 Even though Bonnaroo is wild, it is always best to come prepared. Photo by Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com.
If you pack the right gear, you’re bound to enjoy yourself at Bonnaroo or any other festival. Here are 10 must-haves to make the most of it.
Solar shower
After walking and dancing in the hot sun all day, you crawl into your tent and try to fall asleep amidst the pungent odor of patchouli mixed with stale pot smoke. And while you can pay cash for a shower in a trailer (sponsored by Garnier Fructis), it isn’t as convenient as having one at your camping site. Well, with a solar shower, you can have the comfort of a warm shower anytime you want, right at your camp. A standard solar shower consists of a privacy shelter that looks like a tent made for one, standing person and a container that holds and dispenses water. You heat the water up by leaving the container exposed to sunlight during the day. The best part is that a solar shower can set you back less than $50. And after you spend two days and nights at Bonnaroo, $50 for a shower will seem a cheap price to pay.
Good footwear
If you are among those who refuse to wear shoes and have calluses three inches thick on the bottom of your feet, you probably aren’t reading this article anyway. But for everyone else, reliable, comfortable footwear is a necessity at Bonnaroo, which really is a hiking and camping trip.
Last year, I brought three different pairs of shoes to Bonnaroo. They were:
1. $10 sandals from Target.
2. Doc Marten hiking boots.
3. $20 tennis shoes from Target.
After walking miles a day the entire weekend, here is what my foot looked like when Bonnaroo ended Sunday night.
 It had blood in it, too. Photo by Adam Dubbin/TheSequitur.com.
Gross, huh?
The moral of the story? Pack good, quality footwear that you know you’ll be comfortable wearing while walking miles upon miles to see your favorite bands. Don’t buy new shoes for Bonnaroo, as it is a terrible place to break in footwear. Finally, while there, take every chance you can to dry out your shoes and socks – dry feet are the best way to avoid blisters.
Water container
The most important thing you can do for yourself at a weekend festival like Bonnaroo is to keep hydrated. Dehydration is one of the worst and, possibly, deadliest dangers to an attendee. To make sure you can carry as much water as possible, bring a large water container -- Nalgene is my favorite -- as well as several gallons of water to keep at your camp. This year, Bonnaroo is selling its own containers that can be filled up at spots around the venue.
Remember: No matter how you get water, it’s the most important liquid you can obtain at a festival. And this is coming from a total beer fiend who can’t wait to get his hands on some Magic Hat.
Drugs (not the illegal kind)
Some may rely on illicit drugs to augment the Bonnaroo experience, but there are far more important drugs to bring with you. First and foremost are any prescription drugs that you may need on a daily basis. Next come other drugs we often take for granted: Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol, even Orajel (for toothaches) can come in handy and might help make what would otherwise be an excruciating experience mildly irritating. And while I thoroughly enjoyed all the food I ate at Bonnaroo last year, it is festival food, so you might want to double up on the Pepto. Finally, as you should on any camping trip, bring a first-aid kit. While the medic tents scattered around the festival can be helpful, it’s always best to have first aid at your fingertips.
Sunscreen
When I was growing up and sat inside playing video games all day, my parents tried to tell me the Sun was my friend. Actually, it turns out the Sun is kind of a dick – the kind of dick who will give you cancer just for hanging around. That’s why sunscreen is one of the most important items to bring to Bonnaroo.
Sure, there are places to get shade at Bonnaroo – the tents, under trees, in a portable toilet (I don’t recommend seeking long-term refuge in the latter). But spend any time at the festival and you’ll realize that many of those shady places are frequently occupied, inaccessible, horribly smelly – or all three. This leaves you standing in the blazing sun at the edge of a concert, glaring jealously at the people who have staked out a spot under the trees.
Finally, you don’t want to show up to work after Bonnaroo with any kind of severe sunburn. Don’t believe me? Try explaining to your executive vice president why something named Bonnaroo turned you into a human lobster.
Portable Pavilion
While Bonnaroo is always buzzing with activity, chances are you’re going to be spending at least some time at your campsite, be it for meals or just to get away from the crowd for a few minutes. During the day, with virtually no shade at the campgrounds, this can be excruciating. It doesn’t take long for the Tennessee sun to send anyone running back to the nearest shelter (and as I mentioned – they aren’t easy to come by). But with a portable pavilion, you can set up a shady place for you and your friends to relax at your camp and out of the Sun. In addition, if you’re bringing a cooler with food or beer, having a pavilion to keep it shaded during the day is integral. In the end, nothing is better than having a place at your camp to kick up your feet in the shade after a long day of seeing some of the best music in the world.
Tent
There’s nothing like sleeping under the stars on a beautiful night. There’s also nothing like sleeping out in a thunderstorm in the middle of a large field that’s slowly turning to the world’s biggest mud-wrestling pit.
If you’re going to stay at Bonnaroo overnight (rather than make your way to one of Manchester’s fine hotels), bring a tent. For some, this may seem obvious, but I met several people last year who did not have their own shelters. And while they were charming folks who welcomed themselves to our campsite for the night, ideally, they would have retired to their own rather than crashing in our chairs or taking the infamous “dirt nap.”
Extra Clothes
Bonnaroo is not a clean place. In dry weather, you spend all day sweating and walking along dirt roads. In wet weather, you spend all day getting wet and walking through mud. Neither situation lends itself to a “one outfit per day” rule. No matter what the weather, most people don’t want to spend the night sleeping in what they wore that day. A good rule of thumb is to pack two extra days worth of clothes, if at all possible. That is, unless you have some kind of portable washer/dryer combo, in which case, can I camp next to you?
Cash
From the vendors on Shakedown Street to the food and beer vendors in Centeroo, there will be plenty of opportunities to use cash to pay for goods and services. Pay attention to the cost. While there are ATMs at the site, they charge fees, so it’s always better to plan ahead.
A good attitude
While it may be dirty, hot, wet, sweaty, exhausting or all of the above, the bottom line is, Bonnaroo can be one of the best times of your life, provided you come with the right attitude. You can do like I did last year and plan out every minute of every day using the scheduled performances as a guide, but there is far too much to enjoy at the festival to tie yourself to a schedule. Between the bands, the people gazing, the vendors, the great food, the comedians and the free activities, you’ll most likely find that the best way to enjoy the festival is to relax and go with the flow.
In the end, Bonnaroo is like any great life experience: it has its ups and its downs, but has the potential to be one of the most amazing times you will ever have. Prepare properly and you’ll leave the festival with fantastic memories, rather than a blister the size of a golf ball or a sunburn you could fry an egg on.
[Garnier Fructis, Nalgene, Bonnaroo.com]
Branden Hart, TheSequitur.com's managing editor, works as an editor in San Antonio.
|
Bonnaroo News 
.jpg)
