A list of Essential and Useful things not to forget when you set off for Reading Festival!
 
Essential Items in Red
Useful Items in Green
 
BASIC
 
YOU! - You wont enjoy the festival much if you arent there!
Ticket - For Obvious Reasons
A tent - Believe it or not ... some people dont class this as an essential  buts its still going in red!
A sleeping bag - For erm .. sleeping
A Blanket - To put under your sleeping bag, or wrap in when you are sitting outside at night!
Money
A cash/debit/credit card
Some form of ID
A torch - This is a godsend for numerous reasons ...... Not breaking your neck on guide ropes, finding things in the dead of night like toilet paper in a bog emergency.
Train ticket (if you are travelling by train) - get a return ticket because its cheaper!
Roll mat - to go under your sleeping bag to keep the chill out.
A pillow - or one of those beany bag squishy things!  It is nice to be relatively comfortable at night!  Its bad enough being cold and achy, plus you can beat your group with it in the morning if they arent up as early as you are!
A mallet - You can use a shoe or a tin of beans, but its much easier with a mallet!
Mobile phone
Wallet - Please only leave essential stuff in your wallet.
Keys - So you arent stuck sitting on your doorstep for hours, hearing that bath calling your name through the letterbox
Batteries
A camera
A lighter - You will be surprised how versatile a lighter is!!!!
Bucket - For pee, sick, water anything you like really!
Scarf - Spray with deodarant and tie on your face if the smell of toilets really is too much for you to bear!

CLOTHES

Obviously you will take what you want, but you should have ........
 
Trousers
TShirts
Hoodies / Jumpers
Shorts
2 pairs of shoes
Far more socks that you think you will need!  2 pairs of socks will be a life saver if you end up with blisters.
More than one pair of undies a day
Woolly hat - to stop that essential heat escaping
Sun hat - to stop you getting sunstroke if the sun decides to make an appearance.
Sun glasses - sunshine or not ... they are cool!
A pair of plastic flip flops and/or wellies - for going near the taps or toilet in the night.
Wellies
Rain Mac / Poncho

Toiletries

Deodorant - You will need it!
Toothbrush and toothpaste - urgh no one likes a scummy mouth ... and lets face it you might pull!!!
A Mirror - Essential if you wear contact lenses
Condoms - If you dont use them cos you get lucky, you can blow them up and be daft with them!
Plasters - Oh yes, you will inevitably be someones friend and saviour if you take these!
Painkillers - to erm kill pain and stop it spoiling your fun
Shampoo/Conditioner
Showergel


Sun Cream - Dont spend the weekend like a lobster
Loo roll/Tissues - DONT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT THIS!!!!
Wet Wipes - good for freshening up and cleaning yourself after a trip to the toilet.
Hairbrush/Comb
A towel - Essential if you are planning on showering.

Food and Drink Stuffs

Tin opener - You will be surprised how long it will take you to locate a tin opener if you forget one.
Plastic cutlery - If eating with your fingers isnt an option
Cereal bars/boxesof - Lets face it, cereal straight from the box never tastes better than at Reading!
Bottle Opener

Other


Gaffa tape
Black Sacks
 
This list is by no means exhausted, I will add new things as and when people mention some superbly blinding ideas!
 

Buying Your Festival STUFF

Limiting the amount of STUFF you kit yourself out with the come camping at the festival for the weekend, will really help to reduce the overall environmental impact...especially if you are going to throw out your STUFF after the event.
 
The more STUFF you buy, the bigger your carbon footprint related to you coming to the festival. Your STUFF is mined, manufactured, distributed, retailed and makes its way to your house - transport along the way, power used at every stage. The less STUFF you buy, the smaller your footprint's gonna be.
 
Before you buy anything for the festival (or even in everyday life), please take the time to watch this 20min film The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard.
 
www.storyofstuff.com
 
'From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20 minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.'

 And when you decide to buy stuff, please think about taking it home with you and re-using it for the rest of the season. If you really don't need it, please PACK IT UP AND HAND IT IN!!! There will be separate collection bays for in the campgrounds on Monday: * Tents, Sleeping Mats, Sleeping Bags* Chairs* General camping bits and pieces* Wellies* Clothes* Unopened food Look out for the collection points that will pop up on Monday morning on your way out of the campgrounds.

pen knife always comes in handy

ORIGINAL: shmutley

pen knife always comes in handy

I agree but I do think that objects like that are confiscatable if you are found with it, so I left it out purposely

ORIGINAL: sexzee

ORIGINAL: shmutley

pen knife always comes in handy

I agree but I do think that objects like that are confiscatable if you are found with it, so I left it out purposely

 
it's fine if your not stupid with it which alot of people wouldn't be
 
i have one of them things with a knife , scissors and **** loads more it's so small they would never find it

deck of cards, Mine comes with me everywehre and its ALWAYS usful!

fake poo halarious can put in someones sleeping bag when they go away and when they come back OMG YOU **** YOURSELF but gets boring when used again

ORIGINAL: martynhedges

deck of cards, Mine comes with me everywehre and its ALWAYS usful!

 
That's a good one, my mate brought a deck in 2007 and I'll take one this year I think. Play cards, drinking games etc.

These FAQs are really awesome. How long did it take you to make them? There's a lot of helpful information here. 

if u can find it bring waterless soap or whatever that crap is next to the loos that faintly smells of jack daniels cause the stuff next to the loos can and will run out

useful list  cheers x

a towel wasn't mentioned. they are very versitile. capes. drying things. extra blanket. clean things. also if you soak one in water then put it over your beer it keeps it colder.
 
also bring a few empty small 500cl plastic bottles they can be refilled and used or used for mixing booze into and carrying around. i usually bring a big bottle with me aswell. fill it at night you will have cold water in the morning...  jack pot. no water lines.
 
a crappy guitar provides much fun...
 
also. sudocrem. if you dont know what it is type it into wikipedia and tell me it wont come in handy.
 
a replacement wallet. dont bring your nice wallet with all your things in. just a cheap one with card/id in it thats it. because if you lose the one you use everyday then you will lose alot more than just your cards. on the same note have a piece of paper with important phone numbers to cancel your cards seperately from your cards if you lose them you should cancel your cards right away.
 
also a list of phone numbers incase you lose your phone.
 
dont forget lighters. lots of lighters.

I would advise NOT to take aspirin, etc. as it doesn't go well with copious amounts of alcohol!
 
*Although Lemsip does taste better with vodka... *

you forgot to add something to this and many of the other threads you made in this sub forum sexzee

"thanks to aurehsalla from RFO for compiling this information"

for anyone who doesnt already know, all this information is stolen from http://forum.readingfestivalonline.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1767

show some manners and just credit her and RFO for the hard work.

Heres a hint.... read these boards, and you will find that they have been credited numerous times.

numerous times apart from the place where it should be?

why, may i ask, would/should i have to search the forums to find out who REALLY compiled this information?

you guys have some strange logic....

us RFO-ers are obviously too st00pidz to understwand it,

Clearly.

Last year someone I know had this shampoo stuff that you just spray into your hair, without needing water, and it really feels like you've washed your hair. Essential for tricking yourself into thinking you're not quite as dirty as you really are

ha, ausom list, and as a irst timer, i would have probably forgot to wear underwear, lol jokes, i will definitaly forget something, anyone got tips on keeping things safe in tents and stuff?

You forgot Rizla's (preferably King size)

Will generally help you make alot of friends over the weekend

ORIGINAL: GodsDead

ha, ausom list, and as a irst timer, i would have probably forgot to wear underwear, lol jokes, i will definitaly forget something, anyone got tips on keeping things safe in tents and stuff?

 
personally i wouldnt leave anything valuable in my tent!
 
dont use a padlock, this will tell thieves that you have good stuff in there. and they can just slit it with a pen knife
 
you can buy the use of a locker. but im not sure whether they are all sold out now.
 
if you have to bring valuable things, try to keep them with you at all times.