Festivals are a great way to spend a summer weekend. Good bands, good beer, good weather: what’s not to like? It is important, though, to keep safe. That’s why we’re going to use today to look at the various ways in which you can ensure that your weekend goes by without any kind of hitches.
Keep a mobile charger on you.
The simple fact is that in 2014, it’s virtually impossible to get through the weekend without using your phone for something. (No, not Facebook. For goodness sake, give it a rest for the weekend!). In any busy festival, it’s almost guaranteed that at some point you’ll probably get separated from your friends. Invest in a mobile charger (i.e. one that’s powered by batteries rather than the mains) and stock up on a load of batteries. This way, you’ll be able to call your mates and meet up with each other every time you find yourself getting pushed to the other side of the crowd!
Don’t bring your valuables. Repeat after us: ‘I do not need to take my iPad to Glastonbury’. Most modern festivals are pretty friendly and, generally speaking, people try and look out for each other. However, it’s not a good idea to take a load of expensive gear with you. Cameras are fair enough, but leave the laptops, credit cards, tablets and the like at home. You simply don’t need them.
Be sensible
At even the most orderly festival, there probably will be the odd group of people insisting on being…well, a word we probably can’t use here. The best move to make if anything happens that makes you feel remotely uncomfortable is to simply move to a different section of the area (again, keep your phone on you so you can re-meet friends easily). If you’re particularly concerned, try and find a security guard (most festivals have them stationed throughout the venue).
Don’t get carried away with moshing and crowd-surfing.
We’re not just saying this to be killjoys. It’s a simple fact that even the biggest and hardest metalheads get injured in moshpits. Honestly, they do. Don’t get the wrong idea: we’re not suggesting you start twerking whilst Machine Head are on stage (though that would be sort of hilarious), but don’t put yourself at risk unnecessarily. Also, crowd-surfing is even more risky – you’re likely to get a bad landing.
Care for your hearing
If you’re a regular gig goer, then the chances are you’ll know how loud those speakers can get. Well, at a festival you can multiply that noise by about 500 (the volume is needed to project the sound across the site). What does this mean in practical terms? Well it means that if you get stuck by the speakers, it’ll REALLY hurt. As in, ‘might cause you permanent damage’ hurt. Stock up on ear-plugs: even the cheaper ones will be more than enough to stop even Motorhead from deafening you. Places like Allearplugs.com have a great range that will meet all budgets and ear sizes.
Split your cash
As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to take all your cards to a festival. Stick to a certain amount of hard cash and one card for absolute emergencies. Always ensure that you split the cash: the chances are that you’ll have at least a couple of hundred with you: that way, if some of it goes missing, you’ll still have enough in reserve to keep you going.