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"Festival Tent" pushback


HalfAnIdiot
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21 hours ago, balti-pie said:

Maybe it’s because I’m an exceptionally tight and parsimonious bloke, but if I’ve researched, chosen and bought a tent then I don’t care how knackered I feel, I’m taking it down and home with me. I paid for it, it’s mine. Even aside from environmental concerns, as well as just human concerns about staying on someone else’s property and keeping things tidy, it’s my bloody tent! 

Yeah, this to be honest. My tent was a bargain at around £50, but it's a decent tent and has now seen me through two Glastonburys, three Supernormals and one Blue Dot. I'll be bringing it again this year.

Even when I was 17 and going to my first Reading, I took my tent home and used it for another couple of years before it fell apart (it was a shit one). I'm sure more people used to take their stuff home then, but I could be wrong. We just never questioned it. I think people are easily influenced by seeing what others do annoyingly: "well, everyone around is leaving theirs, so why should we take ours?" kind of thing.

I think some campsites at Glastonbury are worse than others too. The more party-orientated central campsites I think end up having more left behind than the quieter further out ones (I've camped in both over the years). And, sad to say, I think Glastonbury has a bigger problem with this and rubbish left in general than other festivals I've been to.

Edit: Oh and my tent has done a Green Man too! That was a much cleaner festival all round in terms of rubbish, although of course the reusable pint cups helped. 

Edited by Zoo Music Girl
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On 5/8/2019 at 1:23 PM, incident said:

Yep - and from what I remember they've only really said that once, ages ago, and just failed to make it as clear as that they still needed people to take the damn things down and to a collection point. It's haunting them to this day.

Since then people cling to the idea that it happens magically, as if trying to salvage a half broken 20 quid from tesco tent with the bag missing is even viable. Having Camplight bang in the middle of Pennards proudly shouting "we reclaim and recycle your tents" doesn't help at all - well intentioned, but ultimately counter productive.

Weren’t Camplight offered space elsewhere at the festival? It does seem that the festival didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with the idea, just the location. 

I just find it funny how objections to Camplight never fail to mention its location. 

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My current 'igloo' tent was bought in 2000 and has done every Glasto since (and a number of other festivals) since. Each year I do the seams with sealer, and spray the cover with waterproofer, check the ropes / pegs / loops etc.

The one before that was an 'A Frame' like the above and did from 1992 to 2000.

Like the idea of a tent deposit with your ticket - maybe to pick up a tent when you arrive through the gates, one of a number of tent sizes / options on offer. Yeah, the site would look a bit samey, but at least you'd take it back for the deposit wouldn't you?

 

 

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Another interesting view point is the way we encourage others to clean up after themselves.

 

For example I’ve witnessed people literally shouting in peoples faces as they dropped they’re recycling into the wrong bin & I can understand how people might get their back up and rebel as two fingers to the person that shouted at them. Rather than stop think and remember why they should be tidying after themselves. Also I’ve seen people asking for advise on tents, camping gear etc on online forums before and sometimes 1 in two replies is like “anything as long as you take it home and don’t leave it behind”, it come across really preachy and leave a bitter taste in your mouth, especially when your only asking for advice and had every intention of bringing it home with you.

Its much better to educate and encourage others to clean up after themselves, someone here mentioned handing your neighbours some bin bags and politely asking them if they’d like to clean the area around they’re tents etc. Without being patronising its almost like the way we educate children, by asking if they’d like to help and giving them tools rather than shouting, nagging and preaching. Its makes people feel like they’re helping and a part of something (which I guess they are). It’s a much nicer and ‘probably’ more effective way than tutting and insulting them in muffled tones.

And there’s also the lead by example way of looking at it once people see you doing it there much more likely to help themselves.

I think the majority of the tents left behind are more so from the “I cant be bothered, I’m too knackered people” rather than the “I don’t care, the world can burn people”. A possible solution could be a paid for luggage drop off service maybe. For example you could take your tent/chairs/bags to a drop off, tag your bag with whichever car park/ coach/ drop off your heading to and at once you get to the car park/ coach/ drop off you show a ticket and collect at the other end (after a certain time clearly). This obviously comes with its own problems (e.g. lost baggage/ more vehicles/ queues) however it’s a suggestion I haven’t heard before. Would also be useful for those leaving Sunday as I cant imagine carrying all of your stuff around/ out of the festival whilst its still in full swing can be much fun.

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I agree with pretty much everything said here. And Yes, Jordan Bellamy is a fucking bellend.

I do think popup tents are absolutely abhorrent - they are so difficult to put down they actively encourage abandonment. And 'real' tents are not exactly a challenge to put up either.

 

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34 minutes ago, maelzoid said:

I do think popup tents are absolutely abhorrent - they are so difficult to put down they actively encourage abandonment. And 'real' tents are not exactly a challenge to put up either.

That's woefully misinformed.

Shit tents are abhorrent. Pop up tents can be shit if you get a 20 quid from Asda one, but that applies equally to any type - there's plenty of equally diabolical dome tents out there. But pop up tents can also be absolutely fantastic - if you get a decent one. Mine cost 80 quid and for my combination of needs beats any so called "real" tent on the market by some distance. It's far easier to take down and pack away and all, takes me about 3 minutes and doesn't require any technique.

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On 5/8/2019 at 1:18 PM, bombfrog said:

I think Glasto's biggest mistake was ever pushing the idea that if you left your tent it would be recycled.

I have to admit I left a tent behind one year under the belief that all tents left behind were donated to charities that could reuse them

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4 minutes ago, incident said:

That's woefully misinformed.

Shit tents are abhorrent. Pop up tents can be shit if you get a 20 quid from Asda one, but that applies equally to any type - there's plenty of equally diabolical dome tents out there. But pop up tents can also be absolutely fantastic - if you get a decent one. Mine cost 80 quid and for my combination of needs beats any so called "real" tent on the market by some distance. It's far easier to take down and pack away and all, takes me about 3 minutes and doesn't require any technique.

Good point.

My (wealthy London) friends had a great pop up tent that cost hundreds of pounds. It was really fine quality, and not the type of thing you would leave behind.

Also, for anyone that missed it yesterday, Beans on Toast has penned a song for Boomtown about this whole "taking your tent home with you" business.

 

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I think it tends to be worse in the muddy wet years  - people don’t want to drag wet muddy trashed tents back on a coach or train or they live in flats with no space to dry or clean stuff, or they are just too tired and wrecked on Sunday/Monday and desperate to get home. No excuse but that’s why as well as being dead lazy. 

Having said that I have camped at 18 Glastonbury’s and 3 Latitudes, in some appalling weather but have still managed to take my stuff home in my car including my tent! I am now on tent number 4 but the old ones are still in the loft! Yes we have had to drag it all up the Hill of Death back but wouldn’t dream of leaving it. We bought some cheaper tents one year to replace broken ones but they were rubbish and leaked so when we got back home I sold them to a colleague who wanted them for her teenage sons who were going to another festival and had set fire to their last ones !

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Boomtown seem to be taking a strong line on this this year. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17630078.boomtown-warns-revellers-clear-up-tents-or-we-wont-return/?fbclid=IwAR3lUYKJZM6TcKghrSFGVknAuTtB0DQYcqEAPwXB1suXXOgurWOa6HZ7ZyQ 

I do think people need to take personal responsibility for it. I know an old work acquaintance who used to leave loads of stuff there. He earned over £70k a year and went and got absolutely wrecked every year, couldn't even tell you who he'd seen half the time. He had some cousins who used to bring a cheap tent for him as they came in a car and then he'd arrive on the bus with bare minimum stuff. He'd walk out on Monday with even less stuff. I was disgusted when he told me but he was quite proud of it and used to tell other people we worked with that it was an option. 

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