10 things to bring to a German music festival

Apart from the obvious tent and sleeping bag, one item on your festival packing list should be an umbrella. But don't bring just any umbrella — the funkier the better. Make it animal shaped and attach some lights and glitter. You can pop it up high in the air while on the dance floor, which gets the crowd excited and serves the more practical purpose of helping your friends spot you in the crowd.

No German festival experience is complete without the right accessories. This means channeling your inner child and stocking up on bubbles, glitter guns, confetti, face paint, wigs and costumes. Especially at hippie and hipster festivals like Fusion, Nation and Melt! you'll be an outsider if you're not dressed up in something dangly and sparkly.

So we've established that German festival-goers like to hold up various things on the dance floor — from animal shaped umbrellas to bubble guns. A particularly popular thing to hold aloft are homemade signs, such as the one above saying "Endlich normale Leute," meaning "finally normal people." A creative and funny sign will get you props from the true festival pros.

Bringing a water canister to a festival can be very useful. Getting fresh water can be a pain — the line is long and the walk there is far — so you won't want to only fill up a bottle or two once you made it. Having a container full of water helps you wash your dirty camping dishes, brush your teeth and stay hydrated. Plus you can use it as a shower and skip the long lines there as well.

One thing you should always carry with you at any festival is hand sanitizer. You do the math: thousands of intoxicated festival-goers, only a few dozen Portaloos and a severe lack of soap and running water. Hmmm. Yes. Exactly. It doesn't help the smell, but at least you'll be able to clean your hands with a bit of hand sanitizer.

As much as we'd like to think summer in Germany is one long sunny season, well, it's not. Chances are it will rain; probably quite a lot. So don't be fooled and bring only your flip-flops, because they'll get stuck in the mud faster than a lightning bolt in a summer thunderstorm. Rubber boots are a must, as they will make you feel invincible and even allow for some puddle dancing.

And gumboots aren't the only item you need to defy the rain. Packing a poncho is always a good idea as well. It's lightweight, fits into a small bag and will brighten up your day — or night — once the rain sets in. In Germany we take festivals seriously, so if you’re prepared, not even a little rain (or a lot) can stop the fun from lasting all the way through the night.

It's an unwritten rule that at festivals you'll end up losing track of your friends, no matter how many meeting points you arrange. Most festival grounds are huge and there's hardly any cell phone reception, making it almost impossible to find them again. So you'll need to get creative. One good solution: walkie-talkies, so you can buzz your buddies anytime. Got it? Ok, over and out.

Making your way back "home" to your tent after a long night of partying can be a difficult task, but finding your tent amidst the thousands of similar looking tents can make it even harder. So before you mistakenly climb into someone else's tent, possibly giving someone a heart attack, mark your camping spot with an original flag. That way, it's easier for your friends to find you as well.

While at a German hipster festival you might just want to go retro and bring a disposable camera. It won't just impress the hipsters but it will also prevent you from losing or breaking a proper one. Plus, you'll only have 24 shots, so you'll be able to fully experience the moment. And once the festival is over, you'll be able to pick up your pictures and relive your happy festival memories.