First Timers Guide

Decided to write a guide on tips and hints for all the T virgins out there. WHAT TO TAKE: A tent Sleeping Bag Clothes for every condition- Waterproofs and wellies incase of rain Shorts and T-shirt incase of sunshine Usually you'll find that the 4 Seasons all come in one day at T in the Park so a nice combination of shorts and wellies never goes a miss. Baby wipes- Replaces the need for a shower. Immodium- Self explanatory really but in short terms it will bung you up long enough to not need to use the portaloos for the whole weekend. Brush always, not as effective as toothbrush but does the job in the short term. Rucksack/Kitbag First aid essentials ( plasters, paracetamol, etc) there are first aid booths all over the campsite. Contraception, although it is advised never to touch anyone after the first day for obvious reasons. ( HINT: no showers) If getting a self hired bus down usually you will be dropped off at the drop off point meaning you face the walk of death. WHAT IS THE WALK OF DEATH? Well the walk of death is basically how far you have to walk from the drop off point to the actual campsite entrance. Usually takes a good half an hour to walk as you will usually encounter fatigue, drink stops, loss of items on the way there. To make this easier a lot of people like to take Wheelbarrows, Sleds, wheelie bins to carry all their luggage and alcohol in, but usually you will see everything falling off of these after a short while so i find it most effective to just sweat it out and carry everything by hand. Alcohol is usually a must but be sure to put everything into plastic bottles before heading down as no glass bottles are allowed into the campsite. THE CAMPSITE In order to get into the campsite you must queue and allow your ticket to be scanned, so be sure to have your tickets at the ready. Once you have had your ticket scanned, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY, as you will need it to gain access to the arena every time you go in. I cannot stress this enough how much you need to keep the ticket in a safe place.....NO TICKET = NO MUSIC You will then be given a band which will be securely tightened round your wrist to make sure it cannot come off. Now that you're in, you have to find a space to camp. Depending on the time you arrive there will either be a lot of space or very limited spaces left. The campsite is split into several coloured Zones. When choosing a spot be sure to avoid the following: Camping at the bottom of a hill( all the water will run down a hill if it rains and can end up in a muddy disaster) Camping beside toilets ( rather obvious) Camping too far away from the arena ( good if you want a descent nights sleep) The campsite has many different forms of entertainment varying from the Duracell Dance tent, to the Cinema. Alongside these are various food stalls which are your main point of call when hungry. Saves taking food with you. There are lots of different food stalls to choose from catering for all different tastes and are all quite reasonably priced. The campsite has portaloos stationed all around it, which are cleaned every day. These portaloos are an experience to say the least, you will know what I mean when you get there, because by the end of the day they are basically untouchable. So try and go in the morning or just after they have been emptied. THE ARENA The arena is where is all happens. To get into the arena you will need both your ticket and your band so have these at the ready when entering the arena. You will not be allowed into the arena with any open containers, so finish these before reaching the gates. or just sneak a few in somehow :-p once into the arena you will be presented with many different parts of t inthe park. There are two outdoor stages, the NME stage and the MAIN stage. It is advised that first timers buy a map of the campsite to get to know the way about. If there are no bands on that you wish to see why not get to know the arena a bit more by having a wander about. There are also lots of different food stalls and entertainment in the arena so you will never be without food or alcohol or excitement. The arena also has portaloos and urinals. Women can buy a pack of P-Mate's which is basically just a cardboard funnel allowing women to use urinals as well as the portaloos. That is about as much as I can think of just now in the way of hints and tips, Feel free to add any suggestions in the comments if you have any more. Thanks and enjoy T in the Park everyone.