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

I went in 2005. There were big fires then and lots of crazy stuff going on. Lots of riot police etc.

It was fantastic

If she is a sensible girl anyway, she will always be a sensible girl!

In my experience, festivals have never really been the sex/drugs fest...unless you really go looking for it!!

I would say have a word about how to keep herself safe in general...keep her wits about her, general security etc.

In my festival (15 years of various) experience, I have never been robbed (touch wood!), harassed or offered drugs...and if you are offered drugs, just say: no thanks mate!

I was a total idiot at 17 and I survived...your daughter sounds like she's got her head screwed on so well done to you

ps wait til she wants to go tp glasto (only joking..same advice

Re padlocks, bags, etc, I once had my whole tent stolen! Seriously, came back from the main arena on the first night to just ... a bit of grass

Has never been offered drugs? I think that's what I told my mum too.

My honest advice is to start with a half and FGS don't accept from strangers.

I would say don't bother to padlock the tent - because anyone who wants in will just slash the tent with a knife and it gives the impression you've left something valuable in there.

The main thing is not a leave anything in the tent you can't stand to lose and maybe think about camping in one of the further away fields - its always the first two or three fields that get turned over.

Other than that just common sense and keeping your wits about you.

I see everyone recommending wet wipes.
Well, I hope your DD doesn't do what my bro and his mates did. They nipped into Boots and picked up the first 3 for 2 Wipes offer they saw. Found them invaluable for general hygiene over the weekend. However, came home with bright orange faces, pits, and cracks.

Self tanning wipes.

I second lots of the suggestions here, but also: try nipping in to use the toilets just after the sewage truck has been round, to avoid the overflow. Avoid camping downhill from any toilets (if it rains hard...)

And don't rely on mobile phones. Someone might lose theirs, and there are likely to be bits of the festival site where the coverage is patchy. Arrange meet-ups every couple of hours.

Feeling very wistful now that am not going to a festival this year... I've had a fantastic time at every one I've been to.

wukter

Get her to read this thread. Be aware that she will almost certainly experiment with drugs (if she isn't already) so it is worth her taking sensible advice about what to avoid. Starting with those persuasive people who seem so nice but are offering all sorts of stuff that contains fucknowswhat.

I'd highly recommend getting to know camping neighbours though. DS1 & 2 went to their first festival (WOMAD) when they were 16 and 15. They were very impressed with the guy in the next tent offering them beer to pour on their cornflakes but seriously, the group of them were amongst some older festival goers who didn't exactly care for them but made sure they were absolutely fine, IYSWIM.

(PS. I am amongst a group of performers doing our stuff at The Secret Garden Party next month and am SO excited that I may well burst long before then)

id say more than one pair of shoes and spare socks for comfort, for safety stick with your mates and carry all your valuables and for fun check out the smaller stages and go see bands you havent heard of!

msripley have you had a heartattack yet?

I wouldn't sweat the drugs thing too much. Yes, there are a shed load of them at festivals but if she and her friends aren't into that, then she can probably be persuaded that a festival is not the best place to try.

Just back from IOW festival. A lady next to us came over ranting 'you can't do drugs here!!' at us.

I'd just tipped three Tic-Tacs into DH"s hand because his breath reeked .

Tell her to find out where the medical facilities and the secure lock ups are as soon as she can. Then she knows exactly where to go if there is an accident or someone she is with is taken ill.
Most festivals have secure lock ups where you can stash your belongings. Much safer than leaving them in your tent. I put a bag in with a set of spare clothes and some cash. Then if something happens to the rest of my stuff I have something clean to wear and some money.

You won't be allowed to take your own drinks into the stadium itself, unless you hide them really well

They will open and check water bottles, and make you throw the lids away as well!

Or alternatively, they will not let you take any OPEN water/coke bottles in (as we discovered slightly too late on arrival at IOW last weekend, and each had to down a litre of water standing in the queue, then dash for the loos!)

Short skirts can be much easier to manage on portaloos than jeans. Or buy a SheWee and use the urinals.

Small packs of tissues are easier to carry round in your bag than a roll of loo roll.

A small bag that you can wear across your body is good, it wont get in the way while you're dancing and will leave you with 2 free hands for holding umbrellas/ silly flags/ glowsticks / cider.

Agree with those who say take snacks, festival food these days can be really good but expensive.

Camp uphill in case it rains loads.

And take a hat for sun/rain protection/hide unwashed hair / looking funky.

While not adverse to drugs in my youth, festivals are not a good place to experiment with them. The crowds can be very disorientating/frieghtening and the mud and damp are not pleasant. Losing your friends while high would be horrendous.

I hope she has a blast, festivals are fantastic and people are so friendly.

She will be absolutley fine and am sure she will have a great time..
This year i am going to Glastonbury with my hubby and doing it VIP syle for the first time since 1994... my 23 year old will be there working... i might have some spare time to catch up with him and make sure he isnt working too hard!!! {wink}

not read the whole thread but this is my best tip for camping at a festival..

take an empty pillowcase and fill it with clothes at night to sleep on.

It's the little things

Ruthie - that's brilliant!

One from a friend. If one of your group gets injured in a crowd, the quickest way to get them help is to crowd surf them out. It's just about the only time security will not frown upon it, just alert people to the fact they're injured or ill and they'll be sent in the direction of security/medical. It's near impossible to navigate to someone in a crowd so this works.

A lecturer of mine actually told me the story of a pregnant lady who he helped crowd surf out when she started having contractions!

Also, we've just discovered we're going in a car convoy with a couple of lads and they've offered to take anything of ours that won't fit in my mate's mini Yay!

Oh, and if your mate offers to drive back home in the wee small hours to avoid the final night troubles, it is mandatory that you all stay awake with her, apparently! At least that's what we'll be doing Just over a month to Sonisphere Knebwoth! WOO!

Lollipop, crowdsurfing and contractions?! Yikes...

Totally agree with that though - I've done it myself when I started feeling all faint and dodgy and got people to chuck me ove the barriers. Def the fasted way to first aid.

meeting place, if you get lost, mind you that was in the days before the mobile phone. but we coped!

pillow case idea is top.

paracetamol
disprin
biscuits
chewits
lots of socks
groovy scarf that can be of multi-use
pocket size sanitise spray

Warn her that at a festival it will seem a good idea to purchase a wacky hat. She should wear it and love it, but ditch it before going home. In the real world you just look like a twat.

DP and I knew we were getting old when we took an air mattress, pillows and a duvet to Glastonbury.

I used to just pass out on a Joe Bananas blanket.