i have me a mandolin, but i need to find some time (nursing school has me booked till may) so i can practice!! don’t worry, i’ll take the cake for mis-cords and horrible rhythm!!
It’s pretty much been covered, but yes, you need to pack a swim suit and a ski jacket… and all the tye-dye in between.
Loved the wool blanket idea! I’ve been doing that for the last three years (I’m also a Florida Native) and couldn’t have done without the extra layer UNDERNEATH me!
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
I can’t believe I forgot about Tye-Dye. Tye-Dye is a must. Period. End of Discussion. :cheers
:wave Looks like it’s been pretty well covered. LAYERS- you can take em off down to the shorts and tee or add layers of vests, fleece and of course, that heavy winter coat. Gloves, warm socks and a knit or fleece hat are a must. When you are cool in the sun or warm in the cold- you have alot more fun. Rain WILL happen, so waterproof rain jacket, umbrella and/or a poncho and a towel in your pack to dry of with are your friends. Remember you are at high altitude, SUNSCREEN and a hat- clother that dry fast. LIVE IT UP!!! :lol :lol
Fuzzy Slippers? (Yes just brin em)/ TuTus/ magnatudes of screamin orange rain panchos, yip em up cowgirl boots/ flip flops/ hiking boots/ Cha cha heels :flower
do bring an assortment of shoes because your feet get pretty tired …
What is the bug situation at altitude? bug spray needed?
I’ve never had a problem with bugs when I’ve been there, but I believe people have had problems in years past. I’d bring some just in case.
Mosquito’s can be bad at times depending on the season, but it’s better to have spray and not need it than to need it and not have it. :flower
Here’s what I found worked really well last year:
Mornings are cool so I’d leave my tent with a sun dress (knee-length, strappy top) and thermal tights on, a pair of sandals were usually fine in the mornings, and I’d have a long-sleeve t-shirt on over the dress too.
In my backpack, I’d have a fleece jacket, a rain jacket that folds down really small, a pair of socks, a sun hat, and a small lightweight blanket.
As the weather would get super hot and sunny, I was able to easily take off the tights and t-shirt and stuff them in my pack. When the weather got cooler at night, I pulled them out and put them on again. The dress made this so easy - it would have sucked to have had to try to take off shorts in one of the porta-johns in order to take off or put on my tights. But the tights kept me from having to trek back to my tent at Ilium to get warmer clothes.
I didn’t have to use the fleece or rain jackets everyday, but I definitely used them enough to make me happy I had them along when I needed them.
So my advice is - prepare for the weather to change several times over the course of the day and do what you can to dress in layers so you can keep comfortable. It can get very, very hot and very, very chilly and you can experience both extremes over the course of just a few hours.
Another thing to consider - there are lots of cool vendors selling clothes and blankets around the Fest grounds. Everything from socks to flannel long-underwear to jackets and hats and everything in-between. So you can always buy something if you absolutely need it.
I was a newbie last year and found out I had come suitably equipped thanks to the helpful tips from this bunch! :thumbsup
From a loner-girl perspective, I’ll just give you what worked best for me :flower
For the day: hot summer attire, ie:
- tank top
- light cotton skirt/trousers/shorts
- hard wearing sandals (comfy, waterproof, that don’t mind the dust)
- wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses (the sun, which was out more often than not, is glaring and intensely hot. As others have said, a sunstroke is a serious possibility if you don’t take care)
- a bag, containing the following: a long-sleeved top/fleece if the wind picks up, a foldaway plastic poncho if the rain comes down, sunscreen, a reusable water bottle
**additional tip: I found long light/cotton skirts were definitely the way to go, as they keep you both cool in the heat and warm if it’s a bit breezy, they also mean you don’t have to remember to lather on the sunscreen all over your legs and just do the top part of your body. And, seriously, don’t forget sunscreen, what with the altitude, the sunburn can be REALLY bad!
For nighttime: as soon as the sun goes down, temperatures drop drastically!
- layers layers layers, everyone will tell you that
- vest + long-sleeved top + fleece + ski jacket
- tights/pantyhose/leggings (whatever you americans call them )
- thick trousers/jeans
- long woolen socks
- sturdy shoes/boots, with a sole thick enough to keep the cold from working upwards from the ground, through your feet and making your whole body shiver
- gloves
- scarf
- hat/anything to keep your skull and ears toasty, some even find a lampshade appropriate :eek :lol
do NOT underestimate the cold at night! It’s kinda scary if you’re not prepared
**additional tip: again, my long cotton skirt was briliant at night on top of my trousers, kinda like a portable tent that insulated my body heat and kept me much warmer than trousers alone!
That being said, when you’re dancing in the middle of the crowd, it’s bearable. It’s when you head back to camp, stand around listening to the late-night jams, and, at some point, curl up for a few snatches of sleep, that the cold get’s to you.
One of the best bedtime tips I was given was: remember to change into your pyjamas! I know this might sound silly, and quite frankly stupid considering by what time you’ll be getting into bed and what state you’ll be in by then :eek :lol But seriously, it might be tempting to sleep as you are, but you’ll end up suffering from the cold much more, as your layers of clothing from the day, drenched with sweat from the footstomping, will become humid and cold the moment you stop moving. Get into dry, comfy pyjamas, and you’re guaranteeing that the few hours you sleep will be comfortably warm ones :cheers
Few! :8 I think I’ve covered it! :eek :lol :eek :lol
Ha ha ha :lol :lol :lol :lol
Seems like me and Amber are on the same wavelength! We simultaneously posted those two very similar replies :cheers
What Lala said! Except the boys don’t need a bra : :flower :flower
That … and a warm body to snuggle with is way more fun than pajamas :thumbsup
SUR - I’m not talkin about sex on the first date :lol :lol :lol
:peace
Funny from the guy who brings all the oysters :lol :lol :lol
Brian and I have upgraded to cots this year, no more snuggling. I’m hoping the blankets under my sleeping bag still keeps me warm enough. Either that or he’s gonna have to scoot over.
I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this but as a healthcare provider, don’t forget to bring the condoms, just in case you meet Mr./Ms. Wonderful. I think it’s already on the master list.
Beth :flower
We are camping at Illium, have a parking pass. Do/will we be able to put up a shade tent? :cheers
we are staying in Ouray Monday night then rolling round the mountain to get a good spot and check out the town…What a about hammock tree’s??? do coolers need to be stowed under/in cars during the days? Have there been any past problems with thieves, etc. have experienced that elsewhere and it sucks when somebody takes your beer (not to mention a nice cooler)!!!
I guess what I am wandering is do I need to put everything on lock and key when we head to town? How is trash properly disposed of? Is ice at all available in camp or do we need to trek to town to reload?
i never had a problem with thieves, but that is at lawson hill. planet blue grass does a wonderful job providing recycling, compost, and garbage bins. all food service plates/serving items are compostable! :flower :flower i’m bringing some reusable forks and wood bowls for the venue food, might be handy at the camp too? :cheers
good luck, think green!!
I have never had problems with thieves in Illium never really thought about it. Once you arrive and meet all your neighbors you won’t even worry about anything like that.
Also they bring a ice truck down Illium a few times through out the day. Just make sure you are ready for it when it comes. It sells out fast. Bags are like a buck or two.
We put a shade tent thing last year and it was great. Not only were we cooler, but it saved us money on ice. We used to stuff our coolers under a tree or something, but that didn’t protect the ice and food as well as a shade tent thing does. If you open up your cooler and notice that beer is missing, it’s probably because you decided to share some of it with your neighbors :thumbsup
a good way to go with coolers is to cover them with one of those reflective, insulated windshield shades. I have a couple that I use (when I remember). as for clothing, 2 ponchos. one alpaca wool and the other military spec waterproof.
We haven’t had any troubles in Town Park after Planet Bluegrass takes over. I have heard that during ABGAT a few coolers have gone missing.
As far as keeping things cool, We use a sunshade and then place the coolers under a folding table we bring, seems to work pretty good.
I would advise to keep all your dry goods in a sealable tote, the chipmunks can be pretty sneaky.
Beth :flower