The Luxury Guide to Surviving Festivals in the Rain

Festivals are great but not when it rains, here are my tops tips to stay sane in the worst case scenario

This is your Luxury Guide to Surviving Festivals in the Rain. Festivals are great fun but if you are not prepared for the event of bad weather it can be horrendous.

You are booked and ready to go that’s assuming you have picked the right festival. You have your pop up tent, glittery outfit and a bottle of plonk. You take one look out of the window and it is raining. First night the tent leaks, your feet are cold and what was perfect festival attire resembles that of a drowned rat.

So having experienced what our great British weather can give you when you are trying to party hard, here are some helpful tips to set you on your way. They may not be the cheaper options but trust me if you are not adept at slugs sharing your sleeping space you may not care!

A few things I wished I had known about Surviving Festivals in the Rain.

Surviving Festivals in the Rain which festival is best?

First off make sure the festival you attend is suited to the people you are going with i.e. Children, hippies or teens. It will not be that good an experience if you rock up to an entirely different music genre and generation than you are expecting.

There are many choices of accommodation and if you are going to experience full on rain you will be glad you chose right! Tents are great but you need to spend a bit more money. You can not just rock up , pitch tent and think all is going to be ok.

Surviving Festivals in the Rain what do I need in my tent?

No awning – wet tent, no double lining – wet tent, If you purchase a tent you need a good one with an extra room double skinned. Pop up tents are great and easy but are not the best, usually one layer and thin.

A tent with an awning is a must, if not a separate small tent is ideal. This will give you an undercover place to sit with a camping chair and keep all of your stuff dry. Getting in and out of a small tent is no mean feat when it’s raining and you can’t get your wellies off!

So if you do not have a tent that is super duper with a spare room? Hire one. Think Camper van a Yurt or a luxury already set up tent in a designated boutique area. It won’t be perfect but just that bit more comfortable.

Tip- Take lots of bin bags for wet stuff!

Tip- Cover chairs with a bin bag to keep dry, take off when the rain stops

Where should I Position my tent?

You have your luxury tent and you now have your dry awning, then you find where you are positioned is not quite right. The large tuft of grass in the middle of your back and the waste lorry rattling past will be keeping you awake at night.

Do not erect your tent on a slope if you can help it. If you have to pay attention to what way up you will be sleeping. Upside down or rolling to one side is very disorienting.

Do not erect your tent near a passing road or work way. Work at a festival goes on for most of the night with and lorries setting up as early as 5.30am. These vans are removing rubbish clearing out portaloos and general maintenance, avoid this at all costs.

Same goes for sleeping arrangements, good quality sleeping bags are a must. We woke up to find we were laying in 1 inch of water but inside our sleeping bags we were completely dry! So good quality washable sleeping bags such as these. Add some gaffer tape for leaks, camping pillows, bed rolls or even inflatable mattresses.

Tip- If you end up by a dirt road earplugs will help.

Where can I go to the toilet at a festival?

Now I am not that fussy normally but I found the toilets the hardest thing to bear. It will smell, no matter how hard they try, it will smell!

Where can i go to a toilet at a festival? In the VIP!

First off,  if you can book VIP or get boutique camping I would highly suggest it. You will have better  toilets not porterloos that are cleaned more regularly. However these can still smell quite a bit by day two, so if your campsite offers a paying VIP toilet experience it’s well worth the £2 a pee option! Check this out day one!

Failing that make sure you have tissues, hand sanitizer and maybe even a nose plug ( I kid you not )

Some festivals operate a composting toilet. These work great and although it feels a little strange covering you business in soil or sawdust it does not smell half as much.

Tip- take toilet wipes and gel hand sanitiser to your festival

How to eat at a festival in the rain?

Food is generally good at festivals with street stalls and lots of options. However if it is raining and cold standing up in a field can leave your chicken balti a bit water logged. If you are not good at this sort of thing make sure you are prepared before. There may be some tented areas with seating, find these day one. This way if it rains you have somewhere to head, sit and eat.

Check out a few local pubs prior to your stay and eat out one night. Trust me it will make you feel sane, somewhere warm with a real knife and fork.

Take a stash of food or drinks with you. Check out first what your festival allows. Some festivals let you take your own alcohol. Cans of drink and plastic is usually ok as are boxes of wine. Some cereal bars, fruit and a few bars of chocolate just might cheer you up.

Tip- take a thermos flask to top up with a warm drink.

What to wear when surviving festivals in the rain?

It is nice to be glam at a festival but comfort is a priority. Invest in a good raincoat, waterproof breathable and light it will save you.

I grabbed myself a Barbour raincoat in the sale and it saved me! I was dry all weekend. Try sale stores such as this or end of season for a bargain. If you are dry underneath you will stay comfortable and warm all day. Take a brolly for when you are standing around it will stop the water running off your hood and dripping on to your nose.

Wellie socks will save your feet and keep you warm and make so much difference. Make sure that your footwear is comfortable in the rain. Wellies are a must! Chairs get very wet and you may be standing longer than you think.

Take plenty of layers, thin layers, vest, t-shirt, cardigan, hoodie, raincoat. It is easier to take off layers when they get wet or when hot. Do not take too much however as your tent may be very far away from your car.

If you want glam forget it, take a tutu, face glitter or pretty head piece. Beautiful hip white clothing looks a bit naff covered in mud plus you will not be comfy.

Tip- take a poncho for an extra rain layer you can take off

Hygiene and beauty at a festival in the rain

Simple ready make up , lots of hair bands and maybe a few hair rollers. Try using some in your fringe before you go to bed instant hair in the morning! Plaits, buns and flowers work well too.

Take stuff for a quick freshen up Baby wipes, face wipes, antibacterial wipes are also a must. Try a Dry shampoo spray as well.

Easy all in one foundation face make up, waterproof mascara and a slick of gloss is about all you need. For faces grab a pot of vaseline and glitter for instant glam.

If you think you can’t hack slugs, frogs, mosquitoes sharing your tent, or have a bad aversion to dirt and smells maybe stay in a hotel!

I hope The Luxury Guide to Surviving Festivals in the Rain has helped in some way. I just need to take my own advise. Hopefully the weather will stay dry for you so party hard and  “rock on!”

Knowing what to take to a festival can be hard too make sure you properly pack in advance!

For some more tips on Summer family festivals hop over to My Travel Monkeys Travel blog to see whats on in Kent this summer. You can also visit Travel loving families Travel blog who has a whole section on just festivals, enjoy!

Tip- If in doubt stay in a hotel or book a day ticket!

D x

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