[Edit: Oh hell. I think I was supposed to have emailed this to CP. Sorry, folks...]
PACKING LIST FOR BONNAROO
* Spending money for t-shirts, food and whatnot - I'd suggest a minimum of 50 bucks a day. There's an ATM on site, but the lines are LONG. Bring cash...separate it up, put 40 in the glovebox, 40 under your mattress, 40 in your socks...There are also a lot of vendors selling leather goods, printed bedspreads, and assorted artistic & hippie gear. There's a CD store, too. Rumor has it it'll be Newbury Comics this year, which also has fun toys & jazz
* Box of 3-mil contractor-grade trash bags; Ziploc bags for keeping your stuff dry if it rains. They make those awesome XL size ones now, too
* Big shoulder bag or backpack for hauling gear
* Toilet paper - although maybe those really small packages of Kleenex would be more portable. There'll be some the first day at 'Roo but after that all bets are off. Flip-flops for going to the bathroom near your campsite
* Purell or those small-size packages of Wet Ones...Wet Ones might be better, as your hands will be dirty early in the game
* Vitamins; you'll be up late around crowds of people...a little Emergen-C couldn't hurt
* KING SIZE jug for water, or maybe a hydration backpack. They'll have to be empty when you come into Centeroo, but they'll have running water - in rows of big water fountains held in two sheds on the site - but lines can be long and outages have been frequent, although organizers promise some improvement this year. A large jug allows you to carry more water and spend less time waiting in line. (I have a Nalgene bottle with a carabiner attached for clipping to my belt loop.) You can also buy Cokes, various smoothies and vitamin drinks, bottled water, and beer.
* Totally comfortable shoes you can walk in a long way. I usually wear a pair of sacked-out Tevas I've beaten completely to death, but since we're going to try to get down front on Saturday, closed toe shoes wouldn't be a bad idea.
* Whatever you need for your campsite - lawn chair, hammock, whatever
* Beach chair for infield at What Stage. According to 'Roo rules, you can bring in a chair if it's less 12" from the ground. Be prepared to open it up for inspection every time you enter or leave Centeroo. I have this one:
http://www.rei.com/product/690688 (You can also bring a picnic blanket, but expect it to be filthy from being walked on by everyone if you go this route.)
* TEN GALLONS OF SUNBLOCK...for real. Bring the super duper kind. There's some shade but it usually fills up fast. Also some aloe with Novocaine in it feels great after a long day in the sun.
* Rain gear - poncho and hat, or water-resistant pants if you get cold easily. NO UMBRELLAS are allowed in Centeroo, so a packable/crushable set of gear is a good idea.
* Clothing...Folks, I'm not going to sugarcoat this: Bonnaroo is held on a farm and there is mud. Lots of it. If it's not raining expect blowing dirt. Do not wear white clothing or anything that requires special care and feeding. You may wind up sitting on the ground for long periods of time, so dark colored shorts might be a good idea.
* Couple pair of sunglasses...one pair and a backup
* Spare glasses, just in case yours get broken or lost
* Really good wide-brimmed hat (can double as your bad-weather gear). I have this one:
http://www.wetsand.com/product.asp?prodid=1129
And this one, which I can tell you is 100% waterproof, but might be hot:
http://www.rei.com/product/238313
* Big-ass cooler for your campsite
* Can koozie or insulated jug to hold your beer or bottled water
* SMALL camera (I realize Bonnaroo.com reads "no cameras," but most folks report being able to bring in non-SLRs, aka point 'n shoots. Nobody will confiscate your camera phone, most likely, either.)
* A bunch of extra CDs to play for the friends you'll make out on the campground
* Earplugs
* Flashlight
* Bug spray
* Spare batteries for your flashlight/alarm clock/whatever
* Car charger for your cell phone/Ipod/camera batteries - AC outlets at 'Roo are scarce. (I have a couple solar chargers I use for this kind of thing...they work great:
http://www.rei.com/product/751233 and
http://www.rei.com/product/744034 )
* Moleskins for blisters (there's a first aid tent, but you're probably starting to get the idea about long lines for many services...there's also a general store, but it may or may not have this kind of thing)
* My secret weapon: One of those spray bottles with a fan on it (runs on AA batteries) you can get for around 8 clams at CVS. Seriously - it will be HOT. There's a big water fountain that turns on every half an hour or so, but sometimes there are delays or crowds, so it's good to have a Plan B.
* Oh hey, water fountain: Bring a bathing suit if you think you might be inclined to run through the sprinkler. A lot of women wear bikini tops for just this reason...
http://web.knoxnews.com/slideshows/bonn2003_people/21
It's not required, tho...many people walk through the fountain fully clothed and nobody looks twice.
* Weather in TN is very changeable. Be sure to zip up your tent/put up the rain fly every time you leave, as you won't be able to get back out to your campsite if it starts raining while you're watching musicians. Last year we saw folks with soaked sleeping bags...NO FUN.
* Bottles of bubbles/huge kites/bunch of helium balloons if you want folks to find your tent easily
* Clif Bars or similar small non-meltable items. There'll be food for sale; it's pretty good and not horribly outrageously expensive. However, if you want to see a show you might need to get there early to stake out a good spot and won't want to leave to grab some chow. Also, eating out 3 meals/day does add up. They won't let you bring a full lunch into Centeroo, but we've brought smaller items every year.
OK, all this does sound like enjoyment of Bonnaroo requires some planning and preparation, but on the upside: I have attended something like 1000 concerts in my life, and some of the best performances I have ever seen were at Bonnaroo. There's just something about the spirit of the festival that seems to bring out the best in many musicians. Hey, we know Stewart loved it last year, right?
EIGHT MORE DAYS!
(Geez, if you had told me this time last year that not only would I have a blast watching Oysterhead in 2006 but that this year's headliners would be Wilco/White Stripes/Flaming Lips/POLICE, plus the mighty Dynamites...well, I'm glad I didn't know, because it would've been pretty damn hard not to sleep out of pure excitement for 365+ days.
