Camping Plans for 2024

[Crazyfool01]

21 hours ago, Punisher said:

First time Glasto-goer this year going by coach (Wednesday, no word on timings yet). I’ve already read Tort’s guide but wondering if anyone else has any camp recommendations.

We want somewhere a bit quieter but not super out of the way from the action (I’m aware we’ll be walking tons regardless).

Email last year came though on the 25/5 for the bus timings … anecdotally an earlier booking on tday gets you an earlier bus 

[kalifire]

On 3/8/2023 at 3:08 AM, Fingerbobs said:

Was in the pink car parks out west last year and wandered straight up to Gate A no probs but recall previous years when stewards were directing over to Gate D so knowing where you are/having a little map with you certainly helps just to be safe if you need Gate A.

That was in 2017, I think. The one after the Manchester Arena bombing. They'd introduced extra security checks but the stewards directing the crowds didn't seem to know where to direct people, so turning up at PGA ended up putting you at the back of the queue for both public transport AND car arrivals, removing the benefit of quicker access for (very) early arrivals.

After a while, stewards started directing people towards the back of the PGA queue to join the back of the Gate D queue instead. Absolute bedlam.

[Twiggy553]

Campervan Quiet - arriving Wednesday lunchtime so wherever there is still space for us…

[ahoykatie]

we're aiming for paines ground this year! we're getting a national express supposedly arriving at the gate at 7am, hoping that will get us early enough in the queue for a good spot haha but we've never done the coach before so it's all a gamble really 😄  

we stayed on pennards hill last time, it was fun but keen to try lots of different camping spots! 

[Crazyfool01]

2 minutes ago, ahoykatie said:

we're aiming for paines ground this year! we're getting a national express supposedly arriving at the gate at 7am, hoping that will get us early enough in the queue for a good spot haha but we've never done the coach before so it's all a gamble really 😄  

we stayed on pennards hill last time, it was fun but keen to try lots of different camping spots! 

7am arrival at gate should be fine for that … the coach queue is prioritised anyway 

[BambooShanks]

4 minutes ago, ahoykatie said:

we're getting a national express supposedly arriving at the gate at 7am

Last year I got a coach that arrived around 7am and was able to grab a spot in Pennards Hill so you should definitely get a space in Paines!

[ahoykatie]

31 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

7am arrival at gate should be fine for that … the coach queue is prioritised anyway 

 

28 minutes ago, BambooShanks said:

Last year I got a coach that arrived around 7am and was able to grab a spot in Pennards Hill so you should definitely get a space in Paines!

That's brilliant to hear, thanks both!! Getting really excited now, bring on June!

[hoils]

Does anyone have much experience of the speed Big Ground fills up on Wednesday? Specifically the top end, towards the farm rather than the Pyramid. Our plan it to be arriving into the car parks at about 7am on the Wed morning with 2 smallish tents. Am I kidding myself in thinking we'll find a spot for 2 tents by lunchtime (maybe, queue allowing?) on the Wednesday?

[p.pete]

27 minutes ago, hoils said:

Does anyone have much experience of the speed Big Ground fills up on Wednesday? Specifically the top end, towards the farm rather than the Pyramid. Our plan it to be arriving into the car parks at about 7am on the Wed morning with 2 smallish tents. Am I kidding myself in thinking we'll find a spot for 2 tents by lunchtime (maybe, queue allowing?) on the Wednesday?

Interested in this too - even though I have actually camped there lots (7 times I think) - I stop paying attention once we get our own tent up 😄  I would say it's easier to get into than Kidney Mead (more central) and Row Mead (cos it's smaller) - but after them it's going to fill up next that side of the site. 

I don't think you'd be kidding yourself trying by lunchtime Weds.  With two small tents, worst case, you have scope for them to be not exactly beside each other and find some gaps near if not exactly beside each other.  The earlier your definition of 'lunchtime' the better though.

I like being on the muddy lane (east) side of BG - but assume the West side of the field fills up a bit more slowly?  Also, assuming you get to BG and it's full, and Row & Kidney are already full, what's people's strategy after that?  I assume you look at Hawkwell & Michael's until you find a spot, but it starts getting steeper land and becomes a mission.  I must search back through what people have said about them.  It's usually just two of us with one tent, and we've been happy to get there early - but likely to be 3+ tents, not agreed an arrival strategy yet (including one person hoping to be at Harry Styles in Cardiff Tues night) and the early starts are killing me as I get older 🙂 

[JudgeGrumpy]

On 1/11/2023 at 10:17 PM, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

That's one of the many things I'll work out over the next few weeks. I've camped in Dairy, Pennards, Hitchen Hill a few times and even in Cockmill once. I'm considering Bushy or Pylon. Easy in, easy out and I don't mind the walk back to camp. We'll see...

We’ve always camped high on Pennard (these days not as high as we used to as all the tipis nicked our spots a decade or more ago). Largely because most of that area is ok if it’s a mud fest or a flood like 03 (or was it 04) and at the end of the evening when you need to crawl into bed that’s the part of the site we are always in (green fields/sacred space/SE corner/rabbit hole/Arcadia etc.) so short staggering distance is preferred. 

[Jacko45]

We can only arrive early Weds morning, we will be fine in the Campervan East or potentially struggling?

[The Nal]

7 minutes ago, Jacko45 said:

We can only arrive early Weds morning, we will be fine in the Campervan East or potentially struggling?

Its a lottery. Dont let them direct you up to E15, E16 or E17. It'll ruin the festival. Tell them you have AIDS and you cant walk that far.

[Jacko45]

11 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Its a lottery. Dont let them direct you up to E15, E16 or E17. It'll ruin the festival. Tell them you have AIDS and you cant walk that far.

Were all in our late 20's / 30's. 

Why are those areas so bad? 

[The Nal]

1 hour ago, Jacko45 said:

Were all in our late 20's / 30's. 

Why are those areas so bad? 

Got stung in E17 one year, right hand side below. A 20 minute walk from Gate C. So a round trip from back to the van can take 90 minutes just to walk if you're at the Other or the Park etc. Huge waste of time and shit when you're knackered at night knowing you've maybe a 40 minute walk ahead of you. 

Compare that to a 5 minute walk from Lime Kiln into the pit for ZZ top.

Next year they tried to direct us down there but I played dumb and kept driving straight and ended up in a great spot near Gate C. But that was the last year in a CV. Tents all the way.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by The Nal

[Jacko45]

6 minutes ago, The Nal said:

Got stung in E17 one year, right hand side below. A 20 minute walk from Gate C. So a round trip from back to the van can take 90 minutes just to walk if you're at the Other or the Park etc. Huge waste of time and shit when you're knackered at night knowing you've maybe a 40 minute walk ahead of you. 

Compare that to a 5 minute walk from Lime Kiln into the pit for ZZ top.

Next year they tried to direct us down there but I played dumb and kept driving straight and ended up in a great spot near Gate C. But that was the last year in a CV. Tents all the way.

 

 

 

I see! Cheers for the heads up.

Why no campervan anymore for you then? Simply the distance to walk?

[The Nal]

Just now, Jacko45 said:

 

I see! Cheers for the heads up.

Why no campervan anymore for you then? Simply the distance to walk?

Started going in a camper and then a tent, then a camper because the missus and her mates didnt want to tent it but once they did they didnt look back.

Tent much better imo. Closer to everything, cheaper and yeah, less walking but more importantly less of a waste of time. Id rather be watching a band than walking through fields of nettles for an hour back to grab a jumper. I dont do day or night bags so if it doesnt fit in my pockets it doesn't come with me.

But yeah, E17 et all. Make up any excuse to avoid it. AIDS and Ebola work.

[Peter_Quaife]

2 hours ago, Jacko45 said:

We can only arrive early Weds morning, we will be fine in the Campervan East or potentially struggling?

Hi Jacko, we're first Glastonbury attendees and staying in the CV fields. This was posted a while back re field order:

Quiet: E21 accessibilities, staff, Evis family and friends -> E20 -> E23 -> half of E24 -> E19 -> rest of E24 -> E25. Up to E19 was filled byt Wednesday morning @ 7am

General: filled as a horseshoe - E18 -> E17 -> E16 -> E15 -> E14 (at the same time as filling E15a, a small field that is known as VDub-land)

 

Same order every year apparently. Due to flight times etc, we'll hopefully be landing onsite @ 4pm on Wednesday. Drunk out by 4pm Thursday, hanging in there Fri / Sat / Sun 🙂 

[The Clearest Blue]

5 hours ago, hoils said:

Does anyone have much experience of the speed Big Ground fills up on Wednesday? Specifically the top end, towards the farm rather than the Pyramid. Our plan it to be arriving into the car parks at about 7am on the Wed morning with 2 smallish tents. Am I kidding myself in thinking we'll find a spot for 2 tents by lunchtime (maybe, queue allowing?) on the Wednesday?

I’ve camped in Big Ground/Kidney Meads the last five festivals, I arrive at Gate A by coach around 7:30am and I’m usually in and tent up by midday latest. My friends drive and join Gate B queue around 5:30am, they usually get in around the same time. By midday Big Ground is filling up but you would find room for two tents together further from the paths, in the centre of the field. Last year by about 3pm both fields felt completely full and I wouldn’t have wanted to arrive then. The field tends to fill up from the end nearest the farm as this is closest to the gate, Big Ground seems to fill up first and the last bit of Kidney Mead to fill is usually the section near the Kids Field side.

[BlueDaze]

14 minutes ago, Peter_Quaife said:

Hi Jacko, we're first Glastonbury attendees and staying in the CV fields. This was posted a while back re field order:

Quiet: E21 accessibilities, staff, Evis family and friends -> E20 -> E23 -> half of E24 -> E19 -> rest of E24 -> E25. Up to E19 was filled byt Wednesday morning @ 7am

General: filled as a horseshoe - E18 -> E17 -> E16 -> E15 -> E14 (at the same time as filling E15a, a small field that is known as VDub-land)

 

Same order every year apparently. Due to flight times etc, we'll hopefully be landing onsite @ 4pm on Wednesday. Drunk out by 4pm Thursday, hanging in there Fri / Sat / Sun 🙂 

this is indeed the order...

cant speak for last year as wasnt there but getting there Tuesday evening could have you pitched where @The Nalhighlighted (far reaches of E17)... Equally getting in later on Wednesday may well have you pitched near the road in E14 where you can cut through to E25/24 and a much shorter walk.. You never know your luck.. just keep some breakfast cider in your fridge and enjoy the stroll.. Take a bag with jumpers and some spirits for the late evening and leave it in the lock-up by Gate C..

[The Nal]

6 minutes ago, BlueDaze said:

this is indeed the order...

cant speak for last year as wasnt there but getting there Tuesday evening could have you pitched where @The Nalhighlighted (far reaches of E17)... Equally getting in later on Wednesday may well have you pitched near the road in E14 where you can cut through to E25/24 and a much shorter walk.. You never know your luck.. just keep some breakfast cider in your fridge and enjoy the stroll.. Take a bag with jumpers and some spirits for the late evening and leave it in the lock-up by Gate C..

Yep lock ups essential. 

That time I got turfed into E17 btw - arrived at 3pm on Tuesday! No one seemed to know what field was what.

[Jacko45]

34 minutes ago, Peter_Quaife said:

Hi Jacko, we're first Glastonbury attendees and staying in the CV fields. This was posted a while back re field order:

Quiet: E21 accessibilities, staff, Evis family and friends -> E20 -> E23 -> half of E24 -> E19 -> rest of E24 -> E25. Up to E19 was filled byt Wednesday morning @ 7am

General: filled as a horseshoe - E18 -> E17 -> E16 -> E15 -> E14 (at the same time as filling E15a, a small field that is known as VDub-land)

 

Same order every year apparently. Due to flight times etc, we'll hopefully be landing onsite @ 4pm on Wednesday. Drunk out by 4pm Thursday, hanging in there Fri / Sat / Sun 🙂 

Legend cheers for that!

Not TOO concerned about longer walk, we're all fairly fit do lots of walking.

Plus as you say, once I'm out of camp I'm going to take a rucksack and just be out for the day.  

[Supreme2]

First time driving this year.. thinking of getting there Tuesday night and queuing with tent and some chairs. What’s re entry like for getting the booze in after? Thinking of having a lighter load whilst queuing 

[The Nal]

8 minutes ago, Supreme2 said:

First time driving this year.. thinking of getting there Tuesday night and queuing with tent and some chairs. What’s re entry like for getting the booze in after? Thinking of having a lighter load whilst queuing 

Just get there on Wednesday at lunchtime and stroll in. Couple of hours in the difference re: tent set up time.  

[Crazyfool01]

7 minutes ago, Supreme2 said:

First time driving this year.. thinking of getting there Tuesday night and queuing with tent and some chairs. What’s re entry like for getting the booze in after? Thinking of having a lighter load whilst queuing 

fine id leave it till after 11am so you can avoid getting caught up in main queues when going back though ... you can just go past them but they stretch back away from the gate so it can look like you are jumping the queue will have died down later with no queue at reentry lane 

[4AssedMonkey]

Camped in Paines (when it was called Dairy and vice versa) every year to start with - close to the hedgerow border with Park Home.  Was a great spot until the year they put a big fuck off fire breathing spider just the other side of the hedge!  Considered moving spots after that.  Ended up in Cockmill in 2019 as some of our group had kids and that was great.  No kids last time out though so was towards the back of Big Ground.  Also fine.

No idea what's happening this year as a big chunk of the group have gone all la-di-da and booked Sticklinch.  Not sure whether to switch back to that side of the site (Bushy or Dairy as they're flatter) so we can meet up easier or stick with BG. 

Bushy/Dairy etc. all feel quite isolated from the site IMO which is probably great for people who want the peace & quiet but it feels more "in it" at BG.  If it's up to me we'll stick with that.