10 tips for a better festival

The best way to avoid problems from alcohol is to stay within the recommended limits. So keep a count of what your are drinking. Recognise when you’re drinking too quickly. Sometimes you might just be thirsty rather than really wanting an alcoholic drink. Don’t ruin the rest of the weekend by overdoing it on Friday.

Give your body a break from the booze on at least one of the days and avoid morning drinking altogether - “hair of the dog”, drinking on a hangover, doesn't work: all you’re doing is easing the alcohol withdrawal and delaying the problem.

It’s easy to get lost, even at smaller festivals, and being drunk certainly won’t help you get your bearings, so familiarise yourself with the layout of the site.

Find out where the medical and welfare facilities are – you never know when you might need them in an emergency.

Arrange a meeting point and rendezvous times in case you get separated from your friends. Drink too much and you’re likely to feel disorientated so this could happen.

You can’t always rely on mobile phones, although it’s a good idea to make sure you don’t run your battery down completely. Some larger festivals have recharging points, or you could buy a wind-up or solar-powered charger.

The Great British Summer is gloriously unpredictable. Pack your shades, shorts and sunscreen, but make sure you’ve got a warm jumper or jacket – it still gets cold at night – and a waterproof. If there’s a mudbath, you’ll feel smug if you brought wellies.

Adults should try and drink between two and three litres of water each day and it is especially wise to follow this advice at a festival. Get a camping water bottle and fill it up every time you pass a drinking water point – and make sure you have a good supply back at your tent.

This is even more important if you’re drinking alcohol, as booze dehydrates you. Try alternating each alcoholic drink with a soft one.

Getting some food in your stomach is particularly important if you’re drinking. Food helps soak up the alcohol, and you need to top up the salt and minerals you’ve lost.

Vitamin-rich fresh juices and smoothies are a godsend to the hungover.

Some festivals have very strict rules, especially about food and drink. At Reading, for example, you’re not allowed to bring anything more than a sealed 500ml plastic water bottle into the main arena. Check with the organisers if you’re planning to bring your own alcohol.

Festivals can be alarming places to find yourself out of your head – whether through illegal drugs, alcohol or the unpredictable ‘legal highs’ that are often on sale. Large crowds and a strange setting can be a recipe for paranoia and disorientation, while overdosing or mixing drink and drugs can be lethal.

Festival toilets aren’t the hellholes they were a few years ago, but they’re not a pleasant place to be come Sunday afternoon.

Loo paper and hand-sanitising gel are provided, but they do run out, so make sure you carry your own. Remember, drinking alcohol means more trips to the loo and more queuing, when you could be doing something much more enjoyable.

Festivals aren’t hotbeds of crime, but thefts do happen and they’re more likely to when you’re drunk and not so aware of what’s going on around you. Try not to bring valuables like mp3 players or jewellery with you, and if you do, never leave them in your tent. Don’t carry your wallet or phone in your back pocket.