Festival packing. There's no two words that evoke the same panic or confusion than those, because knowing what things to pack for a festival is an absolute minefield, especially when it's taking place in the UK. Like, is it going to rain? Do you need wellies (always yes)? What do you do when it's warm? Is a bikini too much?
Plus, it's far too easy to forget the vital ingredients that'll help make your weekend one to remember. We've all been there: 5am, hungover, confused and needing a wee, you stumble out of the tent, only to realise you forgot the bloody toilet roll. But don't worry, we've done the hard work for you and come up with all the essentials to pack this year and the year after and the year after that...See you in the mud.
Practical
It's easy to get caught up in the more exciting parts of festival packing like glitter and fancy dress, but let's get the practical stuff sorted first, people. Because without any of these bits, you're definitely not going to make it through the weekend.
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Cash (Festival ATMs have huge queues and you don't have time for that.)
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Plastic water bottles for mixing drinks
Clothing
Right, now you need stuff to wear! Because we have no idea what the weather is going to be doing (don't trust the forecast) you've got to cover all bases without packing your entire wardrobe. Easier said than done. Layering is key - that way, when you've got drenched and the sun's suddenly come out, you can whip off your top two layers and be totally weather appropriate. Oh, and always take more underwear than you think you'll need. That is a life rule to live by.
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Underwear (plus two spares, just incase)
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Flip flops
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Pjs
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Trackies
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Socks
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Shorts
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Dress
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Trainers
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Bikini (in case it’s hot or you actually decide to shower)
Toiletries
All the stuff that's going to make you look remotely human, when you sure as hell don't feel like one. Decanting and mini-toiletires are your best friend because lugging a family sized bottle of mouthwash with you makes zero sense.
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Painkillers
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Your usual (condensed) make-up bag, plus a bit of glitter
Food & drink
Chances are you'll start off your festival packing by thinking, 'I'm going to just take all my food with me, so I don't spend ANY money.' This is not true and you're lying to yourself. Don't do what 80% of rookie festival-goes do and take all your meals with you: you will not eat them and you may develop back problems on the walk to the site. Instead, take a few things you can snack on and get your alcohol in order, then just make the most of the (usually really good) food stalls that are there because, come on, you're on holiday (sort-of).
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Decanted alcohol (don't forget, you can't take glass in!)
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Apples
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Bread
Tech
This lot are probably the most easily forgotten but they're really bloody useful. Most important is the shit phone - you do not want to spend your weekend lamenting about the loss of your new iPhone 6, plus, the battery life is second to none.
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Illustrations by Kate Prior
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.