Step 1: You will need
* 1 A small shoulder bag with a zip.
* 1 A sleeping bag.
* 1 A jacket with an inside pocket.
* 1 A money belt and some common sense.
Step 2: Don’t take anything of value
Before we start, repeat this mantra: If you can’t bear to lose it, don’t take it with you. The best way to hang onto valuables and things you can’t afford to replace is to leave them safely locked up at home.
Step 3: Keep it to a minimum
Use your common sense. Limit yourself to essential items only, such as your wallet, phone, camera and keys. It’s wiser to stash them in a small bag that you can carry on you at all times. Never let it out of your sight – a bag worn across the chest is easier to keep an eye on than a back pack.
Step 4: Guard your supplies
They may not be valuable, but they’re definitely useful to your fellow campers, so expect the following to disappear within minutes if you leave them in obvious places:
* bottle openers and unguarded beer…
* cigarettes, tobacco and cigarette papers…
* beloved wellies…
* precious toilet paper…
* and anything that’s worth anything.
Step 5: Love thy neighbour
Festivals are all about caring for your fellow campers. If you’re going in a group, pitch your tents in a circle facing inwards so you can watch over one another’s belongings. Be alert at night – lots of comings and goings around your camp can disguise the real intruders. Don’t risk a confrontation – report the incident to onsite security as soon as it is safe to do so. If you’re camping alone, befriend your neighbours instead and you can guard one another’s tents.
Step 6: Use your sleeping bag
Your bags are particularly vulnerable to theft at night, even if they’re in your tent – thieves can cut through canvas. Before you sleep, put all your valuables inside your sleeping bag, by your feet. It may not stop the most determined of burglars, but at least you’re not making it easy for them.
Step 7: Stash your cash
Lastly, don’t carry all your cash in one place. Avoid stashing cash in a back pocket as it’s more accessible to pickpockets and you could lose it down the loo. Split it up into smaller amounts and secrete them in various ingenious places on your person. Roll some notes up and shove them in the toe of your shoe. Put some in your bag, some in a hidden money belt round your waist and some in the inside pocket of your jacket… That way, if you are mugged or careless, you won’t lose it all in one go.
with the permission of Videojug
