Teen DD off to the Reading festival next week, tips please!

[BigSandyBalls2015]

There was a fab thread on here last year with loads of tips but I can't find it.

17 year old DD is off there next week with ten mates. What does she need to take, what aren't you allowed to take.

Toilet roll 😂

She's an experienced camper but hadn't been to a festival with mates before.

Buy a bum bag for your phone and money. Do not under any circumstances take random tablets

My DS has £30-40 per day. Meals are usually about £7-8 each, so plenty for food and drink

Yelastamum so £200 in cash?

Jeez!!

After a nightmare last year where DS got separated from his friends and no-one had a charged phone, we have sorted out a small old Nokia with huge battery life and a PAYG top up.

Not a cheap weekend is it! I think DD paid about £250 for the ticket! Could have gone abroad with £450!

Tell her to set up regular meeting points with her friends! We used to pick a spot that was easy to find (normally directly under the BBC filming platform) and agree to meet there at e.g. 5pm and 10pm each day. That we we could check in regularly with each other, make sure everyone was ok, and not worry about lack for phone charge/signal

Girls are certainly more high maintenance.

DS is taking:

a sleeping bag,
a single duvet cover (to sleep in if it is hot - see blow re valuables)
a bumbag for wallet and phone and driving licence (ID)
phone charge pack.
tent
snacks
water wipes (rather than babywipes - less residue)
blister plasters
3 t shirts.

Tip was to sleep with bumbag/valuable at the bottom of your sleeping bag/duvet cover if not because if you hear rummaging in the tent you can't tell if it is just next door or someone rummaging into yours. If the valuables are at your feet they can't put hands under and pull them away.

Agree with meeting points - DD and friends say if they get separated and can’t make contact/find each other within 30 mins to go to a certain place and wait there for one another. She’ll have a great time OP!!

Thanks all. It's a big help.

Any ideas for tent? I hear it gets wrecked so don't want to spend much but needs to be waterproof ..... she thinks she's taking her sisters new £200 3 man tent .... not a hope!

The number one role for reading festival is do NOT use the portaloos alone. Go with a friend and take it in turns to stand guard. The ONE time I went on my own, someone tried to tip it over.

The ones in the arena are fine, it's the evening in campsites where you need to be careful.

Try decathlon for a cheap tent, they're really good.

You can get some cheap 2/3 man tents from Argos that are good quality I've had a few and they have never leaked or anything like that

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/9275719?storeID=335&cmpid=GS001&$ja=tsid:59156%7Cacid:444-797-0832%7Ccid:598623051%7Cagid:28645067845%7Ctid:pla-184227352645%7Ccrid:96089175925%7Cnw:g%7Crnd:5802171053517000322%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:1o2%7Cmt:%7Cloc:1007077&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9aynnM3v3AIVTLvtCh3t8g-KEAQYAiABEgLz3vDBwE

Oh, and absolutely pointless padlocking a tent - it just means the fabric gets slashed instead.

I used to leave a couple of cans right inside the door. People would take those and leave the rest of my stuff alone.

She's off tomorrow, any more last minute tips? She's packed a shit load of booze which is freaking me out.

She's packed pot noodles but has just said they aren't allowed to take in gas cannisters so she can't take the tiny camping stove. What do they use then? disposable bbqs?

Definitely the drugs warning. There are a lot there!
Take a water bottle and use it. Get a sledge to carry stuff on. Much better than a trolly as it glides over mud.
Plastic pouches to smuggle in vodkas in her bra. Saves a fortune just buy coke from the ice cream vans
Tell her to have meeting points for when she gets seoersted. Food is about £8 a go so tell her to budget for that. Take disposable BBQ , bread and bacon bacon butty in the morning /lunch. Only one lot of food. Take painkillers.
Wellies and waterproofs.

Wet wipes and sun cream.

Don't bother with a pillow. Use the bag from the sleeping bag and stuff with hoodies. Keeps them dry too and saves carrying a bulky pillow

Bum bags are essential

Bars and many food outlets take contactless

Love the sledge idea!!

Some way of identifying her tent. If it's unfamiliar it can be difficult to spot in a sea of almost identical ones.

I volunteer at Reading most years in Event Control/gates/arena. Feel free to ask any questions.

Medical and 24hr Welfare are very good as are Oxfam stewards (arena and gates). Medica, welfare and lost property are metres outside one of the arena entrances/exits in Yellow village assuming it's the same this year.

I understand there is a campsite hub in every colour-coded campsite manned by campsite stewards.

The issue with Medical at night is that they are dealing with an extremely busy music arena. Medical have to prioritize cases and when they are flooded with people overdosing and/or unresponsive on the floor they will not be able to prioritize someone who is breathing and conscious and with friends and/or arena stewards. If they are 'walking wounded' it is best to sit on the sidelines to see if the situation improves or gently walk to medical (adjacent to the arena) with support if appropriate. Arena stewards will help manage this.

Most questions are answered in this section. 'The Essentials' and 'Personal Safety' are especially useful. Lockers with USB charging can be purchased for valuables:
Reading website

Her tent shouldn't get wrecked as long as not pitched near toilets/walkways or really nasty neighbours. I'd still go with a cheaper (but waterproof!) model as it is a festival after all.

One of the major problems music festivals are facing is the amount of camping gear and rubbish abandoned at the end of festivals. It's an absolute disgrace - pure laziness For this reason I would encourage her to pack up her belongings and take them with her at the end of the festival. At the very least pack them up and dispose of them correctly at a litter point within the campsite. The litter and recycling team are handing out bin bags and recycling bags all weekend, tying them to guy ropes etc.

Strictly no glass - decant spirits etc into plastic bottles. From memory you can't take drinks into the arena (including sealed containers, water bottles) - you will be searched and these confiscated.

For this reason it's better to pre-game in the campsite (be sensible!) as it will reduce the amount you need to spend in the arena

I understand the rule is no bags bigger than A4 in the arena - bumbags a good shout. Agree don't padlock tent, it marks it out as a target. Valuables at bottom of sleeping bag sensible if not investing in a locker. Try not to leave valuables unattended/ don't take anything you're not prepared to lose. Unfortunately campsite thefts are a fact of life. Security and onsite police very hot on it but chances are belongings won't be recovered.

Is she arriving by car or public transport? If parking or dropping off in Green car park (Kings Meadow) there is a big Tesco there and a free boat shuttle (!) to the festival Green Gate (very central in the festival).

There is also a ginormous Tesco at Portman Road which turns into festival central - they transform all the displays into camping equipment, alcohol and crisps, it's really something to behold. Promo stands and stalls outside and refreshments, it's an entertaining spectacle . I'm sure the locals avoid it like hell!

This article mentions free shuttle buses to Sainsbury's etc:

shuttle buses

Richfield Avenue and surrounding roads are filled with vendors - Domino's etc, the works. As a pp said it's a good shout to get in with all your bags, get wristbanded, pitch tent and venture out for supplies on Thursday daytime.

Hope she has a great time, I love it