The Walk of Death

[Bradders]

I had to take both mine and my girlfriend's booze last year (150-200 cans, can't remember exactly) and it took 3 trips, 2 of which were with her. You'll always have to do at least two if you're taking a significant amount of cans. It's not a case of not wanting to carry too much just clothes n stuff + tent + 80ish cans can't be done in one trip. What I'd advise for people taking as much beer as me is take all your stuff in, set up the tent, empty your backpack in it, take the empty backpack back and fill in with cans. Will have to be 3 again this year I expect, unless I can do all my beer in one go.

[rubenz]

Would recommend taking some gardening gloves to stop your hands getting mangled if you are carrying a tent/chairs etc.

Always say I am going to travel light but end up taking far too much stuff!

[verrymerry]

My advice is bring only what you can fit in a rucksack on your back. If it doesn't fit, chuck it.

If you can afford to don't bother bringing food because there's loads of great stuff on site and some good bargains if you look in the right places (i.e. not next to the Pyramid). I saw two guys eating manky looking pasta & sauce at their tent (in the rain) and they just looked so miserable. They wouldn't have been looking like that if they'd been eating an Oggy now would they!

[rubenz]

My advice is bring only what you can fit in a rucksack on your back. If it doesn't fit, chuck it.

If you can afford to don't bother bringing food because there's loads of great stuff on site and some good bargains if you look in the right places (i.e. not next to the Pyramid). I saw two guys eating manky looking pasta & sauce at their tent (in the rain) and they just looked so miserable. They wouldn't have been looking like that if they'd been eating an Oggy now would they!

Yeah true , you see some people who bring in loads of food to try and save money and I bet quite a few of them ending up binning a lot of it.

The amount of cans some folk bring in also amazes me (particularly when its is sub optimal cooking lager that will not taste great warm). Best to go for some nice wine and spirits and grab a few pints when out and about I reckon.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I got a trolley from a festival camping place, can't rememebr the name now (funky something or other) it's done me several festivals a year since 2009 and is still going strong, big inflatable wheels, folds down for tent storage and is a god send for hauling booze and cumbersome items, the remainder goes in my big camping rucksack, single journies only! Key is to have spare cans seperate to the main booze store so as to maintain the structural integrity of the crates of beer

[Michaels denim shorts]

Who is this fella? I say every year they should have people with barrows being towed to take all your kit. I'd happily pay!! I'm getting too old to be carrying everything ☺️

Hang about in the circus field/by gates and there's festi-taxis with tricycles who take you/your stuff for tenner a person

[dccool]

Wheel barrow for me. Load it up and bungee cord everything down. Wear gloves to save your hands from getting trashed and when your set up it makes a half decent foot stool when flipped upside down.

[Crazyfool01]

push bike and bike trailer for me , perfect tried and tested method , no weight on back and soo easy trailer takes 90kg but we never load it near that , 1 trip easy

[donshakey]

Buy a motorhome

[jonodillieono]

Hang about in the circus field/by gates and there's festi-taxis with tricycles who take you/your stuff for tenner a person

Let's say there's 6 of us, if we put all of 6 peoples stuff on the taxi and only one of us rides while the rest walks is that only a tenner?

[guypjfreak]

One joy of the Hill of Death is the great view you get from the top. No one labels the trek up to the Stone Circle as a Hill of Death - just a walk up to a great view.

With a bit of luck we'll only need to do one down and one back up a day.

thats a lovely way to word it old son but lets not break with tradition ah ..its the hill of death for a reason ....mostly cos when youve been at the festi for 5 days it is the hill of death lol i know where i was going with this but the MOONSHINERS is on so ive lost the plot

ag

ain lol

[Michaels denim shorts]

It was a Tenner per person, I imagine they could only manage 3-4 peoples stuff max, the bike things weren't massive & they'd charge you 30-40 accordingly

They arent stupid and they're there to make money, and there will be thousands of other overpacked/struggling punters around so there's not much shortage of work

[Sawdusty surfer]

I'm a trolley fan (at least I was when we camped before we graduated to the over-rated Hill of Death in CV East).

Our Glastomobile served for many years. Fabricated from two B&Q sacktrucks bolted together.

The key design point is that there is no swivelling axle. That pivot point is often the weakest link. So, instead it's a straight line vehicle. You change direction by lifting up the rear end and re-pointing it.

It also has a handle to pull and handles at the back for others in the group to push.

May not be needed if you are going solo but we used it when we were a gang of five with a big tent an all our supplies for a week.

Probably the prompt for me to post my annual trolley pic and advice..................

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

In later years I've ended up arriving at about 3pm on the Wednesday. I'm not sure whether it's as a result of the late arrival or because I take an off the road route but I now always end up in outer lying fields. The net result of this is that the Walk of Death (not the hill of death) on the way in to the festival is significantly longer. When I say longer I mean treacherous. It's a bastard but has to be done in a one'er in my opinion ie one trip from the car/ van to the festival only.

On the way back though it's much less arduous because of the lightened weight owing to no alcohol on board your back / trolley etc The other benefit of this is not having to get involved in the snarling shittery which is people pushing in front of others in their vehicles on the late morning / afternoon of the following Monday trying to get away from the festival site.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Yoghurt on a Stick

[bexj]

Used to get it all on our backs, just one trip from the car, but these days it's a trolley between 3 of us - partly cos we take a bigger tent so that a friend who comes down Thursday can share with us, and partly cos we're old! I've never experienced the hill of death as always Park Westhide, but it's always a Damon long walk from across the other side of the main road these days

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Used to get it all on our backs, just one trip from the car, but these days it's a trolley between 3 of us - partly cos we take a bigger tent so that a friend who comes down Thursday can share with us, and partly cos we're old! I've never experienced the hill of death as always Park Westhide, but it's always a Damon long walk from across the other side of the main road these days

I know what you mean about that walk from the other side of the main road. I meant to indicate in my post above that that is where I end up too as I always (bar one occassion) park westside.

As for the 'Damon' long walk you mention I can only assume you meant dammed.

[Spindles]

Who is this fella? I say every year they should have people with barrows being towed to take all your kit. I'd happily pay!! I'm getting too old to be carrying everything ☺️

Years ago there used to be a fair number of people with converted luggage carrying bikes who'd sherpa your gear across the site for a fee. I assume they do other festivals these days as I haven't seen them there in a long time, but I saw them in 2012 at croissant neuf.

I know the festival is very strict about people making money inside the fence these days, whereas once there was a hell of an economy for people to bring their own fare to sell as a way to finance their visit. The days of wandering beer, fag and substance sellers being a regular site are sadly missed.

[ltfckimbo]

I know what you mean about that walk from the other side of the main road. I meant to indicate in my post above that that is where I end up too as I always (bar one occassion) park westside.

As for the 'Damon' long walk you mention I can only assume you meant dammed.

Can,t be further than the walk from the East car parks, through the campervan fields, surely? Doesn't look it on the map anyway.

Seriously considering parking west side this year, we come from the east but always end up camping in Oxlyers so the walk looks much shorter. Has anyone ever done this? It looks pretty simple on google maps, but I'm sure it would be different at festival time.

[One Tonne Baby]

first year we went was 2010 and i wasnt prepared for the long queues. didnt bother sleeping the tuesday night and so by the time we started queuing i had been up for 24 hours, it was also boiling hot and took about 4-5 hours to get in, not fun. We camped in dairy fields and liked it so 2nd year decided to head back, the only problem being that we got directed to a car park as far away as possible from dairy fields. Instead of being sensible we walked allll the way through the site and did 2-3 beer runs to the car, hell! But all worth it of course. This year, if i get resale tickets I wont have to carry my gear and my EX girlfriends gear too like previous times.

[Stu H]

I had a cider in the queue at 7am last year & didn't feel at all bad about it!

[gmb1992]

I had a cider in the queue at 7am last year & didn't feel at all bad about it!

I love that it is acceptable to drink in the morning at festivals

[russycarps]

Years ago there used to be a fair number of people with converted luggage carrying bikes who'd sherpa your gear across the site for a fee. I assume they do other festivals these days as I haven't seen them there in a long time, but I saw them in 2012 at croissant neuf.

I know the festival is very strict about people making money inside the fence these days, whereas once there was a hell of an economy for people to bring their own fare to sell as a way to finance their visit. The days of wandering beer, fag and substance sellers being a regular site are sadly missed.

Yep. Three cans for a fiver (think that was the price when I last saw a seller) was a godsend during a headline act.

Now the best you can hope for is vodka jellies. Surprised they havent clamped down on them too.

I always used to buy those big candle flares too. Made the pyramid field look beautiful on the telly in the dark.

Edited April 9, 2015 by russycarps

[ltfckimbo]

Yep. Three cans for a fiver (think that was the price when I last saw a seller) was a godsend during a headline act.

Now the best you can hope for is vodka jellies. Surprised they havent clamped down on them too.

I always used to buy those big candle flares too. Made the pyramid field look beautiful on the telly in the dark.

You can still get the candle flares, can't you? Although last time a had one alight in the pyramid field a women kept glaring and tutting at me as if i was actually trying to burn her children's faces off.

[SLEEPYMOPS]

Let's say there's 6 of us, if we put all of 6 peoples stuff on the taxi and only one of us rides while the rest walks is that only a tenner?

He had to do it in 2 runs so it was a tenner a go, he loaded alot of stuff on there and you get a little cushion to sit on. I did feel abit ashamed at first but when you see people struggling and i was kicking back with a can in hand and was flying past the pyramid stage i soon didnt't give a shit. They usually come past the meeting point area

[pentura]

I love that it is acceptable to drink in the morning at festivals

It'd be more frowned upon if you didn't really!