Music Festivals would be perfect if it werenโt for using the dirty, mucky festival portaloo. On World Toilet Day, The Sherp is here to get you festival toilet ready.
World Toilet Day is observed annually on the 19th of Novemberย as it was launched by the UN as a way of comprehending the hygiene and sanitation problem faced by many people the world over. While several countries are still battling their way to proper sanitation measures, clean portaloos still remain the number one concern for music festival organisers.
Music Festivals, especially camping festivals, often fail to put together a sanitation system befitting the attendee crowd at hand. But they are not always at fault here. It is indeed difficult to pre-empt sanitation conditions when thousands of people descend upon festival grounds.
So weโre here to award organisers a little breather, and to get you all prepped up for your next Festival portaloo experience. Trust us, you want this.
Let go of hangups
The most important lesson to keep in mind whenever venturing in a public space; in the case of music festivals it becomes that much more sacrosanct to let go of any preconceived inhibitions you might have. You will be at a festival with thousand others, and you will be sharing toilets erstwhile used by many strangers before you. You will also not avail luxury and cleanliness like the kind youโre used to at home. The sooner you make peace with that, the easier it gets.
(Source:ย travel.aol.co.uk)
Leave it as you get it
You wouldnโt want to be welcomed into a portaloo that looks like this right?
(Image source: Austin City Limits Facebook | meme : Festival Sherpa)
Then donโt leave one looking like that either. Being at a music festival automatically makes you a part of a larger community, so keeping it as clean as you would want to fit it is you paying it forward.
Be considerate
We cannot stress this enough. Share what you have. Be patient if someone takes some extra time. Simultaneously, make sure youโre not causing inconvenience to others. Be polite and function with some generosity.
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Carry lots of water
With festivals aiming to be more environment friendly, and most of them allowing attendees to take their own water inside the music festival, you might want to load yourself up on that front. Itโs not surprising for festivals to run out of their water reserves, and things can and do take some timeย to returnย to normalcy. So the extra stock will help keep you clean.
(Source: Getty)
There is nothing like too much toilet paper
Make this your number one priority. The best way to stay clean (and also sweat free, truth be told), is a lot of toilet paper, that triples up not just as a wiper, and cleaner, but also a towel if you need it to. While festivals do stock up on toilet paper, itโs never enough. Trust us on that. Carrying some of your own will leave you more comfortable.
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You might want to spray the smell out
Carrying a little air-freshener or a dispensable deodorant to spray out the horrid smell you might encounter multiple times in a portaloo would be a really good idea. It would make it that much more endurable. Trust me.
(Source: @sherpagram | Instagram)
There are other ways to clean yourself
Have you considered camping at a festival and not taking a shower at all? Before you cringe with the idea that weโre pushing you toward poor hygiene, hear us out. There are alternatives. If youโre camping out at a music festival thatโs organised duringย a relatively colder season, and the weather is blissful to say the least, then thatโs half the battle won. Dry shampoo, dry soap, and hand towels can make sure you have a clean, waterless festival experience.
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Itโs not a place for sex
Yes, please. One Sherpa employee recounts walking into a couple at it on a toilet seat in a portaloo. You know how large festival venues are? Go, find yourself a corner. Or tent it up. Be a little mindful of everyone who might use that loo after you.
(Source:ย www.efestivals.co.uk)
Not a place to pass out either
Festivals are usually held on green lands, that are perfect for an afternoon nap. So get your head out of the gutter (literally), and do not pass out on the pot. If youโre too inebriated to handle yourself, make sure a friend accompanies you so you donโt actually end up spending the rest of your evening there.
(Source: @EdmEurope | Instagram)
Or, Improve your acrobatic skills
If you still stumble across really bad portaloos, then balance yourself in the air. Steel yourself clear of infected areas. We wish you happy festival pooping!
