Read Times Online's 2007 festival guide

There are those who rock up to a festival with little more than a tent, a sleeping bag, a cool box full of booze and the enjoyment of getting away without washing for three days. And then there are those, who, like me, believe festivals don’t have to mean going without a few home comforts. Regardless of which camp you fall into, festivals are fantastic fun – but it can be hard going at times, even for the most experienced amongst us. However, with a bit of forward planning and sassy packing you can make your festival experience easier and more enjoyable. Our checklist shows you how:

Tent

Check your tent is intact before you go – even new ones can have vital things missing. It’s also useful to take a tent one-man size bigger than the number of occupants: the extra space will come in handy for your all your things and you’ll find it less of a squash when moving around. It also makes sense to distinguish your temporary home from the thousands of others by attaching a huge flag or a windsock to your tent or gazebo with a telescopic pole. I love the ones from www.skyblueleisure.co.uk .

Sleep

While a tent may keep you sheltered from the wind and rain, unfortunately it offers little protection from uneven terrain, cold, damp, noise and light. As someone who once went to bed wearing her entire festival wardrobe in attempt to keep warm, was kept awake by noisy neighbours and seriously lost her sense of humour when the sun came up - take it from me, forward planning your beauty sleep will pay dividends when you finally tumble into bed.

Bringing something decent to sleep on is a good start. The blow up mattresses is a festival favourite, but after several times waking up deflated, I now take a lightweight roll-up travel “roly poly” futon £40 from the Futon Company www.futoncompany.co.uk that I cannot recommend enough. Invest in a good sleeping bag (don’t be tempted to bring a duvet, they are heavy and feathers get damp) and if you usually sleep with a pillow then bring a travel one such as Jetrest’s very comfortable fleece travel pillow, rather than creating a makeshift one that will probably give you a crick in the neck. Earplugs and Eye-masks are also useful, especially if you wake at sunrise or need a daytime nap - try moulded eye-masks that avoid contact with your eyes - they are super comfy and best of all won’t smudge your make-up. The jetrest travel comfort pack (£24.95) includes travel pillow, earplugs and eye-mask. www.thejetrest.com

Chilling out

Bring a picnic blanket to create an instant chill out area outside your tent and a roll up one with a waterproof back to sit on while watching the entertainment or resting weary festival legs. Find the best selection of picnic rugs and fleecy roll ups at www.letsbuyittoday.com (From £11.99).

Light

Keep a lantern for your tent and a small torch for your pocket or bag. Being able to see where you are walking and what you are walking in is always an advantage…

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