First aid at festivals

Now that we know what we are going to wear during the festivals it's time for step two: which festivals are we actually going to and what are we taking with us? Real music lovers are getting furious with me now, they shout that it shouldn't be about clothes but about the MUSIC but you know, tough luck for them and by the way, if they don't like clothes they shouldn't read Amayzine either. So: festival outfit is ready, ticket is bought (don't wait too long to order, those things always sell out faster than you can say never-go-home) and good preparation is key. Here we go.

Of course you subscribe to the weather report and you check this all day long. If Coachella was on your ticket, there was nothing wrong, but any festival in the Netherlands can turn into a dirty muddy mess so always keep an eye on the rain. Often, ponchos are handed out during heavy showers but they are not really comfortable, so it's better to bring your own raincoat and keep it in your locker until you might need it. Don't forget to bring extra warm clothes; after a day of dancing in the sun, the bike ride home in the dark can be quite cold. And, my personal life saver, an extra pair of warm dry socks.

Then, when you arrive at the site, tens of thousands of people are looking for the counters for the tokens. There's a good chance you'll be standing in a hell of a line but anyone who is a bit clever can easily get around that. Because those counters are spread all over the site, so don't take the first one you see (everyone does that already) but walk a bit further to one that is deeper on the site. Bring enough cash besides your debit card, sometimes the cash line is much shorter than the one where you can pay by card. Oh and, at least bring a tenner for your locker, then you can immediately drop all your stuff.

Life will be a lot more pleasant if you have the following things in your bag that you carry with you. A bottle of hand sanitizer (the toilets are always too disgusting for words), a pack of tissues (toilet paper is a precious commodity and often more absent than present), powdera box (after a day of dancing, the makeup will be all over your knees), a power bank (taking selfies all day long eats battery) and a mini bottle of deodorant and perfume (because no one wants to go through life smelling, right?).

Finally: get all the hangover food in the house the day before the festival. Frozen bread rolls, lots of fresh juice, your favorite spreads and god child what are you craving? Nothing better than getting completely hungover and then not having to leave the house all day.