Music Festival Hints and Tips 2009!

Forums throughout the Internet are littered with thousands of comments of rumors and wishlist's, money is being saved for the most expensive year of tickets yet - yep, it must be heading toward Festival season once more.

Most major festivals are finalizing with their big name headliners, creating their own hype while leaving their fans guessing as to who is coming to rock their weekends this year. With news of bands reuniting and some bands returning to the UK for the first time in years there is as always a lot of excitement in the air in regard to the UK music festival scene.

Those of you sat back thinking that the price of the festival tickets has really took a steep turn upward this year should look back to last year and see how many festival goers chose to buy cheap tents and leave them behind rather than take them home. This is not only littering at it's peak causing festival heads to hire MORE clean up staff to clean up your mess but it is also really quite bad for the environment.

Tents are not that expensive, you wouldn't book your ticket on a whim, you'd think about it, are they the bands you like? is it a festival you can get too? Think of the same sort of questions when buying a tent. If you don't like putting a tent up then there are a large range of pop up tents that you can throw and the job is done for you. For those taking large groups of people why not club together and buy a family tent? This not only creates a party atmosphere right off the bat but also it gives you and your friends one tent to put up between all of you. Easy! If you don't want to see the festival ticket price's rise next year then don't give the festival owners any reason to do so. Clean up your own mess.

Also this year Gas Stoves are strictly banned from all festival sites. This does not mean you won't have anything to cook on because there are some cooking appliances you can take.

- Trangia Stoves - These are powered by Methylated spirits, not Gas.

- Fuel Blocks - Some are quite slow to cook, but perfectly festival legal

- Disposable BBQ's - These are becoming more and more popular among festival goers. At least you know what the burger you cook yourself is made out of!


Year after year you see more people struggle with hold alls, bin liners and anything else filled with their gear for the festival. This only inspires you to leave things behind. Pick up a camping rucksack, they aren't that expensive and they are durable enough to keep using year after year. Don't look for a quick fix, invest in something you want to use again. Not only does this afford you more space and better use of it, it also means you are more likely to take your things home.

If you do head for the festivals this year then be sure to check out the GO Outdoors Festival Guide for up to date news, line ups, information and of course a one stop shop for all your Festival Equipment.

GO Outdoors Festival Guide

That's all for now!

Brandon

Handy Tent Guide

Hints and tips for Tents

With the countries financial issues this year more and more people are expected to stay in England rather than head abroad. This could mean that you take the family on a camping holiday to one of the hundreds of Campsites over the United Kingdom, or maybe you're just a first time festival goer and you've just realized you have to come to grips with your tent now that you've spent all that money on a ticket.

So below you'll find some helpful hints for pitching and caring for your tent.


Before Your Trip

• It is advised to have a few practice's pitching your tent if you haven't before. This will allow you to familiarize you with the tent and to check if the tent has come with any major defects or has any pieces missing.

When Pitching

• If the tent pole jams when being threaded into it's sleeve it is likely one of the metal joints will have snagged on the material, check for where it is caught and release it.
• If the zips on the tent become difficult to close then move the tent pegs to ease the strain of the fabric.
• In warm temperatures the fly sheet will tighten, loosen the guy lines to prevent over-stressing the material.

Condensation

• Condensation is commonly mistaken for a leak in the tent but this is not the case.
• To minimise condensation roll up all storm flaps unless needed.
• Shake or wipe any moisture from the fly sheet, don't worry this will not impair the waterproofing.

Pole Care and Repair

• Start from the centre when folding poles, this will prevent excess strain and bending.
• If your shockcord fails it is possibble to still pitch. Replacement shockcords are available from most stores.
• Replacement pole sections for most tents areavailable from most GO Outdoors stores.

And possibly the worst bit about any camping trip is the prospect of getting the tent back in the small bag it came in. Well for most tents if you follow these simply rules you should be able to do just that.

• Fold the inner & outer into a long thin shape the width of the tent bag
• Roll the tent around the poles to help out the air
• The tent should now fit snuggly inside the bag

If you are staying in Britian or heading for a festival this year then don't forget GO Outdoors stocks a variety of different tents for different occasions. Pop up tents, Back packing tents, Family tents are all available online and in store.

Thanks

Brandon

How To Pack Your Rucksack

'So what is the best way to pack your backpack?'

It's always best to find out how to pack your rucksack before you head on out travelling, camping or even to a festival for the weekend. A well packed rucksack can be the difference between shoulder ache and comfort in travel. It could also save those embarrassing moments where you realize something you need in a hurry is actually half way down your pack and you're left rummaging around with a slightly red face.

When you pack your rucksack i believe there are four important aspects to keep in mind to spread the weight and keep you comfortable for the duration of your chosen activity.

1) Always pack the rucksack with all storage areas open - This enables the bag to extend to its full capacity so you know exactly how much room you have to use.

2) Pack the weight evenly on each side - This is for your own comfort, spread the weight evenly over both shoulders to make carrying easier.

3) Pack tightly with as fewer gaps as possible - This gives you more space and allows you to pack much more as well as helping with weight distribution.

4) Try to avoid fixing items to the outside of the pack - Sleeping mats and walking poles are exceptions here. This again helps with weight distribution and makes the pack more comfortable to carry.

Below is a diagram to show where certain types of items should be packed within the rucksack for ease of access when you need them in the event it starts to rain or you need a quick snack etc.



Find your travelling/Camping essentials at any GO Outdoors store or online at http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk


Hopefully this is of help!

Thanks for reading

Brandon