In order to make your festival experience as enjoyable as possible it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some key points of festival safety. These tips apply to any concert or rave, but hold especially true for multi-day, outdoor events. Don't get so caught up having fun that you forget to take care of yourself or look after your friends!

Sunscreen

Spending hours each day in the sun can quickly become painful if proper amounts of sunscreen aren't used. Don't forget to re-apply often as lots of dancing and movement leads to sweating which could render suncreen less effective. For this reason waterproof sunscreen is recommended. Opt for SPF15 or higher and be sure to cover all exposed areas, including feet if you're wearing sandals. It may also be a good idea to seek shade from time to time to minimize the risk of burning.

Heatstroke

Dancing for long periods of time can lead to dehydration and heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition. Deaths from heatstroke have occurred at raves, nightclubs and festivals even when the individual had not consumed recreational drugs. However, recreational drugs can increase the risk by masking the symptoms of heatstroke (when you are high and feeling good you might not notice the danger signs) and by affecting the body pharmacologically (e.g., stimulants increase body temperature directly and MDMA inhibits the body’s natural thermo‐regulation). While heatstroke is very serious, taking simple precautions can greatly reduce the risk.

Preventing Heatstroke

The most important part of preventing heatstroke is keeping your body cool by staying hydrated. Be careful not to drink too much water, though, as this can upset the body's electrolyte balance and lead to a life-threatening condition called hyponaetremia. A good rule of thumb is to drink about a pint of water (2-4 cups) every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty. That’s about a regular-sized water bottle.

Basic Tips

• Drink a bottle of water an hour (2-4 cups), and eat some salty snacks.
• Start drinking water a few hours before dancing.
• Stay in good physical shape.
• Wear loose-fitting or athletic clothes that wick away moisture.
• Protect yourself from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, lotion and lip balm.
• Take breaks from dancing and allow your body to cool down. Chill out areas are perfect for this.
• Electrolyte drinks like Gatorade are good. If you find them too strong, you can dilute them with water.

Symptoms of Heatstroke

Recognizing the symptoms of heatstroke will ensure that potential emergencies can be avoided. Experiencing one or more of these symptoms should be considered serious.

Watch for...

• Failure to sweat
• Cramps in the legs, arms and back
• Giddiness, dizziness, headache, fatigue
• Suddenly feeling really tired, irritable and confused
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting or loss of consciousness

If any of these things happen, stop dancing, drink some water and chill out immediately.

Arriving

Because of the large amounts of attendees at many music festivals and the possibility that your travel time may be several hours there are several special considerations that should be made even before leaving.

Things to Consider

• If you're driving for more than several hours make sure you are well rested before leaving. Consider alternating drivers throughout the trip.
• Entering festival grounds may take a few hours in some cases because of heavy traffic. Account for this when you're planning when to depart.
• Stay calm when waiting to enter! Everyone else is just as tired of waiting as you so don't resort to wreckless or dangerous driving to beat others getting inside.
• You may want to get food and water before getting in any lines if you think there's a chance you'll be waiting for a while.
• Remember to fill up on gas prior to arriving at a camping festival. Festival grounds are often far enough from local towns that being forced to walk to the nearest gas station would be quite unpleasant.
• If you're attending a camping festival and plan on drinking alcohol or taking any drugs it is advisable that you set up your tent prior to becoming intoxicated in order to avoid a difficult time later.

Leaving

Driving home in the morning after staying awake all night partying can be dangerous. This is particularly true in the case of music festivals where the destination may be much farther than your average night out. Massive amounts of people leaving festival grounds also factors into the risks and decisions that should be made to minimize danger.

Getting Home Safe

• Do not drive if you have been using drugs or alcohol. This includes stimulants which, despite making you feel more alert, can impair your ability to drive.
• Don’t drive if you are too tired or sleepy. If you are feeling sleepy, you may be thinking only about getting home and into bed. However, it is dangerous to drive in this condition. (Note: coffee may keep you awake, but it won’t improve your driving ability if you are significantly tired or sleepy.)
• Don't put yourself in a dangerous driving situation where the vehicle's operator is clearly imparied.
• Assign a “designated driver” who agrees to stay sober the entire night and to not exhaust themselves dancing for too long.
• Make sure somebody stays awake along with the driver and keeps conversation going. Have this person sit in the front passenger seat. Talking to a sleepy driver helps keep them awake and alert.
• Consider taking public transport if this is an option.
• When all else fails, lock your doors and sleep in your car! (Keep in mind, however, that in some states even having your keys in the ignition constitutes drunken driving. If you are intoxicated, you may want to hide your keys in the tire well or under the hood, so it is clear to any police officer who may approach you that you were never driving in that condition.)
• Be wary of other drivers when walking around festival grounds during peak traffic hours. Just because you've been taking safety into consideration that does not mean everyone else has.

Festivals can be quite loud, enough so that damage to your hearing can occur through prolonged exposure to noise. Consider wearing ear plugs if you plan on being close to the speakers. Taking breaks from being in the loudest areas will also help prevent damage. A few hours of fun is not worth a lifetime of poor hearing!

You are at risk of hearing loss

• Hearing damage can take the form of temporary or permanent ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and loss of the ability to hear clearly.
• Amplified music can cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). A study in Great Britain found that 62% of regular clubbers have symptoms of hearing loss.
• The risk of hearing damage depends on: (1) how loud the music is; (2) how close you are to the speakers; (3) how long you are on the dance floor; and (4) previous hearing damage.
• You may be at risk if you have a family history of hearing loss.

Be aware of your environment

• Sound levels in dance clubs can be as high as 115 decibels, which can cause damage within a few seconds.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from the speakers – dancing in front of the speakers is very risky.
• Use ear plugs – cotton and rolled up tissue paper provide NO protection.
• Don’t talk on the dance floor – shouting into ears can damage hearing.
• Alcohol and drugs lower your sense of pain and increase the risk of hearing damage. Being tired, dehydrated, or overheated also increase risk.
• Drink plenty of water. Take 10-30 minute breaks where sound levels are lower.
• If you dance a lot or work in a club, consider getting custom earplugs for music attenuation to protect your hearing without distorting sound.

Supplies

While most festivals will have the majority of the supplies you'll need on site it's worth noting that the prices will be greatly inflated. If you're planning to camp for several days there are many supplies you'll want to have with you to make your experience as comfortable as possible.

Be sure to have

• Sunscreen (SPF15 or higher), preferably waterproof
• Water, and lots of it
• Bug spray
• Battery-powered lanterns
• Flashlight
• Car-compatible cell phone chargers
• Adequate food
• Coolers with ice or dry ice for food/drink storage
• Rain gear such as umbrellas (if permitted) or ponchos. At the minimum a towel to dry off.
• Camping Chairs
• Awning to protect from the sun while at your camp site. Sitting in a tent all morning can get to be quite uncomfortable.
• Toiletries for bathing (shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste)
• Towels and wash cloths
• Trash bags
• Small first aid kit (pain/headache relievers, band-aids, etc.)
• Warm clothes in case of a temperature drop at night
• Ear plugs
• Emergency money

Other Tips

• Be sure to eat well. Some drugs may reduce your appetite but it is important to try to stick to healthy eating habits anyway, especially after long days of dancing and physical activity.
• Get plenty of rest throughout the festival. If you stay up late to see the closing acts then sleep in a little the next morning or take naps throughout the day.
• If you do not want to use public festival showers or wait in line for them look into portable shower options.
• If you engage in sexual activity with someone you just met be sure to use as many safe sex practices as you possible.
• Don't leave your drinks unattended for any period of time.
• Always have at least one cell phone charged among your group of friends in case of an emergency.
• Stick to well-lit, busy areas, especially at night.