Just wondered - I have a 'cheap' 2nd hand tent that I use for festivals - do you have a special tent for festivals (larger, smaller, cheaper than normal etc) or do you just use the one you usually camp in?
I'm always afraid of vomit down the side of an expensive one!!
although with no fire breaks at most festivals I guess dying in an inferno should be my biggest fear!
I dont usually go to festivals to be honest.. just not my thing. I would like to go one year, my mate keeps trying to get me to go to the V fest with her but I know for a fact I would be buying a cheapy tent to go in.. wouldnt take main tent
There was something posted on here a couple of weeks ago about the new craze of tent diving, where the idiots just go around diving on a strangers tent smashing the poles, etc.
Me and hubby have been going to V fest for the past 6 years and I would never take my "normal" tent - we have a little 3 man tent that we take, very easy to set up - bit of a pain not being able to stand up in to get dressed but to be honest for the festival weekend it's not a problem when it's just me and hubby. I've seen men peeing up tents etc. and would hate somebody to be doing that to my Vango Icarus - whereas i'm not overly fussed in the 3 man (although still wouldn't be best pleased!!) The state of some of the tents at the end of the weekend is not a pretty sight!!!
Depends on the festival! When we go to Fairport Conventions Cropredy festival, we can park next to the tent and we take our lovely canvas tent, it's a very civilised festival :)
First time we went to Glastonbury we took a small 3 man dome with a porch for muddy boots, but it really is a pain not being able to stand up! The second time we went we bought a cheap gelert cadiz 7 for 3 of us! We have never had a tent damaged, but would still not risk a cherished tent!
Have to admit to now camping off site when we go to Glastonbury, getting too old for trekking miles with all of our gear!
There was something posted on here a couple of weeks ago about the new craze of tent diving, where the idiots just go around diving on a strangers tent smashing the poles, etc
remind me to set spiked interior poles up as traps......although the blood may be tricky to wash from the canvas.....
depends where you are camping too, if you are in a family field you may find it's a lot calmer than in the throngs of crowds, less idiots.
------------- Single mum of 4 crazy children!!
2011 So far...
April - 2 nights in Easter Hols in Haven, Burnham (down the road).
Taking my sister and family for a trial camp locally 20th May
GLASTONBURY!! And *no* kids this year!! (Working: secure camping too!)
Chy Carne July/Aug 2011...
i have been before BTW - just wondered what everyone else did. I have a £20 ebay buy (canvas pyramid still though!) that I take. Never had an issue with trouble, but see a lot of people with HUGE family tents and all the equipment, so I wondered if I was odd in being cheap and minimal
I'll be at Camp Bestival (amongst others) this year
In my younger days I took a cheap 3 man dome tent to festivals - I was always told "only take to a festival what you don't mind coming home without"
Planning to do 4 festivals this year which are all very family friendly and we'll be pitched in the quiet/family areas so hoping to come away with minimal/no damage to the tent!! Have got the Vango Green Tee 500 DLX as I wanted standing room but small footprint and I'll also be using my Pro Action 2 man pink flowery tent too.
If you are going to a 'big' festival then a few things to consider are the distance you have to carry everything from car park to campsite, the lack of space to pitch bigger tents, and the likelihood of someone falling over your guyropes in the dark and damaging the tent. These aren't really problems at family festivals like Cropedy.
I've always used a Khyam Highlander just for big festivals - very fast to erect, quite light (I've carried it to festivals on public transport), and stable as soon as it is clipped together so there is no need for guyropes. It cost about £140 and its done about twenty festivals so its much better value for money than buying a very cheap 'disposable' tent each year too.
We usually take old tents that we've stopped using for normal camping. That way we still get plenty of room, but don't mind if something happens to it. Definately wouldn't take one of our best ones as it's not just other folk falling over worse for wear you have to worry about
------------- Current tents in use: 5m Bell, Obelink Palamos 6, Vango Tornado 300 Vango Force 10 Mk3, Hypercamp Eldorado & Orange Raclet
To answer the OP, I tend to advise 'take nothing to a festival that you don't mind losing'. So that means a cheap'n'cheerful tent and kit.
On the other hand, as others have said above, some festivals are much more civilised than others - the example of Fairport's Cropredy Convention (details on this UKCS page is a good instance) - and many festivals have a family area.
The smaller the festival, generally speaking, the easier the camping arrangements. The younger the audience, the more high spirits and irresponsible behaviour. Go for small-scale old fogey events .
As to Glasto, in my experience it can get pretty drunken and boisterous and, depending on when and where you arrive, you can face a very long trek between car and campsite. Dunno why I still go...