What advice would you give to a 17yo going to a festival?

[msripley]

This will be her first time, with a group of friends. They're going to the 2000 Trees festival.

What advice would you suggest? I've never been to one, so have no idea what she should expect.

She's quite an innocent, but mature 17 - no boyfriends so far (that we know about), doesn't normally drink alcohol and says she's never been offered drugs.

tia

Take baby wipes, binbags, wellys, raincoat.
Trying drugs for the first time if you've never taken them before, at a festival is not a good idea.
Don't camp right next to the toilets, hedge (otherwise known as man toilet) or path.
Don't leave anything in your tent you don't want stolen or mutilated (a friends teddy got slashed).
Take sunscreen, hat, warm clothes for sunset.
Have the best time ever !!!!!!

babywipes, pot noodly/ instant food things, unless they can afford to buy food there, apples/oranges (mine hated lack fresh food) toilet roll, money belt/small neck purse, water bottle, no valuables, lightweight fleecy/warm clothes especially to sleep in in or wrap up in at night, several pair of socks,
a big smile, spare cash,lots of phone credit before they go.

Take toilet roll, baby wipes, binbags +++. A padlock for the tent zip (although won't put off determined theives, but may stop random drunks bedding down in there!) Some kind of distinguishing marker for the tent (can be none to easy finding your tent in a sea of coloured nylon after a few drinks) Sensible footwear, and did I mention binbags??

do NOT take any food/drink off a stranger and defo no drugs. Some seem to think law is suspended because its a festival. Um, take layers and spare clothes

Wear clothing with lots of pockets,so you don't have to leave phone, cash etc, unattended.Lots of warm clothing, waterproofs....phones always go missing/get stolen - could she make do with a supermarket pay as you go for the weekend?

Binbags - are they essential because they have uses other than the obvious?

Cheap/spare PAYG phone, pref one that holds charge or 2 that don't and you don't care if they get nicked.

You don't need anything valuable.

Don't bother washing for the weekend - babywipes and dry shampoo are wonderful inventions.

Loo roll, binbags, spare blanket in case you end up sitting round a fire and it's freezing!

Def padlock the tent and don't accept anything from a stranger - plead food intolerances or asthma if necessary. Chances are you'll never see them again and even if you that's cos they're nice enough to understand!

Have a meeting point arranged with your friends ahead of time in case you get separated and a time limit from when you notice they're not with you AND you notice they're not at the meeting place. Sods law dictates if you don't then you'll get separated and mooned phone will have battery. Try to move in a pack...

Small first aid kit makes you very popular antibacterial alcohol hand gel is practically the best invention ever. As are cereal bars.

Pack layers for weather extremes. Shorts can go under baggy jeans/combats, vest top then t-shirt then hoody plus lightweight mac. Binbags are an accenpatble substitute if you lose your mac! Whatever you do don't wear sandals or flip-flops!!! Take wellies and thick socks (various pairs). If it rains wear shorts and wellies - skin is easier to dry than clothes, especially at a festival

Don't tell your parents what you did when you get back - instead be non-committal, have an hour long hot shower, leave the washing for your mum, sort the tent out or it'll get mouldy and go moon over that cute student with dreads and a guitar

Also it's fine to just reapply make up on top of last nights. Very grunge....

As above and..

Don't start dating a post-grad university student who lives miles away if you are coming up to the final year of your a-levels.
Don't get so hammered you need to be lifted out of a mosh pit.
Don't go in the mosh pit unless you are tall and big enough not to be crushed
Don't wear flimsy shoes and get your foot crushed by someone stomping on them.

All things a 17 year old I know could have done with listening to before a festival or two

Remind them its a marathon not a sprint so they need to pace themselves (says she who was rather delicate on day 2 of Big Chill last year).

And I'd say cereal bars and haribo type sweets to add to the babywipes, antibacterial hand wash and bin bag combos.Light and ideal if they need a sugar boost.

you might not want to hear this but take condoms

and take some biccies in your bag for when you wake up hungover and need food

The washing facilities will be disgusting by the end of the weekend so she'll be better doing it in her tent. She'll need baby wipes, toilet roll, minty chewing gum, body spray and make-up if she wears it.

DMs are a good footwear choice - sturdy and waterproof and easier to walk in than wellies. Clothes with pockets, or a small shoulder bag for money, phone etc.

Take food, as it will be really expensive.

Camera, but not a really expensive one. Got to have something to put on Facebook!!

Camp in an old tent which won't attract thieves/drunk idiots. Don't pitch it downwind of the toilets, or near any hedges, or she'll be inhaling the stench of men's piss all weekend.

Condoms - even if she doesn't use them she might be able to help a friend out of trouble.

If she's got the programme, plan which bands she wants to see, so she doesn't miss any good ones.

Sunscreen, hat, warm jumper. Sleeping bag, groundsheet (if there isn't one built into the tent)

Hope she has fun!!!

Not sure if I agree about the padlock, it could advertise to theives that you have something worth nicking. My only other advice is, if you drink, try to pace yourself with beer or other 5% drink, rather than wine or spirits.

* has nasty nasty visions of shagging dirty smelly stinking teenage boys in a tent surrounded by 100000 other drunk vomit covered people *

I would agree with no tent padlock, it make it look like there is something worth stealing in the tent which means that the tent could end up slashed. So better to just zip it up rather than lock it.

Under the tent is a good hiding place for anything you might not want stolen and also any alcohol, but remember to move it before you go to sleep or you will wake up sore in the morning!

Put your valuables at the bottom of your sleeping bag (inside) when you are asleep. (My DD was very glad of this advice)

Oh and take a torch. I went to Glastonbury many many years ago, got separated from my brother and couldn't find my tent.

Wear something with a waterproof hood for when you are in the crowd because people DO throw bottles full of urine into the air GRIM!! Also be wary of bottles being thrown and try to duck unlike me who ended up getting hit in the face with a full bottle of fanta (why people would chuck perfectly good fanta away is beyond me when it about £2.50 a bottle!)

Food is stupidly expensive so agree with those who said to take some, also take a large empty bottle so you can fill it with water by your tent, handy for hand washing, teeth brushing and for hangover!

Many thanks everyone - will pass it all on to her, although I sincerely hope my baby doesn't need to make use of condoms! I suspect the whole scene may come as a bit of a shock to her - she's used to attending gigs, and we've camped quite a bit, but this sounds like a whole different thing.

One of the friends she's going with is a seasoned festival-goer (with her parents at least).

I will be very relieved to see them home safe and well afterwards.

I wouldn't give much advice apart from enjoy it!!

They never listen anyway and learn the hard way (Like I did!) (grin)

get some sort of flag or wind tunnel that you can attach to the top of your tent. It'll make finding it much, much easier.

Don't buy hash cakes

You will have NO idea how much dope they contain and they have a much more potent effect that smoking it has

I have eaten them before and found the effect more hallucinogenic than LSD

FWIW I enjoyed it but if you have never tried dope before it might feel very scary. And some people might think eating it will be less powerful than smoking it. NOT true!

Wise words, notnow, wise words. That reminds me of my first visit to Amsterdam.

Oh, and don't drink anything that a stranger offers, especially if they claim it is cider. Could well be wee...

Tell her to get a Shewee and learn how to use it before she goes. Will be invaluable