Finally, the festival season has arrived and thousands of Brits are digging out their camping equipment and gearing up for a weekend of music, laughter and mud.
Hosting a frenzy of festivals, the UK has a wide selection to choose from. Whether you’re heading to Glastonbury, T in the Park or V festival, you’re going to need to meticulously plan every detail… Even your car.
Each summer, masses of festival advocates forget to ask themselves - is their car ready for an intrepid festival adventure? In most cases, not.
So, how exactly can you get your car ready for a British festival?
A Home Away From Home
Before setting out to your chosen British festival, we encourage you to do a quick assessment of the car. Do the seats recline? Is there enough space to sprawl out? Could you sleep in the car?
Although you won’t intend to spend your night snoozing in the front seat, British weather (as some of you may be aware) is completely unpredictable and glistening fields of green grass can quickly turn to monstrous mud baths, leaving your tent simply uninhabitable.
In the case of disastrous weather and an inhospitable camp, your car can become an enclave of sheer comfort, sheltering you from the harsh weather. You could even stash a spare pillow and blanket under the seats!
Top tip: Inspect the car’s air-con and heating systems to ensure they work effectively for added comfort.
The Perfect Storage Facility
It is always good practice to assess the car’s storage space before setting out. By making sure the car boot is big enough to comfortably fit all your provisions, you will save yourself the agony of driving with a tent pole poking in your back.
Having large storage spaces is also handy if the weather does take a turn for the worse (which it probably will). This will allow you to pack life-saving provisions such as clean clothes, bottles of water and non-perishable snacks in case you run out.
However, be cautious when it comes to leaving valuables in the car. Although festival car parks are relatively safe, you won’t be able to hear your car alarm from the tent so try not to leave any expensive jewellery or electronics in plain sight. Instead, opt for the boot or a locked glovebox.
A Trusty Steed
Ultimately, your car is going to have a job on its hands. Hauling you and your gear to and from the festival is no easy task, so taking care of your motor beforehand is essential.
It’s always good practice to assess the basics. Check tyre pressure and determine whether the they have sufficient tread. Getting stuck in the mud may become a reality so having a good set of tyres could be the difference between sliding out or sinking back in.
If your car is due for its MOT, it’s always best to get that out the way first. Having a breakdown en route would be a disaster and may even ruin your whole experience, so be sure to get any faults fixed before embarking.
Finally, upon arriving home give the car a thorough clean. You don’t want the odour of damp socks and campfire smoke lingering in your pride and joy, do you? Plus, the car probably deserves a wash just as much as you (sorry, not sorry).
Car Camping Checklist
So, to reiterate the main points, your car needs to have:
- Reclining seats
- Spare bedding essentials (pillow and cover)
- Reliable heating/air-con system
- Large storage spaces
- Emergency provisions (water, spare clothes, snacks, first-aid kit)
- Safe spaces for valuables
- Healthy tyres
- A recent MOT
