MMF COUNTDOWN 3: Manila Music Festival SURVIVAL GUIDE!

Looking at music festival photos, we can’t help but gush about how much fun those revelers must have had. Imagine all those great acts! All those loud cheers! All those raised arms! All those happy smiles!

But if you stop to think about it, music festivals don’t exactly offer the most comfortable experience on the planet. Imagine the scorching heat. The sticky crowd. The standing for hours on end. The lack of a decent restroom with tiled walls and an abundant supply of toilet paper.

Newsflash: the discomfort is part of the music festival appeal! At such a venue, you learn to suck it up, forget your personal space issues, and yes, throw hygiene to the wind. At the end of the day, you can smile a huge, exhausted, and exhilarated grin and tell yourself, “I SURVIVED.”

We’ve rounded up some festival do’s to help you coast through your first-ever Manila Music Festival. We’re thoughtful like that.

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The Manila Music Festival is an hours-long outdoor eargasm that will no doubt leave you sweaty and thirsty. Chug lots of water to keep hydrated. And to keep your skin refreshed under the sun, there’s always this.
• Nourish yourself. When hunger pangs strike, don’t ignore them. Not to worry, there are lots of food and drink booths at the venue to keep your tummy happy.
  
• Slather on sunscreen. You’ll be in the sun for hours, so make sure to apply sunscreen regularly to keep your skin from frying.
  
• Dress comfortably. Stilettos, leather, thick, heavy fabrics, and anything that will make you want to tear your clothes off by mid-afternoon are out of the question. But don’t let that stop you from putting on a fun, festival-friendly costume!
  
• Pack extra clothes. With all the dancing, bouncing, and head-banging on the agenda, you’re bound to break into a massive sweat. We suggest you bring an extra top to change into. Maybe an extra pair of bottoms if you’re that wild.
• Keep clean. At a festival, you’ll be exposed to all sorts of nasty elements: grime, dust, mud, sweat, food stains. Bring a pack of wet wipes, some alchohol, hand sanitizer, or tissue, especially if you’re going to…
• Use the portalet. As much as you want a clean toilet beneath you when you have to do number one or—heaven forbid—number two, you can’t hold it in forever. Rid yourself of your hygiene reservations and head to the portalets like a trooper.
  
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and fully loaded. There’s a chance that you and your pals will lose each other in your mad dash from stage to stage, booth to booth. In such situations, your mobile phone is your best friend.
  
• Have something to sit on. As awesome as it is to feast your eyes on your favorite acts onstage, your legs will feel like jelly after a few hours of standing. Bring a mat, large plastic bags, or even a tent so you can rest those tired limbs.
• Be ready with a poncho and Ziplocs. A smart festival-goer is always prepared for the worst. In case of rain, have a poncho on hand, as well as Ziploc bags to stash your gadgets and valuables into.
• Bring no more than you need. At a festival, you’ll be walking around with your bag attached to your person, unless you want to leave it on the ground and risk losing it forever. Bring only the essentials so your stuff doesn’t weigh you down.
• Prepare enough cash. Besides food and drink stations, there’ll be merchandise booths where you can score shirts and other cool finds. But spend wisely—you don’t want to run out of booze money!

So here's a recap, and a photo you can share. The bare BARE necessities:

1. Water guns (of course) 
2. Extra shirts
3. Cash!
4. Waterbottle
5. Sunblock

6. Headgear to block the sun
7. Ziplocks
8. Umbrella
9. Camera
10. Anything to sit on.