STAY FESTIVAL FIT WITH OUR OXEGEN CAMPING TIPS!!

The Oxegen countdown is on! We’ve spoken to some Oxegen veterans to get you some essential tips and tricks to make sure your weekend runs smoothly so you can focus on having the time of your life! Go to our camping tips section for more!

Camping Tips

• First things first, take as little as you can survive with and nothing you’d mind losing!
• Download your map from oxegen.ie before you arrive. It’ll help you find everything you need on site.
• Bring multiple sizes of plastic zip-top bags to help store stuff! You can use smaller sandwich size ones to keep stuff like phones, maps etc. from getting wet or use bigger bags for clothes.
• Bring disinfectant hand-gel, a must when negotiating the portaloos!
• Bring some first aid essentials, like plasters and antiseptic wipes/cream, because you’re bound to trip over a tent rope at some stage.
• Bring sunscreen – be prepared!
• Bring a torch, for navigating the campsite late at night and don’t forget batteries for your torch.
• Bring a distinctive flag to tie from the top of your tent, for identification purposes. They all look pretty similar when it’s pitch-dark.
• Bring plenty of blankets. No matter how cosy your sleeping bag or how sunny it is during the day-time, it can get a bit cold in the tents at night-time.
• Make friends in your campsite……
• Don’t bring metal cutlery, can openers or other sharp objects with you as these will be confiscated.
• Don’t take anything you wouldn’t want to lose. Do you really need to take your ipod? There are lockers available on-site at The Lockerhouse to keep your essential valuables safe and secure.
• Don’t bring umbrellas. They are considered dangerous objects and are not allowed inside the festival venue.
• Don’t bring glass bottles with you to the campsite. Only plastic containers are allowed inside that area.
• You cannot take your own alcohol inside the concert venue either, no matter what the container.
• If you need to bring medication with you don’t take the labels off bottles or containers as unmarked tablets/pills could be confiscated.
• Don’t bring large sound-systems/speakers as these are not permitted in either the campsite or the venue.
• Don’t bring gazebos or marquees – only small personal tents are permitted in the campsite.
• Don’t bring your pets – even if they’re head-banging music freaks, they won’t be allowed in!
• Dry shampoo.
• The clothing you choose to wear at a festival is entirely up to you, just remember that you will certainly be dancing, sleeping, eating, and whatever else in these clothes so it is a good idea to bring things you do not mind getting dirty. Most likely you will find yourself at some point chilling on the ground, so bringing super-nice clothes is just a waste.
• Packing light can make your life a little easier so while planning your clothes try to think it through a bit.
• For example, bring things that have multiple purposes like light jackets that you can tie around your waist and use as cushion on the hard ground during the day the put on over your chilly sunburn at night etc.
• Layers are your best friend!
• Bring your wellies, even if the weather forecast predicts sunshine all weekend.
• Funky boots aside, the great thing about festival fashion is that anything goes! You’ll see everything from ball gowns and tuxedos to daft t-shirts and sandals, and everything in-between – yes even monkey suits and probably more than your fair share of mankinis! Don’t forget Friday the 8th is our Fancy Dress Day.
• For cool-camping gear check out the Oxegen Great Outdoors discount scheme. (see High Street Discounts).
• Test run putting your new tent up before you go as putting it up in the dark won’t be much fun, if it’s the first time.
• Arrive early for the best choice of pitches
• Choose a good pitch – preferably away from the toilets
• Pitch your tent within sight of landmarks you’ll remember and that will still be visible when you wake up to a field covered in thousands of other tents.
• Also take a look around and try to spot the “after party tent”. If you tend to be a person who enjoys staying up raging all night then embrace being close to this tent, contrariwise if you value getting any sort of sleep at all you may opt to seek out and avoid the neighbouring areas.
• Use old yoga mats to make a tent floor. To make a more comfortable bed place an egg crate on top of your air mattress and a towel underneath to soak up any condensation.
• For fun lighting that sets the mood better than a huge camping spotlight try the small solar lights that are made for walkways…there are some really fun options out there.
• Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Clear up your rubbish, smile at people, share, talk to the people camping near you, remember that people need to sleep even if you don’t. If someone’s in distress, help them. Respect yourself, respect your neighbours, respect the environment.
• Your The Ultimate Festival Checklist
• Tickets
• Over 17? Have you got your ID to prove it? If you’re blessed with youthful good looks make sure you do! Passport, driving licence, Garda ID or official school/ college ID and a colour photocopy of your passport.
• A waterproof jacket.
• A warm jumper or fleece.
• Some light-weight trousers that dry quickly.
• A pair of shorts/hotpants.
• A hat.
• Lots of warm socks.
• Boots, runners, sandals or flip flops.
• Money and cash card and remember to keep these with you, don’t just leave them in your tent.
• Tent, sleeping bag, blanket, and a pillow.
• Cheap Camera – or just use your phone.
• Mobile phone & charger – if you can try to switch it off when you’re not using it and when you’re asleep. Your battery will last longer and you’ll be doing the environment a favour too!
• Condoms – you never know you might just get lucky!
• Paracetamol or just drink some water before you go to bed.
• Sun cream and a hat as you’ll hopefully be in direct sunlight all day.
• Tin opener and bottle opener.
• Tissues and loo roll – try to buy the recycled type.
• Torch – everything looks different at night and that floral tent you bought thinking you’d be the only one with it…seems everyone else had the same idea!
• Toiletries and a towel.
• Hair brush, hair bands and a mirror.
• Lip balm.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste and some chewing gum/mints.
• Bikini or trunks for the showers.
• Wet wipes for when you just can’t be bothered with a shower!
• Sunglasses.
• Poncho – not very sexy but you’ll look better wearing that than a bin bag if it rains.
• Bin bags – put your clothes in one as you pack so they stay dry during the weekend. Please bag up all your rubbish and recycling and take them to the designatated litter and recycling point in your campsite area.
• Wellies.
• Water container – buy a large, empty water container from a camping shop that you can fill from the water points or buy one large bottle of water and re-fill this.
• A sense of humour and an open mind!