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Original poster

Recent festival go-ers - esp Glastonbury... tent question!

25 replies

lunavix · 26/04/2006 19:53

What size tent did you go in?

When we arrived last year on Thurs night there was naff all room to park a tent, and we were rather thankful that we had a rather small and old two person jobbie! Kinda perched it ontop of two other tents!

We want to go next year with 2 friends - but as I wasn't really tent spotting, I can't remember if there were many 4 - 6 berth tents, and would we have to arrive first thing Weds to get a big enough spot?

OP posts:

jamsam · 26/04/2006 19:55

mines huge...its a two/three room family tent that sleeps up to from millets...cant remember the name..they have a cool new teepee in this year, very easy to put up....which other festivals are you going to???

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 19:58

I don't know.... we adored glastonbury and as I'm expecting baby no2 in august decided to give reading a miss. We've just about convinced our closest friends to go to glastonbury next year, and we'd go to others too... but we're planning the odd camping trip here and there too (just for a night or two!) with ds and while I was thinking of a nice big spacious tent I realised this may be a space issue at festivals!

How many does yours sleep? Do you ahve to get there early?

OP posts:

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 19:59

How many does yours sleep? Do you ahve to get there early?

OP posts:

fastasleep · 26/04/2006 20:00

I'm so jealous!!

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:03

of what fastasleep? :)

I don't even know if we'll manage to convince them to go. They don't 'do' camping but dh and I went alone last year and while we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves it seemed a little lonely just being us!

OP posts:

fastasleep · 26/04/2006 20:06

Of going to a ...a.. festival of camping...of having a car

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:07

awww you should go! Great fun and cheaper than average holiday... plus there's losers like me and dh to chat to, I think we look lost most of the time, we really go for the music

OP posts:

fastasleep · 26/04/2006 20:09

We can't go, dafty, no car lol

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:10

light weight tent, which a dh dp or muscley type friend can carry, and travel light on a train and bus! We'd still do it although I am thankful for the car!

OP posts:

fastasleep · 26/04/2006 20:13

Hmm... but the children... hmm....

sparkler1 · 26/04/2006 20:14

So there's no Glastonbury Festival this year then. They are taking a break and the next one will be 2007. Dh and I used to love going pre-kids. We shall take dds with us one day.

Thomcat · 26/04/2006 20:15

I have a big tent, has 3 seperate bedrooms and a middle. Well I thought it was big, we were kinda embarressed that we'd gone so mad, until we got to the Big Chill and saw everyones else's tents - oh my GOD. We camped in family and mainly our was dwarfed by other peoples.

We used 1 bedroom for Lotbags, one for us and the 3rd for our stoage, clothes bits etc.

I now want an even bigger one but not sure I can justify it tbh.

Ledodgyherring · 26/04/2006 20:16

We went pre kids, with no ticket and no tent

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:17

I've never been and camped, pre-kids. Last year Glastonbury was our honeymoon, and PIL had ds, who was 14 months, for the four long nights! Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as I said, although rather missed him. Saw tons of people there with kids (including newborn twins ) and we have sworn to take ds, although I think we'd have to leave it at least another year or two. Or we'd have to beg borrow or steal a camper van!

OP posts:

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:18

thomcat - you can justify it, you have another baby :)

OP posts:

Thomcat · 26/04/2006 20:18

No, no Glastonbury this year, it's every other year now.

Big Chill ROCKS though.

Great to take kids to, although I'm thinking I may do one year without them and go mad. Pitch my tent but not see it again till on the way home. Did that 1 year at Glastonbury and it was fab. Trouble was am 35 this year and that was when I was in my early 20's! Need to know I can still do it!

Thomcat · 26/04/2006 20:20

Yeah sod it, I can justify it, you're right, maybe next year as think we'll do Big Chill without kids just this once this year, then it's all about the kids and introducing them to some fab music.

Original poster

lunavix · 26/04/2006 20:23

I feel mortified TC!

As dh and I went alone, we had noone to hang around with, and we seem to attract insane drug-fuelled loonies instead of people to actually chat to. Wandering, seeing bands, drinking and eating was really the bulk of our weekend, I don't think we were even out past 1am! Back in the tent for sleep after that lol

I think it would be different if we went with friends, we'd both love to have gone on a complete bender, but then we don't have a huge group of friends anyways, and they've very sensible settled types! We're both only 22... old before our time it seems.

OP posts:

Thomcat · 26/04/2006 20:28

LOL Lunavix

Skribble · 26/04/2006 23:39

What about the V festival??

As for finding pitches, yes arrive early, arrive in daylight, usually spaces can be found at the furthest reaches of the fields especially if they are not visible from the entrance as most people can't be arsed walking to far. Take a trolley of some kind and just keep walking .

Never camp downhill or down wind from a portaloo, in fact don't camp anywhere near a porta loo, as they queues get massive and tents get trampled in front of them plus people chatter outside tham all night oh and the smell is a bit much too.

Avoid camping near the entrance of any area and at path junctions as they get trampled in the dark when the music finishes. Oh and don't camp in the big empty strip with white lines down either side that is a fire lane and you are likely to get run over by landrovers or quads .

Most people go for a bog standard 2man tent but you get everything right up to those white gazebo type things with windows and all. Most campsites hate you bringing a gazebo mind you unless you will be sleeping in it and have sides on it, I think it is because people put them up to use as living rooms in addition the their tents and they just take up too much room.

peaches27 · 27/04/2006 21:56

Done V festival at Stafford. We have a 3 man tent with a porch which was good for 2 of us. Its one of those dome type ones, quick to put up and we got it from ebay. DH went with friends and they had two two berth tents.

But since then we have bought a tourer caravan. Many people use them for festivals now ... and its great when its wet and you have your own loo!!!

Skribble · 27/04/2006 22:56

Check very carefully what arrangements there is for caravans, the V fest have quite a large feild for caravans (you have to buy a caravan ticket in advance), but T uses a local caravan site, or they did and it is very limited and again must be booked in advance, many insist on proper caravans not just an old clapped out transit.

jamsam · 28/04/2006 10:32

took me w ahile to get back to this...try this festival \link{http://www.cilycwm.com/smallnations/home.htm\small nations 2006}.. as im the family and childrens coordinator, i promise a great time for kids!!! shameless plug i know!

jamsam · 28/04/2006 10:46

i'm planning on getting hold of a camper van for the next few summers, and i can use it for scouts too...but i'll miss the tent. i suppose i could do both!

meysey · 30/04/2006 22:21

getting jealous at the idea of people going to the Big Chill without kids. ours had such a good time last year that they are always asking when the next one is, so we can't leave them behind.

we hoped to get some friends along and then we could share childcare a bit, but the fools don't want to go!

as for tents - for glastonbury get there as early as possible or else get into the smallest possible tent. at the big chill you can virtually bring a marquee....

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