Essential bluegrass festival equipment

**RHBoy** · Apr-15-2008, 11:18am

Hi,
As the warm weather approaches here in Northern Indiana, the middle aged blue grass pickers thoughts turn to-FESTIVAL (old Star Trek episode comes to mind

). Anyway, what do you normally bring with you when you attend various festivals? Here is what I bring:
1)mandolin (duh) w/ extra picks, strings, tuner/batteries
2)coats, extra blanket/sleeping bag, hot and cold weather clothes
3)sunblock/hat
4)cooler with ice/beverages/food
5)tylenol, ear plugs, meds
6)comfy chair
What else?
Thx,
Jeff

**MikeEdgerton** · Apr-15-2008, 11:21am

TP
Hand Sanitizer

**duuuude** · Apr-15-2008, 11:35am

Cazadores

**Chris Travers** · Apr-15-2008, 11:43am

Ummm... My Car...

**bradeinhorn** · Apr-15-2008, 11:54am

flashlight.

**MikeEdgerton** · Apr-15-2008, 11:55am

spoken like a true midnight picker Brad

**TNFrank** · Apr-15-2008, 11:55am

Toilet paper, you never know if they'll run out so bring some just in case. Also, a few extra bucks for CD's from the bands playing there.

**Clyde Clevenger** · Apr-15-2008, 12:17pm

28' travel trailer, 8 picking chairs, BBQ, Christmas lights, 10 x 10 pop-up. Jimmy Dean Sausage. Too much food and beer.

**woodwizard** · Apr-15-2008, 12:30pm

Tent, pillow, toothbrush & paste, air mattress and 5 gals. of water

**Sean Greer** · Apr-15-2008, 12:39pm

Well, when I go to Strawberry it's a question of what do I not bring?

Here's a partial list:

* propane patio heater for those late night and early morning jams.

* Easy-up sunshade and a 12'x18' carpet pad for a comfy jam area.

* A large 3 burner camp stove, dutch ovens and a ton of other kitchen goods - when I'm not playing, I'm probably cooking.

* A full-size BBQ for doing ribs + tri-tip.

* Hornitos for margaritas and Bloody Marias

* Large tent + large air matress + feather bed + down comforters - too old to sleep on a Thermarest any longer.

* Bikes - have to get some exercise!

* A comfy cot or hammock for taking an afternoon siesta

* A good sun hat, shades, sunscreen

* Radio for listening to Hog Radio

And a bunch more!

**allenhopkins** · Apr-15-2008, 1:35pm

1. Mandolin
2. Mandola
3. Mandocello
4. Banjo
5. Guitar
6. Dobro
7. Autoharp
8. Whatever else fits in a Honda Element.

**Folkmusician.com** · Apr-15-2008, 1:54pm

Man... you guys must not have mosquitoes at your neck of the woods!

Mosquito repellent.
Camera
Note pad for getting names and numbers for future jam sessions.

**Brady Smith** · Apr-15-2008, 2:08pm

Just my ears

**John L** · Apr-15-2008, 2:24pm

Mosquito repellent is worthy of a thread of its own... a lot of it is really hard on instrument finishes. I have some that isn't, but not sure if it is still available, or if it is, whether it has the same formula.

**Rick Schmidlin** · Apr-15-2008, 2:29pm

Fingers ,pinky included.

**MikeEdgerton** · Apr-15-2008, 2:34pm

Originally Posted by (John L @ April 15 2008, 15:24)

Mosquito repellent is worthy of a thread of its own... a lot of it is really hard on instrument finishes. I have some that isn't, but not sure if it is still available, or if it is, whether it has the same formula.

Here is one of several that contains a link to another one

**lespaul_79** · Apr-15-2008, 2:39pm

Head lamp..... Geeky, but at night, I found these are great to see the fretboard.
Fanny pack for capo, tuner, flashlight (unless it's on your head), granola bars, sunglasses....

**buddyellis** · Apr-15-2008, 2:46pm

One reason i moved to western NC. Ain't no bugs on me (well a few gnats). Skeeters suck.

**MikeEdgerton** · Apr-15-2008, 2:56pm

I've been looking to buy a skeeter ranch over near Asheville.

**Dale Rychlik** · Apr-15-2008, 3:03pm

I don't remember anyone saying it, But I always bring a recorder. I've found a lot of new material at festivals[B]and cant seem to remember it all.

**mandopete** · Apr-15-2008, 3:09pm

After a bout of tendonitis one year at the Darrington Bluegrass Festival it was recommended to me (by a physician in our band) to bring the 3 essentials...beer, ice and Ibuprofen.