9 Tips For Surviving A Music Festival

Whether you’re a first-timer, an old-timer, or a time-traveler who just got zapped to Bonnaroo from a kind-of-happening jamboree in 1876, Thrillist and Levi’s® want to help you get equipped for the two to three-day whirlwind that is the modern music festival. Follow these tips and you’ll be ready for whatever awesomeness and/or not-awesomeness comes your way.

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Hydrate Any Way You Wanna Hydrate
According to the latest studies, eight glasses of water a day is preposterous -- a long-held myth based on a misunderstanding of studies that are no longer the latest. You could certainly use 64oz, but it doesn’t have to come from straight water; it can also come from food (especially certain fruits) or even coffee or soda, as regular caffeine drinkers don’t actually lose that much H2O from the diuretic effects. One thing that won’t sub in for water: alcohol. It’s still as diuretic as ever.

Put The Lotion On The Skin
Leading experts in the field of “don’t be stupid, just wear the stuff” recommend an SPF of at least 15. Despite the hilarity of the joke above, spray-on sunscreen is optimal because it goes on evenly, and is less gross for other people to put on your back. Anything above 50 SPF doesn’t really help, and could hurt: it prevents sunburns from UVB radiation, thereby lulling you into a false sense of security that you’re totally protected from non-burn-producing UVA radiation (which is why 50+ SPF is illegal in Europe, and why you should wear your shirt at least part of the weekend).

Layer Up
Hot days give way to cool nights, especially if you’re not the horrible-festival-dancing type. Carry a Levi’s® Trucker Jacket that offers enough movement that you could conceivably dance in it, actually looks great with some dirt on it, and’ll keep you warm when everybody else is saying things like “I forgot April wasn’t July”.

Want that Levi’s® Trucker Jacket? Get it.

Make a Map
This is kinda nerdy, but super-helpful: grab (or print ahead of time) a festival map and add your own notes on can’t-miss bands, plus answers to questions like: Are the food booths empty after 3:00p? Is free water getting tossed out by that weird carousel thingy in the evening? You’ll never remember any of this, but despite being dizzy from how awesome this weekend is you should still be able to read it.

Bag It
Between sweat and rain, you’re going to get wet. Lucky for you, a mesh bag will do more than just stash belongings. Toss whatever’s damp in the bottom, give it a few hours, and the combo of fresh air and sunlight should help dry/de-grossify your gear.

Wear a Sturdy Pair of Jeans
You need something that’ll look great even if you don’t change for days. Excessively tight skinny hipster jeans might stretch a bit over so much wear -- they could be borderline baggy by the time whoever they’re meant to impress sees them. Wear a pair of classic 501s: stylish enough to look as cool as the bands you’re seeing, breathable if it gets toasty, and comfortable enough to stay in for 48 hours.

Grab those Levi’s® 501 Jeans.

Preserve Power
You’re really going to waste time squatting at a phone charging station while the coolest band in the universe is playing that song you know? Keep powered up by lowering the brightness and exiting out of any apps you won’t be using. Got airplane mode? Switch it on and your phone can last all day. Actually, it can last for days. All days.

Rock a Bandana
This little piece of cloth has tremendous festival versatility: it can block out the sun, keep hair out of faces or dust out of mouths, wipe down a sweaty mug, serve as a makeshift bag strap, hold the grapes this girl who brought grapes gave you, or a million other things -- there’s a reason cowboys and survivalists always have one on them.

Bring Gum
Besides freshening breath, gum stimulates the salivary response, staving off dry mouth and keeping you from feeling like you have to drink eight glasses of water. Bam, you've survived. Now become a cookout king.