Ahead of a festival near Charlbury later this summer, attendees have been offered advice on how to pitch their tents.
Those planning to attend Wilderness Festival at Cornbury Park from August 1-4 have been offered tips by camping experts from charity Outward Bound.
Outward Bound expert Simon Young, said: "One of our top tips is to ‘pitch like a penguin’ - once you’ve found roughly where you want to put your tent up, shuffle across the ground like a penguin so your feet can feel any lumps or bumps that could wreck your sleep.
Wilderness Festival 2022 at Cornbury Park (Image: Tim Hughes)
"If it’s dry - never a given at Wilderness or any other festival - then feel free to lie down on your chosen site before you get the tent out, and road-test your sleeping area.
"Don’t worry about looking weird - it’s unlikely to be the silliest thing you do at Wilderness."
He continued: "Decent camping gear will keep you dry and warm, serve you well for years and doesn’t weigh that much either.
"Let’s face it, the trudge to your Wilderness camping pitch might seem like a long distance, even though it’s no Glastonbury ordeal, but our Outward Bound participants can be expected to carry their gear an awful lot further - it’s a small price to pay for a weather-proof home for the night.
"And you’ll want to take it home - there is no excuse for abandoning your tent at a festival."
Outward Bound provides young people with outdoor adventures, offering training and often financial support.
It has six centres in the Highlands, Lake District and North Wales that each year teach thousands of youngsters about the great outdoors, helping them acquire new skills and confidence.
Mr Young continued: "You might think we are all about ropes, boats and boots but you’d be amazed how much of what we teach is relevant to teenagers setting off for their first festival - and to adults too, for that matter."
Revellers at Wilderness Festival in 2021 (Image: Ed Nix)
The charity also advises festival-goers to get a good quality tent, check they have pegs and other kit before leaving, and to leave the most important equipment at the top of their rucksack.
Mr Young added: "Beware bargain-basement camping. Me and a mate tried to camp as cheaply as possible and, when he unpacked his cheapo tent, it turned out to be a beach shelter without a front. I found it a lot funnier than he did."
They also suggest planning where to pitch, and making sure the opening of their tent is away from the wind.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here