whats the rules on saving camping space

[mattyson]

hi everyone was wondering what the rules are on saving camping space for friends/family arriving later is....me and my girlfriend will be sleeping in the car parks on the tuesday night so we can be in early as possible on the wednesday morning so we can get straight on it but brother and other friends will be coming in on the thursday morning was thinking it would be a struggle to save space???????????????? but really want to camp together so do you think it likely we will have to pack down on the thursday morning meet up with them and then camp elsewhere any help or anyone in simular situations in recent years can help???thanks a lot in advance...hope you all have a blast cause i intend to...

[pehaw]

If you peg out their tents for them it is fair enough - just lay the groundsheet down if they have one.

If your thinking of taping off an area then expect some hard-stares, mutterings and perhaps a spot of mild abuse.

[G1T]

There aren't really any rules as such, but if you start taping stuff off people people, expect to have it ignored as soon as you leave your tent, especially overnight where people can't see tape anyway.

Best bet is to take their tents with you and set them up for them when you get there. The official fee for this is generally a pint from each person.

[coma girl]

I think its fine as long as you have all the tents with you, taping off spaces is just asking for trouble.

[tjefffrench]

Bring there tents, then you know for sure that you will all camp together

Anything else is hoping on the nature of other people and also you do look like a dick as the camp site fills but thursday if you tape up a fence

[loubelou]

If you can try not to use tape ...its really an offending site to see ...you are surrounded by a fence of magnitude .... take peoples tents with you ...its a much better thing to do xxx

[Milbert]

Another vote for take their tents and pitch them for them. Even if you did manage to save a bit of space, it'd be gone by time you woke in the morning anyway.

[adamski]

I took 4 extra tents to put up for friends a couple of years ago. I was knackered by the end of it! But it is the way to go....

[MEGABOWL]

If you tape off space you are scum. Sub-human scum.

[grumpyhack]

If you tape off space you are scum. Sub-human scum.

[fuzzylogic]

As people have said, if you can just take their tents and pitch them for them. It would be a massive pain trying to save space otherwise...you would have to stay up all night.

[LusciousLucy]

Let's put it this way...there is no 'Rule Book' provided with your ticket. Just use your common sense and just be polite. It's not difficult.

If you behave like a twat with a twattish attitude then there will be bother. If you are nice and explain to your hopefully just as nice neighbours why you are putting down a tarp to save a space then they will normally understand. If though you are expecting this space to be saved for longer than a few short hours in fields such as Pennards and Park Home, you don't really stand a chance. The later people arrive, the more desperate for a space they are and tempers can sometimes fray by this point.

It really is a first come first served crazy free for all these days unless you head to the higher hills.

[Milbert]

Dunno what it's been like in recent years (not been since '07) but since I started going in the nineties, people seem to be bringing bigger and bigger tents. Fair enough if you're filling them with people, but I don't really get why a couple of people need an enormo-palace. I guess gazebos are a contentious issue, too.

I think the festival should initiate a "downsize your kit" campaign to make people think about what they're bringing.

[headshrinker1979]

again i agree with all those saying take your mates tents and pitch up for them. i have done this numerous times over the years at festivals, it means you can all camp together and you get a few "thank you" beers out of it when your mates arrive and their tents are all up and ready for them :-)

[Glasto_1]

+1 for taking all the tents and putting them up together.

You won't be able to save the space unless you are prepared to stand over it yourself until your friends arrive.

Not really fair for those looking for space, and you only need one group that are just that little bit too tired having driven for hours walked nearly as long, that they won;t want to walk any further.

[Dark Star]

As others have said, it makes much more sense to take their tents and pitch them. Your campsite is complete on the Wednesday, OK, it'll be a bit more work for you both when you get there, but you'll ensure that your friends can rock up on the Thursday, settle in quickly and you can all get on with having a great festival. Ask them to bring some extra beers/box of wine by way of thanks! You may need them to do the same for you in the future!

[Lilmiz]

Again, take tents and pitch for your mates for a beer(s)/cider(s) of your choice rate.....many people come as groups and want to camp together and when you trek what feels like a million miles with a heavy rucksack on your back to get to what looks like a good space with someone sat smiling within a taped off enclosure advising they are saving space for mates who are arriving the next day it just seems plain rude! Least if you've already pitched people aren't going to mistake it for free space and make the humungous trek over! :-)

[rexclark]

I can't stand when you arrive, see a decent spot and go to start setting up only to be met with "You can't camp there, my mates are camping there". If there's no tent or groundsheet in the space then it's fair game, you can't expect to resereve space, it's first come first serve so definatelt take there tents or groundsheets otherwise the space is fair game.

[scappaflow]

Yeh, I would always bring tents if I really wanted to save space.

Get them to carry a bag of booze in for you (which may be the same size as a tent, but is much heavier)

I'd happy tell a tape person to fck off if I was arriving hot, sweaty, sober and fully laden!

[Milbert]

I've not seen a fine guide for a few years, but does it still have that little cartoon of how to make a secure campsite, with taped off boundaries and the like?

Always seemed like overkill at the time, but I think a lot of people still work to that principle.

[guypjfreak]

have to admit i hate the first few hours getting set up ect .

[brandycoke]

Get your own tent set up, then play James Blunt at full volume through a pair of severely loud speakers....that way you'll be guaranteed that no one will pitch a tent within a miles radius of you

[bluegel1980]

set their tents up too, makes sure you get them to carry something in for you too though as a thanks for setting their tents up.

If you dont set up tents, and mark off space people will just remove you marked spaces and camp there. set up a campfire in the middle of your cirle of tents too, otherwise you will wake up with a tent in the middle if you are not careful

[irons]

The only rule is if there is tape there it will be destroyed.

Don't do it, not nice.

[Milbert]

It's a bit like trying to save a seat on a busy commuter train for someone who's due to get on in three stops. Pointless and rude.