Smash hit

The basic rule is, don’t take anything you cannot afford to lose and don’t leave anything of value in your tent. Unfortunately, there’ll always be thefts from tents whether they are unoccupied or not. Just avoid leaving wallets in discarded clothing or bags near the door while you sleep as this makes life easy for thieves: Keep anything valuable out of reach and hidden. For extra security – bring a padlock, despite some believing they only draw more attention to your tent; most thieves are opportunists so a lock will go someway to deter uninvited guests from “accidentally” stumbling into your tent. Most festivals have lockups if you need to secure items properly.

Missing

Over the course of the weekend, it’s inevitable that you or one of your friends lose each other. Mobile phone can be unreliable; batteries die, reception is poor and text messages will often take hours to be delivered: Avoid the frustration of trying to find each other in the crowds by having a set meeting point or arrangement in place should this happen.

Provisions

You really have to weigh up how much you want to carry against how much you want to spend when you get there. Most festivals have numerous stalls selling delicious food to suit all palettes, however over the course of a weekend it does add up. Breakfast is the one meal of the day most prepare themselves - probably because trekking through a campsite and then queuing for half an hour for your first cup of tea of the day isn’t much fun. It’s also good idea to take snacks such as cereal bars to keep you going between meals and a 5 litre water bottle (which you can refill) for back at camp. Get yourself kitted out with an inexpensive portable stove such as the lightweight Campingaz portable bistro stove (£14.99), travel kettle (£8.99) and enamel mugs (£1.99 each) all available from www.Millets.co.uk/www.Blacks.co.uk.

Keeping Clean & Hygiene

With little running water to hand, baby wipes are a festival saviour. Bring several travel sized packets rather than one huge one so you always have a handy packet for trips to the loo (far more convenient than toilet roll; remember if you're flushing wipes to get ones designed for it such as Kandoo) and to clean your hands afterwards. It’s also wise to take a hand sanitizer such as Cuticura antibacterial hand gel (£1.35 Boots) which will kill any germs you might pick up along the way, particularly from animal fields. When it comes to the rest of your body most of us get to the point where a once over with baby wipe just won’t cut it. Unless you’re up at the crack of dawn or go at off-peak hours be prepared to wait and then wait some more for a shower. But I know from past experience that when that hot soapy water hits your tired dirty body, it’s definitely worth it. It’s also a good idea to bring a travel towel such as Life Venture’s Soft Fibre range which pack away into a tiny bag, absorb nine times their weight of water and dry eight times quicker than a normal towel. www.lifeventure.co.uk

Clothing & Footwear

Don’t just randomly pack – take clothing that you can layer, so you can to interchange between hot, cold and wet weather with ease. It’s also a good idea to take a hat, pocket pvc poncho (around £3) and a spare top in your bag to save you the (often) long trek back to your tent if the temperature drops or it starts to rain. When it comes to bedclothes, packing thermals and thick socks to wear in the middle of summer may seem a little extreme, but it can get bitterly cold at night, particularly at Glastonbury and The Big Chill, so come prepared. Sturdy boots for after dark and for the trek from car park to campsite (at Bestival last year we saw a girl attempt it in white stilettos – it wasn’t pretty) and Wellington boots should the heavens decide to open. A completely unscientific poll - inspired by comments from my boyfriend - reveal that almost all men find Wellie-wearing girls sexy although none of the guys I asked could put their finger on why. I think it helps if your wearing a little festival dress/skirt wellie combo, but who cares? Make walking in mud comfortable and stylish by nabbing yourself a colourful pair of the best in the business: orthopaedic-cushioned Wellingtons by Hunters. www.hunterboots.com

Sunglasses are vital piece of kit and up there in the top ten of festival essentials, (I actually bring two pairs). What type you decide to bring depends entirely on how much of your hangover you want to hide and whether you trust yourself with an expensive pair of shades at a festival. That aside, protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays should be as an important criteria as looking good, so try to wear quality lenses. Ray-ban Aviators - this season’s must have, are a great choice - they tick all the right boxes and reasonably priced. www.sunglasshut.co.uk However, should the thought of a mishap with a quality pair be too much to bear, Debenhams stocks a good range of inexpensive alternatives.

Protection

Despite being infamous for their downpours, UK festivals are often blessed with glorious sunshine, so don’t forget your sunscreen. As most festivals take place in open countryside with little in the way of natural shade, you’ll be exposed for hours. Using a cream such as Soltan Once (£11.49 Boots) is ideal - one application will see you protected for up to six hours, saving you the trouble of lugging a bottle around or returning to base to reapply.

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