After TomorrowWorld 2013 was such a huge success, many new-comers are planning on making the trip to Atlanta this September 26-28 to experience the magic for the first time. Since last year was TomorrowWorld’s inaugural year in the United States, many people made some mistakes and learned a ton about what to bring, how to pack, and what to expect once you get there.
We spoke to some of last year’s attendees and got their best advice on lessons they learned last year, and what first-timers can expect for their first embarkment to the magical world of tomorrow.
Be prepared to walk everywhere and walk a lot
You’ll be walking all of your belongings to your camp. You’ll be walking between Dreamville and the actual TomorrowWorld venue with the stages (which is farther away than you’d think). Even between stages you’ll be walking a good distance. Not to mention the dancing, grooving, and raging you’ll be doing day.
Be sure to pack some comfy shoes that you don’t mind wearing all weekend. TW is murder on your feet. Many miles of walking from stage to stage each day”
A collapsible wagon will be your best friend
If you want to minimize the amount of trips you’ll have to take between your car and campsite (which might be a mile or two away), a collapsible wagon is a must-have. You don’t want to pull a muscle before the fun even starts, do you? Let the wagon carry everything for you.
Bring a collapsible wagon. It’s a very far walk to make multiple trips back and forth from your car with heavy things and hard-to-carry objects (case of water, etc…)”
“You will not be camping next to your car, so prepare to carry YOUR CRAP verrrrry far. (foldable wagons are amazing for this)”
The bare necessities are all you need
Camping space at TW is very limited, so bringing an enormous 16 person tent for two people is both unpractical and will most likely take up of the space at your campsite. Bring a tent that will accommodate your basic needs and instead use the extra space for canopies and chairs for downtime chillin’ with friends.
Tent was too big. Dreamville was way too crammed for a big tent.”
“PACK LIGHT and logically (look at experienced campers’ lists)”
“Pack the bare essentials and not all of the un-needed extras.”
“Canopies and chairs (and tarps) are great for campsite chilling, just be aware that each camp space isn’t really as big as you would think. Get a tent that’s JUST big enough for your needs.”
“All you need is a place to sleep, clothes to rage in and clothes to sleep in, something to eat, and your friends”
Bring food to energize and revitalize yourself after a long day
Buying food within the venue can be very expensive and lines will be long once the music is over at night. Make sure you bring food with you that will both sustain you and keep you feelin’ great for the long weekend ahead.
Pack food as well. I can’t tell you how much money I spent on food because we didn’t bring anything. TW is expensive so if you’re on a budget bring food to cook and snack on”
“Make sure it’s energy and protein. Give your body goodness to re-energize”
Expand your musical interests, go see someone you’ve never seen before
TomorrowWorld is one of the most unique festivals in the US, because there is a strong sense of community within an almost-entirely EDM festival. Sure some of the world’s biggests artists will be throwing down on the mainstage, but the beauty of TW is the gargantuan amount of worthwhile artists that adorn this line-up.
Several of the biggest electronic record labels will be hosting their own stages each day and showcasing their up and coming talent. Make sure to branch out and go check out some of the lesser-known names on the line-up, you’ll be glad you did.
Don’t make a strict schedule, just explore and find what works for you when it does”
“It’s TOMORROWWORLD, leave your comfort zone and see new people”
B.Y.O.TP. (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper)
This can’t be stressed enough. You definitely don’t wanna get stuck in a porta-potty without any toilet paper. Also, bringing baby wipes into the fest is a fantastic idea for wiping grime and sweat off of your face, keeping your hands clean before/after meals, and can be used as toilet paper if needed.
Bring your own toilet paper. Take some sheets and put it in your bag that you carry throughout the fest”
It’s HOTlanta, y’all
Even though it’ll be the end of September and not nearly the hottest time of the year for Atlanta, temperatures will be brutal. Georgia has a hot and humid climate, so be prepared for skyrocketing temperatures and be sure to keep yourself cool and hydrated throughout the day.
Speaking of hot Dreamville, girls especially who are camping shouldn’t worry much about make-up. Trying to put it on at the campsite, I just kept sweating it off. What was left, I sweat off as soon as I got into the festival.”
“Don’t worry about an alarm clock, the hot ass sun works just fine (MAKE SURE YOUR TENT HAS FLAPS and leave them open when you sleep)”
Expect temperatures to change drastically between day and night (and pack accordingly)
Make sure you pack for extreme weather changes throughout each day. When packing, bring clothes for both summertime heat and very low temperatures at night. Before going into the festival each day, make sure you bring a jacket and perhaps some extra pants just in case temperatures drop. You don’t want to be that guy that has to go back to his campsite to get a jacket minutes before Bassnectar is about to come on.
It’s cold as f*** at night and hot as f*** during the day so pack accordingly”
“Bring a jacket and sweat pants for late at night because last year it got COLD at night”
“Temperatures drop to FREEZING at night and Sahara Desert during the day”
Put sunscreen on before you get in line, because you might be there for awhile
There’s nothing worse than getting sunburnt the first day before you even get to start having an amazing time. Don’t be a lobster and suffer all three days, put sunscreen on as soon as your body is out in that brutal Atlanta sun.
Sunscreen is a must. Apply it BEFORE getting in line for Dreamville check in. We were in line for hours and that’s where I got horribly sunburnt.”
Dry ice is a god-send
Although TomorrowWorld does have a general store where you can pick up some ice for your drinks/food, it can be a very far walk to your campsite and in the Hotlanta sun there’s a good chance your ice might melt before you get there. Purchasing dry ice before you get into the grounds can save you a lot of hassle and you’ll know that your cooler items will stay cold all three days.
Also, bring dry ice and freeze your water bottles. I couldn’t find ice last year during the festival. And a lot of people that did find it said that it melted by the time they got back to their tents.”
Treat your tokens like cash
Tokens are used as TomorrowWorld currency to buy food, drinks, showers, etc. and although they aren’t real cash, they should be treated like it. Your livelihood is based on these tokens so make sure to set a budget and keep track of them at times. Keep them in a zippered pouch so you can take some out when you need to and leave the rest in there ’til the next time you need them. If you keep them loose in your pocket, you will definitely lose some.
A smart idea is to have a budget for each day, let’s say $75 worth of tokens every day. Then keep the other day’s tokens at your campsite just in case you lose them.”
“Bring CA$H to buy your tokens — sometimes the credit card machines at the token booths would go down. No cash = no tokens = no sustenance. dolla dolla bills, y’all”
Showers can be iffy, so make sure you have stuff to keep yourself clean
We’ve gotten a couple of different views on the shower situation at TomorrowWorld: some said the showers were hot and clean, others said the water was lukewarm or cold and definitely not worth the $4 per shower. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you keep yourself refreshed and the body odor to a minimum.
Not to mention the showers for the ladies were always cold, so bring plenty of baby wipes & deodorant. Maybe it should just be an all-natural weekend. (Just be considerate. As dirty as everyone is, there’s a limit to the BO that can be handled)”
“Yeah that was definitely a plus, although paying for showers blows it was nice they were at least always hot”
Now that you’re ready for one of the greatest festival weekends this year, all you need to do now is open your heart and mind. Get ready to experience community and love like no other. TomorrowWorld is a one-of-a-kind festival and a magical event that everyone should go to at least once in their lifetime. A huge thank you to everyone who gave their wisdom to help out the TW n00bs.
Get tickets here! TomorrowWorld is not yet sold out!
Check out our Pre-TomorrowWorld playlist:
WhiteRaverRafting Essential TomorrowWorld Playlist
Connect with TomorrowWorld:
http://www.tomorrowworld.com/home
https://www.facebook.com/tomorrowworld
https://twitter.com/tomorrowworld
Photos: TomorrowWorld Facebook
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