Last on the packing list: FUN STUFF!!!

Ok, we all know the things that are first on the list, there are many great packing lists out there, but what about the extras!? Here's a list of extra things for Glastonbury Festival that are by no means essential, but will be a hell of a lot of fun! So if you're got that extra millimetre of space in your bag then get yourself something awesome.

 • 1 | Juggling/flow

Juggling and circus stuff is awesome. I've been messing around with it from an early age and have tried all manner of different things. By far one of the most fun is poi! My wife Jessica has just taken to it like a fish to water and is loving it.
You can pick them up pretty cheap on amazon, below is my top pick, I love how they look like they're on fire!

OR

if you're feeling risky and want to join the fire jugglers at the top of Stone Circle at night then get yourself a set of fire poi!

• 2  |  Hacky Sack

Need I explain? A great way to bring people together and meet new friends. I'm surprised we don't see more of these in the festival fields.

• 3  |  Glow Sticks

Get loads of glow sticks! Rave the night away like a neon beacon of partying! Big ones, little ones, anything is great. One year I had my friends help me make a whole glow-t-shirt out of the small glowsticks that normally just go on your wrist. It was awesome!

• 4  |  Bubble Gun

I don't think this really needs explaining. It's a freaking bubble gun!!!

• 5  |  Inflatable Banana

Because this fruity inflatable accessory is well overdue some much needed crowd surfing!

• 6  |  Kaleidoscope

It comes to that time where a kaleidoscope is a wonderful thing at Glastonbury Festival. I mean really, just think about it.

Glastonbury Essentials: Men vs. Women

Just as a pre-warning, this is totally sexist, but to clear it up, my wife did think of 90% of the women's ones. It's all just a laugh! Enjoy!

Men

Socks

Some kind of tool

This Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife should be perfect. Has great reviews, including this one:

 "A few of the features let it down a little:

• The motorbike function gets appalling miles to the gallon.
• The quantum teleporter is decidedly inaccurate. I set it for Paris and ended up just south of Chorley.
• The trombone needs tuning every time you get it out.
• The tent is incomplete and collapsed twice on me last week.
• The home brewery kit works, and the beer tastes fine. The wine making kit however, is a little too robust for a merlot.
• The satellite dish attachment struggles to connect to the projector.
• Changing the volume on the record player is awkward, and the DJ booth isn't nearly big enough to fit more than 3 people in.
• The paper shredder can't manage a full book without breaking.
• Siri is very unreliable.
• The oil dispenser is jammed shut.
• The sword is cursed.
• And the 12,000 piece jigsaw is missing a piece.

It's also far too easy to get the tools confused. I was going for a small picnic spoon, and accidentally bazooka'd my fruit loops.

And to top it all off, since I updated it to iOS7, it's been running slowly and my cat won't go near it.

Otherwise great!"

Beer Hat

Beer

Beer

More Beer

Women

Female Urine Director (possibly the worst job ever!?)

 

Yes, a fake penis! Although men's aren't detachable (easily).

Make up

Fake tan

For that sexy orange glow that people love.

73 Outfits

 Because 72 just isn't enough.

Transparent rain mac

 So you can see your 73 outfits!

12 Hats

 Just in case.

6 Pairs of shoes

 Oh and maybe those ones with the strappy bit, ok 7 pairs.

Something totally inappropriate for Glastonbury

*no fish were harmed in the making of this shoe

You never know!

Spare outfits

Some sort of floral headband

 For the times you're not wearing one of your hats.

Too many sunglasses

We know we have too many, but they're just all our favourite ones.

More outfits

Will definitely need them. They're essential.

Full length mirror

 Absolute godsend!

Tiny bags

It's not about practicality, it's about style.

Glitter

OMERGEERRRG GLIDDER!!

 Loads of really big necklaces

And maybe schedule in some neck exercises at the gym beforehand.

Hair straighteners

I'll find a power socket I'm sure.

Hair dryer

Maybe I can plug it into a tree?

Curlers

They'll heat up on the stove for sure.

Some more clothes

That top I never wear and don't fit into and goes with nothing else I own could one day possibly if I am in the right light and change my mind, it might be PERFECT for Glastonbury!

Top Trolleys

A highly discussed topic on the build up to Glasto, especially on the seemingly infamous Glasto Chat group on Facebook! After a while it gets a little much seeing so many posts on the best trolleys for carting your supplies for the week from car to campsite, but I've collected all that valuable information and made this handy blog post for you to see the best trolleys on the market.

Everyone has different needs, so it's less of a top ten, more of a good list of great trolleys depending on your need.



• 1  |  600lb Heavy Duty Sack Truck

Many, many recommendations for this on the forums and groups. The terrain at Glastonbury can be extremely varied and difficult for most wheels so go for pneumatic tyres (those inflatable ones like on a wheelbarrow). The huge weight limit on this trolley means you can get all your cider and plenty of kit on board without a worry of it breaking like cheap trolleys would. I've heard that if you go with one of these the tip for moving it is to pull not push.



• 2  |  Fishing Trolley

The fishing trolley! Some will have ones that still smell like fish and bait from a recent angling trip. Again ensure you get the pneumatic tyre version, much needed for the muddy and rough terrain. They can hold a lot of weight and have a nice wide and long loading area, making it very easy for packing.

As a bonus it doubles up as a seat around the campsite, just don't let it get stolen or you'll be left with no trolley fro your return-to-car journey!

It's our choice this year for Glasto.


• 3  |  Large Garden Cart Truck

Serious supplies?! Either you're with a massive group, a family or you don't want to carry ANYTHING on your back. Whichever it is the large garden cart option is the ultimate in festival trolleys. Big pneumatic wheels, a huge trailer and a rotating front axle for steering makes this one awesome way into the campsite. One warning though, if you load it up really heavy you'll need a lot of strength to pull it up and down the hills, as well as over rough ground and through mud. Get down the gym before hand to work those biceps and back muscles!

More expensive, but the sheer ease of having such a great trailer makes it worth it.


• 4  |  Wagon Cart

Need to cart the kids around? Well, once you've got all of your supplies to the campsite you can do exactly that with this great looking trolley/cart.
It certainly doesn't look as sturdy and reliable as the garden cart, but it should hold a good deal of your supplies to get from car to camp. Like the others it has pneumatic tyres. The construction is very similar to the garden cart, it will just be not quite as strong and probably tougher to pull through the really muddy bits.


• 5  |  25KG Lightweight Folding Trolley

If you're looking for a cheap trolley then this might be worth the risk. They've had mixed reviews and I've seen a few fallen apart on the sides of the tracks at Glasto, but I think if you don't pack it too heavy and the weather is ok then one of these lightweight trolleys will hold up just fine. Another tip is to pack it evenly to ensure it doesn't topple over, the wheels are only small so bear that in mind.

DON'T FORGET YOUR BUNGEE CORDS!

=D

Top Torches, Laterns and Lights

Here's our list of the top torches, lanterns and lights for Glastonbury Festival. They're needed for all sorts, from lighting up the inside of the tent to navigating the treacherous longdrops at night.

• 1  | ORB Tent Light

Since discovering this my tent life has been changed forever! Just think of it as a light bulb for your tent. Two brightness setting and a flashing mode. It is light and hooks nicely to ceiling of most tents. Wouldn't camp without one now.

• 2  |  Duronic Hurricane - 4 in 1 Rechargeable Lantern & Torch

This is a torch, lantern, emergency beacon and a charger all in one! Just bought this for Glasto this year and am so excited for it! Love the wind-up mechanism, just one minute of wind makes 20 mins of light. 2 hours of mains charging makes over 7 hours of light. Awesome! It also claims to be able to charge mobile phones via usb (only when you wind it simultaneously), yet to get this to work as it doesn't work with iPhones, but will be testing it with cheap nokias (our festival phones of choice).

A true all rounder that I already love. And a bargain too, currently half price on Amazon!

• 3  |  Douself mini lantern and torch

I just love how compact this funky little torch is. Looking for a small torch to carry around that doubles up as a mini lantern too? You've just found it! And an absolute bargain for under a tenner.

• 4  |  Pop-up Lantern

Ok so I'm getting a little carried away with mini lanterns! But this one is another awesome one! It comes in a range of colours, is only 90 lumens but its pop-up featured means it casts a large area of light and can be packed away neatly into your bag or large pockets. The flip up handle makes it great for carrying and also hooking to the inside of your tent. When collapsed it also doubles up as a torch, not the best as it's main use is a lantern, but a good torch if it's all you have.

A little pop-up bargain!

• 5  |  Mini Maglite

The all-time classic. No list of torches is complete without at least one Maglite. The Mini is a beautifully designed water-resistant metal bodied torch that I believe will actually last until the end of human existence. They will probably outlive us all! The adjusting beam goes from flood to spot with a simple turn of the torch head. There is something called a 'candle-mode' which I'm not familiar with but sounds awesome! (I'm heading to YouTube now to check it out). It's my torch of choice for my bumbag at Glasto, best for the money. So well balanced in your hand as well.

Get one. Get one now.

• 6  |  15 LED Hurricane Lantern

Do it in style with this classic design. The hurricane lanterns of old were gas lit, this one uses 15 LEDs. A great addition to any camp site, just wouldn't want to lug it around the whole of the festival. Good luck to anyone who does!

• 7  |  Petzl Tikkina Head Torch

As recommended by Elaine Greener.
Who said it's 'done me proud for a few years now'
Thanks for the suggestion, a lovely head torch. I'm yet to own one myself but the colours to choose from are wonderful. Bright blue, pink, green and the standard black. It obviously does the job and wont let you down even after a few years. Currently on offer on Amazon too, so snap up this bargain while you can!

• 8  |  Energizer Impact Rubber Torch

I've had this torch for over 2 years now and it's superb. Really sturdy and brilliantly waterproof. I've dropped it in many a puddle! It's not super small, it's chunky size make it a little uncomfortable in some pockets, but great for a backpack or bumbag. Being Energizer it lasts ages on one set of batteries and is super bright. Reliable and decent priced.

• 9  |  Mini Sabers!

NOVELTY!
Just for party and novelty fun here's the Mini Saber! I really want to get one of these. I can image our group of friends all having different coloured ones and having light saber battles. Could we make this a craze for Glasto 2015? Maybe it's a bit late for that, but these little things are really cool.

• 10  |  Rolson 61762 9-LED Torch and 3-LED Head Light Set

Bargain torch set. Get your complete package of Glasto torches in one hit. Rolson are a respectd brand so you know they'll be good products, might eat up the batteries, but you'll have 3 torches to choose from and they're small enough for even small pockets. The head light is a great bonus and will be handy for the late night toilet trips.

Top 10 Tents

Here are our top picks for tents. They range from small to large but price-wise we've stuck to our own opinion on value for money. Some people have bigger budgets so can go for all kinds of options (even renting the tipis or buying a campervan, which I've always been secretly jealous of!).

So without further ado, here's our list of the what we think are the best tents.



• 1  |  Lichfield Arisaig 3 Man Tent

This is one of the very best tents you can get in terms of value for money, comfort and practicality. We had a tent almost identical to this last year and then took it on a road trip around Europe. It was flawless. The only reason we've not got it now is due to it being destroyed by a bear! I'm pretty sure Glastonbury is bear-free so you're safe on that aspect.

The sleeping section and separate inner section make it great for storing all your stuff and muddy shoes. It also doesn't have huge 'windows' of see-thru plastic, this is highly impractical for Glasto as it A. lets everyone see the stuff you've got inside and B. means you lose out on the extra privacy.

All in all a superb choice and VERY QUICK AND EASY TO PUT UP.

• 2  |  Travel Star Vis-a-Vis

Under £50!?? Are you kidding me? This has to be the bargain of the century, at least in tent buying. We're looking for the extra room so are considering getting this one. Two sleeping compartments AND a middle space for kit and wellies. To top it off there's a porch bit to sit under when it inevitably rains. Looks like it would be very quick to put up (only 3 poles) and reviews say it stands up very well in heavy rain(phew!).

Still baffled that it's so cheap.

• 3  |  Milestone Camping Superdome 2 Man Tent

As suggested by Esther Ellis who says:
'It's very lightweight, small but roomy and very simple to erect.'

Thanks for your suggestion Esther. This tent looks absolutely superb. Another good point that Esther made is that double skinned tents mean the condensation on a dewy morning will be kept from the sleeping compartment of the tent. Always something to keep in mind when tent buying.


A cheap classic design and in my favourite colour too.

• 4  |  Pop-Up Tents!

I've never used a pop-up tent myself, but A big thank you to Kris O'Brien who suggested the Quechua 3-Man pop up tent. These tents look cool and mean you can save valuable drinking and partying time. It also means that when you find that perfect camping spot you can have it claimed and be sitting down with a cider before next person to come by has even blinked! I also stumbled across the Vango Dart 2-man pop-up tent which looks great and has a bit of extra height.

From what I can tell all of the pop-up tents on the market work with the same basic mechanism so you'll be fine with whichever one you go with.

• 5  |  Vango Calisto 500

Thanks to Lissa Roy for recommending the Vango Icarus 500. I couldn't find a link to it online, maybe they don't see it any more. I found the Vango Calisto 500, possibly a newer model of the same tent. A little more expensive but a very well respected brand and has had a lot of high praise all around.

• 6  |  10T Mojave 400

A lot of people have recommended bell tents. My friends this year might be buying one for us all to stay in, an investment for future festivals too. Now, bell tents are quite expensive so here is s cheaper option upon the same idea. The important thing to note is it has a sewn-in ground sheet, some other cheaper options don't and this means they are not fully waterproof, a massive no no for Glastonbury!
It's a beautiful copper colour and these classic bell tents are very easy to erect.

• 7  |  Monti HQ Nevada 4 Man

I love the design of this tent. Two compartments and a good size middle section, all on a relatively small footprint. You'll get the space and the practicality along with being able to find a good place to pitch it even when most of the big spots have all but gone. Great for latecomers.

Again rocking my favourite colour!

• 8  | Skandika Daytona XXL

Need space? Then go for the Skandika Daytona XXL. Back when I was in college I got one of these on the cheap and it was truly incredible. The massive living space is great for all the kit and chilling when the rain hits. The three compartments are a really good size, we had a double airbed in each. Not much better than this for big groups. A real party atmosphere, used it at numerous festivals and all my friends were raving about how brilliant it was.

• 9  |  Vango Soul 100

Going it alone? Packing light? Get yourself the Vango Soul. There are a lot of different one-man tents out there but this one is a little more stylish and is a little more sturdy than most on the market. The mini porch area is a great bonus for storing your muddy wellies while you're snoozing. If you're going to be camping on your own, or one amongst a group, it's a great choice and has a wonderfully small footprint. Just don't bring the kitchen sink, it'll steal your sleeping area.

• 10  |  Tipi/Wigwam

Ok, so I'm going against my own rules of cost and practicality here, but it's simply because my dream would to be camping at Glasto in an old-style, native american indian Wigwam. Live my dream for me. I'm not sure on the details but I think you have to buy the tent bit then buy the poles and what not separately. It's on this list purely because it's my dream. Shame it's not orange though.