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

is the look I am sure I adopted after eating them

(They taste lovely, though!)

I'm soaking up all this in preparation for my first festival next month! Thanks everyone!

FWIW, I'm going to Sonisphere, so in at the deep end, lots of heavy rock music, but apparently the atmosphere is lovely. And then I'm off to V for the Sunday Since agreeing to go, I've gone from utterly, utterly terrified thanks to mates telling me about final night issues at Leeds, to absolutely excited! I'm like a small child, only 20 lol!

Also, if someone's driving down, pack the car before you have to leave so you know everything fits! We haven't done this yet so there could be a very cramped yellow Mini with 4 people, 2 tents and weekends' supply of stuff on its way to Knebworth lol!

I agree with the no padlock thing - it's very rare to get someone trying to sleep in your tent (I have never seen that in over 10 years of festival going)

wear socks in your sleeping bag everynight and keep your paper money in your sock in bed - or anywhere so that's against your skin - glastonbury police told me this tip!!

found out the hard way all our money was at the back of the tent, theives came in the middle of the night climbed over us and stole all our money for the whole weekend - we then had to queue for over 2 hours for the cashpoint, a waste of money/good drinking/band watching time.

argh, this thread is making me so sick, I am 24 weeks pg so not able to go to any festivals this year [sad}
She will have a great time and be bitten by the bug, be prepared for many more festivals to come!!

I used to have a tent with an exterior and interior zip - padlocked the interior one. Mind you I think if anyone tried to get in to mine they'd just be plain confused - much simpler tents around (not new and flashy, dates from the 80s!)

This pretty much saved my life last year, would hugely recommend!

Instead of taking toilet rolls your dd should take packs of tissues. Toilets rolls always end up getting dropped and covered in mud or water. It's also easier to carry the little packs of tissues around with you for the day.

I went to my first festival at the same age. Just like your daughter I hadn't had a boyfriend before, didn't drink much and had never taken drugs.

By the time I came back I had done all of those things. It was the best weekend of my life. (bet you didn't want to hear that.)

All good advice so far - spesh about the drugs. Andrex now do little mini pocket sized loo rolls - very handy to keep about your person, as you don't always want to traipse to your tent for a big roll! Aldi are selling fold away blow up pillows for about £3.

One thing I would say, is try to encourage them to pack light. The walk from the drop-off point to the camping area can be flippin' miles sometimes, and they can't manage all their stuff!

They can take small disposable BBQs usually, but not gas canisters, so a little hexi-stove from army surplus stores is a good idea. It's a tiny fold-up contraption that holds firelighter blocks - just enough to boil water for instant hot chocolate or a pot noodle!

She'll need plastic cutlery, and condoms! I know you don't need them, but think about the worst possible alternative.

It might be a good idea to have a cheap pay as you go phone fully charged and kept switched off, and well-hidden in addition to her usual phone, in case her battery goes flat or she loses it, and she needs to contact anyone urgently.

Also, sorry if this has already been mentioned, but get some friends to stand guard outside the portaloos when she's in there. Some arseholes think it's hilarious to tip them over and trap people inside!

Don't touch the bad acid going round

Don't take any of your mum's advice... you are young and carefree. Enjoy it.

Not sure if the binbags tip got explained - from my camping experience it's to keep things dry and bug/spider/slug-free. You'll need to double-bag clothes, and double-bag boots or wellies (can leave them outside tent door then).

I got so cold at one festival due to damp tent/clothes that I ended up wearing everything I had brought with me and was still cold...

Hats help keep warm if temp dips overnight.

Might also want earplugs if any attempt at sleep is likely... I was working at festivals so was a right grouch if I'd not slept!

Poor Msripley, I bet she's thinking twice about letting her daughter go now.

It's not as depraved as it sounds, honestly!!!

My advice would be:

Stay at home, darling. We've got central heating. And our toilet flushes and has some of that scented foamy stuff in it that deodourises the bowl.

I'll cook you your favourite dinner on Saturday night and I won't shout if you play your music a bit louder than usual.

If you want to get a bit muddy you can help Mummy dig the allotment and we can plant some organic veg.

Then on Sunday we'll watch Midsomer Murders and eat some lovely chocolate.

Pop tarts are a good food to take.

And don't bother buying any drugs there because they'll probably be worming tablets

If someone has a big enough trailer or car to take them all in it's a great idea to try and take a wheel barrow. Otherwise they will have to carry their stuff in relays - leave someone to guard the pile while the others carry stuff, then swap over!

About the loos, some festivals (Sonisphere, the one I'm going to included) are now joining them all up in a line so they CAN'T be tipped over. I'd scream the place down if someone tipped the one I was in over!

At Leeds they are all metal rows of loos now, after there was a big riot and loads of potaloos got set on fire.

With that in mind, be prepared to leave at short notice, so don't take too many things you would miss if you left it behind i.e. an expensive tent. There hasn't been big trouble at any festivals for a while now, but just in case.
The people we were next to abandoned their gazebo in a rush to leave, we were young and foolish unruffled by riots, so stayed to watch, and then took their gazebo home with us

Take some vaguely nutritious food with you. It's amazing how unfilling super noodles are. I was knackered by the end, and it wasn't help by the fact that I had only had burgers, noodles and beer for four days straight.

Fwiw my friend is going to 2000 trees, she went last year and said it's a great, small friendly festival (we've reached the stage where we've 'done' the big festivals now and prefer mellower stuff now we're older!)
I always take plenty of pairs of socks, keeping your feet clean and dry will prevent a lot of heart ache/foot rot (especially if it's muddy)
Defo baby wipes
Some food of your own to munch
A large bottle of water you can leave at the tent for early morning dehydration purposes (hangover + sweaty tent = boil in the bag person)
Layers for night time- hoodies etc. as it can get very cold. Whatever isn't worn will make a good pillow
I've never (touch wood) had anything stolen as I leave my tent looking as though it's already been ransacked this shouldn't be a problem to any self respecting teenager!

NEVER leave your bag with anybody. At festivals my bag is either attached to me or at the bottom of my sleeping bag.

When we were at Reading Festival my sister stupidly left her bag with drunken me, just leaving it on the floor next to me. It was gone before she'd even got back.

Avoid chicken from the fast food vans - stick with jacket spuds or noodles.

Suncream and lots of water, esp if boozing.

Don't padlock the tent - it just makes people think there's something in there worth stealing and if they want to get in they'll just slash the fabric anyway. Better to have a tent and no cider, than a slashed tent and no cider.

hth

My advice to a teenager going to a festival? Pelase do you own dirty washing when you get home!!

Totally agree with teh poster who advises not to try drugs for first time at a festival,. Friend of DD did this a couple of years ago and her parents had to come and get her (luckily festival was only a few miles away!!)

Wipes, wellies and a raincoat a must. Usually the catering is great, meals usually about £6 so nice to treat yourself. Camp away from the loos. I like to camp near the path so it's easier to find my tent.

Make sure friends look out for each other when drinking and/or taking drugs. Difficult one the drugs issue. I went to a festival last year with my 15 year old, had a great time without any drugs or excessive alcohol (We both had to behave). TBH we weren't even offered any, obviously we weren't looking for them.

In fact she is now 16 and we are going together again even though she had the choice to go with mates.

Don't take your mobile into the mosh pit in order to phone mum when RATM are playing 'killing'.

My Ds did this and lost his phone Ha Ha!

Eurgh. Think of a better hobby than festivals.

Really not my cup of tea. My niece phoned us from V last year. Some boys had peed in bottles and flung them over the crowd. The girls were covered in steaming piss. Her Mum and Dad collected them, took them home for a shower and food then took them back again!

Lollipop I'm going to sonisphere too! I'm unbelievably excited... two weeks!!!

Don't do drugs basically. the best time i ever has was glastonbury completely sober but a bit of booze is fun. just try and encourage the girls to look out for reach other and take mobiles pref with portable chargers.

stick together ~no matter what
take nothing of value
pack very light
buy a good quality pack a mac, those army ponchos are SHIT
wear some outlandish junk jewels
take some fruit
eat a big meal before you go
take some tampax
head torch-can be worn round neck
ear plugs