Odds and ends

A couple of questions/concerns that have come up lately;

How much space do we have to camp?
  About 10 ft x 10 ft.  It's the width of your vehicle (+ half the distance to the next one) by 10 - 15 ft deep.  There aren't lines painted on the ground or anything like that, make nice with your neighbors (really, very first thing after you get out of your car, walk over, introduce yourself, offer them a beer, whatever.  It will pay dividends, plus it's the personable thing to do), it should be fine.

What's the story with Tent Only?
  Tent Only is an increasingly small area very close to Centeroo where you can haul your stuff and set up your campsite.  You have to carry (on foot) your gear over there.  It has gotten more popular every year, and every year they make it smaller (got to make room for "Groop Camping" and "Tent City", etc), so it has gotten somewhat packed.  It is the only place at 'roo that I camp; the best scene at the farm.  If you are interested in it, go over to inforoo.com forums and check out the threads about it.

Help, I've never camped or anything like that!
 Camping isn't hard, especially at a festival like Bonnaroo.  Some important things in no real order.  Practice setting up your tent at least once at home before going to 'roo.  This is my 9th year going and I still do this; I've saved myself from the "oh crap, the tent stakes are still in my basement" moment.  Water, water and more water (did I mention drinking water?).  Comfortable shoes are an absolute must.  You'll do more walking than you expect at 'roo.  Sunscreen obviously.

Daytripper Checklist

Leela over at Bodyworker.org has an excellent Bonnaroo guide out.  She definitely knows her stuff, I'd put it in the "must read" 'roo guide list.  Check it out!

Bonnaroo 2013 annotated schedule

I generally don't decide who I'm going to see ahead of time so I like to put together a schedule w/ a quick description of the general type of music each band is playing so I can choose based upon what I'm in the mood for at the moment. I've put them online and people have liked them, here's this year's;

• Google Docs

• or a preformatted pdf with one page per day

I got most of the genres from this great post on Inforoo.  Any mistakes are probably mine, please feel free to comment or email any corrections/suggestions.

Best shoes for Bonnaroo

So, what footwear to bring to Bonnaroo?  This is actually pretty important, you'll do a lot of walking at 'roo.  Your campsite could be a 20 min walk from Centeroo, there are 5 main stages, a handful of smaller ones, official vendors, Shakedown Street, etc..  A lot of places to be and your feet are your transportation.  So, in no particular order.

Tevas

Great sandals, very good for festivals.  If I was only going to bring one pair of shoes to Bonnaroo, it would be my Tevas.  They are light, comfortable, sturdy and have very good tread that doesn't slip in the mud.  Your feet will get dirty, but honestly, so will the rest of you.  Just remember to put sunscreen on the top of your feet.

Flip-flops

Fine if it is dry, but bad choice if we get rain.  They are comfortable but absolutely shite in the mud, which can very often look like this;

If you walk through mud in flip-flops; you put your foot down, it get sucked into the mud, you pull your foot up, the flip-flop gets stuck, it pulls loose, it flips mud up your back, repeat.

Crocs

I've never worn them,  a lot of people swear by them.  They seem to work fine for festivals.

Sneakers (or trainers for the UK types)

They are OK (the above survived Woodstock '94).  They can get waterlogged, that can get uncomfortable.  Wear good socks.

Five Fingers

My favorite shoes.  If you like going barefoot these are great.  If you have a pair you know how good these are.  One word of caution, the KSO's (and any others with slick razor siped soles) will slip in the mud.  Shouldn't be a problem with the knobblier soled ones.

Boots

Boots are great for when and if it rains.  The past few years we've been lucky and the weather has been dry at 'roo.  I still keep a good pair of waterproof hiking boots (and good socks) in my truck just in case we get another 40 day flood in Manchester.

When to get to a stage

Reader question:

...I was wondering what time I should get to a stage to see a band at a relatively close distance

 The answer to your question is a big "it depends". Last year at the main stage I got right up to see the Beach Boys getting there about 20 min beforehand. I've also seen people getting in line for Phish at 11 am (for a 9 pm show). It depends entirely on how popular the act is. For the smaller stages I'd start working my way towards the front when the previous band is still playing, then hustle to the front when the place clears out.

Another survival guide

Just came across another survival guide.  I don't know who wrote it but it goes into more detail about some things (drugs) than my guide or blog does.  Worth a read.  Favorite line,

The campgrounds look like a cross between an unusually well fed refugee camp and a giant block party.

Parking together

Here's another question I get frequently:

Can you give me some tips on parking multiple cars together? I'm going to be traveling down with at least one other group and we want to make sure are parked next to each other. Can we just ask the security to have us parked together?

It shouldn't be much of a problem parking together. Make sure you keep the cars together going through the line to get in. Have all the cars go through the same booth driving in, make sure to wait for all the cars to get through before continuing on. From what I've heard the security and parking staff are cool w/ keeping groups together, just let them know. Just make sure not to get separated, if you get sent towards different lots there is no way you'll be able to get back together.

When to get to a stage to see a band

Reader question:

hey, this will be my first time attending Bonnaroo and I was wondering what time I should get to a stage to see a band at a relatively close distance

The answer to your question is a big "it depends". Last year at the main stage I got right up to see the Beach Boys getting there ~20 min beforehand. I've also seen people getting in line for Phish at 11 am (for a 9ish pm show). It depends entirely on how popular the act is. For the smaller stages I'd start working my way towards the front when the previous band is still playing, then hustle to the front when the place clears out.

Campsite security

A reader asked the following question, "Do you have any tips on keeping your stuff safe at your camp site?".  The question was particularly about the tent only area but my answer can be applied to anywhere.

The main thing I do is not leave anything real valuable at my site. I leave most of my $ and cell phone locked in my truck. In the morning I wander over there, get any cash I need, call home to let everyone know I'm still alive, then lock everything back up. Another (obvious) thing is not to leave valuable stuff in plain sight. There isn't a lot of theft from campsites, but what theft does occur is usually just people grabbing a bag off of a chair or from an open tent as they walk by. If you are camping in tent only, I'd advise not camping right along a road or near a corner of the space where a lot of people will cut through. The less traffic, the fewer people walking by who might grab something.
I wind up bringing a decent amount of stuff so I keep most of my gear in a locked medium sized Actionpacker cargo box that I drag to the campsite. Theoretically someone could just boost the whole box and then try to break it open but most thieves at 'roo are just going for the low hanging fruit.

Parents' Guide revisited

I had a parent of an older teen ask of Bonnaroo, "Is it worth the money? ... Is it safe?"  Here's a edited version of what I wrote back.

Is it worth the money?  I can say it is for me, but this year will
be my 9th time going, so I may be a little biased.  Given the number of bands that you can see over the long weekend, I think it is a good buy.  I have kids, so I'm not able to get to as many shows during the year as I used to, Bonnaroo is a great chance to"catch up" for me.

  Is it safe?  Mostly yes [...] here is what I think the most important consideration is. How mature and responsible do you think your child is?  The reason I ask is that 'roo is like most of the world, if you are smart and don't go looking for trouble, trouble will probably pass you by.  However, if you are less than smart or actively go looking for trouble, there is plenty of trouble to be found.  For the average older teen I'd think the two main dangers are the heat and drink/drugs (and they are related).

  Last year was not bad weather wise, but some years 'roo has been brutally hot and sunny.  Talking w/ the people in the medical tents, the majority of cases they see are for dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  This is avoidable if you pay attention, drink LOTS of water (there are free water stations), wear light colored clothes, hang out in the shade when you can, pace yourself.

  There are drugs and alcohol at Bonnaroo.  Both are easy to get, even for a teenager.  Nobody is going to be pressuring your child to take drugs, but there are plenty of people happy to sell them if he's interested.  Few people OD on drugs at 'roo (there isn't much "hard" stuff), but Ecstacy ("X" or "Molly") can increase dehydration, which can be a big problem.

  Personal violence isn't a problem at Bonnaroo.  I don't think I've ever seen a fight there.  I'd not worry too much about that.

  I really hope I didn't scare you; the VAST majority of people leave Bonnaroo with nothing worse than sore feet, smelly clothes, a little bit of sleep deprivation (shows go until 3am) and a whole lot of great memories.  About 80,000 people go to 'roo every year and there are very few problems.  I've been to a bunch of fests and Bonnaroo is actually very well run.

Bonnaroo 2013 Lineup Announced!

This years lineup just dropped!  They will most likely add additional performers in the coming weeks.

Parents' Guide to Bonnaroo

Should I let my child go to Bonnaroo?

I often get from readers of this blog and the Survival Guide questions that could be summed up as "Should I let my son/daughter go to Bonnaroo?"  Being a parent myself I understand the concerns.  I'm not going to cover "Should I take my child to Bonnaroo with me?", this is aimed more at the parents of older teenagers (15-17ish) who are considering letting their kids go to Bonnaroo alone or with friends.  15-17 is a very arbitrary range, it is ultimately up to you to decide what is an acceptable age.

The obvious concern that all parents have is the safety of their children.  In terms of physical security, Bonnaroo is pretty safe.  There is little in the way of violence at 'roo; for the most part, people are there to have a good time.  As far as sexual harassment goes, most women I've spoken with have felt safe at Bonnaroo.  There are always a few loud drunk idiots being crude, but this is the exception rather than the rule.  If someone is being hassled, Bonnaroo is packed with people day and night, if someone yells "HELP" there are going to be a couple of dozen people within earshot and people do a pretty good job of looking out for one another at 'roo.  That being said, common sense is still needed, no one should wander off with a stranger (or their new best friend that they met an hour before) to some dark corner at 1:00 am.

Both drugs and alcohol are easy to come by at Bonnaroo.  Truly "hard" drugs are not very prevalent, but pot and ecstasy (AKA "Molly") are common.  There aren't going to be "pushers" like in the Very Special after school TV shows, but drugs and booze can be obtained.  Plenty of people partake at Bonnaroo, plenty of people don't.  As a parent, you need to make a decision if you are comfortable with your child being around this and whether or not they are mature and responsible enough to be smart about it.

THIS PART IS IMPORTANT!!!
One of the biggest concerns for a teenager, or anyone for that matter, is the heat.  Bonnaroo is a four day festival, outside, in Tennessee, in the summer, without a whole lot of shade.  It is critically important to be smart about taking care of yourself in the heat.  There are free water stations throughout Bonnaroo, USE THEM!  The sun is bright, wear a hat w/ a brim.  Don't wear black or dark colors, no matter how hip the t-shirt is.  Sunscreen, if you normally wear SPF 15, bring 45, wear it.  If you are feeling a little run down, get in the shade or in a misting tent for a spell.  If you, or someone you are with, start showing or feeling the signs of heatstroke, get to a medical tent or flag down the nearest security person for help.

You are going to want your child to keep in touch with you at Bonnaroo.  However, most people's cell phone batteries die after a day or so.  If you want them to be able to get in touch, make sure they have a car charger, a spare (charged) battery, etc.  Bonnaroo is loud, so it is probably unrealistic to expect your child to answer their cell anytime you call.  What I do (and suggest) is; call home in the morning, let everyone know I'm OK, turn off my phone, leave it in my truck where its safe, repeat the next morning.

These are just a few thoughts about letting kids go to Bonnaroo, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me, the address is toward to top right part of the page.