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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Athena Stavrou & Nia Dalton

'I've been to Glastonbury Festival 15 times - loos to avoid and places to never camp'

If there was such thing as a Glastonbury Festival expert, Dan Thomas would most definitely count as one - having been every year since 2002.

With 15 trips to Worthy Farm under his belt, Dan knows everything there is to know about the dodgiest camping spots and dirtiest loos.

Ahead of this year's Glasto, which kicks off next Wednesday, the festival fanatic has shared all of his best-kept secrets to getting the most out of Emily Eavis' farm.

So first-time festival goers won't make the same rookie mistakes he did - like using the long drops instead of the compost loos and arriving without snacks.

What should I pack?

A four-wheel trolley is the best way to carry your tent and belongings inside (Dan Thomas / SWNS)
You should bring plenty of snacks to keep it cheap, like Peperami and cereal bars (Dan Thomas / SWNS)

When it comes to making sure you have a good weekend, Dan insisted the preparation begins weeks before.

He said you should bring an 'S' hook to hang up your belongings in the toilet, and a four-wheel trolley for packing.

He also encouraged festival-goers to bring plenty of their own snacks, but also enjoy the "amazing" food on sale.

"People don't realise that Glastonbury is the only festival that you can bring all your own food and drink everywhere with you - it just can't be in glass," the content creator said.

"The biggest way to save money is to bring it all yourself.

"I always bring cereal bars, Peperami and pitta breads with some peanut butter as they all hold together well.

"I rarely buy drinks there but a pint is around £6. I would say though that Glastonbury has some of the best food around - so definitely try a stall or two if you can."

Where should I camp?

Don't ever camp at the bottom of a hill, near a walkway or next to the toilets (James Dadzitis / SWNS)

Dan advised arriving as early as possible on Wednesday morning to get a good camping spot.

This means not setting up your tent "at the bottom of a hill, near a path or next to the toilets."

Once the fun is over, Dan said the worst time to leave the site is Monday around lunchtime.

He once spent 16 hours travelling from the car park to his home in London - 12 of these being spent getting out of the car park.

If you can't see the poll, click here

"Either leave very early or late on Monday, but don't try and tackle the middle," he said.

"Most importantly, love the farmer leave no trace. If you feel tempted to leave things behind, don't.

"There are plenty of bins on site and make sure you take your tent with you."

Where should I shower?

There's free communal showers and you can pay to go in a naked sauna or campfire (Dan Thomas / SWNS)

"I personally think having a shower is one the best ways you can start your day," Dan, from London, said.

"If you've had a long tiring day as you will at Glastonbury it makes you feel like a million dollars.

"There are six ways to get a shower there. There's a single gender free communal shower and free cubicle showers in the kids field.

"If you're in a glamping site they will have them, but if you're not shy there's a naked sauna and campfire on site which you can pay £15 to go into and they have showers.

"Other options are using a solar powered shower or a rechargeable USB pump shower or you can effectively sponge bath with a large Tupperware box."

What loos should I avoid?

Stick to the compost toilets and urinals instead of these infamous long drops (Dan Thomas / SWNS)

"In terms of toilets there are several different kinds. There's long-drops which are essentially cubicle seats over a large box," he explained.

"They're open air so people can see the top of your head but there's ventilation which is good.

"There's female urinals and compost toilets too. My advice would be to skip the long drops and head for the compost toilets.

"People are put off them because they smell like portaloos but once your inside they're bigger, deeper and generally less smelly because the compost has a neutralising smell."

What acts should I see?

Go with your gut and don't feel pressured to see the main acts if you don't want to (Tom Wren SWNS)

Dan said that Glastonbury Festival is "logistically very hard work" as it's such a big place, but you shouldn't get lazy.

If you need to have a nap or an early night, do it - then make the most of the time you've got exploring.

"Although Glastonbury is the best music festival in the world, it's also the best place to do just about anything else," he explained.

"Some people treat it as a food festival, some people treat it as a cultures festival. No single individual person will see all of Glastonbury - not even the owners.

"It can be easy to feel intense FOMO (fear of missing out) because there's always something going on but the most important thing is to follow your gut and do what you want to do.

"The first year I went right to the front of the pyramid stage and it was amazing, but now I don't mind popping in and out."

Have you got a Glastonbury story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.

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