It’s that time of year again we get hyped about the biggest metal festival in the UK – Bloodstock Open Air. If you are a long-term RAMzine reader: you will know we always ask the BOA community to get involved with these pieces. As this may be people’s first festival in 2 years, or at all, we have reached out and asked your fellow Bloodstockers tips on surviving the five days of metal.
Festivals are amazing experiences, but sometimes the camping situation can hinder that for some. So we asked members of Facebook groups BMF 666, Bloodstock Metal Dating, and Bloodstock 2021 Here We Come, as well as other social media outlets for their own trade secrets to a successful weekend.
WARNING: there is mention of toiletry and sexual habits in these comments, so make sure you aren’t eating.
“An empty (unrinsed) fabric softener bottle makes a great tent pee bottle. The dregs of the fabric softener cover the smell of stale pee (for a while)”.
Stuart, BMF 666
“Don’t park your tent on the side of the lanes. Use glow-in-dark guidelines. Put up your tent before you get on the alcohol “
Kim, BMF 666
“Look after your feet and always keep your eyes on the floor for treasure and trip hazards “
Carrie, Bloodstock Metal Dating
“Bring a month’s worth of booze, a tent, and parties games. Get condoms just in case you get lucky!“
Natasha, Bloodstock 2021 Here Come.
“[You need]Plenty of baby wipes, battery charger pack is a must, plenty of sun cream in case or hat too..waterproofs can also be a plus, good sleeping bag for the night as it gets cold….a folding chair for camp…“
Stuart, Bloodstock 2021 Here We Come.
“If you want a quiet night don’t camp Midgard (lol), it’s an open-air rock club!”
Simon, Bloodstock 2021 Here We Come.
“If you feel the cold like me, my top tip is plenty of fleece blankets. They’re light and make a massive difference inside and underneath the sleeping bag… when it rains it gets REALLY wet. If you can’t stretch to waterproofs, tons of dry underwear and clothes so that you don’t catch your death … Also turn WiFi and data off as this will save battery power. Just make sure your friends/family know to text you not WhatsApp or Facebook messenger you as these won’t work if days and WiFi is off … As much as it means you have to be a bit more careful, take some cash. Also, sleep with your wallet and phone inside your sleeping bag to prevent you from being a victim of those pesky sticky-fingered [thieves]…Get a head torch! That way you can see in your tent and see your way through a sea of tents when you need to leave your tent at night…bin bags! Something to keep the campsite tidy but also come in very handy for leaky tents (take duct tape too) and they can also be a makeshift waterproof top … lastly, and I know this sounds boring, if you want to party all night then that’s great, I’m all for it! But please camp in Midgard and only Midgard. Don’t be that person that ruins things for people trying to sleep and therefore ruining their festival. We all make happy differently and some people just need their beauty sleep to ensure they enjoy themselves”.
Helen, Bloodstock 2021 Here We Come (this is the edited version…)
“Plenty of baby wipes. A battery charger pack is a must. Plenty of sun cream in case, or a hat too. Waterproofs can also be a plus. good sleeping bag for the night as it gets cold….beer has been covered. A folding chair for camp…”
Stuart, Bloodstock 2021 Here We Come.
“Sun cream … Don’t forget it, even if it’s raining“
Tom, Facebook
“Pack for all types of weather and temperatures.Hydration.Prepare yourself, all this time without festivals will take some sort of toll on the body… Even more so with an extra day!”
Ash Crowson, RAMzine Senior Contributor / Photographer / Bloodstock Veteran
“Try a quality pair of walking boots rather than your traditional wellies. They are more mobile, will last you longer, more comfortable, and easier to manage”.
Anon
And most importantly
“Don’t be a dick!”
Stiamh, Bloodstock Metal Dating.
Any other tips? Let us know in the comments or via social media.
Bloodstock Festival takes place August 11-15th at Catton Park, Derbyshire. You can get your tickets here.
The time has come to unleash the madness. We are doing VIP this year but being a festival veteran I would say always have a base to meet others at after a band such as the infamous Lemmy Bar. This way you won’t always loose each other. Paracetamol or hydration tablets are a must. You will have a headache from either a lot of drinking or sunstroke lol so this will be needed. Take snacks, after years of bringing food its just best to buy it there. Cooking something whilst hungover or drunk its quite frankly a stupid idea lol I recommend brioche for breakfast as it will help soak up the previous nights alcohol . Most of all enjoy and help a brother or sister out if they fall in the mosh pit. See you all there x