How To Survive Music Festival Season

It's music festival season! Ultra starts tomorrow in Miami and Coachella in two weeks. Last year I went to my first three-day, overnight music festival, Counterpoint, here in Atlanta and I had the time of my life. If you're going to your first music festival, here are some quick tips to get you prepared for all of the shenanigans that is about to go down.




1. Bring water. This is a must. You need it. Especially if you are going to camp or stay all day. Standing around in the heat is tiring and you'll run the risk of becoming dehydrated by the second day. If you don't have a CamelBak, carry a large water bottle (if you can) or bring your own. Food and drinks are so expensive, so if you're going to spend your money on alcohol, at least bring your own water.

2. Bring sunscreen. I doesn't matter what color you are, your skin will be exposed to the UV rays and you'll increase the risk of getting cancer. Protect your skin with a sunscreen of at least SPF 50 no lower than 30 and apply it often. If you sweat frequently or get wet, reapply it.

3. Bring lots of cash or put money on your arm band (if available). There will be t-shirts, phone chargers, and other souvenirs you'll want to buy. Some booths only take cash and ATMs are expensive. Most booths take currency on your arm band so save yourself the trouble.

4. Bring a portable phone charger. I didn't buy one but luckily there was a booth selling these for $30 and they charged them for free every day. Buy one or two if you are a heavy phone user.

5. Bring toilet paper, wet wipes, and a lot of hand sanitizer. Don't ask. Port-a-potties are gross by the end of day one.

6. Bring warm clothes. No matter where I travel to, I always pack a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Camping in the middle of May in Atlanta may sound very warm, but you'll definitely freeze your ass off when you aren't flailing around to Skrillex. It actually was so cold, my tent was covered in dew which made it feel even colder.

7. Bring a raincoat and rain boots. You'll need this. It'll rain even if the weatherman says it'll be 89 and sunny. Bring them.

8. Make friends. Once I got out of my introverted shell, I really enjoyed myself. I met so many great people and everyone was so friendly. Two guys even helped me get my car out of the mud on the way home.

9. Lock up your belongings when you leave your tent. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to experience anything getting stolen. I drove my car and locked everything up in my trunk. Lock your tent and don't bring any valuables just in case.

10. Have the time of your life. If you are dropping major cash on this extravaganza, you better enjoy every minute of it. Take advantage of seeing all of the acts. If scheduling is perfect, you'll be able to see all of the major acts without missing anyone. On times where no one "important" is performing, ask some random person who they are excited to see and check them out. You might actually love it. Sleep in a hammock, ride the Ferris Wheel, hold a strange girls hair while she voms. Okay, I would never do that. Gross. But I did let loose and danced like no body was watching. But I'm just going to let you know that someone will always be watching. It'll probably be me when I'm sober because I ran out of money for beer.



Hope this helps. Are you going to a festival this summer? Let me know on Twitter! I have my eyes on TommorrowWorld.