Festival season is right around the corner and with it comes the excitement of choosing, planning and preparing for the summers festivals and raves.
We want to make sure you have a great time at the events this year so we’ve created a list of our top 10 tips to having a safe and enjoyable time at the festival or rave this summer.
1.Remember to hydrate (and alcohol doesn’t count)!
Make sure you figure out what the festivals water situation will be, whether if there are only a few designated water sources in the central area, or if you need to bring in all your own water from outside. The last thing you want to happen is to end up in the middle of a concert set with no water and the only source is 12$ bottles or a water supply tent that’s 2 miles away. Camelbaks or other water carrying backpacks can be invaluable at a festival!
Secondly, it’s important to know that electrolytes can be equally as important as water. There are great tasting electrolyte packs available on amazon that will replete some of the things you lose in your sweat, and these electrolytes can help to protect you from dehydration, heat stroke and cerebral edema in cases of accidentally water overdose. Their importance cannot be overstated!
2. Have a designated meeting place in case someone gets lost, and travel to the bathroom in pairs
If you go to enough festivals you’re bound to end up in a situation where you somehow lose track of your friends. Between the massive crowds, the reality altering substances, and sleep deprivation, it’s really easy to happen. By choosing a central meeting point if you get separated from your crew, you can be sure that the split won’t be for long. Make sure you set up a specific location and time, to prevent anyone having to wait to long. And by traveling to the bathroom in pairs( this is a notorious time to get lost from the group) you have a better chance of two people figuring out where you are supposed to return to in the crowd than one, and if that fails, atleast you can party as a solo pair.
3.Say yes to new experiences (responsibly)
Festivals can be the perfect opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and experience new things. Hang out with a like-minded group of people you meet at your campsite, take a chance on seeing an artist you have never heard of before, stay up to see the sunrise with your crew, dance shamelessly in a crowd without worrying how you look. Festivals are known for being a free and disinhibited environment that make it easy to loosen up and be your best version of yourself. Is there a certain substance you have been waiting to try but haven’t had the right setting to use it? This may be the time (more advice on safely doing this below).
4.Be aware of your surroundings
Most people you meet at festivals are kind and there to enjoy themselves just like you, however, there are some people that come to these events to take advantage of the patrons. Just a few years ago at Coachella one man was caught with over 100 iphones he had stolen from people who were enjoying themselves in the crowd. Undercover police are almost always present in some degree (look for the fit men with buzz cuts and stereotypical clothing like tye dye shirts) and they are known to come around asking for drugs. Lastly, use standard precautions like being skeptical about any beverage someone offers you that wasn’t opened in front of you, don’t leave your drink unattended around people you’re unfamiliar with. Likewise, keep your eyes out for people that look like they may be getting taken advantage of. If you see someone who looks extremely intoxicated, make sure they make it to their tent safe, and that the person they’re with has their best interest in mind and isn’t trying to take advantage of them. It is horrible to even say but sexual assault is not unheard of at these types of events.
5. Bring an external battery to charge your phone
This is not an endorsement to stay on your phone the whole festival because part of the fun is soaking in the environment and tuning out of social media for the weekend, however you will absolutely want to have your phone available if you need to make an emergency, general internet usage and to take photos throughout the weekend.
6. Watch your alcohol intake
This one is self explanatory. Alcohol can be a ton of fun when used in reasonable amounts, but it can also lead you to a crushing hangover that will cause you to miss a big part of the next day if you overdo it. People often show up to the event and start going hard right away, and it’s not unheard of to pass out within hours of showing up . You don’t want to be one of these people. Pace yourself and remember if you start drinking early in the day you may not make it to the main event later in the evening, so try to be tactical about your alcohol intake.
7. Party responsibly- Use a drug testing kit
Festivals are the perfect place to explore your consciousness and by following a few simple rules you can greatly reduce your risk of having a bad experience. Never ingest a substance if you’re uncertain of its contents. Reagent tests can eliminate doubt and give you the confidence to know that you are setting out on the experience you signed up for and not about to spend the next 24 hours wide-eyed tweaking on the breaking bad special. Fent and fent analogs are unfortunately becoming more and more common in the US drug supply and there are no exemptions to where it might possibly be found. Protect yourself and your friends by using testing stips. Thankfully Elevation Chemicals is here to help. We have the reagent tests and testing strips to give you the peace of mind while you explore your psyche. Please message or chat us at any time for test recommendations or questions regarding drug testing.
8. Ease the post-festival blues with supplements
Days of partying hard can leave you feeling depleted and depressed at the idea of returning to the routine daily of life. Supplements aimed at repleting important neurotransmitters can help to reduce feelings of depression, anxiety and generally ease you back into regular life. We will write another post on supplements at some point, but the supplements with the most data to support their use are N acetyl cysteine, 5-HTP( must be used carefully), alpha-lipoic acid, and green tea extract. When used properly and combined with responsible substance used, these supplements can easy your landing back to normal life.
9. Make new friends
The people are without question the best part of festivals/raves. There is a very good chance the people you interact with will be like minded and share similar values to you, so by being at the same festival you are likely to meet people you will get along with. Get to know the people next to your campsite. Offer to share a drink or some food with them. Strike up a conversation with the crew dancing near you at the shows, merge groups with another crew that you are vibing with. By interacting with other people at the festival, you open yourself to new experiences and that’s what festivals are all about. We have friends all over the country that we first met at festivals, and some have come to be very close friends.
10. Give yourself a buffer day when you return
If possible, try to give yourself an extra day to recuperate when you make it home from the festival. Going from the festival straight to work the next day can be incredibly jarring and wash away the festival afterglow. Additionally, if you haven’t had a chance to get a good night sleep, you may roll into work looking like a racoon. Our schedules may not always make this possible, but it’s something worth prioritizing if you’re able to. Giving yourself a full day to sleep, eat your favorite foods and clean up can be a great way to ease yourself back into your normal routine.