Camping spots on Thursday

[EZYSEY]

Hi All,

We're getting the coach down this year and will hopefully be arriving mid afternoon Thursday. A lot of our friends are driving and will already have secured a spot Wednesday. I know from experience that the likelihood of getting a spot next to them is pretty slim so I'm wondering where a good spot for us to camp would be with a 4-man tent. Any insight would be appreciated.

[not worthy]

best bet is to get your friends to take and pitch your tent with them .... worth getting them a slab of beers in return I would think

[guypjfreak]

Get them to take your tent.. Job done. Buy them alcohol in payment 

[Chipbarm]

Getting friends to take your tent is the best bet. We tried the peg down a ground sheet for one of my mates once, got back to find it in a heap next to a random tent.

[p.pete]

So... best bet get someone to bring your tent.  What if that's not an option?

I'm wondering is it getting tougher for late arrivals in recent years?  2013 (I think) we arrived Thursday evening and camped in Pylon - loads of space and remained that way all weekend.  Looking at the high-detailed aerial-view maps that were available until recently, it looked like the camping extremities were all as chocca as anywhere else in the festival, to the naked eye at least.  

I know lots of people couldn't get onto site until a bit later last year, but has anyone recent experience of arriving late Thursday or later, is it getting harder to find a pitch or is that just my paranoia?

[LSF]

1 hour ago, p.pete said:

So... best bet get someone to bring your tent.  What if that's not an option?

I'm wondering is it getting tougher for late arrivals in recent years?  2013 (I think) we arrived Thursday evening and camped in Pylon - loads of space and remained that way all weekend.  Looking at the high-detailed aerial-view maps that were available until recently, it looked like the camping extremities were all as chocca as anywhere else in the festival, to the naked eye at least.  

I know lots of people couldn't get onto site until a bit later last year, but has anyone recent experience of arriving late Thursday or later, is it getting harder to find a pitch or is that just my paranoia?

Camped in Pylon last year and from what I can remember it was fairly busy. Could definitely squeeze a 4-man tent in somewhere though. 

[merago]

Yeah, aerial photos from last year all the camping areas looked pretty camped - was that just down to the weather?  I know in 2015, we were in Baileys and there was plenty of room - looked way busier last year from the photos.

[p.pete]

4 minutes ago, merago said:

Yeah, aerial photos from last year all the camping areas looked pretty camped - was that just down to the weather?  I know in 2015, we were in Baileys and there was plenty of room - looked way busier last year from the photos.

Weather crossed my mind - got to Big Ground fairly early last year but there was plenty of spots there where you wouldn't want to put your tent, e.g. sitting water.  Those grim spaces still got camped on eventually I'd say, but across the site maybe people were spreading out a bit more.

Good to hear about Baileys though!

[warriormonk]

10 hours ago, p.pete said:

there was plenty of spots there where you wouldn't want to put your tent,

Yeah last year I noticed there were large areas of camping ground rendered unusable by water saturation...unless you were camping in a dinghy!  In some areas you'd tread on the grass and water would cover your boots.  Think this pushed more campers out to the peripheries.  

[grumpyhack]

10 hours ago, p.pete said:

Weather crossed my mind - got to Big Ground fairly early last year but there was plenty of spots there where you wouldn't want to put your tent, e.g. sitting water.  Those grim spaces still got camped on eventually I'd say, but across the site maybe people were spreading out a bit more.

Good to hear about Baileys though!

I'd vote for the top end Big Ground.  You may be up at the top but you're less likely to be waterlogged. Good if you're likely to end up on the East side at places like The Acoustic.

Edited March 24, 2017 by grumpyhack

[Familiar2billions]

The top of South Park 2 in 2015 had so much space all weekend. We had a huge tent circle with loads of room in the middle. We camped in the exact same spot last year and it was heaving by Thursday night, no space whatsoever. In my opinion it was definitely the weather forcing everyone to higher ground.

[Curlygirl]

My mates are taking our tent this year (7kg) and I'm buying and carrying 4ltr vodka for them. Well worth it for them securing a spot and putting the tent up. If I didn't have anyone to take it, I would camp in Darble area, always plenty of space there. Do you know where your mates camp? You may get the same field as them if you drop your rucksack with mates then go looking further in from the path. If people can't see a space they think there isn't one! I camp pretty close to the pyramid and there's always space near the fence of the woodsies. 

[Ruth1980]

We camp near the top of Hitchen Hill and I reckon there'd still be space for a 4 man tent by Thursday afternoon. It's a bit of a trek back at night but worth it for the views across the site 

[EZYSEY]

Thanks everyone. Not really sure where they'll be camped, not the most organised bunch. I doubt they'd be willing to pitch our tent either but could try and persuade them by buying them a crate. Another group of ours will be in campervan east so we could always pitch with them at a push but thats a mission from the coach park and i'd prefer to be camped in the thick of it.