Fest 10 Survival Guide

So here we are. The week of the highly anticipated Fest 10. We've given you:

For our last list, we've asked the editors, staff, friends and frenemies of the 'org to share their sage advice on how to really survive the upcoming weekend of good music and straight up shenanigans. Buried in the snark below there's actually some really great pro-tips.

Click Read More for the full scoop. Stay hydrated and we'll see you in the swamp.

What are three things the first time Fester should leave at home?

Jacket, hair gel, dignity. âRich Verducci
"King of The Fest" ambitions, acoustic guitar, dogs. âJon Loudon/ Restorations
Koozies, extra t-shirts, need for sleeping. âJohn Flynn
There's only one thing you absolutely need to leave at home and that's a bad attitude. Fest is about having fun and making new friends. Your bad attitude can be your worst enemy. âLisa Garelick/ Kind of Like Records
Nothing, bring everything you can. âEric Solomon/ O Pioneers!!!

What are three things every Fest goer should have with them?

At all times, pass, ID and debit card. These three items can pretty much assure you get into any venue and then buy food/drink once you're there. Without these three items you're in for a long hard day. âRich Verducci
Sunglasses, Ted Leo hoodie, and a bottle of Champagne. âBenjamin Patrick Pierce/ Restorations
Earplugs (Etymotic are nice and inexpensive), ID, and a positive attitude. âEllison Langford
Sunscreen! Easily forgotten but the Florida sun is brutal during the afternoon. Water, duh. Somewhat of an outline of who you want to see/where it is and a watch. You're gonna hate yourself if you accidentally miss a band you really want to see because you forgot what time it is or get lost trying to find the venue. âXin L.
Bottle of water, smart phone (twitter app!), dolla dolla billz for some Gator Dawgs. âBritt Reiser
1. Your photo ID!! (this means a state issued driver's license/ID card or military ID) If you are traveling internationally BRING YOUR PASSPORT. Many venues will not accept and international ID, only passports. 2. If you are going to be buying records, I recommend bringing an empty cardboard LP mailer to carry them in so they don't get banged up (last year someone was giving these away at the flea market) 3. Ear plugs. Seriously, do yourself a favor, it's a long weekend. Most venues sell them at the bar. âMatt Finch/ Sound Study Recordings
Solid deodorant, spray deodorant, turpentine. âJohn Gentile

How many meals should you eat a day?

At least 5. Don't fuck up. Gainesville has great food. âJon Loudon/Restorations
This is kinda wild, but I would recommend people eat the same amount of meals that they eat every other day. Whoa. âTobias Jeg/ Red Scare Records
One 30 pack of Schlitz. âBenjamin Patrick Pierce/ Restorations
One before Festing and at least a snack while Festing. âEllison Langford
Two completely unhealthy meals to balance out all the booze that will be consumed. âAlex Eschbach
3? âMatt Finch/ Sound Study Recordings

How early should you start lining up for the headliners?

I don't know, I've always had press passes. Suck it commoners! âRich Verducci
At the bigger venues, don't worry too much about. For the smaller ones… there is no too early. âJohn Flynn
Show up as early as possible. I try to get in line at least two bands before the headliner. âEric Mace
At least the band prior, depends on the venue. But, it would be best to pick a venue and a line up and just enjoy the long haul in one place. Especially if you have a Do Not Miss band. âBritt Reiser
2-3 bands before. Some venues…expect to never get into.âSteven Pitera
You should be there now. âJustin Dickman

How many hours should you plan on standing in line?

No clue. âRich Verducci
Don't stand in line. Go see small bands. âJon Loudon/Restorations
If there's a line go to one of the other 5 venues available. âBenjamin Patrick Pierce/ Restorations
The only terrible lines are when the venues are first opening, but standing in line is half the experience. Have a solid FEST group and then meet new people. FEST is a giant bonding experience. âBritt Reiser
Too many, unfortunately. âXin L.

Short or pants?

Shorts, always. I've packed pants before and usually I don't wear them. It's typically warm enough outside for shorts and if it isn't, it certainly is warm enough inside the venue. Plus, with all the people bouncing around and the floors being horridly dirty, pants tend to get ruined quickly. âRich Verducci
Shorts. Florida is hot, c'mon son. âJohn Flynn
Pants. Except Florida is so hot sometimes shorts just give you that nice breeze. âEric Solomon/O Pioneers!!!
Shorts, it's gonna be hot/humid as balls. âXin L.
Shorts will provide the optimum flexibility for stage dives. However everyone will see each other's matching Hot Water Music calf tattoos. Pants will function better for passing out on a fire ant hill in tent city. I will be wearing pants because my band won't let me wear shorts while we play. âTom May/ Menzingers
Pants. I'm from NYC and shorts don't exist. âSteven Pitera

Should you bring a jacket?

Bring a jacket if you want to. Hell, bring a miniature horse if you want, it's a free country. âTobias Jeg/ Red Scare Records
Unless it is really cold outside and you plan to wait in line for a while, leave it. You'll get tired of carrying it around. âEllison Langford
A hoodie just in case. âAlex Eschbach
Only if it has patches with obscure bands on it. âJohn Gentile
Nah, itâs one more thing to carry when you're trying to get crazy. Late at night is the only chilly point but you just deal with it. It's a part of the experience! âBritt Reiser
Nah. âJohn Flynn

What's the number one way to save money?

Hit up a grocery store the morning of registration. Buy a plastic tub and a few cases of beer. You can fill the tub with ice and keep the beer cold all weekend. So for $40 all your non-venue booze is covered. Pro-tip: Put a plastic bag under the plastic tub, this will prevent condensation from soaking the hotel carpet and causing any damage. âRich Verducci
Don't throw your beer at the bands. âJon Loudon/Restorations
Don't be a vinyl nerd. âJohn Flynn
Don't drink too much. It's a spiral effect where you'll end up sitting outside Papa John's by yourself at 3am with 3 pizzas. âLisa Garelick/ Kind of Like Records
T-bills. âJohn Gentile
Have none. âJustin Dickman

How can you avoid "Festigue"**?

Live a generally unhealthy lifestyle all year round and then one weekend of heavy drinking, smoking, sex, and lack of food won't affect you either way. âSloane Daley
Gotta get on that 5 meals a day plan. âJon Loudon/Restorations
Vitamin C pills saved my health. And hydrate. âJohn Flynn
It is unavoidable! Hydration is key to softening the blow. âEric Mace
I don't think you can. I've tried, and I get it every year. It's from being so tired and worn down at the end. âEric Solomon/O Pioneers!!!
Iâm still trying to figure this one out… caught it 3/3 times.âXin L.
Vitamin C, tons of water, sleep, and….fuck it you're getting sick; embrace it. Take off work for a few days afterwards. Look on the bright side, you have stronger immune system than the rest of the country when it's all over. âTom May/ Menzingers
Eat a solid breakfast, get a bottle of water and add Emergen-C to it and chug it. Eat well prior to the FEST weekend and then have a day to recoup once you're back.âBritt Reiser
Bubble Boy costumer, all weekend long. âJustin Dickman

What other pro-tip do you have?

Couldn't say it enough, go see a band you've never heard of, especially if they're not from the country you live in. With a lot of these bands you only have one chance to see them and if you miss it, you may have to wait a year or more to see them again. âLisa Garelick/ Kind of Like Records
Download the Fest app for your smartphone. It is the easiest way to keep your schedule organized.âEric Mace
A lot of people help to make Fest happen, so don't forget to be nice to people that are working at Fest. Also we take over this town for one weekend a year, don't forget that people actually live there, and call it their home, that are not part of the punk rock elite. âEric Solomon/O Pioneers!!!
Honestly, it makes me feel terrible to be a part of a community that is comfortable making light of a worldwide health epidemic. Every year at Fest I hear bands and Festgoers talking about "Fest AIDS" and I am never not taken aback by it. Every time someone says it, it just further illustrates how out of touch we are as a group. My Fest tip would be, drop this joke in 2011. It would be a step in the right direction. âJeff C./ Bridge and Tunnel
An extremely important note: DO NOT DRINK IN THE STREET and DRINK WATER. Calling around Gainesville Municipal Courts and jails to locate friends is a huge pain in the ass, the bail bondsmen take advantage of out-of-towners, and waiting at the hospital all day and waiting for your friends isn't fun either. Have fun and good luck. âTom May/ Menzingers
Seriously, a smart phone with a twitter app. I found out about all secret shows and hangs last year via twitter. I heard the Fest apps will also be sharing this great information. âBritt Reiser
While we are here for bands, the best moments happen in between shows. So see the bands you wanna see, then go hang with new friends or old ones. Also throw a kegger, I wanna crash it.âSteven Pitera
Have fun and be cool to people. Door guys, bartenders, wait staff, sound guys, Fest staff and volunteers, all of these people are working long hours and missing out on seeing bands they want to see to make this shit happen. Be nice and tip well. âMatt Finch/ Sound Study Recordings
Make friends with your fellow Festers! And most importantly, have a shit ton of fun because the lineup is absolutely amazing this year!!!! âXin L.

**NOTE: The term "Fest AIDS" is offensive. Weâre not going to use it anymore. HIV/AIDS is a serious disease that shouldnât be some dark punch line. It makes light of the real struggles while ignoring the reality of it. We landed on the term "Festigue" to describe the sickness that usually overcomes the average Festerâs immune system. - Punknews Editors and Staff