Looking After… Your Car

Remember a few things when you leave your car at the start of the festival and everything should be ok.

• 1) Never leave valuables in your car!!
  
  
• 2) A glove compartment is a particular favourite place for the average thief, when you leave your car empty it and leave it open this stops them breaking in to have a look what your hiding away the same may apply if you've got a storage compartment in your arm rest.
  
  
• 3) Take two sets of car keys and give one to a friend. When the festivals finished the last thing you want is to realise you've lost your only set of keys.
  
  
• 4) Always remember to turn off your lights, and close all windows.
  
  
• 5) LOCK ALL YOUR DOORS!
  
  
• 6) Identify a landmark that will help you find the car again. You really don't want to spend an hours searching the car park to find your car.
  
  
• 7) If you can every day go and start your car and leave it running for 10-15 minutes you don't want to go back to your car to find you've a flat battery.

Tents

Tents are easy targets for the festival thief. So you don't ahve to wake up in the morning to find your money, beer, ciggies, etc have been pinched take the following precautions:

• 1) Set up a 'neighborhood watch'. Get your neighbours to watch out for strange people hanging around your tents and do the same for them.
  
  
• 2) If there are a few people in your group with tents set them up in a circle with the entrances facing one another.
  
  
• 3) Thieves target obvious places for people to hide their valuables. So hide any valuables in unobvious places.
  
  
• 4) A few words of caution about padlocking your tent. "Don't bother" A) A thief won't mind slashing your tent open B) It will show you've got something to hide.
  
  
• 5) If a thief confronts you whilst you're in your tent don't retaliate. A few stolen pounds is better than a knife in the stomach.
  

Yourself

When it finally stops raining at the festival you will get burnt when the sun appears. Being burnt is unpleasent at the best of times but when your at a festival and not feeling your best as it is, its the last thing you want to happen. So no matter what the weathers like and what the forecast says take SUNCREAM.

• 1) Drink lots of water. Sunstroke is not nice.
  
  
• 2) Always wash your hands with soap after you go to the toilet. Festival toilets tend to be the ultimate party zone for germs and bugs.
  
  
• 3) In-experienced drug users - make sure you're with people you trust. Be aware of what the substance you are taking will do to you and KNOW what to do in an emergency.

Romance can be on the cards at any time (If you dont stink to much). If you do get jiggy always use a condom. Getting a sexually transmitted disease from a bit of fun is the last thing you want. Carry a condom with you. It doesn't mean you're looking for sex - just that you are prepared for anything.

Essentials

• 1) Ticket - This is crucial unless you are planning to buy it when you arrive, but be wary of touts.
  
  
• 2) Money - You won't get far without this essential for Beer, Food, Merchandise, etc.
  
  
• 3) Clothes - Don't take much just make sure your prepared for the weather conditions.
  
  
• 4) Sleeping Bag - Not necessarily essential if its warm you'll find yourself rather sweaty in the morning when you wake up but then again if its cold you could wake up shivering its up to you - Remember this could always double up as a blanket.
  
  
• 5) Bum bag - Money, Phone and other stuff you'd rather keep on you.
  
  
• 6) Mallet - Some of those fields are like concrete and you'll never get pegs in with your feet.
  
  
• 7) Beer - The beer on site tends to be watered down and the selection isn't great.
  
  
• 8) Loo roll - The toilets are much better than what they used to be but this is still a wise thing to take. But never lend it to anyone - You'll never see it again. Another idea is to take some spare with you could be useful to sell on when your getting desperate on the money side.
  
  
• 9) Toothbrush and toothpaste - Carpet tounge after the previous nights drinking session isn't nice.
  
  
• 10) Disposable camera - Take embarrasing pictures of everyone you know. Also the only way to find out exactly what went on.
  

Optionals

• 1) Torch - Always comes in handy when your pissed and trying to find your tent and whats in it at night. When drunk every tent on the campsite appears to look like yours.
  
  
• 2) Penknife - This might come in handy.
  
  
• 3) Airbed - Depends on personal preference but your probably just as well with a roll mat they don't take up as much space valuable beer space.
  
  
• 4) Footpump - Essential if your taking an airbed.
  
  
• 5) Food - Snack type food is always good for when you can't be arsed to hike to the nearest van selling food.
  
  
• 6) Fags.
  
  
• 7) Lighters.
  

Do's

• 1) Get pissed.
  
  
• 2) Keep your money and any valuables with you at all times, a bum bag is one of the best ways to do this make sure you keep it with you at night aswell.
  
  
• 3) Try to remember where you camped when your drunk you will just want to be able to find your tent and crash out.
  
  
• 4) Try and be friendly with your neighbours they will normally keep an eye on your tents when your not there but make sure you do the same for them.
  
  
• 5) Be wary of the firewood thats sold on site you'll often find its been dragged out of the Thames and is soaking wet and no chance of lighting it to make a fire.
  
  
• 6) Keep your eye open for the police they isn't many of them at Reading but they are around more so in the camp sites.
  
  
• 7) When your stumbling and falling over all over the place pissed try to miss other peoples tents.
  

Don'ts

• 1) Don't camp near the portaloos they stink and tend to get tipped over, burnt, etc on the last day of the festival.
  
  
• 2) Not a good idea to camp to near the hedges either they don't always smell to pleasent in the morning.
  
  
• 3) Don't bother taking all your hair styling gunk chances are it will rain and your hours of hard work will go to waste.
  
  
• 4) Leave all valuable things at home.
  
  
• 5) Dont padlock your tent it just tells thieves you've got something worth stealing and besides if a thief wants to get in they will just slash your tent.