Tent thefts - use the lockups!

[howlin_pete]

I've been going to festivals for 12 years, 7 Glastonburys and never had anything stolen from me so it's very very unlikely it will ever happen. Lock ups just mean that if it does happen it won't ruin your festival

[HalfAnIdiot]

29 minutes ago, 6t6o6m said:

This worries me, I've been to download and reading and have never had a problem. Although, I sleep light and would go crazy if someone stepped foot in my tent.

And you are very unlikely to have a problem at Glastonbury.

The chances of experiencing tent theft are slim (I'd wager slimmer than Download).

BUT dont chance it. The lockups are secure and convenient. You donate what you feel they are worth to you, no pressure.

Have a great festival and dont let the unlikely event of tent theft worry you.

[blackred]

9 minutes ago, Little Andy said:

You shouldn't worry, I'm sure that the vast majority of people don't have anything stolen ... its just that this thread has invited the tiny minority who have to speak up. Nevertheless, use the lockups for peace of mind.

While this is true, it's a tiny percentage of people that have stuff stolen each year, it's still worth having these threads to raise people's awareness of the lockups. If it saves even one person from having their festival ruined it's worth the space it takes on the forum.

Every year there will be people on here after (and during if their phones aren't nicked) saying they have been done. It's worth pointing out they know all the hiding places, bottom of the sleeping bag, under your pillow/mattress/groundsheet, in your pockets etc. and they know how to get to them. If you are hit the chances are it will be a professional crew and they don't mess around. Better safe than sorry even though its only a very slim chance you will be targeted.

 

Edited June 20, 2016 by blackred

[Wooderson]

Festival needs to find a way to go cashless.

[Little Andy]

2 minutes ago, blackred said:

While this is true, it's a tiny percentage of people that have stuff stolen each year, it's still worth having these threads to raise people's awareness of the lockups. If it saves even one person from having their festival ruined it's worth the space it takes on the forum.

Every year there will be people on here after (and during if their phones aren't nicked) saying they have been done. It's worth pointing out they know all the hiding places, bottom of the sleeping bag, under your pillow/mattress/groundsheet, in your pockets etc. and they know how to get to them. If you are hit the chances are it will be a professional crew and they don't mess around. Better safe than sorry even though its only a very slim chance you will be targeted.

 

Yes I totally agree, thankyou for this thread. My post was only replying to the person who said they were worried, and didn't intend to devalue the thread.

[Spindles]

..and if we are ALL more vigilant, use the lockups and present less soft targets then the problem gets less significant with each year til it's not worth the shitbags' time and effort.

[GlastoAwe]

The lock ups are such a godsend - as mentioned for looking after small valuable items, but also larger items such as trolleys, kids buggies, fold up chairs etc that you might not want to drag into your tent especially if you've not got much space or its muddy outside. After transferring her sleeping straight into her bed, we usually check in our daughters buggy at the end of each night so as not to have muddy wheels in the tent, better than leaving outside. We also use the various lock ups around site to store stuff that we might need later in the day so as not to have to carry it round with us or head back to our tent unnecessarily, such as warm evening clothes or an extra crate of beer! We generally have a vague plan for the day and pick the nearest lock up, even if we end up doing something else, it's often still nearer than returning to the tent!

Such a valuable services and always manned by helpful and friendly volunteers! 

[Andeeroo]

Think I first used the lock ups in 2014, my 6th year and I have no idea why I didn't use them before. Just having that peace of mind makes the whole weekend a lot less stress free. 

Wonderful service and wonderful people providing it!

[DeanoL]

With putting it in your sleeping bag/pjs you need to be conscious of what you're like after an evening drinking, if you're dead to the world it's not going to help. If you're a very light sleeper then you'll know there's no chance anyone gets in your tent, opens your sleeping bag and gets a hand in it without you noticing. (And getting it hurt)

[scaryclaireyfairy]

Get your car keys in the lock ups as soon as you've got all your gear onsite.

My mate lost her car keys once - utter ballache (and about £200) to rectify.

[ink1ing]

1 hour ago, wetwipes said:

Another tip, if bringing a camera or a phone is to take a photo of your "owner details" as the first photo so that if it's lost it can be returned to you.

Slightly off the main topic but if, like me, you lock your phone and have an Android.  You can put a message on the lock screen.  Normally I have an 'If found please call...' with my home number and email.  While at the festival I have my parents number and a friend who is with me's. You can probably do the same with an iPhone, dunno as I've never had one. Worth locking your phone though so people can't go through it. 

[Beerqueen]

I have only been once in 2014 and thanks to reading up loads (over-planner, me?) used the lock-ups from the word go - money, cards, camera, external charger and most importantly, car key).  Got extra cash out as and when I ran out.

And yes, our tent was ransacked. But funnily enough, they didn't want to steal my spare knickers. Nor my pot noodles.

So while it might not be common as others have said, it did happen to us the first time we went so please don't take chances.  Because of the good advice re the lock ups, we could shrug and say "great, the w*nkers didn't get anything".  It could've been a lot different.

[PhilG90]

My first Glastonbury last year and camped at Oxylers with a few mates. (I arrived on the Friday they had been there since Wednesday) People's tents were getting raided all around us.

Think it was the Sunday I was lounging outside my tent and got approached by security and asked was this my tent etc. Showed them my passport and was a bit annoyed with them because I thought maybe my Belfast accent was why I was getting reported as suspicious or something.

Luckily I didn't get anything nicked but I wasn't expecting it to be like that at all.

Def be testing the lock ups this year. Unsure about camping in Oxylers again though!

[waterfalls212434]

I always take my valuables out of my tent with me when out for the day, I never carry all my cash in one place and I take precautions such as wearing my bag on my front in large crowds so I can see whats going on with it......also I put my valuables at the bottom of my bag or even in the pocket of my shorts/pjs as I sleep.....im also a very light sleeper good luck to anyone who thinks they can get me out of my sleeping bag and get my stuff away from me without waking me. `touch wood`

One other peice of advice id give is keep a messy tent, tent thieves want a quick in/out to reduce the chance of getting caught....if your tents got stuff all over they might well leave it alone as the risk of being caught while rifiling around looking for valuables is to high.....keeping an overly neat tent with easy access to bags etc might aid them.

Edited June 20, 2016 by waterfalls212434

[LondonTom]

3 hours ago, Little Andy said:

I have no idea if anyone else does this, but I put all my money in the lockups at the start of the festival, then take out a proportion of it every morning.

Yup as much as protection against thievery, its protection against myself doing something stupid with my money while drunk. Bung it in the lock ups, take out £50 for the day each morning. That way, normally by the time I am super drunk its only going be like a tenner or so I've lost rather than all my money!

Do use them, the guys who run them have always been completely lovely even when I've completely hammered at 3 in the morning and trying to remember my phone number for them

[Spindles]

It's not just theft, drunken losses occur as well.

Avoid festival cockups, use the lockups.

[Divein]

I used them for the 1st time in 5 years last year despite having to walk past one to get out of our spot in oxylers. I checked my trolley in due to having no space in my tent for it. 

Then I checked in all my cash. Leaving myself enough for two days with the intention of going back Friday. Ended up only needing to go back on Saturday so It helped me budget better. 

As an aside I only personally know of one person who has had something stolen. It was on the last night and apparently he just took his shorts off and left them in the porch with £70 in them. Not even in a wallet. Coincidently he also snores icredibly loudly.

 

[neil_d]

Just posting to try to lodge in my brain that I need to collect from the lockup before midday on Monday!

(I'm leaving more leisurely this year, so haven't had to consider this before.)

[Flysheet]

Used to be really bad before the superfence

Kidney Mead, woke up one morning, 99 I think with a bloke coming in looking for 'John'

I'd fallen asleep with my boots on and it was a little tent so whilst bending down his head was at boot height

Sorry, I'm not prone to violence...but it was rather satisfying...

 

[Flysheet]

Used lockers though anyway!

[ukdannyb]

27 minutes ago, Flysheet said:

Used to be really bad before the superfence

Kidney Mead, woke up one morning, 99 I think with a bloke coming in looking for 'John'

I'd fallen asleep with my boots on and it was a little tent so whilst bending down his head was at boot height

Sorry, I'm not prone to violence...but it was rather satisfying...

 

Poor bloke!  He was only looking for John...

[Little Andy]

Extra little tip in addition to lockups : wear a money belt.

(and wear it under your clothes, not over them)

[Digital Monkey (Womad)]

20 hours ago, blackred said:

They will have it out your sleeping bags, read the thread linked in op.

The professionals are interested in cash only, not your kit, cards, phone etc. Don't sleep with more money on you than you can afford to lose, use the lockups! 

Thanks will do.

They obviously know there is an issue hence the provision of the lock ups so makes sense to use them.

Just to confirm my point, and this goes for all festivals, I tuck my valuables right inside my sleeping bag to make it virtually impossible to steal without waking me up

 

 

[sidewinder679]

I always use them but I'm always the only one out of my group to do so. It's just a weight off my mind knowing things are safe, and that I can't lose my house keys somewhere on site!