As Latitude draws to a close, all eyes are now on the next big event in the festival season – Global Gathering this coming Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford upon Avon.
Global Gathering is one of Europe’s biggest dance festivals and is due to be a sell-out again so get tickets while you can from www.globalgathering.co.uk. Some of the headliners this year are The Prodigy, Orbital, Pendulum, Paul van Dyk, Armin van Burren, David Guetta, Carl Cox, Sasha, Dubfire, Fedde Le Grande, ATB, Tiga and Sander van Doorn to name but a few! And brand new for this year is “The Godskitchen Boombox” which is going to be fantastic.
However, to make sure you get the max out of the music its worthwhile doing a little preparation before you travel to Stratford to start the festivities. So here’s our Top Ten Tips for camping at Global Gathering this year:
- Charge everything up to the max! No, not the credit card – that comes later, your electrical items. Charge up your mobile phone, ipod, camera and any other electrical items you will be taking with you, you don’t want to carry around dead weights.
- Check your camping cooker! Make sure that your cooker works AND that you’ve got a fresh gas canister. There’s nothing worse than running out half way through cooking when you’re hungry – that’s where you max the credit card! (Of course, if you’re awash with cash and can afford it, enjoy some of the great food on offer for the duration of the festival.)
- Travel light! Pack only the bare essentials and certainly minimise on any valuables you take with you. Use travel size toiletries where possible, everything from shower gel to toothpaste – you’ll be surprised how much room you can save in a cramped tent.
- Get there early! The car parks open at 10am on Friday and the VIP campsite opens at 11am, with the Weekend campsite opening at 12am, so you want to get in and get yourself organised nice and early ready to start the party.
- Pick a good spot! Don’t pitch your tent too close to the main pathways (easy access for passers-by that take a fancy to your belongings), toilets (mmm! lovely!), or dips in the ground (did you know that water runs downhill?).
- Get a locker! If you do take along any valuables and you do not intend to carry them round with you 24hrs a day, get a locker. It will save you loads of hassle and they also have the advantage that they have a 12v cigarette style power outlet so you can recharge phones etc if they die on you (should have followed tip number 1).
- Use sun lotion! It’s going to be a hot one so make sure it’s only the BBQ’s and grills that are sizzling. A neat little idea is a Piz Buin Sunband that slips round your wrist so you can carry it with you all day long.
- Take your “allowed” 2 litre bottles of water into the festival with you! Once you’ve drunk those you can refill them at the standpipes so you’ve always got some water either with you or back at the tent.
- Don’t forget to take insect repellent! Dawn and Dusk is when the mosquito’s like to “eat out” so make sure you’re either covered up (yeah, right!) or you’ve got some good insect repellent. Products containing the chemical DEET are proven to be the most effective but there are plenty of plant derived alternatives or natural products on the market. Have a look at something like a Mosi Band dry non toxic insect repellent wristband as an alternative to a spray.
- Postcode your camping gear! Not necessarily your own postcode and house number, perhaps a friend or relative, for just in case you leave anything behind or become separated from it on the way home. It makes it much easier to contact you and return it.
Here’s also a couple of useful links to the Global Gathering Festival Guide and a Festival Survival Kit.
Finally have FUN!
