The Crystal Precious Guide To Raving

• Water = Raveforce. Fight the compounded dehydration 4-tier stacker: inebriants heat, exercise & just plain being alive.  Drink water ALL. FUCKING. DAY. Chances are if you feel any discomfort at the festival, it is because you are dehydrated. Bring large water jugs for camp & a personal water bottle. Pee often. 
  

• Footwear Matters. Your feet & shoes Will. Get. Werked. Bring supportive, comfy broken-in footwear that will protect your feet and lots of extra socks. 

• Know Where Shit Is. Get acquainted with where you are while it’s still daylight. Put up a light-up beacon in your camp & know your surrounding landmarks. Know where First Aid & amenities are.

• It Gets F*CKING COLD. There are no camp fires. Bring warm sweaters and/or a big fuzzy jacket. Warm bedding is also key. I recommend foamies over air mattresses if you have the packing room or bring a charged portable electric pump to top up the air in your mattress nightly. Laying sheets & blankets over the backseat of the car before loading it minimizes packing room. Bring a real pillow. Sleep is very important while you’re out there. 

• It Gets F*CKING HOT.  You MUST have a shade structure for your camp for daytime sleeping. If you have no trees, a pop-up canopy tent is ideal. A cheaper version is tying tarps to your vehicles or pounding rebar into the ground & sliding poles over that. Bring sunscreen, hats, parasoles, a hand fan, or misty bottles. 

• Bring LIGHT Always bring 2 personal flashlights in case you lose one. Bring dedicated tent lighting that STAYS in the tent, and make sure someone is bringing light for the common areas of your camp. You’re not Batman. You’ll get lost and/or fall over something almost immediately and TRUST me, your immune system has enough to do without needing to spend energy healing a tentpole-shaped wound. 
  
  
• Don’t be F*CKED if it RAINS. This happens out of nowhere all the time. Slope your tarp so it doesn’t collect rain. Put one under your tent if it’s crappy to keep the floor dry. Bring at least one waterproof jacket. Rubber boots are also important to bring. You may not use them, but if you need them, trust me, you will REALLY FUCKING NEED THEM. 

• Earplugs. The sound-systems will melt your brain (in a good way) and destroy your hearing (in a bad way). If you can afford $30, or other earplugs will mute things without muffling. Bring LOTS of foam earplugs as a back-up & for sleeping because the music usually doesn’t stop all night.  
  
  
• Dust. Bring a bandana to protect your mouth in case it ends up being a dusty year. While dust, smoking and yelling over the speakers will kill voice, BEING DEHYDRATED is still the #1 factor in making you sound like a baby pterodactyl. 
  
  
• If you must use your phone, label it you must.  Use a pic of your face as the lock screen with instructions on where to take it if it gets lost  “if found please return to General Store” etc. 
  
  
• Food & Ice: Generally you’ll eat 1/2 less perishable food than you think you will. I like to have one hot meal a day & snack the rest of the time. Expect around $20 / meal at food vendors with tax and tip. I bring 2 coolers, one for food, one for drankz. Buy block ice for your food cooler & keep it SHUT. Keep a smaller cooler for cubes & dranks that you can replenish at the festival. 
  
  
• Costume Packing: If you’re into serving lewks, put them together in advance with friends & wine to maximize raving-time while you’re at the fest. Use clear big ziplocks so you don’t have to hunt for bits and pieces while you’re partying (this gets sooo annoying). Also you can cram soft duffels into cars more easily. 
  
  
• Surrender to Serendipity: You may lose your friends & that’s fine. You may miss someone’s set and that’s fine. You may need to go in separate groups or split up with your partner for a sec and that’s fine. Communicate your needs and go / let them go! Unless you are showing up to work somewhere or getting ready to pack up & leave, may I humbly suggest letting your heart serve as your itinerary for the weekend. It’s fine. I promise.
  
  
• Practice Safer Partying: Get sorted before you go. Only obtain from trusted & tested sources --- this does not negate the risk but reduces it substantially. Always verbally double check about what’s in anything offered to you, including all beverages. Try not to share straws or use dirty surfaces or containers. Measure properly & label, dye or put juice into any liquids you wouldn’t want people mistaking for water. Use the Sanctuary if you need a breather; no shame in that EVER. Check in with each other often.
  
  
• Don’t Leave Any Thing Behind: Be prepared to clean & remove absolutely everything from your camp. Don’t throw butts on the ground. Someone will have to pick them up. Leave no trace or fear the Finger of Judgement. 
  
  
• Plan For Post Party Blues: YES - It’s an actual thing. Read this letter to yourself as your brain remakes happy juice the week after the rave. Check out the supplement 5HTP, which helps. :) 
  
  

A note from CP herself: 

I’m thrilled to share that I have a new project, Paradigm Studios! The project represents the culmination of so many sources of inspiration: the fantasy-crew at A Filthy Lot, the mountain movers at BASS COAST project, the sensory-pros at The Keefer Bar, and the legendary, glitter-covered lessons of Dollhouse.

In the meantime, I’ll see you from the Main Stage on Sunday night!
Much love,

Xoxo

Crystal Precious