25 TIPS FOR COACHELLA NEWBIES (2013 VERSION)

[SIR.RACHEL]

Amazing tips!

[Ha.SK]

I'm wondering about OTC drugs such as my meclizine. Should I try to sneak it in or just bring the whole bottle. I forget if they make you throw Tylenol etc. out if they see it.

[LickTheLizzard]

I have no problem bringing in Ibuprofen and Benadryl every year.

[DaFunkyPrecedent]

2 words: Coconut water.

[baily]

when your friends are getting wasted some night (thurs,fri or sat) past 3am ....back off and let them roll. Know that the next day there is still another full day of activities...and being hung over till 5pm you just wasted 1/2 day.

It's a marathon...not a sprint. If you are going with people that are not used to a 3 day festival....just know they are gonna get wasted and be non functioning the next day. I have no problem letting them know a few times to meet up at spot X and roll solo.

love partying, but I make sure I'm back at the bands I've got planned by noon the next day.

figure you can be hung over any day....but miss 7 bands because you were hung over ....stupid

[claytron]

It's so easy to grab 10 plastic bottles off the ground and exchange them for a free and COLD water. I forgot my nalgene but I never paid for water last year.

[Archie Bunker]

Wow, Courntey is so smart...

Every time I read her stuff, I'm impressed a little bit more.

If only I lived in Mongolia...

[Mike Litoris]

when your friends are getting wasted some night (thurs,fri or sat) past 3am ....back off and let them roll. Know that the next day there is still another full day of activities...and being hung over till 5pm you just wasted 1/2 day.

It's a marathon...not a sprint. If you are going with people that are not used to a 3 day festival....just know they are gonna get wasted and be non functioning the next day. I have no problem letting them know a few times to meet up at spot X and roll solo.

love partying, but I make sure I'm back at the bands I've got planned by noon the next day.

figure you can be hung over any day....but miss 7 bands because you were hung over ....stupid

Our camping neighbor was wasted by 9 AM on Friday, last year, and then slept until 4 or 5.


Also, as stated, it's never a good idea to get wasted during the midday heat. You'll hate your life

[Lithium]

Just got my tickets and now I'm happy enough to actually offer some helpful advice. So listen up:

- There are vendors at the festival who sell cold drinks. When they run out of drinks, it is your best opportunity for a free quick cold water bath of heavenly greatness. Ask them if its okay to dunk your head in the ice cold water or if they're willing to just pour it on you. Feels great on a hot day.

- Want to see the next set in a good spot? Leave 10-20 minutes, always. Don't be an asshole who pushes to the front of the crowd.

- Don't drink in the morning. Its just not a good idea.

- Showers are available, but there will always be lines. The best time to use a shower is during headliner acts. Use that as a hint as to how to take a shower with no hassle.

- Portable grills with propane are awesome, but the grills will get messy. Make sure to bring a grill cleaner and wipe it clean, or your hot dogs/burgers will taste like black coal.

- Always leave your keys and wallet in a place you can remember. That said, just take cash with you. A bulky wallet is not worth losing while dancing around.

- Want to make friends? Do it. Greet your neighbors the moment you park. Don't be a Melvin.

- As much as you would think that standing around all day watching your favorite bands in the front of the audience would be awesome, Coachella is unique in that some acts are actually better off watching from a distance while laying in the grass. Take it for what its worth, but most of the best acts I've seen were the ones where I rested my legs sitting down and listening to the music.

- Drink plenty of water.

- If you're going to bring dry ice, keep in mind that it will freeze anything that touches the bottom of the cooler. Source: my 20 beers that were frozen for three days straight.

[sinclair]

thanks for the locker tip guys!

[shastadp]

LADIES: Bring some of the AZO urinary pain relief stuff. The first aid tent DOES NOT have it, even though there are thousands upon thousands of ladies camping, sweating, not showering at all/as much as they usually do, using port-o-potties, and gettin' dirty all the time. They looked at me like I had three heads or something...even though it's got to be a fairly common problem while camping. Be careful enough not to need it...but if you don't have it and need it, you will be suuuuuuuuuper uncomfortable and in pain for some or all of the festival! Yiiiikes. Also keep away from the ants/other bugs and clean your skin riiiight away if you get bitten...I got a crazy skin infection, too!

[alysiarenee]

LADIES: Bring some of the AZO urinary pain relief stuff. The first aid tent DOES NOT have it, even though there are thousands upon thousands of ladies camping, sweating, not showering at all/as much as they usually do, using port-o-potties, and gettin' dirty all the time. They looked at me like I had three heads or something...even though it's got to be a fairly common problem while camping. Be careful enough not to need it...but if you don't have it and need it, you will be suuuuuuuuuper uncomfortable and in pain for some or all of the festival! Yiiiikes. Also keep away from the ants/other bugs and clean your skin riiiight away if you get bitten...I got a crazy skin infection, too!

i don't know what that is or what it's for.

[lehorne]

give you a tip

[erinmendez]

Girls, I know this seems super random but put sunscreen on the "part" in your hair. That thin little line of skin WILL BURN and it will sting and flake off like dandruff. Save yourself the agony and dab some sunscreen on it or go without a middle/side part for a couple of days. Trust!

[Mike Litoris]

Or just wear a hat...

[HoneyBadgerForLife]

1. Purchase an ez-up
2. Purchase some tarps for above mentioned ez-up.
3. Sleep under ez-up. No one wants to wake up at 6 a.m. cooking in their tent.
4. Print your set list for each day.
5. Drink a vitamin supplement in the morning to off set all the drinking, smoking and what not you are doing. Cause you should have fun but remember you probably have work next week.
6. Bring a cooler with pre-frozen water bottles. It will make your ice go a long way.
7. Bring separate coolers for drinks vs. food.
8. Bring head lamps for going to the port-o-potty at night. Pissing in a dark, small, stinky room is no fun.
9. Bring your own toilet paper, and wet wipes at ALL times, because it never fails how many times you will enter a damn port-o-potty with no supplies, and piss, shit or both on the lid.
10. Toughen up and face the fact you are living in third world-ish conditions for the next few days. When you get home you can revel in the fact you can take a proper shower and shit.
11. Be completely zen. You will wait to get water. You will wait to get food. You will wait to go to the bathroom. Suck it up --be glad you somehow got tickets, it's Coachella dude! Otherwise you could be spending more dough trying to get to Bonnaroo!
12. Bring earplugs custom to your ears or submit yourself to hearing loss. Those are your only two real options. Earplugs for sleeping fuck up the sound spectrum and just make everything sound like they are muffled and fucked up. But do bring regular earplug as to sleeping. You'll feel more ready to tackle the next day.
13. Listen to some new music. Half of the fun is knowing you wouldn't otherwise have a chance to see these bands. Get out there and at least catch a few songs.
14. Put your phone away. You really don't need it. Wear a watch or something. Pretend it is pre-cell phone times. If you need to meet someone just name the time and place to meet. You'd be surprised how easy it is to find each other.
15. Now that we have two weekends of Coachella it is more important to check the weather. Pack appropriately. Last year weekend one was misty, rainy, cold and windy. Weekend two was hot and dusty.
16. Shower between sets. You won't run into crazy lines at night if you just shower during the times peeps will usually be heading out to the fields. You only really need ten minutes, right?
17. Be nice to your neighbors, it can go a long way!
18. Charge your phone at the appropriate charging stations instead of your car. There agree only so many sponsored car jumps coachella has, after that they will charge you and arm and a leg if your insurance won't pick up the tab. It is pretty sucky and embarrassing.
19. Sunblock, sunblock, sunblock!
20. Screw it dude, you're at Coachella. Everything just falls into place. Have fun.

See you all at weekend one.

[korbinn]

I'd ad:
- To tie in with the bit about bringing plenty of wet-wipes etc... Clean up after yourself if you make a mess in the porto-potties, those coming after would greatly appreciate it. Good Karma.

- No matter how cute she is please don't put her on your shoulders. SURE, she can see but it just pisses off everyone who is now staring at the back of a bitch-pole. So annoying.

Idk I might "accidentally" get pushed into the bitch-pole and knock it over, might even yell timberrrrr. Yes, I'm a douche but anyone who pulls off selfish asshat crap like that deserves it.

[jahmonkey]

Mommy?...MOM...is that you again...don't worry Mom I'll be OK at Coachella....

[kerby14]

Go to the do lab between sets during the day and get drenched..you'll be dry again 20 min later and 20 min after that you'll be hot again and the set you just watched will be ending. Wash, rinse, repeat

[baily]

Go to the do lab between sets during the day and get drenched..you'll be dry again 20 min later and 20 min after that you'll be hot again and the set you just watched will be ending. Wash, rinse, repeat

agreed...the do lab is awesome to get cooled off. I go get drenched and walk out ....feeling refreshed.

[kerby14]

if you're in a group of like 4+ and one person gets lost/separated, don't split up to try to find the person

[taco goes to coachella]

LADIES: Bring some of the AZO urinary pain relief stuff. The first aid tent DOES NOT have it, even though there are thousands upon thousands of ladies camping, sweating, not showering at all/as much as they usually do, using port-o-potties, and gettin' dirty all the time. They looked at me like I had three heads or something...even though it's got to be a fairly common problem while camping. Be careful enough not to need it...but if you don't have it and need it, you will be suuuuuuuuuper uncomfortable and in pain for some or all of the festival! Yiiiikes. Also keep away from the ants/other bugs and clean your skin riiiight away if you get bitten...I got a crazy skin infection, too!

^^^^ Stop drip drying and wash your siht!

[themule]

20. Screw it dude, you're at Coachella. Everything just falls into place. Have fun.

See you all at weekend one.

This^^^....and the part in the earlier posts about not drinking early is total crap. Get drunk for breakfast, collect empty water bottles after every set so you can drink free water all day. Coachella is a MARATHON of CONSUMPTION and STAMINA!!! Trust me, you want to win!!! ;-)

[Robin]

9. Bring your own toilet paper, and wet wipes at ALL times, because it never fails how many times you will enter a damn port-o-potty with no supplies, and piss, shit or both on the lid.

And toilet seat covers! I always bring a bunch of these with me to the festival.
http://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Street-...let+seat+cover

[fearthewig]

This^^^....and the part in the earlier posts about not drinking early is total crap. Get drunk for breakfast, collect empty water bottles after every set so you can drink free water all day. Coachella is a MARATHON of CONSUMPTION and STAMINA!!! Trust me, you want to win!!! ;-)

My first Coachella I drank in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I think I was averaging at least a fifth a day, with beers on top of that, but I was also drinking a LOT of water. Never had a hangover and didn't even have to pee that much. I'm ALWAYS pissing so the heat must have just sucked the moisture out of me.

That being said, last year I started drinking in the morning the first day after getting trashed the last night, made it to Breakbot's set and blacked out for the rest of the day. Didn't bother me too much 'cause there was no one I really wanted to see, but goddam that sucked.

[amyzzz]

LADIES: Bring some of the AZO urinary pain relief stuff. The first aid tent DOES NOT have it, even though there are thousands upon thousands of ladies camping, sweating, not showering at all/as much as they usually do, using port-o-potties, and gettin' dirty all the time. They looked at me like I had three heads or something...even though it's got to be a fairly common problem while camping. Be careful enough not to need it...but if you don't have it and need it, you will be suuuuuuuuuper uncomfortable and in pain for some or all of the festival! Yiiiikes. Also keep away from the ants/other bugs and clean your skin riiiight away if you get bitten...I got a crazy skin infection, too!

i don't know what that is or what it's for.

I also do not understand this. I don't think I have this problem.

[11WIZARD11]

Go to the do lab between sets during the day and get drenched..you'll be dry again 20 min later and 20 min after that you'll be hot again and the set you just watched will be ending. Wash, rinse, repeat

yes yes yes, this is a must. but it has a tendency to wash off deodorant...

[jahmonkey]

Go to the do lab between sets during the day and get drenched..you'll be dry again 20 min later and 20 min after that you'll be hot again and the set you just watched will be ending. Wash, rinse, repeat

yes yes yes, this is a must. but it has a tendency to wash off deodorant...

Bring a small bottle of shampoo and you scrub down in the Do Lab...skip the long shower lines.

[ManImCool]

Do you seriously shampoo off in the Do Lab and get the grass all soapy? Ass.

[Drinkey McDrinkerstein]

I think the water in the Do lab is the opposite of taking a shower.