Your Ultimate Festival Survival Strategy For Non-Stop Energy

The summer festival season is upon us and it is a fun and exciting time as you soak up the sun and vibes with your mates. However, even for those of us with a hardy constitution, a festival can be energy-zapping as the temperatures rise and the beats crank up. The last thing you want is to be wiped out and dehydrated just when the event is in full swing.

 

Here is the ultimate survival strategy to help you have non-stop festival fun this summer. 

 

Monitor your hydration levels

It can be easy to underestimate the amount of extra fluids that you need at a festival (and we don’t mean booze). You are likely to be on your feet from dawn to dusk and beyond, maybe dancing and singing along to your favourite band. This all uses up significant amounts of water and it can be easy to become dehydrated with so many distractions around you.

 

Dehydration can sap your energy levels and leave you with a bad headache that really takes the edge off your festival fun. Avoid reaching this stage by carrying a refillable water bottle with you (or a foldable pouch if you don’t want a plastic bottle to cramp your style). 

 

Set reminders on your phone to drink at regular intervals, and consider boosting your fluid absorption rates with a hydration tablet that can be dissolved in water. 

 

Avoid too much junk food

Healthy eating habits can go out of the window when you are in a crowd and there are tempting burger and chip vans wherever you look. However food is your fuel, and if you fill yourself with poor quality junk you will soon start to wilt. Many festivals today are now very clued up about food choices, and offer a great variety of nutritious and delicious food.

 

Look for food that is hydrating and filling, such as combinations of fresh salad, whole grains, grilled vegetables and lean meats or fish. Limit your intake of salts and sugars, as these can make it more difficult for your body to retain water and will not be sustaining throughout a long day. 

 

If it’s a huge and crowded affair, there can be long waits at the food stalls, so consider having meals earlier or later that you normally would to avoid queueing in the heat of the day. Take some sustaining snacks with you such as dried fruit and nuts and bananas.

 

Start packing early

If you are camping overnight, then you need to think carefully about what to bring so start a few days in advance. Inevitably, there will be something that you wish you had brought with you but you will know better next time! 

 

Essentials include a tent, sleeping bag and mat; a torch; your ticket, ID and wallet; plenty of water and a refillable bottle; toilet paper, tissues and baby wipes; wellies and other wet weather gear; a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses; a change of clothes; personal toiletries and medications; snacks; and if you are planning to do your own food, cooking tools. 

 

Get the logistics sorted

Make sure you know how and when to get there, sorting out routes and car parking if you are driving, and timetables if you are using public transport. Consider how easy it will be to get to the festival site from the station with all your belongings; should you book a taxi for example?

 

When you get home

Festivals can be draining as well as uplifting experiences, so give yourself some time to recover properly. If the weather has been very hot and sunny, consider replenishing your vitamin and mineral levels with an electrolyte tablet, as we lose these through sweat and bodily fluids.

 

If you caved into temptation and survived on stodgy junk food, cook yourself a nutritious meal with a good balance of proteins, whole grain carbs and fresh vegetables.  

 

If it was your first festival, reflect on the nature of the event and if it was right for you. There are hundreds of different types of festivals going on every year, and most of them specialise in a certain type of music or a particular vibe. If crowds are really not your thing, pick smaller festivals with fewer than 5,000 attendees next time. 

 

A festival is a significant investment of your time, cash and energy, so you want to be sure it suits your tastes and you remain in the best physical and mental shape over the duration to get the most out of it.