Brought to you by Tesco
Survival of the fittest
When it comes to music festivals (particularly in Ireland), you need to be prepared for whatever the weekend throws at you. Your first night may leave you waking up the following morning wondering why you ever wanted to go in the first place, but having the right tools at hand will help get you back in the game.
There’s little worse than waking up in a tent, unable to face getting up to face the outside world. Following these steps, we’ll have you back in action before you know it.
1. Hydrate
Always have a few bottles of water stockpiled in your tent. Keep them as cool as you can, and they will be your best friend when you wake up feeling like someone has been pouring sand down your throat while you slept.
If you can’t even manage that much yet, best just go back to sleep. Your body is still recovering, so let it do its thing.
2. Clean yourself up
A lot of the symptoms you’re feeling could be down to the fact you haven’t had a chance to clean yourself up from the night before. Having a packet of wet wipes, toothpaste and some dry shampoo at hand can have a huge effect on both how you feel, as well as how many complaints you’ll receive about mysterious smells in the camp.
Once that’s sorted, you’re a lot closer to being able to face civilization. Your energy levels are still bound to be low, so that should be next on the agenda.
3. Eat something small
We’re still early doors here, so don’t get over-confident and start looking for a full Irish breakfast straight away. A good starting point is something with carbohydrates like some bread, crackers, or a packet of crisps.
If you get through that and still feel hungry, good stuff. If not, go back to sleep and repeat steps number 1 and 3. You disgrace.
4. Cure your symptoms
Now that you have some food in your stomach, you can start thinking about curing any ailments you might have. Pop an Alka Selzer if you have a headache, or some lozenges if you have a sore throat from trying to sing louder than The Prodigy during ‘Firestarter.’
Don’t let the peacefulness of your tent fool you, the bright lights and loud noises of the tent could hit you like a tonne of bricks. Stock up on headache tablets, lozenges and maybe some plasters to make sure you’re ready to take another day at EP.
5. Eat something substantial
You’ve gotten this far, it’s time for a proper meal. Something nutritious is exactly what you need, and a nice sandwich is a good start.
Opt for something bigger if you’re up for it, but take it slowly until you’re 100%. Your body is still in recovery mode, so packing in some protein at this stage would be a good idea.
6. Restore your energy
Right, so you’ve cleaned yourself up, hydrated, and filled your stomach. Now it’s time to think about getting ready for another epic night. Electrolytes are your friends in this endeavour.
Energy drinks like Red Bull are an excellent shout, and they should be the last step you need to take towards recovery.
7. Go at it again
The festival only goes on for one weekend every year, so you might as well make the most of it while it lasts. Follow these steps as many times as necessary.
You can find everything you need to recover from ‘the fear’, and more, at Tesco, the official supermarket at Electric Picnic. Order what you need before the festival with their Click & Collect service.
Tesco will be open 24hr in the Andy Warhol campsite from 4 pm on Thursday 30 August for the duration of the festival.
Brought to you by Tesco
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
