Dancing and drinking all day and all night is what makes for the very best festival experience but keeping an eye on your hydration is essential. Dehydration is one of the main reasons festival-goers visit the medical tents, since the combination of alcohol, lack of sleep and physical exertion takes a toll on your body (anyone who has ever walked from the Glastonbury car park to the campsite with a loaded backpack and arms full of cans will know what I mean). Maintaining proper water levels in your body will help you to cope with it all.
When you are dancing around campfires at 2am, it is difficult to remember to drink something hydrating, so we’ve got some ideas to keep your hydration on track.
Sip When the Sun Comes Up
It is easy to forget to drink when you are having so much fun with festival activities. Have a bottle of water next to your inflatable mattress and drink as soon as you wake up. Just that little campsite habit might be enough to remind you to drink throughout the rest of the day, but if not, at least you know you’ve started every day properly hydrated.
Bathroom Breaks
Festival toilets are not known for their beauty, but if you are well hydrated, you will be visiting roughly every two hours. When you are there, check the colour of your urine. If it is very dark, then you probably need to drink some water before your next alcoholic beverage. The lighter it is, the more hydrated you are.
Alternate Drinks
We know its less fun to alternate your tasty alcoholic drinks with water, but if you order a glass of water with every single round, you can quickly down it before taking your time with your beer. Not only will you stay hydrated, but you will also feel thankful in the morning when you wake up without a hangover!
Eat Wisely
Around 20% of our water intake actually comes from the foods we eat. Making wise food choices can help to replace cell fluids, making up for the extra hydration requirement. Choose lots of fruits, vegetables and soups wherever possible, which have a high water content and are also rich in potassium, one of the electrolytes your body gets from drinking water.
Bring Your Own Bottle
Disposable convenience drinks can be surprisingly expensive at festivals, so bring your own refillable HydrateM8 bottle and you will save lots of money. There are usually bottle refilling points near the bathroom/shower areas, so you can hydrate for free without having to wait in long queues.
You naturally burn more calories than usual at music festivals, and they are often held in the summer, so that you can spend a lot of time without protection from the sun. You will sweat more and your hydration levels will need topping up more often. Hopefully these few tips will help you stay in tip-top partying form all festival long!