How rough/muddy is the trek to the campsites

[offmytrolley]

11 minutes ago, blutarsky said:

Ordered some. Hopefully be able to pick up a free trolley! 

I normally take a sack truck but am on the train, hotel room, and coach this time so I think it's going to be more hassle than it's worth. Plus, the last time I went was 2016, and getting a sack truck through the mud then was enough to make me go off the idea for as bit!

It might be wishful thinking (or over-thinking) but my current plan is:

1. Train to Bristol on Tuesday
2. Stay overnight, do supermarket booze and mixer run/Tesco delivery
3. Coach to Glastonbury on Wednesday mid-morning
4. Leave booze and mixers in PGA lockup
5. Take rucksacks and tents to wherever we camp, get set up, have a beer, relax for a bit
6. Walk back to the lockup while looking for abandoned but salvageable trolleys
7. Hopefully use them to bring our booze back (I guess I'll have to pack some pallet wrap or duct tape to keep everything on the trolley)

Oh actually that reminds me, another trolley mistake people make is trying to use one or two or three bungee cords to secure everything. What actually happens is you hit a slight bit of uneven ground, the trolley lurches to the left or right, the bungee stretches, then everything comes unstacked and falls off.

It's best to use pallet wrap instead (like cling film but tougher), or failing that a load of duct tape, or if you'd rather use something reusable then probably some sort of non-stretchy strapping where you can get it really taut and tense to keep everything in place:

 

[Wherethewildthingsare]

48 minutes ago, offmytrolley said:

I normally take a sack truck but am on the train, hotel room, and coach this time so I think it's going to be more hassle than it's worth. Plus, the last time I went was 2016, and getting a sack truck through the mud then was enough to make me go off the idea for as bit!

It might be wishful thinking (or over-thinking) but my current plan is:

1. Train to Bristol on Tuesday
2. Stay overnight, do supermarket booze and mixer run/Tesco delivery
3. Coach to Glastonbury on Wednesday mid-morning
4. Leave booze and mixers in PGA lockup
5. Take rucksacks and tents to wherever we camp, get set up, have a beer, relax for a bit
6. Walk back to the lockup while looking for abandoned but salvageable trolleys
7. Hopefully use them to bring our booze back (I guess I'll have to pack some pallet wrap or duct tape to keep everything on the trolley)

Oh actually that reminds me, another trolley mistake people make is trying to use one or two or three bungee cords to secure everything. What actually happens is you hit a slight bit of uneven ground, the trolley lurches to the left or right, the bungee stretches, then everything comes unstacked and falls off.

It's best to use pallet wrap instead (like cling film but tougher), or failing that a load of duct tape, or if you'd rather use something reusable then probably some sort of non-stretchy strapping where you can get it really taut and tense to keep everything in place:

 

Word of caution re pallet wrap, if you get your bags searched, you’ll have to re-wrap

[offmytrolley]

7 minutes ago, Wherethewildthingsare said:

Word of caution re pallet wrap, if you get your bags searched, you’ll have to re-wrap

Yes, good point. When I've done it in the past I've not been searched, but I kept the roll of wrap handy just in case I did and I had to put everything back together.

[Glast0baby]

1 hour ago, offmytrolley said:

another trolley mistake people make is trying to use one or two or three bungee cords to secure everything

I've always been put off by using that much single use plastic.  I do use bungee cords and they work fine.  You just need to use a lot and be careful to fully stretch them out when you are securing them, so they are already at reasonable tension.  It takes ages to secure and then to undo the trolley, but it works fine!

[offmytrolley]

2 minutes ago, Glast0baby said:

I've always been put off by using that much single use plastic.  I do use bungee cords and they work fine.  You just need to use a lot and be careful to fully stretch them out when you are securing them, so they are already at reasonable tension.  It takes ages to secure and then to undo the trolley, but it works fine!

Ah yes, I wasn't knocking them or saying they shouldn't be used at all, only when people do it half-heartedly or without the smart technique that you've described. They're definitely less wasteful and less frustrating if you get searched and have to cut all the wrap off and throw it away.

[Lycra]

 

10 hours ago, offmytrolley said:

I normally take a sack truck but am on the train, hotel room, and coach this time so I think it's going to be more hassle than it's worth. Plus, the last time I went was 2016, and getting a sack truck through the mud then was enough to make me go off the idea for as bit!

It might be wishful thinking (or over-thinking) but my current plan is:

1. Train to Bristol on Tuesday
2. Stay overnight, do supermarket booze and mixer run/Tesco delivery
3. Coach to Glastonbury on Wednesday mid-morning
4. Leave booze and mixers in PGA lockup
5. Take rucksacks and tents to wherever we camp, get set up, have a beer, relax for a bit
6. Walk back to the lockup while looking for abandoned but salvageable trolleys
7. Hopefully use them to bring our booze back (I guess I'll have to pack some pallet wrap or duct tape to keep everything on the trolley)

From experience doing the fest by coach the limiting factor on any plan is the capacity to carry gear. This could curtail your booze ambitions. 

[SouthbanKen]

On 5/18/2022 at 11:00 AM, bexj said:

Don't underestimate what a b*stard those massive tents are to move around...  try taking it to a field (or park) and lugging it for 20 mins...

I would love to go to my local park and see a random bunch of lads carrying around a massive tent for half an hour for no discernable reason. 

[bexj]

1 minute ago, SouthbanKen said:

I would love to go to my local park and see a random bunch of lads carrying around a massive tent for half an hour for no discernable reason. 

Haha!  I did a practice tent pitch in a park one year.... it fairly quickly drew the attention of the local cops!!

[irnkrtn]

On 5/28/2022 at 9:39 PM, offmytrolley said:

I normally take a sack truck but am on the train, hotel room, and coach this time so I think it's going to be more hassle than it's worth. Plus, the last time I went was 2016, and getting a sack truck through the mud then was enough to make me go off the idea for as bit!

It might be wishful thinking (or over-thinking) but my current plan is:

1. Train to Bristol on Tuesday
2. Stay overnight, do supermarket booze and mixer run/Tesco delivery
3. Coach to Glastonbury on Wednesday mid-morning
4. Leave booze and mixers in PGA lockup
5. Take rucksacks and tents to wherever we camp, get set up, have a beer, relax for a bit
6. Walk back to the lockup while looking for abandoned but salvageable trolleys
7. Hopefully use them to bring our booze back (I guess I'll have to pack some pallet wrap or duct tape to keep everything on the trolley)

Oh actually that reminds me, another trolley mistake people make is trying to use one or two or three bungee cords to secure everything. What actually happens is you hit a slight bit of uneven ground, the trolley lurches to the left or right, the bungee stretches, then everything comes unstacked and falls off.

It's best to use pallet wrap instead (like cling film but tougher), or failing that a load of duct tape, or if you'd rather use something reusable then probably some sort of non-stretchy strapping where you can get it really taut and tense to keep everything in place:

 

Apart from the abandoned trolley bit, this was my finally settled on perfect entry tactic when I used to travel by coach. We had one year where we had a car from Glastonbury town, and I pleaded with them to take all our stuff in the car, just take 2 of them in and the rest of us get the bus. Then we'd help carry everything. They refused, which wasn't very nice. It also wasn't very nice for them to cart the 10 man tent they had brought themselves alone from the car, without our help - we live and learn...