Following on from the Glastonbury Survival Blog, here's the list of kit we took to Glastonbury, 2019. The equipment we chose really did us proud across the festival overall. We had the odd bump along the way, but the gear easily got us through the occasion, and stood up to the weather far better than other tents / products on the site. Also, the tents offered great comfort, with standing height and ample sleeping quarters, whilst the cooler was a life and money-saver, as we were able to keep a cold supply of drinks at all time.

Vango Capri 500 Tent

RRP: £500 / Expect to Pay: £349.99

The Vango Capri 500 tent was a 2018 model, but nevertheless, still an excellent Airbeam tent, and the perfect couples tent for any camping occasion. the only disadvantage of the Airbeam styles, is they weigh more than a regular tent at 16.8kg. The Airbeam nature of the tent meant I had it pitched in super-quick time, around 5 minutes. Allowing me to move onto other things - such as pitching everyone else's tent! Before leaving for Glastonbury, I took the opportunity to check the tent over, to make sure everything was ok.

The tent was tall enough to stand up in, with a living space with a sewn-in groundsheet, which really helped to keep the tent interior cleaner from dust. Furthermore, the in-built front porch area offered an excellent place to sit of an evening, and shelter during the day when the heat from the sun hit the campsite.

Pro's

• Airbeam - pumping up the tent takes minutes.
• Quick and easy to pitch.
• Tent features a sewn-in groundsheet to keep out the draughts, dust and water.
• Canopy is an ideal area to cook, seek shade and shelter.
• Plenty of sleeping space for 2-3 people.
• Perfect couples tent.
• Mesh door to front reduces condensation.

Negatives

• Airbeam nature makes the tent heavier than a poled version.
• You need a Trucker style trolley to carry it on, it will not go on a rucksack.

 

Footprint

RRP: £32 / Expect to Pay: £10

Being sold out of the matching footprint groundsheet for the Capri 500, I opted for a Lauder 500 footprint, as the shape and size was pretty much dead on. Before pitching the tent, I opted to peg down the footprint groundsheet down first. I then pitched the tent on top of tent. Bringing a footprint, despite the obvious extra weight to carry onsite, was a great move. It made set-down very quick, much cleaner and allowed the tent to be packed away dry, and clean from mud on the groundsheet. This will mean the tent will be fresh-smelling next time I pitch it.

Pro's

• Low weight to carry on - with fit inside the tent bag.
• Keeps the tent cleaner underneath.
• Keeps the tent dry underneath.

 

Vango Santo 400 Tent

RRP: £500 / Expect to Pay: £449

Very similar review to above - the Santo 400 is the perfect couples tent for Glastonbury - with an integrated living space, and a large sleeping area, with full standing height. The Airbeam nature makes the tent easy to pitch, and thus makes it ideal for any festival. According to the owner, Ian - he has used the tent on several festivals, and it has never let him down, with wet weather, wind and sun all testing the tent to its specification. My only observation it misses the porch the other tent above has, which was a really handy area to relax in, or cook.

Pro's

• Airbeam design
• Sewn-in living space
• Extra-long bedrooms
• Great living space
• Front mesh door offers great ventilation.

Negatives

• Lacks an external living space.
• Needs a Trucker Style trolley to carry onsite.

Robens Green Cone Tent

RRP: £350 / Expect to Pay: £279.99

Tipi Style Tent

Perhaps a random choice - as for a tipi - it is overpriced for a festival. But there was method in my madness - the tipi offers great internal space, a low weight and a small pack size. Also the tipi is easy to pitch - or so I thought. I actually found it a bit of a pig to pitch - the inner goes up first, and then the outer sticks on top, and clips on. It took me a good half hour to get this right. Also the multiple guylines do intrude on other people's camping area. The tent was spacious inside and had space for a double bed, and all Chris's gear. Also, the pole can be used at multiple heights, so that you can pitch the tent to suit your needs. The trick is to peg the tipi out loosely first, then insert the central pole - then re-pegs the tent for greater tension.

Pro's

• Spacious inside
• Solid against the weather
• Double-skin design - reduced condensation.
• Good sized porch.
• Small, lightweight pack size.

Negatives

• Lacks standing height.
• There's too many guylines for a festival.
• Its harder to pitch than the Air style tents.

 

Vango Sherpa 65L Rucksack

RRP: £80 / Expect to Pay: £49.99

See rucksack here:

An ideal rucksack for any festival - allows enough space to carry onsite plenty of equipment, and clothing. I was able to tie my lightweight chairs to the side of each rucksack, to save another thing to carry. Furthermore, the back system was very comfortable - and allowed me to focus more on pulling along the trolley with the tent, mattress and sleeping bag inside. The Sherpa is tried, tested and has performed in all kinds of conditions over the world - from travellers to festival goers. I had no doubt in choosing this rucksack for my trip onsite, and on the way home. We've sold thousands of these rucksacks over the years, and they are highly recommended, and reliable.

Pro's

• Comfortable back system and design
• Lightweight, durable design
• 65 Litre capacity
• Able to carry on chairs onto the campsite attached the bag.

Negatives

• None come to mind.

 

Kampa Trucker Trolley

RRP: £99.99 / Expect to Pay: £79.99

The Trucker Trolley was literally a lifesaver - it made the journey onsite and offsite much easier. I took the sleeping bag out of its bag, lined the trolley with it, along with the Contellation comforter. I then put the tent on top of the sleeping bag and comforter. Then I attached the self-inflating mattress on top using guy ropes. We were well under the limit on the weights, but I would not overfill it with too much weight, as the ground is rocky, and I feel too much weight might hinder / damage the wheels.

• Folded size: 82 x 19.5 x 32.5 cm 
• Open size: 92 x 50 x 59 cm 
• Max load capacity: 100kg 
• Weight: 12.2kg
• Folds to smaller pack size.

 

Vango Breakout Double Sleeping Bag

RRP: £80 / Expect to Pay: £39.99

The Breakout Double is the perfect sleeping bag for Glastonbury, and the climate. It is warm enough for the cooler nights, whilst also not being too thick, that it would make you overheat. Perfect if you are in a couple and still want to sleep in the same sleeping bag. We combined ours with a Dreamcatcher 10cm Self Inflating mattress, and two pillows for the ultimate in camping comfort. Also, if you are attending a festival, its a great plan to have ear plugs and an eye mask, as the sun will awake you early in the morning.

• 2-season
• Can be split into two single sleeping bags
• Cheaper than buying two sleep bags.
• Soft, comfortable feel.
• Zip on either side makes it easier to get out of the bag without waking a partner.

Vango Breakout Pillows

Useful for getting our heads off the ground, with a soft-feel to the top for added comfort. Also, a handy, small pack size, making portability onto the campsite easier than lumping your regular pillow from home.

Outwell Dreamcatcher Mattress 10cm Double

I would never go back to an airbed now, with the technology on Dreamcatcher mats, they don't lose air, they stay firm, comfortable and a nice layer from the ground. Featuring memory foam inside for a more comfortable night's sleep, the Dreamcatcher will self-inflate. So whilst we pitched our tent, we left the mat inflating on the open valve mode. Once this was done, we were able to top it up from the valve, for our preferred firmess. The only disadvantage of the self-inflating mattress, is they can be a real pain in the backside to fold down.

• Open the valve halfway for quickest inflation / deflation
• Has an Airtight switch so air does not come out once in use.
• Had a deflate switch for packing away, to stop air coming back into the mattress.
• Pack size is not the smallest, its about the size of your average four man tent.
• Very comfortable compared with an airbed.
• We used a bedsheet over the top to add to the comfort.

Please see here

Robens Observer Chairs

Not the most cost effective choice of camping chair - but a good sturdy, comfortable piece of kit, with a teeny, tiny pack size. Perfect for carrying onto a festival, the chair also weighs very little due to the fact it employs alumiunium as its choice of structure. The chair simply bolts together, and then will hold upto 120kg of weight. The pack size was so small, I was able to clip the chairs to my rucksack.

Please see - Chair

Coleman 50Qt Wheeled Coolbox

What can I say about our coolbox - what a piece of kit! Designed to keep ice frozen for 5 days in normal weather conditions. Sadly, there was nothing normal about the weather on our trip, and our coolbox was a lifesaver in the record heat. The best thing about the cooler, it saved us money - strategically located between gigs - we could pop back and collect a cider or two. The disadvantage was that we had to get ice every day due to the heat - 35 degrees each day.

• Fill with ice, and drink before you go.
• Wheels on site, which is massively convenient.
• Has a tap on the back, to empty the ice water after its melted.
• Holds around 30 cans of cider or beer.
• Designed to keep ice frozen for 5 days in regular condition.