrogate but my brother travels abit and sure he could collect.
I don't need to go I can hear it from home !!
If its muddy then wellies are better than walking boots, its not the waterproofness but the weight of the mud that tends to stick to them.
Yeah definitely taking wellies (with fleece inners too).
Also planning on laying bottom half with full length cycling leggings under a pair of walking trousers with zippable legs so if it's warm I can convert them into shorts.
Fortunately I went camping a couple of weekends ago so I have remembered just how cold it can get on an evening so I am going to do all I can to ensure I don't get too cold 🙂
Footwear depends on how you festival really, I'd rather have walking shoes/boots than wellies, for less mashing of toes while rocking the **** out. My goretex hitop trainers were a bloomin revelation.
Don't plan on selling a tent afterwards, festivals are hard on tents. Mine is indestructible apparently but my brother and my normal festival-going mate tend to go through a tent every 3 or 4 festivals or therabouts just from breakages, being trodden on etc.
less mashing of toes while rocking the **** out
I won't be doing that, I will be mooching and enjoying the atmosphere at the back.
Rizla,micro dots and wet wipes.
🙂
Those were the days......
its a vango 4 man tube tent with frontage. (its massive!)
Ahh wet wipes - mustn't forget those...
Cheers andybrad but it'll be too big, just looking for one big enough for two with a separate zippable owning to the front for muddy kit.
wet wipes, some hand sanitizer, suncream?!?
pillow, booze and drugs
better to make several trips to and from the car and have a comfortable time than go minimal and rough it
I've got a Blacks Constellation that you could have for not much. I think it's this one
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Blacks-Constellation-Cygnus/1784
Downside is it has a broken pole, the fibreglass is all together still but has splintered like a green stick fracture, which has been repaired with copious amounts of duck tape and is therefore fully functional but not perfect. It's down near the end of the pole so doesn't particularly affect the rigidity of the tent, but that said i haven't had it in very high winds either!
If interested let me know and I'll see how much it'd be to send it
Would need posting as i'm down t'south (Farnham)
My first time.
When's the best time to get there to avoid the worst traffic? What route would you take (heading South on M5)
I went with a girl many years ago that just took a potato in each pocket. Her thinking was she could blag a space in someone's tent by offering a potato.
Nice girl, totally bonkers.
When's the best time to get there to avoid the worst traffic? What route would you take (heading South on M5)
Most people pile in on Wednesday morning so just leave it later, but you'll have to take what you can get for a camping pitch.
From the M5 the usual way is the A39 from Bridgwater junction 23. You can cut across from Weston-SM on the A371 through Cheddar and Wells, but its a bit fiddly.
(Or do what I did and buy a house four miles away!)
I'd add one of these to the list.
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KOALA-PRODUCTS-ADJUSTABLE-SEAT-BOX-XL-BOX-FRAME-FISHING-TROLLEY-/181309570956?hash=item2a36e47f8c ]Trolley[/url]
It beats carrying all of your kit. Might be fun with mud though.
When's the best time to get there to avoid the worst traffic? What route would you take (heading South on M5)
We used to set off at on Wednesday evening and arrive at about 1:00 am on Thursday.
Thanks
Chatting to the S and BiL (who've been a few times before) sine I posted above we may be heading down Tuesday then rocking up there early Wednesday.
Now just to decide what beer to take and to find a cheap sack truck
I bought a trolley from Millets a week ago, folds down small, has big wheels, cost me £20.
Looks a bit like this one: http://www.millets.co.uk/equipment/104915-go-travel-travel-trolley.html
Tent, bag, mat all sorted, just small bits and bobs to organise.
Not Glastonbury, though, Isle of Wight, this year. If I can afford it, Green Man later as well.
What to take? How about a week off work afterwards. 😉
I subscribe to travel light, single trip from car. Trolleys die in the mud.
Things to take -
Lightweight poncho. Much better than a waterproof jacket for standing in a crowd in summer rain. Jackets just tend to leave you with wet trousers and you don't want yo be wearing waterproof over trousers all day (or taking them on and off for each shower.)
Wine box of red and a bottle of spirits decanted into a plastic bottle. High alcohol to weight and Best drunk warm. Beers fairly priced compared to other festivals - have never understood people dragging cases of cheap lager all the way from the car parks to have to drink it warm.
Wet wipes.
No gazebo.
Back up battery for your phone.
Fruit juice and cereal bars for first breakfast.
Small rucksack to carry your cans of beer each day.
Definitely do one trip from the car, don't bother with a truck as they get ruined in the mud.
Camp up near the farmhouse at the top of the hill, it will be rammed but will have less people walking past, and if it rains your tent won't get flooded (unlike those at the bottom of the hill)
Get there on Wednesday to have any chance of getting a decent spot
Oh and bog roll!
+1 on the trolley. I don't understand why people take them - a thing with small plastic wheels designed for urban use won't survive a 45 min walk across a farm!
Expect discomfort and embrace it - it's what makes Glasto such a great escape from normal life 🙂
Rubbish trolleys are pretty pointless, a mate of mine brought a really good one to Reading one time and it was fantastic to have- big fat pneumatic tyres, hard work in the worst mud but at worst we just gave it a wee carry and that was barely worse than carrying stuff anyway. Rest of the time it was mint.
Sledge is quite popular too but I'm never sure if that's actually less work.
I'm still waiting for my ticket, getting twitchy now!
Wheel barrow's work well. If you have room in car/van that is...
Cereal bars is a good shout ,I once went 72 hours on a couple of boxes of elevenses!! 😯
My brother is going for the first time this year , he'll never been the same again.ha
If you are taking a slab of beers DO NOT TAKE ONE OUT BEFORE YOU GET ONTO THE SITE. The case loses its structural integrity and you will have the worst hour of your life trying to carry 23 moving cans of Stella and all of your other stuff to the campsite.
Another tip. Don't camp on the flat bit just through the gate. This is where it floods. Find high ground.
All these people saying go on Wednesday - I simply can't make that work (family commitments + available holiday) - we were planning on going on Friday morning but changed that to Thursday morning (because of the rumours of how busy it gets) but I am getting worried we won't find anywhere to camp at this rate!
I did get a ticket but the wife missed out getting hers !!!! so I've screwed the nut so not going now otherwise I'll get grief buying more mtb kit 😮
Good Line up,but theres always next yr !!
Enjoy all who's going
There's always somewhere to camp. Up above the john peel stage by the coach entrance normally has space late. Just don't expect to have a prime site or pitch multiple tents together. Take a small tent that doesn't need the guy ropes to stay up.
I have long admired wheel barrow's work, such panache, such skill, depth of artistic feeling. I am sure we all prefer his earlier stuff, but still, even now, he cuts it with the best.
You should be ok Thursday.
We used to go back in the day when people were climbing over the walls. Always turned up on a Thursday, with loads of room to camp.
We'd then get up Friday morning to find we had tents all around us within a few inches of our own little set up.
The guy rope advice is good. Aside from the extra space, people tend to trip up on them in the dark, which can end up damaging your tent.
Yeah, Thursday will be fine. Have a word with the stewards, they'll have a fair idea about where there's space, to save you yomping all over fruitlessly.
I never bother fetching my own beer in, prices on site are not heinous (as event pricing goes). More to the point I cycle there, so carrying meaningful quantities would be a bit tricky without a trailer.
Pop by and see my In Laws; they run the Lost Kidz programme in the Kidz Field. Anyone that turns up with a Bullheart tattoo on their person will get a free cup of tea and biscuits*
(*this may or may not be true. Give it a go anyroad...)
😉
Well I could've bet a fair amount on me not being fit. Did my back in last week building a dry stone wall, still flipping hurts, and currently have bum gravy due to a BBQ last night. Just about to start packing as heading down tomorrow. Both issues best clear up over night or it'll be a horrible journey down
It'll be fine. It's gonna be sunny*
*Possibly.