Joe and I have been looking forward to this weekend all summer and it’s finally here. We will be at the Outside Lands Music Festival, conveniently located 7 blocks from our apartment. This is also a very important week for me, I have been officially accepted to the Nutrition Educator program and will be starting class in two weeks. Coincidentally, Outside Lands 2008 was also a turning point in my life, I had just gotten a new job and was getting ready to move to San Francisco. I have worked really hard this week to get all the paperwork in order, not to mention running pre-festival errands that seem to be never-ending. Once those cars are parked Thursday night, they ain’t moving. It’s great to be that close to the festival, but it also means we are that much closer to the crowd. We’ve spent time planning for each day and have some basic guidelines, lessons learned from last year, and are ready to go. Here are some basic tips from an Outside Lands Grad.
What to Bring:
Cash. The ATM lines inside are scary.
A blanket. In SF, preferably one designed to be laid on wet grass. Most of the time you’ll be standing but it’s nice to have a place to sit and lay down on occasion.
A water bottle. This year they have water stations and if you buy a stainless steel souvenir bottle you can re-fill for free. If you bring your own I think there is a small fee. It’s still less annoying than plastic bottles. Give them some credit even if they are charging.
Alcohol. I know, it’s frowned upon and not really allowed, but realistically, if you are going for three days, it could make for a utopic experience. At $8 a Heineken you can thank me later. When you see the beer line around 7pm, you can also thank me.
An Appetite. Forget packing a sandwich, with the amount of good food at a reasonable price, you’ll be sorry you didn’t plan for it.
Your tickets. Last year the will call line was horrendous and kept a lot of people from seeing first acts.
A backpack for all this stuff and if available, a man to carry it around for you!
What your mom would tell you to bring (and she’s
right):
Tissues. You never know when those porta-potties are going to fail you and it’s always nice to have napkins for those messy garlic fries.
Your Health Insurance Card: I was taught to always carry that on you when navigating crowds. God forbid-Knock on Wood- something happens to you, it could save your life or a lot of money given our healthcare system.
What to wear:
Good shoes. you’ll be on your feet, people will step on your toes, and unless you are one of the few lucky ones to snag a cab or hop on muni, you will be walking home.
Sunglasses. Everyone needs shades at a music festival even if it is foggy.
Layers. It’s San Francisco, the hotter the day, the heavier the fog.
Practical things. Remember you’ll be slipping in and out of whatever you wear in a porta-potty. For instance, I tried on a cute little romper that was hard to zip up and quickly axed that. Personally, I like to spend as little time as possible in them. Last year Joe said “you always walk out of there looking like you went to war.” And I feel that way too.
What to do:
Listen to great music, eat good food, have a cold one, enjoy the people-watching, taste some wine, don’t miss the oysters and have a ball!
What your mom would tell you to bring (and she’s
right):Tissues. You never know when those porta-potties are going to fail you and it’s always nice to have napkins for those messy garlic fries.
Your Health Insurance Card: I was taught to always carry that on you when navigating crowds. God forbid-Knock on Wood- something happens to you, it could save your life or a lot of money given our healthcare system.
What to wear:
Good shoes. you’ll be on your feet, people will step on your toes, and unless you are one of the few lucky ones to snag a cab or hop on muni, you will be walking home.
Sunglasses. Everyone needs shades at a music festival even if it is foggy.
Layers. It’s San Francisco, the hotter the day, the heavier the fog.
Practical things. Remember you’ll be slipping in and out of whatever you wear in a porta-potty. For instance, I tried on a cute little romper that was hard to zip up and quickly axed that. Personally, I like to spend as little time as possible in them. Last year Joe said “you always walk out of there looking like you went to war.” And I feel that way too.
What to do:
Listen to great music, eat good food, have a cold one, enjoy the people-watching, taste some wine, don’t miss the oysters and have a ball!
Festival food is so good. So bad too, but generally you walk around so much I figure all the calories are burned so it's a wash. Enjoy that wine and have a wonderful time!
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