Coach packing tips

[JB3]

22 hours ago, dumbsaints said:

Decanted spirits in plastic bottles. A few Moth cocktail cans. Keeping things to minimum, packing outfits that can be mix and matched. You'll need less than you think. Utilize the coop on site, avoid bringing a lot of food. Pack all heavier things in the rucksack, leave light things (esp anything light but bulky) to be carried in hands (bag for life for example).

If you can afford to, and intend to use public transport for festivals in future, upgrade your kit to a lighter sleeping bag and mat.

Sometimes taking a lightweight gas stove or trangia but not to glasto, the food there is so good and there's no spare time to hang about the tent like there easily is at other festivals.

Portable shower is a no no from me, prefer wet wipes or queuing for the lovely hot showers on site. If you use portable shower or any other method where the water drips to the ground, make sure your shampoo and gel are biodegradable 

“You’ll need less than you think” is probably the best piece of advice here.

I went on the coach last year and didn’t use/need about 50% of the stuff I took with me.

 

[JB3]

17 hours ago, mufcok said:

What's considered reasonable on the coaches, in terms of luggage? This is my first time on one on a coach. Always been in cars or minibuses previously. 

I was thinking - camping rucksack with tent & mat attached to it, a hold all & a normal backpack. Is that reasonable?

I'll bang 8 cans or so in the hold all and give a friend in a camper one crate to take down as I tend to just use the bars most of the time there

Sounds about right mate, similar to what we had last year.

It pissed me off a bit seeing 3 different groups turning up with this amount of gear and 10 crates of cans.

 

 

 

[Jay Pee]

Two litre Plastic bottle filled at home with Aldi Cognac and a hip flask is a good easy carry. Mixers are not needed. The cognac is smooth enough neat and chilled or warm is completely irrelevant in this instance.

Beers from the bars augmented with brandy 

[Johnnyseven]

51 minutes ago, Jay Pee said:

Two litre Plastic bottle filled at home with Aldi Cognac and a hip flask is a good easy carry. Mixers are not needed. The cognac is smooth enough neat and chilled or warm is completely irrelevant in this instance.

Beers from the bars augmented with brandy 

Are you putting the brandy in the beer?

[CaledonianGonzo]

It would go well in the cider.

[mazola]

11th time last year but first time by coach.

Big rucksack on back, day rucksack on front, and took one of those mini suitcase cabin bag type things

always thought the idea of taking a suitcase to Glastonbury was ridiculous, but it was amazing how much stuff I got in there, and wasn't too much of a hassle to carry

Edited April 29, 2023 by mazola

[Twiggy553]

I go with a big rucksack and a bag for life in each hand. You can fit a whole slab of beer in a bag for life.

I pad the handles of the bag for life with bubble wrap so they don’t cut into your hands.

[mufcok]

4 hours ago, JB3 said:

Sounds about right mate, similar to what we had last year.

It pissed me off a bit seeing 3 different groups turning up with this amount of gear and 10 crates of cans.

 

 

 

Did they allow them on with that?

How are they carrying all that as well ffs

[JB3]

2 hours ago, mufcok said:

Did they allow them on with that?

How are they carrying all that as well ffs

Yeah they did, don’t think the driver wanted any problems 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

Common courtesy would be to at least provide a beer for each of their fellow travellers.

Or is drink banned on the coaches now? Haven't done it since 2014.

Edited April 29, 2023 by MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

[Crazyfool01]

7 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Common courtesy would be to at least provide a beer for each of their fellow travellers.

Or is drink banned on the coaches now? Haven't done it since 2014.

driver discretion i think 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

Has anyone actually ever seen anyone in the queue for one of the gates or getting onto a coach turned away for having too much booze? I've seen a couple of lads carrying in 8 or so crates on a sack truck and no one has given a single solitary shit.

[incident]

1 hour ago, Crazyfool01 said:

driver discretion i think 

Drinking is officially banned on Nat Ex services to the Festival, although drivers may (more often than not) choose to turn a blind eye. Not sure about See.

[incident]

46 minutes ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Has anyone actually ever seen anyone in the queue for one of the gates or getting onto a coach turned away for having too much booze? I've seen a couple of lads carrying in 8 or so crates on a sack truck and no one has given a single solitary shit.

I've seen crates of booze left behind, while their owners travelled to the festival, if that's what you mean.

If there's space enough to fit everything on, then obviously nobody cares. But if it does get to a point where it's not possible to fit everything on* then it's the people taking the piss who'll find themselves targetted first.

*bearing in mind the amount of practical space to do so can vary between coaches.

[PassingCloud]

On 4/28/2023 at 12:47 PM, gfa said:

good to attach sleeping bag and similar small items to your bag with a carbineer

don't bother with a camping chair honestly

Taking mine that’s similar to this. Strapped to outside of bag. It packs pretty small. Only for use at the tent though. 
 

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Edited April 29, 2023 by PassingCloud

[Barneym]

31 minutes ago, incident said:

Drinking is officially banned on Nat Ex services to the Festival, although drivers may (more often than not) choose to turn a blind eye. Not sure about See.

Out National express driver announced we could drink at the start of the journey last year but as it was 5.30 am on the Wednesday I didn’t take him up on the offer 

[squirrelarmy]

5 hours ago, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Has anyone actually ever seen anyone in the queue for one of the gates or getting onto a coach turned away for having too much booze? I've seen a couple of lads carrying in 8 or so crates on a sack truck and no one has given a single solitary shit.

This is why you pack the precious heavy cargo in your backpack. Put light things like sleeping bags and clothes in the visible carry on bags. 
 

To be really honest you shouldn’t be drinking more beer than you can carry on your back. 

[Scrump]

7 hours ago, squirrelarmy said:

you shouldn’t be drinking more beer than you can carry on your back.

That's a significant shift in NHS guidelines!

[Twiggy553]

Snacks for the way there (in case bus gets stuck in traffic)

fruit for the way back (up until the moment you pass out asleep) - I remember there being strawbs or cherries for sale near the gate and they just made us feel so much healthier

Edited April 30, 2023 by Twiggy553

[The Clearest Blue]

This will be my 7th Glastonbury and I’ve only ever got the coach. In previous years I’ve had failure and success with what I’ve taken. There’s been years where I’ve tried to carry in so much beer I’ve destroyed my back/shoulders/arms and it’s really impacted the rest of the festival with the pain I’m in. I now take mainly spirits, a sleeping bag, pillow from ikea (comes vacuum packed and I continue to use it after the festival so it’s not a waste), a roll mat, pop up tent, five ‘festival’ shirts, couple of pairs of shorts, pair of old running trainers, walk in in my boots and the minimum required toiletries. This year I’ve added one the ultralight camping chairs as five days sitting on the hard ground last year started to hurt my back. A friend is driving this year so I will give him some beer that I’ll collect from his car on-site which I’ve done before a few times, but this isn’t essential, I would just buy more on-site if someone I knew wasn’t driving.

[gfa]

18 hours ago, incident said:

Drinking is officially banned on Nat Ex services to the Festival, although drivers may (more often than not) choose to turn a blind eye. Not sure about See.

Banned on all their services not just glasto, theres a £80 fine or something like that.

See is based on the driver i think

[gooner1990]

On 4/29/2023 at 7:55 PM, incident said:

I've seen crates of booze left behind, while their owners travelled to the festival, if that's what you mean.

If there's space enough to fit everything on, then obviously nobody cares. But if it does get to a point where it's not possible to fit everything on* then it's the people taking the piss who'll find themselves targetted first.

*bearing in mind the amount of practical space to do so can vary between coaches.

Yep. That happened in 2015 when I got the See tickets coach from Oxford.

Few guys turned up with loads of crates, tbf to the driver he said he would get it on if he could....75% of it was left behind on the pavement.

[cheesey_toastie]

A good large rucksack is key. If you attach anything to it (tent / roll mat) ensure you can pop it off quickly. Depends on the driver but some like to pack their coach themselves and ensure everything gets on and like if if you can flatten your load. Some are free for all merchants - everyone piles their own crap on (badly) then the coach doesn't leave for half an hour whilst everyone tries to jig it around.

I take a pocket rock stove, a plastic bowl, bag of muesli and an aeropress. Saves a fortune for breakie. Cleaning is a cloth, bar of soap outside the tent in my shorts. Though, I do have the luxury of some General Admission folk to bring me beer - if I didn't I'd jump on the shuttle to go to one of the supermarkets.