Tent: You'll be pretty stuck without one of these. Ideally you want something easy to carry, and easy to put up, as you could be walking for a quite a while to find a camping space, and you don't want to be spending hours putting a tent up if its dark or raining, or even if its not as there are far better things to be doing. It is also advisable not to take a particularly expensive tent, as it could get ruined by mud, and there has been the very occasional incident of tents being stolen. Plus there is the danger of someone burning it if they think it has been left behind.

Money: It is generally better to buy your food & drink at the festival, for reasons mentioned below, but obviously this involves taking money. How much is up to you, but bear in mind it is about £5 for a decent meal, and £3 for a pint of lager. There is also a wide variety of stalls selling clothes, camping equipment, souvenirs and other bizarre things, so account for spending a bit on these as well. There are a couple of cash machines on site, but queuing for one of these takes around 4 hours, so it is better to bring all the money you need with you. Whilst the security situation has improved in the last couple of years, you are still safer keeping your money with you than leaving it in your tent, however well hidden you think it is. But you will be in a large crowd, so beware of pickpockets and keep your money secure.

Food: Whilst it is tempting to take and cook all your own meals to save money, our experience has shown that doing so is impractical and not worthwhile. If you do this you have to carry the food to your camping spot, keep it fresh (for up to 5 days), and spend time cooking it, and are still left with something worse than you could have bought. Every possible type of food is available on site, and is both good quality and reasonably priced. Having said that it is worth taking a few snacks such as crisps and biscuits, that can keep you going until you fancy something more substantial. We also had a disposable barbeque on our first day last year, when there is no problem with keeping meat fresh, although we don't recommend cooking when it is too dark to see if the meat is cooked!

Drink: It being Glastonbury, the chances are you're going to fancy a few drinks. The first thing to say is don't bring any glass bottles, they are banned, and last year security were searching people's bags on the gate and confiscating them. If you want to take any spirits pour it into a plastic bottle beforehand. It is worth bearing in mind are that cans of drink are heavy to carry, and won't stay cold in a tent, but these two problems can to some extent be overcome by a trolley and a cool bag. Those wishing to bring their own cider should remember that once opened and left in a hot tent, egg cider can soon be made from a gallon container. Also if you're planning on drinking spirits or cider from a gallon containerthen you will need to bring cups, preferably disposable ones. And as a final point don't forget the soft drinks for breakfast, and a bottle of water is always a good idea.

Clothes: By the time you pack your bag for Glastonbury you should at least have some idea what the weather's going to be like for the weekend. If its going to rain, you will be a fool not to take wellies, waterproofs, and a few changes of clothes, as the mud can reach half-way up your shins and once you are wet you will find it difficult to get dry again. If it is looking likely to be hot and sunny then obviously shorts and t-shirts are in order, but its always worth taking a waterproof just in case you get the odd shower. You will also need some shoes that will stand up to walking around farmland for 5 days, some warmer clothes for the evenings, and if you don't really want to enter the Glastonbury spirit then bring a change of underwear.

What else: “Don't bring anything you can't afford to lose” is the golden rule. Disposable cameras are preferable to more expensive models to capture the magical festival moments. You might want to bring a stereo for when you are sat at your camp, but again nothing too big or expensive. Many people bring flags, either to mark their campsite and make it easy to find, or to try and get on TV in the crowd. If you take flags in to the crowd be aware that no-one likes being stood behind them, and if you have it up too long it will get pulled down and probably burned. Finally you will find mobile phones invaluable for trying to find mates in the crowd, although text messages tend to be more effective than trying to talk when you are near any speakers.