Bonnaroo Camping for Beginners
A lot of festivals have camping options, but Bonnaroo is one festival where camping is a major part of the experience. Nearly all attendees inhabit the 700-acre festival ground for the entire duration of the four-day festival. Your camping set up can either make or break your weekend, so it’s important to be prepared and know what to expect! Remember — this is not your average weekend family camping trip. Even if you have camping experience there are things that you need to know if you’ve never camped on the farm before.
The picture above is Bonnaroo’s campground, as you can see there is essentially no shade. It’s important to realize that June in Tennessee sees average temperatures of 85-90+ degrees, so setting up a campsite that will give you shade to rest in is vital. The easiest way to give yourself some shade is to purchase an E-Z up canopy, they’re about $50 at Walmart. Our advice is to use one of these per four people at your campsite, if you’re camping with 8 people get two and connect them to form a common space in the middle of your camp. If you want to go one step further, get one to put over your tent to keep the sun out in the very hot (and sweaty) early morning. Hang sheets, tapestries, or tarps to create ‘walls’ that will block the sun as it moves throughout the day!
Depending on where you’re camping, space to set up camp can be very limited. In General Admission, all of the cars are lined up side by side with space in front of the car to be used for camping and space on the other side of the car to be used as a road. The space for camping is shared with the people parked in front of your car. There is enough room for two or three tents in that space, but you can work with the people next to you if you need more space. The Tent Only area is free but is first-come, first-served. The only way to camp at Tent Only is to hoof it on foot with all your belongings after entering through the gate and parking your car where they tell you to. You can reserve space by laying out tarps.
Make friends with your neighbors. These are the people who will look out for you and your stuff for the next four days. Remember that Bonnaroo is a community all about RADIATING POSITIVITY, and that’s what makes this entire experience so special. What you get from this experience depends entirely on what you put into it.
Now, lets talk about the most important part of camping — your tent! Buy a tent that fits your needs; there’s no need (or space) for one person to pitch a tent that sleeps six for themselves. If you’re planning on sleeping solo go with a two-person tent; if you’re sleeping with a buddy or two, always go up by one or two sizes so you have room to store some stuff; it’s always good to have a little extra room within reason. If you’re in the market for a new tent and are strapped for cash, Walmart is your best option, but stick to Coleman products. Before you get to the farm with your new tent, take it for a test run and set it up in your backyard to make sure you can unpack it, put it together and roll it back up smoothly. Take pictures or notes along the way in case you need a reference in the mad dash of setting up a campsite. Do the same with your E-Z up, and make sure to pack them up in a way that is easy to take out once you get to the farm.
Unfortunately, there are thieves at Bonnaroo, but it isn’t a huge problem. You don’t want to risk losing your valuables while on vacation, though. Never leave your valuables in your campground, and put them in the tent with you when you go to sleep. Thieves have been known to steal money from book bags that have been left on chairs or in plain sight. We would also recommend a lock for your tent. Lock your valuables in your car or rent a locker. Lockers located inside of Centeroo are right by the What stage and are great because you don’t have to go through the gate checkpoint every time you want to access your stuff. The benefit of having a locker outside of Centeroo is that you can put food and drinks into it since you don’t have to go through the gate into Centeroo to reach it. This is a plus, because you won’t have to walk all the way back to camp to eat. Lockers located inside Centeroo can be reserved at BonnarooLockers.com, while lockers located outside can only be rented on site.
Now on to the fun stuff! Once you have your base camp set up, add some personal touches to make it feel like home. One practical and fun thing that’s great to add is a large flag pole; you can use this to identify your camp on your way back from Centeroo. This helps when coming back during the first few days and at night and can help point new friends in the direction of your camp! Solar-powered LED lights are also a great addition to any camp; they’ll charge all day and provide light once you come back for the night, and they often come in many different colors/designs. Some other fun things to bring include bubble machines, ‘party’ lights, pinatas, lawn games, etc. This camp will be your home for four days, and you’ll most likely be spending a lot more time there then you think, so have fun with it, and invite some new friends to come enjoy the space you have created.
And there you have it- a simple and quick guide to how to make your first Bonnaroo campsite the best it can be. Remember, have fun with it! This will be your home for at least 4 days and you want to be comfortable and prepared. Worried about what to pack? We’ve got you covered, keep an eye out for our expansive packing check list that we created to make your trip even smoother. Can’t wait to see all of our old and new friends on the farm this year!