In Events

Summer is the time for Festivals and with so many weekend events happening all over the country, no one will forgive you for packing a bag and heading off to a field to watch your favourite bands in the sunshine. Or the mud. Come on, this is England, I think we’ve probably had our quota of sunshine by now. No one wants to dampen the fun, but there are a couple of things that everyone forgets to take with them, so we’ve taken one for the team and had a look at what Public Health England suggests you should have with you at a Festival.

Just because you’re living your best life surrounded by your friends, other music fans and in the most perfect outfit you can find, doesn’t mean you should completely forget about your health and well-being. So your Festival Fun doesn’t end in disaster, we’ve found some advice from Public Health England for some festival essentials to keep you safe.

  1. Take wet wipes and hand sanitiser
    Spending several days in a tent without ready access to a shower and limited amounts of clothes means things are going to get smelly and the lack of running water around your sleeping quarters will make it easy for you to pick up germs. Make sure you wash your hands before you eat and drink with a handy sanitiser and you can keep everything else feeling fresh with wet wipes.
  2. Stay hydrated
    You’ll be able to buy drinks (mostly of the alcoholic variety) on the site, but always keep water with you. Make sure to pack a reusable bottle that you can fill up with water, that way you get to save yourself and the planet!
  3. Portable phone charger
    I mean, you should be having too much fun to be looking at your phone, but you never know when you might need it, invest in a small, portable charger so you can make sure you’ve got enough battery to locate your friends.
  4. Rain Mac
    Yes, we’re hoping for sun too, but you never know and I think you’ll find rain macs are incredibly stylish these days. It’s important that you don’t sit in wet clothes for too long and if you’re sleeping in a tent with damp clothes, you’re at risk of inhaling spores and generally smelling musty. Rain macs, they will help keep you and your clothes dry.
  5. Have a map of the site.
    Always grab a map of the site, just because you have a portable phone charger doesn’t mean you’re going to have signal, so make sure you and your festival friends have a map. Make sure to mark your tent locations and any meeting locations, plus the welfare tent and where you can get food and water.
  6. Take a bum bag.
    Hear us out. You might cringe at the thought, but they’re easier to carry than a bag, especially if you’re planning on dancing and its hot and wet and you can fit all your essentials, like your map, phone charger and hand sanitiser in there. Some rain macs even fold small enough for them!
  7. Condoms.
    Look, I know you’re going for the music, but when you’re dancing and its sunny and you’ve had a couple of drinks and meet someone pretty you don’t want to have to deal with some not so fun things a little way down the line. Condoms will help prevent the spread of STIs and unwanted pregnancies. So, bite the bullet and grab a box before you go.
  8. Ear Plugs
    Don’t even. Ear Plugs are the ultimate way to survive a festival especially if you’re planning to be right at the front and near speakers, no one wants tinnitus or early on set hearing loss do they? Also, campsites are noisy, especially at festivals, so if you want to actually sleep during your stay, invest in some. Thank me later.

If at any point you’re concerned about your well-being while at a Festival, head to the welfare tent, you’ll find 24 hour first aid and other facilities, the staff there can give you advice on drugs, alcohol, food and more, so make sure you know where it is and visit it if you need to.
Now all of that is out of the way, go and have a good time!

Related