Packing for Hell: Preparation for HELLFEST 2015
Packing for summer festivals and dealing with their restrictions.
Tent, camping chairs, sleeping bags; clothes, boots and sunscreen – check. But what if the festival you’re going to doesn’t allow barbecuing nor gas stoves?
This is my first time going to HELLFEST in France and I’m really looking forward to it. But in my festival experience barbecuing comes with territory. Now, that’s not the only rule that differs from German festivals: on the camping grounds fire is strictly forbidden, but there’s no limitation to quantity of alcohol, nor its packaging (cans, glas all allowed). It’s also forbidden to bring your own drinks into the festival area (as one would normally do, reusing a juice carton, for example). So in order not to blow up the entire festival budget, here’s our master plan – with many great ideas for any festival you might attend this summer.
Food:
Bread, cheese and ham for example would make a good breakfast, as would milk and cereal and/or the festival insider’s version of it: cereal, licor 43 and milk – to start the day with the right festival mood, you know!
Snacking is important to save on big meals (and keep drunkenness at bay) so fruit, nuts and cereal bars are on the list. I’ve also read that protein bars are a good idea, since they also give you a feeling of fullness, but I’d have to try that one out. And then of course, some warm food from the festival vendors. It’s inevitable.
Drinks:
Since we’re starting the day already with some spiked cereal, we’ll keep up the mood with THE festival staple: beer. Mixed with coke or pure, spiked with some schnapps or from a beer bong – there’s just so many ways to drink it. And let’s not forget the infinite number of drinking games that happen at festivals.
But after the first beer-drinking day my stomach starts to complain, so we’re bringing other beverages as well (also in case we should run out of ice in our cooler, unlike beer these taste well at uncooled too): some spiced rum and coke, vodka and sprite and maybe some gin and ginger ale.
But kids, remember to drink responsibly, nothing spoils the festival mood faster than having to throw up in a porta-potty. Ahem, not that I’ve ever had to.
Miscellaneous:
Great things to have at festivals are also: dry shampoo, hearing protection, an extra battery for your phone, cough drops (candy) to soothe the voice after screaming for a whole day.
And don’t forget that staying hydrated is vital in the summer and beer doesn’t replace the 2 liters of water you should drink per day. So make sure you refill your water bottle as much as possible during the day and have fun this summer festival season!