Camping Tips for Glastonbury + Where To Camp At Glastonbury Festival!
Plan to be prepared or prepare to fail!
Camping at Glastonbury isn’t as simple as just turning up, setting up your tent, and away you go. It takes preparation and planning to get a good festival camping spot and make sure you have everything you need for a fantastic festival. Follow these Tips & Hacks for Camping at Glastonbury Festival and I assure you, you’ll be ready to hit the festival fields at Worthy Farm!
Tip #1 – Know Where To Camp At Glastonbury.
My biggest and most important tip would be to know where to camp at Glastonbury. Do you want to camp near to where you parked your car? Do you want to be near the coach arrival/departure point? Do you want to camp with a group or near friends? Do you want to camp in style, glamp, or stay in a campervan or caravan? Knowing all this is a good starting point… then you can look into which Glastonbury campsite might be best for you!
You also want to be sure you get a good festival camping spot that’s not too close to toilets, not too far from the festival action, yet far enough from the hustle and bustle that you get some sleep.
READ MORE >> Where To Camp At A festival <<
Tip #2 – Choose The Right Glastonbury Campsite.
Now you know what kind of camping you want to do, picking exactly where you want to set up camp is your next mission. Choosing the right Glastonbury Festival campsite is REALLY important. I’ve written a whole separate post about this as there are so many to choose from, each with different pros and cons!
READ MORE >> Campsites at Glastonbury Festival <<
Each Glastonbury campsite is very different, so whether you want to party into the early hours, get a good night’s sleep at the festival, or have a bit more space to camp in a larger group, be sure to check out my post all about where to camp at Glastonbury.
Tip #3 – Take Flip Flops/Slides For The Showers & Toilets.
Make sure you take a pair of flip flops or slides to wear to the toilets, water points or in the showers. Think how many people are using them and having bare feet will soon become a disgusting prospect.
READ MORE >> ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL PACKING LIST <<
Tip #4 – Glastonbury Toilets: When’s/where’s best to go!
Not only is it important to take the correct footwear for the toilets, but knowing when and where to find a decent toilet is just as important.
When: The Glastonbury toilets near the campsites are busiest in the mornings and early evenings. Think rush hour traffic vibes… 6.30am-9am will be VERY busy and queues are likely to be longer! Between 5-7pm people tend to pop back to their tents to change, pre-drink, chill and have a trip to the toilets before heading back out for the evening ahead. This means between these times, expect more people and longer wait times for the toilet facilities.
Where: Knowing which toilets to go to is vital. At certain times of the day, mainly in the mornings, the campsite toilets will be BUSY! Whereas during the headline acts or in the middle of the day, the toilets near the stages will be busier and so heading to the campsite or away from the stages will be a good way to get in quicker.
FESTIVAL HACK : You can avoid the festival toilets altogether with a few handy tips and extras to add to your Glastonbury packing list >> How To Avoid Festival Toilets. My Alternatives <<
FESTIVAL HACK: I ALWAYS take my Sheewee and Peebol Pocket Toilet for Glastonbury! They are lifesavers! In the morning the queues for the campsite toilets are HUGE. I totally avoid them by using my Sheewee and a Peebol inside my tent – 100% private, no queue, no mess, EASY PEASY!
Tip #5 – Take A Big Enough Tent.
This was a festival mistake I made once! Make sure you take a tent which is big enough. I always try to take a tent that has a separate porch to the sleeping area so that I can keep muddy, wet clothes out of the way. I also prefer to take a tent which is for 3 or more people (even if it’s just for me) and one that I can stand up in. It makes getting changed so much easier and there is plenty of space to sit in it should it start to rain!
Tip #6 – Wear Something Comfy To Arrive In.
Don’t worry about what you’re wearing to arrive in for Glastonbury, being comfortable is a must! Wear comfortable shoes or your walking boots/wellies as you’re likely going to be walking a long way to find a camping spot whilst carrying all your stuff. Trust me, I know this from personal experience – I was so sweaty and hot when I arrived having carried all my stuff across the Glastonbury festival site, found a camping spot, and finally put up the tent. I was so glad I hadn’t worried about my outfit and just wore a comfy T-shirt and shorts. Save your nice outfits and glittery extras for once you are set up and ready to roll.
Tip #7 – Take An Extra Ground Sheet.
When you first arrive at the festival, there are hundreds of other people all putting up their tents and the spaces around you will quickly fill up. If you are wanting to save space for friends, or make sure you have an area in the middle of your group for a blanket or chairs, use a spare groundsheet to save the space. Get a bigger one than you think you will need, and peg it to the floor. That way newcomers won’t set up their tents in that space and you will have an extra groundsheet to sit on or under, once your friends arrive and set up camp.
Tip #8 – Be A Good Neighbour.
Festivals are a fantastic opportunity to meet new people so make sure you introduce yourself to your neighbours. Share a beer and a story or two, ask them who they are excited to see at the festival and be friendly. Also from a safety perspective, having your neighbours know who is camping next to them, means that if someone they don’t know is stumbling around your tent, or taking a peek inside it, they could approach them and look out for you!
Tip #9 – Leave No Trace.
Glastonbury festival champions it’s ‘leave no trace‘ initiative whereby they expect, and rightly so, that everyone will take their tents and other rubbish with them at the end of the festival. As festivals go, Glastonbury, from what I have seen, is actually pretty good. Festi-goers do tend to take their belongings with them at the end rather than just leaving everything where it stands when they leave. If you’re camping and you take a tent, chair, gazebo, or whatever else with you… it’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to take it home with you or dispose of it in an eco-friendly and appropriate way. I was horrified at the amount of rubbish, abandoned tents and other crap left behind at some of the other festivals I have been to!
Tip #10 – Practice Putting Up Your Tent Before You Arrive.
This is something which I think is a great camping tip for any festival but it’s especially important if your tent is new or hasn’t been used in years. Practice putting up your tent before you arrive at the festival in your garden or a local park.
If your tent is new, putting it up for the first time can take longer than you expect. Having a trial run allows you to figure out which way the polls are supposed to go and means you can see how big the tent will be once erect! This means when you arrive at your chosen Glastonbury campsite and are looking for a possible spot, you will know how much space you will need once it’s up!
If your tent has been sitting in your shed/attic for a year or two collecting dust, it’s likely it will need re-waterproofing which can be done easily with a waterproofing spray. I did this for my tent one year and it was such a great idea! Checking your tent beforehand will also mean you’re able to discover whether you have any tent pegs left, or if they are bent to all hell and need replacing BEFORE you set off, this way you can be sure you avoid any nasty surprises!
Tip #11 – Take Something To Sit On.
So you’re probably already thinking you’ve packed too much for Glastonbury, but if you can, take something to sit on. I took a camping chair with me and although it was a bit of a pain to carry, I was so glad to have a chair to sit on after hours of standing, walking, or sitting on the floor. It’s also really nice to have something to hold your drink whilst you are sitting down. One, it doesn’t get warm whilst you hold it, but also it won’t get knocked over by a passer-by!
Tip #12 – Take Extra Tent Pegs & A Rubber Mallet.
Glastonbury in 2019 was so hot and dry that the ground was incredibly hard! This meant that cheap tent pegs being pushed in with the sole of a shoe were getting very bent! To avoid this, I always take a small rubber mallet with me and extra tent pegs! Not only is it WAY easier to hammer in your tent pegs with a mallet, you have less tent peg casualties and don’t ruin your shoes!
Tip #13 – Don’t Spend All Day In The Campsite.
It’s pretty common for some festi-goers to sit in the campsite until the late afternoon and then wander (or stumble in some cases) to the stages ready for the night ahead. Don’t be this person and spend all day sitting in the campsite at Glastonbury. Walk around and explore all that Glastonbury has to offer. Not only are there amazing food stands to sample, there are also loads of activities going on for you to turn your hand at! Crafts, educational talks, comedy, yoga, meditation, inspirational speakers and much more… Not walking around and exploring more during Glastonbury in 2019 was one of my 5 Glastonbury Festival Mistakes – I won’t be making it again that’s for sure!
>> More Glastonbury Festival Tips <<<
Been to Glastonbury and got more tips? Write them in the comments below so that your fellow festi-lovers & I can use them next time we go!
Happy Camping
X
Sophie – TFB
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