Co-written w/WRR writer Brittany Traub

With Bonnaroo just over a month away, it’s about that time to start rounding up festival pro-tips and advice for our freshman class of Bonnaroovians. Stay hydrated, lather on the sunscreen…we all know the drill by now. While a sun hat and Camelback are do or die, we’re willing to bet you didn’t know that a solar blanket is the best hack to keeping your tent cool in the morning, or that you need to plan in advance if you want to see a show at the Comedy Tent.

This event will be one of the best weekends of your life, but it’s also very demanding and can take a toll on your body so preparation and using your noggin’ is key. So without further ado, tailored to the Bonnaroo experience, we’ve assembled a massive catalog of tips and hacks to guide you through smooth and unforgettable Roo.

Try the Arepa Carts and Amish Baking Company Food Vendors

You couldn’t try all of the food vendors at Bonnaroo if you were there for a whole month, and since you’ll only have a few days to explore all of the tastiness, make sure you stop by the Arepa Carts and Amish Baking Company when you’re debating food choices in Centeroo.

Solar Blankets Will Change Your Camping Game

What might be the greatest camping hack of all, solar blankets can be clipped to your tent to reflect away the unforgiving sun. Now shielded from the direct impact of the heat, your tent will stay exponentially cooler, restoring the possibility of naps and sleeping through the 7 A.M. realization that you can no longer breathe inside your tent. Also be careful how your blanket is positioned. Your neighbors might end up a bit salty if they have to absorb all the redirected heat.

Outsmart the Line for the Comedy Theatre

If you want to see a comedian, you’ll need to grab a ticket at the beginning of the day and come back about 20 minutes before your show starts. Don’t waste several precious festival hours in line close to the actual show time. Just hit the tent at the beginning of your day to guarantee smooth sailing into Chris Hardwick, Reggie Watts, or any of the hilarious comedians performing this year.

Hit Up the Health Food Demonstrations

Stop by the Solar Stage for one of the many interactive events that go on, especially the free health food demos. One does not simply turn down free food at a festival…or ever. So enjoy the shade of the tent, learn some new recipes, and enjoy a yummy snack at one of these fun classes.

Earplugs

You do need them. Whether you’re riding the rail or lounging in the field, take earplugs with you everywhere you go! The cheap foam ones are given away at most every venue so grab a couple at your next show. These will do the job for most, but for us who don’t want to sacrifice an inch for acoustics invest in DUBS or EARASERS.

Your Flashlight or Headlamp Will Be Your Best Friend

While a headlamp is best for optimal, hands-free maneuvering around your tent stakes, to the bathroom, and eyeing ground scores in the dark…a flashlight will also do just fine. Extra batteries are also a must.

Get a Free Wash and Style at the Garnier Fructis Hair Salon

If you have the discipline to get up early enough you will most certainly be rewarded by following through on this tip. At the Garnier Fructis booth you can get your hair washed and styled for free, but once the clock strikes 10 a.m. plan on waiting in line for a while to claim your prize. Showers are also available for purchase here at $7 a pop.

Every Crew Needs a Good Homebase

Pick a very specific spot for your crew to meet up at. “To the left of the What Stage” does not work. It never has, never will. Try not to use food or beer stands because there are multiple locations even in a narrowed down vicinity. Pick an exact landmark or an art installation that everyone can easily locate.

Even if you’re just running to the bathroom always make sure to communicate a solid meet up location because that 40 minutes frantically searching for your homies with no cell service could have been better spent getting down at set.

Pack Coolers of Dry Ice

Bring along two coolers, one of which you won’t care to toss out at the end of the fest. Fill your disposable option with a layer of dry ice and then all the regular bags of ice you might need to keep your food and drinks cold for the weekend.

As the ice in your food cooler melts, CAREFULLY replenish with the ice bags being stored with your dry ice. You will need insulated gloves for handling the dry ice. It would be such a bummer to miss Bassnecatar because you burned your hand off mishandling this stuff. BE CAREFUL. Dry ice is available for purchase at most Walmarts for $7-$10. You really have to plan ahead for this one because it is not available for purchase in Manchester.

Take Advantage of the AC in Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Barn

Christmas in June is how we roll at Bonnaroo. Set up as tribute to the legendary bar in NOLA, the Christmas Barn has AC, liquor, deep house, and probably a creepy Santa roaming around somewhere.

Keep Your Valuables Locked in Your Car

Bonnaroo is a huge festival, and while we would like to hope that everyone is there to get down to amazing music and make life long friends, there are bound to be a few bad apples out of an 85,000 person crowd. Don’t let your guard down just because you’ve stepped away from your usual routine. Don’t leave anything in your tent that you wouldn’t care to be taken, or if you’re tent-only camping bring a lock.

Like all major music festivals it’s a possibility that your stuff could get stolen. So keep those backpacks zipped, valuables tucked away, and you should be good to go.

Try to Snag a Lockable Phone Charger at the Miller Lite Lounge

Next to the fountain at Centeroo is the Miller Lite Lounge wherein lies small lockers equipped with chargers to fit most devices. You can stay and jam out to artists playing the lounge or leave your phone to charge while you frolic around the farm. These charging lockers are first come first serve and pretty hard to come by, but it’s always worth a shot.

Enjoy Some AC and a Movie in the Bonnaroo Cinema

Instead of resting in the heat of your campsite, head to the Bonnaroo Cinema for some entertainment to go with your R&R. Highlights of this year’s schedule includes an advance screening of Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, the Academy Award-winning Birdman, and old favorites like The Goonies, Zoolander, and Clueless. Check out the full schedule on the official Bonnaroo page.

Don’t Want to Camp? Take the Nashville Shuttle Bus

Twice a day a magical vessel will deliver you to and from Nashville and the festival. Pick the shuttle option that suites you best. Round trips are available for both general admission and VIP ticket holders. All of the details are available on the here.

Opt Out of That Next Round of Drinks

Four days of heavy drinking will not fair well for you on the farm. It’s very easy to get dehydrated in the heat when you’re sober, much less when you’re pounding them back. Best advice if you’re drinking is to stick to well paced out beers throughout the day, and stay away from liquor as much as possible. Chances are once you’re too intoxicated you won’t be paying attention to how much water you’ve been drinking, and it’s all down hill from there.

Pack Lots of Fresh Fruit

Pack as much fresh fruit as you can for this adventure. Watermelons and pineapples are great because they don’t get squished in a full car, and you can share with your neighbors. You won’t feel too hot come day four living on a nonstop diet of Spicy Pie so throw you bod a solid and stock up on some yummy fruit. Don’t forget grapes!

Question Your Shoe Choice

Stick with waterproof sandals that don’t slip off your feet. Tevas, Chacos, and Keens are best, but they will need to be broken in during the weeks leading up to the fest. Flip flops are a “hell no” outside of quick trips to the bathroom or showering.

Tennis shoes or lace ups will work in a bind, but plan on them being pretty destroyed from the rigorous wear and tear of the weekend. Another factor to consider is that heat leaves the body through your feet, so letting the toes out will ultimately be beneficial.

Radiate Positivity

At Bonnaroo this is the law of the land. Nearly 100,000 people gather here every year, leaving their troubles at the gates and ready to celebrate the simple things in life like high fives, hugs, and smiling. Random acts of kindness are encouraged and of course spreading love and positivity with everyone that you come across during your stay on the farm.

Make Your Own Shower

Save the ten bucks for a beer or souvenir. It’s easy to make your own shower right at the campsite. Alternate cascades of water from a gallon jug or even a cup with your shampoo for a free and refreshing clean up. If it rains you can even use the water that collects in your canopy folds. Last but not least you can always bring your shampoo into Centeroo and have a rinse in the fountain with a couple hundred of your closest friends.

Give Tent-Only Camping a Go

Tent-Only camping is tucked a stones throw away from Centeroo, nice and close to all the action. The catch however is exactly what is sounds – you have to ditch your ride. Campers’ vehicles are parked a good distance away from your destination, followed by the treacherous hauling of the supplies into the Tent-Only lot. You will want to invest in a collapsible wagon if you feel called to this camping option.

Space is first-come first-serve, and not for the faint at heart. You won’t be able to jump into your car and crank the AC, but you will be able to jump into the main venue and find yourself a nice, shady retreat from the sun.

Be a Unicorn

…Or a dragon, bird, butterfly, flower child, Franzia box, or whatever makes you happy. You will never regret the weekend you pranced around Bonnaroo having the time of your life with a horn on your head, but you definitely will regret not being silly and outside your comfort zone and making the most of your experience.

Hit the Vendor Tents On the Last Day

Save your shopping for Sunday when vendors will be more likely to cut you a deal since their time to sell will be running low. This definitely doesn’t apply to official festival merch though. Run to that tent on the first day, and make your picks before the weekend crowd descends.

View the Which Stage From the Access Platform

Your best view of the Which Stage is going to be stage left (right of the stage when watching from the crowd) and over by the access platform. You’ll be set up right next to an artist entrance as well so you might even brush elbows with on of your favorite performers.

The Xbox Lounge Awaits You

Comfy chairs, charging stations, and a precious commodity known as AC are at your disposable in the Xbox Lounge. This is your perfect wind down spot for when that Tennessee heat starts getting to be too much. The earlier you can mark your territory here the better because it will fill up.

Wake Up for a Yoga Session at the Solar Stage

Start your day off rejuvenated with a bit of Namaste at the Solar Stage. Get your Zen on plus a jump on the rest of the Roo crowd still snoozing. It’s best to hit one of these yoga sessions on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. There won’t be enough festivities happening yet Thursday morning to clock an extra trek into Centeroo.

Get Your Zzzzz

With late night sets going until sunrise and music kicking back up again around 1 p.m. it is hard to get any decent shut eye, especially when you’re tent quickly turns into an oven around 7 A.M. You will need to move around in order to find shade to accommodate getting enough sleep.

Grab your hammock and post up in Centeroo for the night. You’ll wake up in a shady spot and can sleep in hours longer than you would have in your tent. You can also reverse the order. Sleep in your tent until it’s finally unbearable, and claim a shady hammock spot or grassy area under a tree. Get however creative you want with your arrangements, but do make sure you sleep!

Tickets are still available for purchase here, but don’t wait too much longer. Roo will sell out, and you don’t want to get left out of this party.

Connect with Bonnaroo:
https://www.facebook.com/bonnaroo
https://twitter.com/Bonnaroo
https://instagram.com/bonnaroo/

Photo Cred: C. Taylor Crothers, Douglas Mason, Adam Macchia, David Barnum, Morgan G. Harris

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