How to survive camping if you're a bit of a princess

Last year, I went to my first ever festival. Hell, it was the first time I had ever camped in my life. I was never a Brownie, or a cadet, and as an adult, I am more of a hotel than a tent kind of gal.

I am the last person my friends or family would ever expect to go to a festival, but with a new "just say yes" attitude, free tickets from work and a trusting friend, I headed to the Isle of Wight 2016. And guess what? I actually had the best three days; it's a strong contender for my best weekend of last year. So, after a second visit this year, and amidst festival season, here's how to survive a festival when you're a bit of a princess:

Choose wisely

Choose the festival wisely. Isle of Wight has a nice, chilled crowd, the music is varied and, perhaps most importantly, the mud isn't too bad. It's probably best to start with one like this, if you're not after a baptism of fire. Holy water? Holy mud wash, more like.

Embrace it all

You have to embrace your surroundings for what it is. And 5* luxury accommodation it isn't, even in the VIP section. Once you make peace with the fact your shoes will get muddy, the toilets will smell, and lose yourself in the notion that it doesn't really matter what time it is, you will have fun. The first thing I did was don my wellies (you'll care less about mud then), pack a small bag with cleanliness essentials and stuff I would hate to be stolen (phone, keys, glasses) and set up the tent with my sleeping bag. That way, I know I will have everything I will need with me at all times, and any worry will melt away.

Tent

Try and get to the site during the day, so you're not attempting to put a tent up in the dark. Last year was the first time my friend or I had ever put up a tent and we did pretty well! It may have taken us the best part of an hour, and we may have had a smidgen of help from the owner of the tent (over the phone) and our tent neighbour, but it stayed sturdy for the whole three days. The same can't be said for the tent our friends put up for us this year. Arriving at dusk, they put up the tent, which promptly fell down while they were in the main arena. Cue hours of walking, a plea to the police and a night in the welfare tent! Thankfully, they found it and put it back up, ready for our arrival.

Pitch up not too close to the path, near - but not too near - a toilet, and close to something that you'll remember when it's dark, you're drunk and there are a million tents. Last year was a tent with a large flag on top, this year was a sign that said: "purple 1" and two orange tents in quick succession.

Pack strategically

Ain't nobody got time for two pulley suitcases and a holdall. Bear in mind you're going to be on grass, if not mud, so carry your stuff in a backpack or a holdall. A word to the wise: don't carry a bag on one shoulder. You will have to walk for a while, whether it's along the pier from the ferry or through the car park, and that shiz gets painful! It's not the weight, but rather the thinned strap pushing into your shoulder. Also, carry a smaller bag that you can wear once you leave your tent.

The main items, aside from wellies, tent and sleeping bag that you will need are:

- Plastic bottles (either to fill with water or alcohol to consume in the campsite area. No glass bottles are allowed).
- Wipes - this is your toilet roll, your shower, your glitter remover, your mud decruster. Bring a big pack of baby wipes to leave in the tent, and a handbag sized one to carry around with you.
- Hand sanitiser - good for your life and sanity.
- An old phone that has an incredible battery life, or your normal phone popped on airplane mode. If you do the former, make sure you have an emergency contact saved, as well as the numbers of the people you're with. 
- Double the amount of socks you think you'll need.
- A spare outfit, along with one for each day.
- Lots of plastic bags - these become bins, keep things dry if it rains, and generally come in handy.
- Spray deodorant - which can double as perfume.
- Lippy and hair bobbles: pop your hair back for the weekend and dress up your face with some lippy.
- A light jacket that can be easily tied around your waist, but will keep you warm in the evening and can double as a mat when you sit on the ground.
- Plastic cups - you can drink out of them, brush your teeth into them, and make some arts and crafts, if you're feeling particularly boho.
- If you're a contact lens wearer, opt for daily wear ones, rather than monthlies. Your hands are no where near as clean as they are at home, and you don't need an eye infection to go with your three day hangover at the end of the weekend.

Food
To save money, bring breakfast stuff that will store well (like breakfast bars, or cereals if you like cereal without milk) and lots of water. Bring any alcohol, poured into plastic bottles, but be mindful that you'll only be able to drink it at your tent. 

The rest of your meals can be bought from the many many stalls. In my opinion, the food is quite expensive, but the drinks are London prices. Opt for stodgy foods if you don't want to spend too long on those portaloos...

Festivals are a great way to escape, so I can't say enough: go, go, GO!

How to prep for a long-haul trip without freaking the F out

Once the flights have been booked and the hotel paid for, you can get properly excited for a holiday. It's now a solid plan and not just a flash-in-the-pan, kinda-something-I-wanna-do idea anymore. But when you're going cross-continent there is a lot to consider...

Going to a brand new continent, filled to the brim with food, people and cultures you have never encountered before is exciting. But, how are you actually getting there? I don't mean by plane, train or automobile (lol, if you're going to a different continent by the latter two, good luck), but rather, what do you need to do in order to prepare for a long-haul trip?

I'm preparing for a trip to Bali in April and, having never been to Asia before, it's a minefield and a half. I am SO excited, but a lot more prep is going into this trip than a standard weekend away to Europe.

Here is a little checklist to make sure your preparation is as smooth as freshly shaved, beach-ready legs:

Use your friends

"It's all London, baby!" If, like me, you live in this multi-cultural city, chances are you have made friends from all corners of the Earth, who will have a wealth of knowledge you can fully exploit. The amount of information I've asked of my friend from Malaysia, who has travelled all across Asia, is unreal. From water quality to estimated taxi prices, it saves on SO MUCH Googling and you may find some extra little nuggets of info that you wouldn't have got online.   

Connecting flight?

There are a few things to consider. Firstly, check the layover time. Anything over four hours can be a drag, especially if the stay is overnight. One friend spent four hours overnight in a Greek airport, which could have easily been avoided for an additional £50. Unless, ya know, you're open to splashing out even more on a hotel, once you’ve inevitably given up on those rock hard airport chairs. A comfy bed, they do not make. 

If you do have a long daytime layover, see if you can do a bit of sightseeing. Have a Google: check if the city is easily accessible from the airport and if you need a visa to enter the country (i.e. leave the airport). If the answer is yes to the first and no the second, grab your camera and venture outside of terminal 2.

Lastly, check the suitcase limit on both flights. On large international flights, the accepted weight may exceed the amount allowed on your smaller connecting flight and you will run into additional charges. This can easily be done online during, or after, booking. 

Jabs

Some countries recommend you receive certain injections before travelling to specific regions. For example, when staying by a rice field for a long period of time in Bali, it is recommended you get your jabs for Japanese Encephalitis (that is not some sort of STI, FYI). Some injections are required at least a month, or two, before you travel, so give yourself some time and do your research.

It's worth booking an appointment with your doctor to chat through what they recommend, as they can give some pretty good advice. My doctor advised not to pick up my prescription for a particular injection until two hours before my appointment, and not to listen to the chemist if they advise I just pop it in my fridge at home.

Also, see if you can find out what injections you had at school. If you're in your early 20s, you may still be covered by the tetanus and diphtheria jabs you had in your Year 8 assembly hall.

Liquids    

Bask in the glory of being free from those pesky, carry-on only liquid restrictions. It's hard enough sticking to the under 100ml rule already, let alone being a make-up wearing woman. Try being a contact lens-wearing asthmatic who loves good nails, bright lips and soft skin. It’s like a game of Tetris and, sometimes, somethings gotta give (sorry shampoo, its gonna be a 'hair up all holiday' kind of trip).

Post-conditioner and toothpaste, head to the chemist and grab mosquito spray, Savlon, anti-septic gel and hand sanitiser. These little bottles will come in SO handy, even if you do end up smelling of lemon all holiday. Better that than being eaten alive and getting Malaria, eh. 

Beware of the time difference

Speaking of meds, a little tip for right before the trip: if you take the pill, prepare some alarms on your phone. The time difference will f up your pill-taking, and therefore your cycle. Obviously, when you're fifty thousand feet in the air with your phone on airplane mode, God knows what the actual time is. Set your alarm for 24 hour intervals, taking into consideration when your phone will automatically change time zones, once you've landed. 

Happy planning!