"Deluge" is the word of the day at FVB...

Deluge n. a: an overflowing of the land with water
               b: a drenching rain

Deluge still might not be the best word to describe the rainy weather we experienced.  In 4 years of festival travels this year's Wakarusa trip has seen more rain than all of them combined making it far too wet to pen updates to the blog.  We decided it was far too wet for camping in a state park today, so we changed our plans to stay in our hotel in Memphis for an extra night.  To cover some of the finer points of the trip thus far I'll spend the next couple of days going back over the shows and working up reviews of my top 5 or 6 shows.  But since the last update ended with a promise to go over some packing tips, I'll start there.

Having all the right gear before the festival starts is great, but it doesn't do you much good sitting in your front yard.  You've got to get it all down to the festival with you, and properly packing your vehicle can be the difference between an awesome weekend, and the time of your life.  You can try the "shove it all in and hope it fits" method if you'd like, but you'll spend most of your weekend looking for the things you'll need.

Packing Tip #1: KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED

This should seem pretty basic, because it is.  It's also very important so that no matter the situation you know where to find your gear you (or a neighbor) needs.  You'll want to keep all of your dry snack foods together, your beverages, your sleeping gear, and your party gear.  You can organize in whatever manner works the best for you, but you've got to keep it together.  We've found that using some plastic tubs with lids keeps things organized, easily loadable in vehicles, and most importantly it keeps your stuff dry (very important as we found out this weekend).  Keeping the tubs closed means that in the case of in-climate weather you can load your gear into the dry safety of your vehicle.

We've got tubs for: Snacks (beef jerky, chips, cookies, etc.), Dry Food (pancake mix, noodle mixes, hashbrowns, etc.), Party Gear (glowsticks, glow-in-the-dark paint, hats, etc.), and another box that houses the cooking equipment, paper towels, and bathroom tissue.

Packing Tip #2: PACK FOR AS MANY EVENTUALITIES AS POSSIBLE


It's impossible to know exactly what's going to happen while you're on a trip like this and roughing it a bit, but you can prepare for some likely scenarios.  As a force of habit, I always pack a pair of jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt.  Some nights can be chilly and shorts just won't cut it.  I also bring about 3-4 pairs of shoes so if something happens to one pair, I've got replacements.  As it turns out, this bit of preparedness came in handy this past weekend.  With all the rain on Friday came cooler temps, and muddy conditions, so I stayed warm, and dry (for the most part).  The point is, you can be prepared, without overpacking and the more prepared you are, the better your experience will probably be.

Packing Tip #3: PACK IN REVERSE


Following the usual rules of packing, you want your larger, heavier items on the bottom.  No sense in smashing your hamburger buns underneath a large cooler.  First off, it makes it hard to find the buns, and second, nobody likes flat buns (just as Sir Mix-a-lot).  So once you've got your fist layer down, make sure the stuff you're going to use first, goes in last.  Keep your tarps, tent, canopy, and lighter coolers on the top, or near the door to make it faster to get them out when you get to your site.  You can use the coolers, and tarps to block off your camping space while you set up your tent and canopy.  If you have to unload all of your stuff before that stuff comes out, you won't have much space for camp, or anywhere to set your tent up.

*Bonus Tip* Pack your firmly shaped items in first as they'll probably take up more room, and then you can cram sleeping bags, blankets, and more around those items in the gaps.

Getting everything packed up securely, in an organized way will help you arrive less stressed and ready for fun when you get there.  The joy of packing is getting it all unpacked to use at the festival of your choice.  As more packing tips and ideas come to me, I'll add them to the "Packing Appendix" below.  Stay tuned for reviews of the Wakarusa shows we were able to catch, and hopefully I'll be able to post an update or two while Bonnaroo is happening.






Packing Appendix


A: Pick a vehicle big enough for your needs. If you can take a van or an SUV that'd be ideal.  If you can only take a car, make sure you're getting at least the essentials in.

B: Just because you've got multiple cars doesn't mean you'll have enough room. If you're taking more than one car, it probably means you've got a group larger than 3-4 people.  It also means you'll need more gear, and more space to store it.