Top 10 Camping Essentials for Benicassim 2010
Here’s our top 10 essentials to get you through a week of camping at Benicassim 2010, if you don’t take anything else just make sure you take the items on this list, starting with the more obvious items (some people do forget these things though!), if you’re not sure which campsite to stay on then read our campsite guide:
1) Tent
We found the ASDA £10 “2 man” tent to be perfect for sleeping one grown man, if you want to comfortably fit in 2 people then go for a “3 man” tent. Just remember it’s scorching hot out there so it’s probably not a good idea to cram loads of people into the same tent, all that body heat just isn’t good when the outside temp is 30C+. Remember if you’re flying out to Beni you’ll have to make sure this doesn’t send you over your baggage allowance (especially if you’re flying with Ryanair or another budget airline that is stingy with their baggage allowance). The ASDA 2 man tent only weighs about 3kg so it’s ideal!
Asda 2 Person Tent - small but big enough for one
2) Camping mat
The ground on all the Beni campsites that we saw is rock solid, some of it has small stones and rocks protruding out, definitely not the best surface for a comfortable nights sleep! However, you can fix this minor issue by using a camping mat, we found the Vango self-inflating mat to be the perfect combination of comfort whilst being small and lightweight enough to fit in your backpack.
Vango Self Infalting Mat - A Back Saver
3) Clothing
We’d be shocked if you hadn’t planned on taking this already, but we felt we should emphasize the fact that the temperature is pretty constantly 30C + during the festival, so make sure you take shorts/skirts and plenty of short sleeved t-shirts, much of the time you’ll probably end up wearing very little but make sure you’ve got something thin and long-sleeved in case you get too much sun. Also when it comes to swimwear be careful about wearing board shorts – if you’re doing the daily 2 mile trek back from the beach in wet shorts we found that this can cause serious chaffing issues on the inner thigh area (especially with the longer variety of board shorts).
4) Footwear
Flip flops are an absolute essential otherwise you’ll be living in sweaty feet city. However, we’d also recommend taking 2 pairs of comfy trainers (or one really good pair) as it’s a 2 mile walk to the beach from the festival campsite (CampFIB, BeniCamp is a bit closer), I tried to get away with wearing flip flops and shredded my feet after the first couple of days, luckily I had one pair of old trainers with me but by the end of the week these had to be reinforced with superglue which is never a good luck! Also trainers are a must have when you’re in the festival arena otherwise your toes will suffer!
5) Plasters/Bandages/Disinfectant
You almost definitely will at some point need plasters during the festival. Most likely for blistered feet, but also as a result of cuts and bruises sustained during the solid partying you’ll be doing. You can get plasters for free from the first aid points scattered around the festival site, but for convenience we’d recommend taking at least one box of your own. You might even want to take some pain killers (paracetamol) with you to help tackle the inevitable hangover(s) – although you might find the intense heat helps you sweat out the booze so the hangover’s aren’t as severe as you’d get on a cold UK night out!
6) Travel Towel
This is a must have if you’re camping. You’ll end up having at least 2 shower’s a day, just because it’s so hot, you might even have more than this if you’ve been in the sea etc. The bonus on travel towels is that you don’t have to wait long for them to dry, in fact they’re designed to absorb a load of water then you can wring them out and dry again. They’re also really compact compared to your standard “home towels”. Also, make sure you take a bottle of shower gel for use in the showers, you really need something to soap yourself up with to clean away all the sweat and sand!
7) Euros
Definitely, definitely, definitely take some cash with you. Don’t rely on the cash machines in Benicassim – you’ll find that there’s big queue’s especially for the first few days. You don’t have to worry about taking you full spends with you up front (although I did) but just make sure you’ve got enough for the first day or so. You’ll find the cash point queue’s less severe if you walk along the main street for 500metres or so to the next cash machine (everybody seems to congregate at the very first cash machine they hit after the campsite).
8 ) Nerf ball
You’ll end up spending a lot of time on the beach during the day (especially if you’re camping – too hot in the tents after about 8.30am), having something to play with during the day can boost your enjoyment factor to limitless bounds, we’d recommend the Nerf Vortex Mega Howler.
The Nerf Vortex Howler - Great Fun on the beach!
9) Toilet roll
We should have put this further up the list really, but don’t be surprised if you go to the loo, drop the kids off in the pool then discover that there’s no paper to clean your little botty! The organisers seem way behind on the whole toilet hygiene thing, most of the toilets don’t have anything to clean your hands with (so a small travel bottle of that anti-bacterial stuff can also be a good buy). I took 1x toilet roll and round this to be sufficient for the week (I used the local bar/restaurant loo’s quite extensively during the day so didn’t have to rely on my own stash of loo roll very often).
Loo roll - take at least one
10) A battery operated fan
You know one of those little mini-ones, it’ll only set you back a few quid from your local supermarket (ASDA sell them) but they’re a god send when you’re in your scorcher of a tent trying to get some kip. It can also be a really good idea to take a length of string with you so you can fasten the fan to your tent’s ceiling (some tent’s, i.e. the ASDA cheapo one’s have a bit of material where you’ll be able to fasten this, with other’s you’ll have to thread the string through the tent’s mesh).
There’s probably a ton of other tips from regular Benicassim festival goers out there, so please feel free to add you comments below if you’ve got anything worth sharing. Until then, happy camping!
how much do you think i would need to last me a week there?
yeah i wasnt stupid enough to buy booze inside i just got battered in the campsite…also i dont smoke herbs lol
so I didn’t really blow much money tbh. My mates spent less and got through the week so you must of been buying some expensive herbs and spices? ALSO 7.50 euros for a pint of beer inside! you can get near to 24 cans of steinburg (not my choice of beer but for example) for that… so it’s a no brainer
Kareem – how did you live on that!? I blew at least 500 if not 600 euros last year. Taking £800 in Euros this year so i can do it that much better! Probably beer tokens and herbs that cost me all my cash though!
@ Sarah there is supermarket in town food is cheap as chips and there are several different restaurants and take outs that are reasonable. I took 220 euros last year and that was more than enough. to be safe though i would say around 200-250 euros also the vendors don’t open till the festival opens on thursday but the food inside isnt badly priced either…
what do we eat when we are there?
isit wise to get a cooker once there? i imagin you cant take them on the airoplane..
or will i just buy food from vendors when i want it. thats got to be pritty expensive.
How much spending money also for the whole time.. first timer here, can you tell?!
So if we want to go to camp at villa camp do we pay in advance and if so how – I cant find anything or am I being a div?
does anybody know much about the vip campsite as thats where i have tickets for ??
the lockers r pretty much safe i left my stuff in there all week and it was fine!
so are the lockers safe enough to keep money etc in. or are they easy to break into? were are the lockers based?. i was thinking of getting a bum bag. ill look like a noob but was thinking would be ideal to keep all my things close to me.
absolute con, charging so much for benicamp.
Yes there are lockers
Just wondering situation on lockers? I’m not gonna want to take my passport around with me, or even leave it in my tent. Thanks.
sorry mean campfib!!!!
@ Steph – there seems to be a bit of confusion around the new VillaCamp arrangements so we’ve written a quick explanation on the differences between the two campsites. We hope it helps. All about VillaCamp.
@ Martin you can park ur motorhome in the car park of the benicamp for free its part of the camping but you should check just incase…
@ Steph you don’t need to pay for that unless u want to be more in the heart of town sightly closer to the beach and a few better toilets and showers…but benicamp is completely free!
Hi, it will be my first time at Benicassim this summer, and I am a little concerned by Suzannes comment! Will I have to pay an additional £65 to camp? Even though I have bought my ticket which clearly includes camping?
Cheers
Does anybody know how much it will cost in tolls to drive there from Calais?
we’re just looking at booking hotels en route and trying to decide which route to take.
Thanks muchly
hay, av hired a moterhome, planning a bit of a road trip on the way to the fest.. is there places to park up? or do u no any campsites i can use????
@ DanO what i did last year was keep half my cash on my debit card and half of it on me. I also kept like 40-50 euros in the locker where i kept my passport just incase i got completely robbed but luckily i didnt.
Keep hold of your wallet (or purse for the female variety), I had mine nicked on the last night, to fund somebody elses holiday and I know im not the only one. At the police station the next day they literally had HUNDREDS of empty wallets in cardboard boxes !!
But please Don’t let it put you off, I still had probably the best holiday I’ve ever had and i’m going again this year, CAMPFIB, WET WIPES, SHOWERGEL, SANDALS, SHADE, PRE MUSIC SUPERMARKET BOOZE, GOOD FRIENDS its all you need!!!!
p.s not for lightweights !!!!!
@ Kendra the train station is basically behind campfib i had to go there to get the coach back to valencia only took me and my mates about 15-20 mins to walk there…so to the centre of town i would say about 45-50 mins if you paced your self
@ Kendra – The train station isn’t too far to walk from, maybe about 25 minutes? im pretty sure that as you leave th train station you can go right and walk down a long road which leads you around to where the festival is. if not then head left, walk down into the main town and follow signs for the festival
How far is the benicassim train station to the event. I have a hotel outside of benicassim and will be taking the train in each afternoon. Is it walkable or will I have to get a cab from the train station? Is that even possible? Is renting a car a better option and is it possible to park each day in benicassim near the festival? Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated.
Still dont know if im going back this year but for those who are i thought id offer some tips. It was my first time at Beni last year and i wish i knew all this so hopefully it’ll help any newbies!
*Buy a lilo to sleep on. You can pick them up on site for 10 euros but all the shops in town sell them too.
*If you get woken up easily take earplugs. Campfib is loud and on festival days they start doing soundchecks far too early in the morning!
*Buy plenty of loo roll for the toilets on the campsite and in the festival coz theres no guarantee there’ll be any in there.
*Take wet wipes. When you get there you’ll realise how useful they are.
*Drink LOTS of water!!! Booze is so cheap its easy to get drawn in and just drink that for 10 days but you’ll need water to pretty much stay alive. Water cant be taken into the festival but you can take empty bottles in and fill them up inside. Saves using up tokens.
*You need ‘tokens’ to buy alcohol in the arena which can be bought from the bars inside or on the campsite. They’re 2.5 euros each but get plenty as its 3 tokens for a spirit and mixer.
*If you can fit it in you’re bag take an umbrella to sit under. The campsites are covered but it doesnt stop the sun getting through.
*And on the subject of sitting, buy a chair. It gets pretty unforgiving sitting on the ground for 10 days.
Most importantly, make friends. If i do go im going with people i made frinds with last year. If you’re in a small group it makes being in the campsite a lot more fun.
http://open.spotify.com/user/kazreem/playlist/5pcVzyF6I0p7CCxWhT0hhL
@ JP you have to book the tickets in advance on the fib.com site but im guessing as it prob won’t sell out you might be able to pay at the door so to speak. You could attempt bringing at 9 person tent but you would prob have to tell the steward becuase they take you in different groups to pitch up in different areas but i would advise to ring like 3, 3ppl tents.;
@ Michael the main campsite next to the arena is still there it has doubled in size for this years event. The benicamp is now called villacamp where you have to pay 65 euros to stay there but you get more/better toilets, showers and other amusements! I would advise just going to Campfib better atmosphere!
where have people heard about benicamp closing? link please!
I heard about this whole villacamp ordeal, as you pay for it, does that mean you book it in advance? or is it still a first come first serve thing? also is there a rule against bringing a 9 man tent?
i was just about to say theres only one tj sup!
Surely they have increased the size of campfib if benicamp has gone? Because hardly anyone is going to be paying that £65 and it was already cramped in campfib last year!
By the way hi kaz!
Can’t believe they’ve replaced Benicamp with Villacamp, a campsite that you have to pay 65Euro for. I hope they (namely Vince Power) have not only increased the size of CampFib to accommodate all the extra people but have also considered increasing the amount of portaloos and the size of the shower area otherwise it’s going to be a cramped and queuing nightmare! Still excited though!
No way do you need a sleeping bag. I used mine as a pillow last year. A lilo is an absolute essential if you do want to sleep on the ground. Also, invest in a chair. You will not regret it!
@ wayne yes the campsite is on first serve basis but if your all together you will be together. you can try and save a spot by putting your luggage there for the mean time but you will probably be asked to move it by a steward after while or another fellow camper.
umm lol thanks depends what else you need to know dude?
kareem you’re advice is awesome, any more tips??
i could be travelling with a large group maybe 10 people , is the campsite a first come first serve basis?
do not take a sleeping bag! i used a bed sheet last year and that was too much! also don’t bother with a solar shower, trust me you will want the cold ones the offer at the campsite as you wake up sweating and rise up to a healthy 30 degrees
Also, remember to take extra tent pegs… in case of another freak hurricane ect.
Might be worth getting one of those solar showers as they only cost £10.
Does anyone reccomend taking a sleeping bag?
mate i would just camp its a lot better, you get the experience and the atmosphere. the campervans just stay on there own in the sandy car park. last year there were only 4 camper vans.
Does anyone know what the situation is with camper vans? I’m thinking of hiring one, is this a good or bad idea?
Are there any restrictions on tent sizes in either of the two camp sites? For example could a group turn up with a large eight man tent and find difficulties with the officials? Or is it more a case of finding an appropriate amount of land on which to pitch it? Would it be easier just to have single man tents?
Cheers,
hotels seem like a good idea but the price of them isnt worth it trust me, camping is all part of the experience and you will meet some fantastic people around. plus all the hotels will be sold out by now.
can any1 reccomend nearest and best hotel to stay how far is the nearest to festival thats also resonabley priced ????/
Girls’ showers aren’t communal; they’re in blocks. But for after the beach in the day before going to the festival we would just take our shampoo and stuff and shower at the beach as the queue for the girls showers at that time is crazily long. (Benicamp that is)
hey all……………was wondering what days to book flights…im thinking the 12th to the 20th… am i right by thinking the camp site opens on the 12th to the 20th..but is there much going on after the festval has finished on the 19th ………..
I would add ear plugs and eye mask to the above. I recommend gladiator flip flops for girls as i lost my flip flops whilst watching Oasis last year, so strap on foot wear is best!!
The campsites certainly do have showers.. They’re all communal so make sure you take a swimming costume unless you’re the au naturel type! Trust us when we say if you’re camping you WILL need to shower at least twice a day, it’s hot and sticky over in Benicassim, especially at this time of year. Hotels are a good option if you like your home comforts and would prefer to wake up in an air conditioned bedroom. However, the campsites really do make Benicassim an experience not to forget.
Do the campsites have showers??? Or should 6 girls just stay in a nearby hotel??
Top stuff! Just want to add that tents are not really allowed as hand luggage as it contains metal pegs! I had to pay £30 to get my in the baggage hold so just bare this in mind. Doesnt matter how heavy it is really x
I agree with the sugegstions above (although only took flip-flops as don’t have girly feet).
An extra suggestion I would definately recommend is some form of shade as we found our tents un-bearable from 9 am onwards and there is ‘no-where to hide’
I would also warn you that if you do opt to travel by festival bus that the ques can be extensive, but friends who used it said it was preferable to the walk at 6am after a night of jumping round like lunatics