How to Safely Navigate the Porta-Potty Situation at a Music Festival (+ Other Need-to-Know Advice)

Molly Shea
·Beauty and Health Editor
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This weekend, Yahoo Live is streaming Creamfields, the world’s leading dance music festival. (Photo: Creamfields)

Festivals have a bit of a bad rap for being unhealthy. There’s the alcohol, the risk of sunburn and dehydration. But festival-going doesn’t have to be a bad-for-you experience — we rounded up some easy tips to keep your weekend fun AND healthy.

Get enough H2O

If you’re heading to Creamfields this weekend — or any festival, for that matter — you’re going to need to stay hydrated. That eight-cups-a-day requirement may have been debunked, but if you’re out sweating in the sun all day, there’s a good chance you’ll need to drink more water than usual.

Keep cool

You also need to watch out for getting overheated. “Warning signs of heat exhaustion include: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, heavy sweating, and headache. To treat heat exhaustion, it’s important to move to a cool location, drink lots of water, and soak in a cool bath or use cool compresses,” reports Everyday Health.

Slather on the SPF

Sure, you know to put on sunscreen, but are you doing it the right way? Probably not. Say your sunscreen has an SPF of 40. If you apply a thinner layer than experts recommend (and most people do), you may only be covered at SPF 20 levels. For the right way to apply sunscreen and protect yourself from serious skin damage, click here.

Be prepared for when you have to “go”

It’s also important to consider the bathroom situation here — where do you go? What should you bring with you? We’ve got your back. Find everything you need to know about peeing politely (and sanitarily!) here.

Stock up on healthy snacks

Chances are, you’ll be more interested in getting the best spot for each show than tracking down healthy food. But that doesn’t mean fueling up isn’t crucial — the right foods can keep you powered through the day. The solution? Bring good-for-you snacks in your bag. Here’s what Nikki Reed packs when she’s on the move.

Break it down, worry-free

We don’t need to tell you that dancing is a great workout. But if you’re secretly dreading moving your very uncoordinated body in front of your friends, read this. It’s our guide to feeling comfortable in a dance-cardio class, but it applies to breaking it down outside the studio, too.

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