What to bring will take a bit of thought. You will have to carry what you bring. If you can arrange with a few people going who bring what you can divide stuff up so there's less to carry.

What You Will Need:

• A tent. Sort it out that one person brings a tent big enough for a few people to crash there.
• The usual hygiene stuff. Toilet paper and lots of it. Toothbrush, toothpaste, babywipes, body spray, and i havn't tried it yet but dry shampoo is supposed to be pretty good. But you could always wear a hat.
• Medical Stuff. Painkillers will be needed for hangovers. Plasters, suncream and aftersun will be handy aswell. Sort it out that one person brings enough so you can share that stuff if anyone needs it.
• Food. Junk food is great. Crisps and bars make good snacks. Sandwiches wont keep that long. Cereal bars are good for first thing in the morning. The food sold onsite will be expensive.
• A bottle for water. Taps are onsite, but you'll need a bottle to fill up.

Here are more tips which should help you if you're going to a rock festival for the first time.

• If you have a few tents in your group, pitch them facing each other to create a "village". This marks out the territory and is nice at night when everyone can sit in a circle. It also means one person will be able to keep an eye on a the group of tents.

• Try and camp near a landmark. It will make it easier to find your tents among the thousands of ones that look identical in the dark and after a few drinks. (getting close to a path also helps)

• Don't camp on low ground if you can help it. You'll be thankful for this when it rains and your tent isn't on the recieving end of a mudslide.

• It isn't a good idea to camp too near the portoloos.

• Bring extra lids for bottles. The security may ask you to remove the lids from any bottles you are planning to bring into the gig arena. Having extra will save you having to buy bottled water in the venue.

• Remember to bring toilet paper with you into the venue. You'll need it there too.

• They may not allow digital cameras. Just letting you know so that you don't walk in wearing it around your neck. Put it in your bag or something.

• Don’t take anything you value as expensive stuff does tend to go walkies - if there's something you're not prepared to lose, don't bring it with you.

• Get to know your festival neighbours. An extra pair of eyes looking over your tent when you're away means it's likely to be safer from invasion.

• However secure you think your tent is - it isn't. A padlock might seem a good security device to you but it just shows wannabe thieves that you’ve got something to hide.

• If you do bring valuables (such as cameras) carry them around with you. Essentials like mobile phones and money are essential, so bring a small bag that stays with you at all times. Combat trouser pockets are ok but only if they can be zipped/buttoned up.

• Carry suncream, sunglasses, a bottle of water, cash and your mobile when you enter the venue. The chances are that you will be there all day.

• Try and get everything to fit into the one bag, because you will be carrying it for a long time and it's much easier to carry something on your back.

• Freeze bottles of Coke or whatever you like to mix vodka with. You won't be able to drink it until it's fully thawed (the syrup is the first to thaw and if you drink that, when it's fully thawed the rest will taste watery) but by Saturday afternoon it will be chilled.

• If you fill a cooler-box with ice, it will stay cold for much longer. You'll be glad of the chilled cans. The only drawback is that it will make it heavier. Keep an eye on it in the campsite, and keep the lid on it as much as possible.

What you wear is very important when attending a rock festival for the whole weekend. You need clothes that will cater for every kind of weather- heavy rain to strong sun.

Remember that it will be extremely cold at night. Even if it is in the middle of a heat wave, take a warm jumper or jacket.

Wear old jeans or combats. Combats are ideal because they have loads of pockets, which will come in handy - it's never a good idea to leave cash, mobile or a camera in the tent. Keep that stuff with you at all times.

Bring a different pair of jeans and a change of t-shirt incase it rains - it'l be nice to have something dry to change into.

Bring sunglasses or a hat incase the sun shines. Hats also cover up greasy hair.

Bring plenty of socks.

Wear the most comfortable pair of shoes you can find. If it rains, your shoes will be covered in mud. Don't wear shoes that you don't want this to happen to.

Girls - colourful wellies are really handy if you don't want trench-foot. Wear them under jeans when it's cold and pack a skirt for when it's sunny. You'll be able to wear the wellies with the skirt if it heats up. Flip flops or sandals are a nice change for the campsite but unless you'll be watching bands from the side of a hill, they won't be a good idea in the venue. Also they dont take up much space in a bag.

Start by getting a group of like minded people to camp with you. If you're organised this means you will keep costs to a minimum. You'll be able to share stuff like tents, suncream, water, food and alcohol. Not only will it keep costs down, there'll be less for everybody to carry. Assign certain people to different things. I've made a list of this stuff in the "What To Bring" section.

Try and get tickets sorted early. Better line-ups mean they sell out earlier every year.

You now have your ticket, and know who you're going with. Sort out how you're getting there. For Oxegen there will be busses leaving Dublin City Centre and bringing you directly to the festival site. If you're from the country and don't have a car, get a bus as far as Dublin and you'll be able to get there. Keep an eye on the departure times, the last ones left around half 7 for the Friday evening.

Try and get there early on Friday if you're camping for the weekend. Ask the boss for the Friday and Monday of the weekend off work. Trust me on booking the Monday after the festival off. By Saturday morning all the best spots to camp will be taken. You dont want to be camping near the portoloos or miles and miles from the venue.

Mark your tent with something distinctive like a flag. And set up camp near a landmark to make it easier to find at 4 in the morning. You'll be suprised how many people bought the exact same 8-man-tent in Lidl.

If it's your first time at a rock festival, spend a while getting to know the place. Know where the toilets, the entrance to the venue, the food stalls and the water taps are after a few hours of arriving. Take some time to get your bearings.

• Get a gang of friends together
• Buy a ticket
• Book time off work
• Think about how you're going to get there with all your stuff
• Get a list of stuff you will need, check out my "What To Bring" section