Your Survival Guide To Vans Warped Tour

Vans Warped Tour is one of the most popular summer concert tours in the country (and it’s coming to Pittsburgh on July 15th at First Niagara Pavilion)! It’s easy to forget what to bring in the excitement of the show, but this list of do’s and don’ts will help you get prepared & ensure you get the best out of your Warped Tour experience.

Do’s:

• Wear shoes that lace up. Flip-flops will fall off and probably get lost once you’re thrown (willingly or not) into a mosh pit. Vans, Converse, or Nike high-tops that won’t slip off your foot are all good options. Bring a pair of flip-flops to keep in your bag for the ride home- you won’t want to wear the same shoes home as you baked in all day!
• Wear a swimming suit under your clothes. The temperature could spike to 90 degrees on the Warped Tour show day, meaning you’ll be outside for an upwards of 10 hours! Beat the heat by frequently stopping at a water tent or getting sprayed by the hoses. But who knows what else you get soaked in!
• Bring bottle caps and stay hydrated. Concerts and festivals make a lot of money by charging a high price for water and throwing away the caps so you can’t refill and reuse them at a fountain. Bring a few different types of bottle caps like Dasani or Aquafina to save the extra cash for band merch!
• Put everything you need in a drawstring bag. In recent years, many venues stopped allowing backpacks and now only allowed drawstring bags. Not only are these lighter, but also no one can get into them while on your back! Keep all valuables in a Ziploc inside your bag and pack light if you plan to buy a lot of souvenirs.
• Write down or take a picture of the lineup. They usually sell the band lineup for about $2, but save your money by asking to take a picture on your phone of someone else’s lineup. Pay special attention to the bands you want to see, what their set time is, and the location of their stage. People at Warped Tour are generally pretty friendly and won’t mind sharing their set list with you!
• Arrive early or preorder fast-lane passes. The doors normally open around 10am and the first band goes on an hour after. If you’re not in line around 8am or so, plan on waiting a very long time to get in the doors! Don’t miss the first band you plan to see by preordering tickets or fast-lane passed that allow you to skip the long line.

Don’ts:

• Wear jeans. No one cares about how your pale your legs are or if you forgot to shave them! Wearing jeans is a sure way to sweat profusely or pass out from overheating.
• Wear only a bikini. You always see girls walking around in string bikinis covered in stamps or with “free hugs” scribbled on them. This is asking for negative attention from other girls and strange men- something absolutely every girl wants to avoid! Put on some shorts, throw on a tank top and you’ll be just fine.
• Pack expensive or important things. Anything you bring has a possibility of getting broken, lost, or stolen, so leave anything you’d be upset about getting damaged at home.
• Skip on water. It’s easy to become dehydrated or start feeling the affects of heat exhaustion during all of the excitement, but drinking plenty of water is key. Avoiding alcohol is a smart way to go since that will dehydrate you as well! If you need to rest or have a break between bands, take a break to sit underneath a tree or shaded place.
• Complain. Yes, it is going to be hot. Yes, those girls are going to be loud. Yes, that guy is going to smell awful. Yes, people are going to be pushing you from all angles. You are attending an all-day music festival, and every person around you is experiencing the same thing you are, so be aware of what you’re getting into!

Warped Tour Packing List:

• Tickets because you don’t want to drive all the way there and realize you can’t get in (your friends will probably hit you if this happens).
• A permanent marker in case you want to get some autographs.
• Sunscreen so you don’t get sun poisoning or sunburn.
• Chapstick with SPF because your lips need sun protection too!
• Gold Bond because the difference between the guys who forgot to bring this is drastic compared to the ones who remembered!
• Sunglasses so you can get an awesome view of your favorite bands no matter what direction their stage is facing.
• Aspirin, Tylenol, or Ibuprofen since a crowd surfer will most likely kick you in the head at least once.
• Money for band merchandise, food, water, CDs, or emergencies.
• A charged cellphone so you can find your friends and, of course, Instagram pictures with band members you might get to meet!
• Hair ties because it doesn’t matter how it’s done, the hair will be going up.