I might be a bit ballsy, writing a post aimed at being a festival guide when I’m on my way to my second. Ever. But, I learned a lot from the first one and am using that knowledge while preparing for the second one. So, nyah.
Last year I went to Bonnaroo, the year in which The Police and Tool visited, and was awesome in general. All of it. I got to see tons of great bands, and missed some great bands. I also went with a group of 7 people, not including myself. This year I’m headed to Langerado, and just me and the boyfriend are going. Bonnaroo last year was awesome. But I did miss out on somethings because I wasn’t taking as good of care of myself as possible. Camping was slightly awkward, and I was FUCKING hungry the whole time. Unless I had just eaten a veggie corn dog.
ESSENTIALS
Water. No, really, I’m saying water. Someone dies every year at Bonnaroo, and its usually because of heat stroke. The boyfriend and I took water bottles and refilled them at the podable water stations. Two of my friends had Camelpaks. Which was way more convenient, and I’m pretty sure they stayed more hydrated the whole time. Most people wear backpacks to carry their shit around in, so get a Camelpak that is a backpack, equipped with a hydration bladder, also. These run like 30 to 40 bucks, at Walmart. Totally worth it.
Air mattress. I’m a pussy. When you spend the whole day walking around in the sun, at night, when you get back to camp, and have to undress awkwardly in a tent, its all better when you lay down on an air mattress, and your bones won’t feel achy when you wake up. I did this last year and was thankful for it. This year Wade and I bought a double-tall air mattress, a queen size that is 18 inches off the ground, so when Wade makes a 2am run to portajohn to take a piss I don’t wake up because my bony ass hit the cold ground.
Light. Wade and I were woefully unprepared for Bonnaroo, in the camping aspect. Setting up a tent at night before the festival starts with flashlights sucks. Bring a powerful lantern of some kind. Always have flashlights, because making a trip to the portapotty at night can be very nasty if you can’t see what you’re touching. Could be somebody wiped their shit on the walls, you never know. You’re with a bunch of hippies. Also, you can’t have open fires, so you’ve lost that light source, too. This year Wade and I have stocked on flashlights, lanterns, and bought a lantern for the tent that is LED and takes 4 double A’s. It’s bright.
Food. Last year Wade and I brought something like: 2 cans of peas, 1 can of soup, one carton of soymilk, one package of hotdogs….I think that was it. We just didn’t think about food, or how hungry we’d be, trekking around in 95 degree weather from 11:30am to 12pm. The food vendors provide is of course expensive; for a large corndog it was 4 dollars. When you want two of those and theres 2 people, and you’re hungry enough during the day to do that 3 times in the afternoon, thats 25 bucks a day. A hundred bucks in 4 dollar food. This year Wade and I are stocked: hotdogs, cereal, instant oatmeal, granola bars, trailmix, chili, canned vegs, apples, PBJs, applesauce, etc. Enough for us to eat for 4 days without buying anything, but we’re aware we probably will. We just won’t go through all our mad money by buying alligator rice or lemon ices. Maybe we’ll come back with a sitar. 
We also forgot a can opener. No one else had one, because everyone else there was an omnivore (we’re vegan) and was eating packaged food. We had to wait for our neighbors to come back before we could eat. That sucked.
Typically, unless you pay, you can’t shower for 4 days. If you’re camping and doing the whole stretch. For 4 days. Bring deodorant, body powder, body spray, something. Bring handiwipes to clean off the dust and caked on sunscreen. It’s disgusting, it sucks, but you suck it up because you’re having a good time. You can still control the dirt and the BO, though. Last year, on Saturday, I ended up forking over 7 dollars and showering in fart-sulfur water for like 15 minutes. It was amazing. Not as amazing as washing the water turn brown at home on Monday though. If you do take a shower, bring a washcloth. Sucks to not have anything but your hands to wash the dirt off.
Also, toilet paper. Yes, the porta potties have TP, but you don’t want to end up in one that has run out. About 65 percent of the people in line in the morning were all armed with TP. Its a good idea. And maybe consider Clorox wipes, or something. To wipe down the seat. You don’t understand. You’re shitting over a hole, and you can see everyone elses ‘crap’. It’ll gross you out, and youll feel better for wiping down SOMETHING while you’re in there.
Multivitamins. Wade and I take multivitamins to ensure we get everything we need. We started doing this when we went vegan. I brought extra, just in case someone wanted one, and whaddya know, every morning when I asked my group if they wanted one, they all rose their hands. They wanted the extra security of their health while they were there. So put ‘em in a ziploc and bring more. Its kinda fun, dealing pills loaded with ginseng and your B vitamins. I shoulda sold them like they were ecstasy.
That’s my take on it. I’m sure I’ll have more wisdom when I get back from this one.
Here’s my total checklist:
TOILETRIES
toothpaste
toothbrushes
deodorant
facewash
tampons/pads (if necc.)
MISC.
birth control
extra pair of contacts
glasses
condoms?
SHOWER
bodywash
washcloth
shampoo
conditioner
CAMPING
tent
air mattress
sheet
blanket
pillows
mallet
lanterns
flashlights
camp stove with extra fuel
GOOD IDEAS
toilet paper
bugspray
sunscreen
first-aid kit
walkie talkies
pen and paper
extra cash
poncho
umbrella for shade
backup batteries
hotpad for handling hot items from stove
stereo for tunes
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