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Festival goers arriving at Electric Picnic in 2009. Julien Behal/PA Archive

Wipes, wellies and Alka Seltzer – it’s your essential festival checklist

As you pack up your festival luggage today, here’s a list of items you’ll be sorry you forgot.

This article was originally published in 2012

FESTIVALS ARE A blast but chances are, in all your pre festival excitement, you’ll forget to bring some of the comforts that will make sleeping in a muddy field and waking up hungover in a tent more bearable. To save you from this as some of you head off to Electric Picnic today, we’ve got a checklist of items you must not go without.

The obvious:

  • Tickets – if you forget those it’s all over and everything else can either be bought or borrowed if you forget them.
  • Phone – it’s a big place so if you lose your friends a phone will be essential. Also great (if it’s a smartphone) for sharing photos online and making friends who couldn’t make it jealous.
  • Cash, cards and ID.

Accomodation:

  • Camping can be the most fun part of a festival but those extra little comforts will be your saving grace if the weather turns against you. If possible, get a tent with two skins to ensure you and your belongings will stay dry if the tradition of torrential rain at festivals continues this weekend.
  • Don’t forget your sleeping bag and don’t underestimate the difference a camping mat will make to a good night’s sleep.
  • Torch – for reading Proust before bed, obviously. Or for telling ghost stories.
  • Ear plugs will block out the noise of the yobs in the next tent who think they’re an Oasis cover band.
  • Small pillows are optional.

Wardrode:

  • Rain gear is a must. Everyone will probably look terrible by the middle of the first day anyway so forget about appearances and bring a raincoat and wellies.
  • Make sure you have enough clothes (and clean underwear) to change if you get soaked or just really filthy.
  • Bring at least one warm jumper and a couple of pairs of cosy socks.
  • A scarf can be used in a host of different ways and won’t take up too much space in your bag.
  • Sunglasses and a hat. You’ll look mad cool and they’ll protect your eyes and face from the sun which might make an appearance this weekend.

Hygiene:

  • Baby wipes are compact and will freshen you up nicely if the queues for the showers in the morning don’t appeal to you.
  • Toilet roll. They always run out and at the very least you can use it to make a funny hat on the last day if it’s left over.
  • Toothpaste – get one of the travel size ones and revel in the minty freshness.
  • Dry shampoo. One for the ladies, it makes all the difference.
  • A small bottle of antibacterial gel is handy if the taps in the portaloos stop working.
  • Pack a few black sacks to use as bins or for sitting on the wet ground if it rains.

Health:

  • Make sure you bring any prescription medication you’re on and your inhaler if you suffer from asthma. Hayfever sufferers should pop a few antihistamines in their bag as well.
  • Pain killers, Alka Seltzer and Berocca for obvious reasons. Just don’t take them all at once.
  • Bring condoms just in case – you never know.
  • A couple of plasters and some anti septic cream will keep you covered if you graze your knee or get a bee sting.

Sun protection:

  • Temperatures could reach up to 20 degrees this weekend so sun cream with an SPF factor of at least 20 is a must and apply it regularly.
  • After sun for when you forget to apply it regularly.
  • Water. Keep a large bottle in your tent to drink at night and in the mornings and try to remember to hydrate yourself with something non alcoholic every so often throughout the day.

Extras:

  • Food and drink. No glass bottles and no perishables.
  • Disposable camera. Don’t bring your fancy DSLRs or mini touchscreen cameras, go retro and then actually get the photos developed so you can pass them round on a night out and laugh at all the random shots you got.
  • Lighter and matches for smokers, or if you just want to make friends.

If you can think of any other essentials, feel free to leave your advice in the form of a comment below. Stay safe and have fun.

Read: The 11 most annoying things people going to Electric Picnic say>

Read: 12 examples of Gardaí being sound at music festivals>

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21 Comments
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    Mute Conor Mc Gill
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    Aug 31st 2012, 10:23 AM

    It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd shows up considering there was no oxegen this year.

    Hopefully a chilled out mellow crowd as usual

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    Mute Ruairí O'Mahony
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    Aug 31st 2012, 10:38 AM

    The Oxegen crowd are all back in school this week. I hope.

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    Mute Liz Bond-Blanch
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:39 AM

    Eh, Oxygen took place on the August BH weekend. Are you stuck in a 2012 time warp-we’ll send help

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 30th 2013, 12:04 PM

    I should explain. This post was originally published last summer which is when Conor and Ruairí left their comments. We thought we’d put it up again to make sure no one forgets to bring clean knickers with them this weekend.

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    Mute Chuck Farrelly
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    Aug 30th 2013, 5:26 PM

    Hope they paid you twice, Michelle!

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    Mute Sham
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    Aug 31st 2012, 11:53 AM

    Bring rain gear, sunglasses and hat, and sun cream. Classic.

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    Mute Damien Moore
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    Aug 31st 2012, 11:01 AM

    I really really REALLY want to go, i’m small and will fit into most compact bags or cases…anyone?

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    Mute Paul Quigley
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    Aug 31st 2012, 11:06 AM

    dont think the oxegen crowd will be around because its a bit too pricey compared to it !!!

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    Mute andrew
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    Aug 31st 2012, 11:19 AM

    …and the music is completely different.

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    Mute Eoin Faz
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    Aug 31st 2012, 12:54 PM

    Sunday was messy last year because of the Day tickets

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    Mute Johnnyi Harlyknewya
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    Aug 30th 2013, 2:25 PM

    Paul, I know alot of oxygen boppers there today… with 35,000 people you have to expect the worst.

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    Mute Susan
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    Aug 30th 2013, 1:27 PM

    Do not end up being the #PicnicGirl..no public displays necessary!

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    Mute Stephen Doyle
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:47 AM

    Don’t forget to take home an air of superiority and smugness. Do tell us all repeatedly how we should have been there and how fantastic everything was.

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    Mute Shane Ellis
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    Aug 30th 2013, 12:53 PM

    Camping chair!!!!!! With can holder.

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    Mute Liz Bond-Blanch
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:35 AM

    Vicks Vaporub-put it on some tissue and stick the tissue in you nostrils. Use this trick when entering the portaloos after much usage. This was the first thing I packed this year. You’re welcome!

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    Mute Brian Bass
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:37 AM

    Few cans

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    Mute Leanne Porter
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:22 AM

    Wish there was a metal festival on every year here in Ireland. In England they usually have download, sonisphere and ozzfest.

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    Mute Shaun O' Higgins
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:32 AM

    The kerrang tour tickets go on sale this Friday. Limp biscuit(sp) are the headliners. I died a little inside ticketmaster emailed me about it. But tenacious d and 30 seconds to Mars are playing relatively soon.

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    Mute Leanne Porter
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:37 AM

    I loved limp bizkit when I was like 12 but I dunno if I’d actually bother going.. Them seemed to be very good at download which I was shocked about!! I’ve already seen tenacious d yrs ago and 30 seconds to mars aren’t my cup of tea. the last metal gig I was at was Slayer back in June.mind = blown

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    Mute Paraic Collins
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    Aug 30th 2013, 1:35 PM

    Download the Glympse app. Handy if you get lost from your friends etc. It safely shares your location in real time.

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    Mute gumbridge
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    Aug 30th 2013, 11:28 AM

    A lot of lads I used to know considered themselves fully packed when they had train fare and a hammer.
    Nasty lads.

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