You’re excited, you’ve finally made it to that famous EDM festival gate and you’re ready to kick off the weekend with your friends. You’ve booked your tent for accommodation, packed and made sure you’ve got all you need and it’s time to prepare for your weekend stay. The excitement is real, it’s finally happening!
You can feel the amazing vibe as you walk in, the festival is amazing and you’re ready to enjoy the event with thousands of like-minded people who are all setting up for the massive weekend ahead. Everyone is there to celebrate electronic music, dance with your peers, meet new people, make new friends and enjoy the amazing atmosphere.
Whether it’s your first EDM festival experience or not, you know it’s important to keep your valuables and belongings safe during the festival no matter where you’ll be sleeping or spending the night. It is important to be prepared and to make your festival experience a magical and safe one. EDM festivals are known to be a gathering of like-minded people who are there to enjoy the experience, so making friends with your neighbors and peers, locking your belongings, spreading out your valuables, keeping an eye out on who’s around in addition to a few more tips will guarantee a safe and secure EDM festival experience. There’s nothing worse than partying the night out at a festival, having the time of your life and then coming to realize that your tent, your bag and your items have been violated, are open with your phone or wallet missing.
While everyone wants to believe that the festivals are filled with positive people, it is normal to have a few select bad apples somewhere in that bunch. Recent statistics show that (with large festivals) theft rates are at an average of 16%. According to a source called Aviva, festival goers bring along with them an equivalent of around 1300 US Dollars. In addition to that, attendees (like everyone else honestly) also have increasingly expensive electronics such as smart phones (IPhone X anyone?) and cameras to capture the festival memories, which put them at a bigger risk of being targeted by thieves.
Keeping all the above in mind, we propose the below list of valuable tips on keeping your valuable belongings safe during an EDM festival.
Pay Attention To The People Around You
Always make sure someone from your group is close to your belongings. A good suggestion here would be that all group members take turns to check on the tent, and on the items. In the end, not everyone will be fully energetic and partying all the time. People can take a five-minute break every once in a while and use that to check on the valuable belongings.
In addition to that, paying attention to others around you while you’re around the camping area can help put faces on potential thieves. If you feel like you’re being watched by someone else or it feels like you’re being scoped out as a potential target, don’t hesitate to let someone know about your suspicion or even move your group to a new location (it might seem like it’s a hassle but imagine the hassle of acquiring your valuable papers all over again). Always make sure a friend or someone from your group is standing behind you (if you have a backpack on) or a purse. Don’t put valuables in a pocket that could easily be accessed, unzipped by someone behind you in a crowded spot without you noticing.
At night, make sure your tent and location stands out somehow from the rest of the crowd. You can use an identifiable color in the décor, some battery lights, balloons or whatever you can use to make it easier for you and your group of friends to track the location down.
Befriend Your Neighbors
When you first arrive to your location, and when setting up your tent, try to introduce yourself to the people camping around you and make friends with them. We all know that a great (and fun) part of experiencing Electronic Dance Music Festivals is meeting new people who are there to enjoy a similar experience. It’s also a helpful security tactic. If you notice someone looking unfamiliar near you or your neighbor’s tents when they’re out, ask them a straightforward question and notice their reaction. They might look like they’re not supposed to be there or startled/surprised. With that simple question, you’re instantly letting them know that you’re looking out and that you’re suspicious. Your tent neighbors can do the exact same thing for you.
Keep in mind that these people, in the tents around you, will be your “family” for the festival weekend. They might even become your friends outside the festival grounds.
Keep Your Wallet & Phone In Your Front Pocket
Front pocket, inside a jacket, or wherever you feel is safe and secure for you would be a good choice to keep your wallet and phone. The important thing to note here is that you need to make sure your pockets and bags have zipped openings to prevent your belongings from being snatched. Phones and wallets can be easily snatched or can slip out of a back pocket especially with all the chaotic dancing and moving around. The front pocket can be a better alternative since it decreases the chance of your items being grabbed without you noticing. Consider investing in wearing cargo shorts with buttons instead of zippers since those are less easily maneuvered.
Treat your phone the same way you treat cash. Phones nowadays are an investment and valuable item to have with you at all times. Whether you’re at the bar or a charging station, stay close to your device and stay alert to potential people who might be looking to grab it. On another hand, make sure you have a good grip on it while you’re using it, especially when taking pictures and dancing.
On another hand, there are a lot of great festival-themed bags that can hold your items while you’re on the festival grounds or even dancing around and mingling with others. Check out this cool rave hydration pack. You’ll get both: the much needed hydration AND a place to hold your items. A win-win if you ask us!
A Locker May Be The Solution
A lot of the major festivals around the globe will provide a locker to store your items. In most cases, you’ll be paying extra to use them and they might be quite small. Usually, these lockers are in a secured area with special personnel and festival employees taking care of the area around them. If these are available, investing in one is a good idea to keep the most valuable items you have with you. It will be worth it in the end.
Don’t Make It Easy For Thieves
Tent theft is not that common, but any kind of sudden accident can really spoil the fun. Sometimes leaving the tent in complete chaos, and a complete mess can be a good thing. An organized tent makes it quite easy for a thief to grab a bag and leave. It is recommended not to make things obvious to steal at first glance.
Another great idea is to spread your valuables out. Divide your cash for example in different places: from cash in bags, socks, wallets, to some in your wash bag, and your pillowcase. Make sure you empty your bags before you go to sleep. As stated above, a full bag is a attractive to thieves. While your phone and wallet are in your zipped pocket during the event, a good idea is to use the sleeping bag to keep them securely with you as you sleep.
Another creative idea you can use is to attach something noisy to the zipper on the inside or your tent exit area. Anything that can be used as an alarm or that can make a loud/sudden noise to wake you up can be great! It can get disturbing and annoying if you’re sharing a tent and anyone has to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, but it is a possibility to keep in mind.
On another hand, locking things in your car (if that’s a possibility) might not be the best solution out there. The car might be broken into since the thief will know that you’re in the middle of a field dancing and enjoying your drunken self without any worries about your vehicle and it’s content. Don’t make it so easy if having a few items hidden in your car is an option for you. Also, take a picture of the car’s location in the parking lot. The fields will all look the same and after a few days of festival fun, you’re bound to forget.
Report Anything Lost Or Stolen
The festival you’re attending will likely have a lost property policy. A lot of the lost items are eventually retrieved and returned to their owners. It is therefore important to report any incident to the respective authorities and the festival management. You will be able to report the lost or stolen items to your insurance company and make a claim.
Yes, you need to get insured if the items you’re bringing mean THAT much to you and are valuable enough to have with you at the festival. It is recommended to check your available options on that.
In the end, the EDM festival is a unique and fun experience. So embrace it, enjoy it safely and make new friends. It will be an escape of your reality for a little while.