5 top tips for festival fun

If you're planning to rock out at a festival this summer, it's crucial to check your belongings are properly protected. Here's how music maniacs can enjoy the inevitable mudbath – without getting into any sticky situations…

Festivals are the perfect place to indulge your inner hippie, whack on a pair of wellies and frolic to your favourite tunes in a field of mud.

However, they are also a haven for opportunist thieves waiting to take advantage of unmanned tents and relaxed attitudes.

What's more, the very nature of a festival increases the likelihood you may accidentally lose or damage your belongings.

Therefore, if you're one of the 180,000 music revellers heading to Glastonbury next week, it's vital you ensure your personal property is protected.

Ensure you're insured

When you're packing your bags for a fun outdoor music festival, insurance is probably the last thing on your mind.

However, before you head for the fields it's crucial to first check what cover you have in place.

Last year, research by Zurich revealed that nearly 10% of festival-goers have had their possessions stolen while listening to their favourite bands.

Many home insurance policies offer protection for your personal possessions outside the confines of your home – but it's vital to check whether this is included and exactly what is, and is not, covered.

If this protection isn't already included in your home insurance policy, for a slightly higher premium you should be able to add additional cover that will insure your belongings when you take them out of the house.

However, it's important to remember that insurers usually impose some restrictions on this kind of protection. For example, if you leave your valuables in a tent without a lockable door any items that are stolen or damaged are unlikely to be covered.

You must, therefore, take every reasonable precaution you can to prevent the loss or theft of your property.

Also, there is also usually a limit to how much your insurer will pay out for belongings that have been taken outside your home.

Always check the terms and conditions of your policy carefully to ensure you have adequate protection and aren't left out of pocket.

Should I store my loot in my boot?

Many people who travel to festivals by car choose to store valuables in their vehicle as a safer alternative to tents.

However, many car insurance policies will not provide protection for everything you leave in your car.

If you've stashed a sat nav, mobile phone and designer sunglasses in your boot and your car is broken into, you could end up forking out hundreds of pounds to replace them.

And remember, making a claim on your car insurance policy means the price of your premium is likely to increase the following year – forcing you to pay for any silly mistakes you make several times over.

Therefore, before you hit the road, it's crucial you contact your car insurance provider to check your level of cover.

Never leave any belongings visible in your vehicle that could tempt opportunistic thieves looking for an easy steal.

Finally, if you're planning to share the drive to your chosen festival with a friend, make sure you have adequate car insurance in place before you let them behind the wheel of your vehicle.

If you don't and disaster strikes, your whole car insurance policy could be deemed invalid.

Four top tips for festival security

• Leave your valuables at home. As a general rule of thumb, only take with you what you can afford to lose. If you're going to be camping in a muddy field, don't take expensive clothing and jewellery because you won't need it! Instead, try to use older and well worn equipment so that if gets ruined in the rain – or goes missing – it won't matter as much.

• Guard your gear. Keep valuables such as your phone and wallet on you at all times. If you're carrying a bag, make sure it is kept properly closed and wear it across your chest to reduce the risk it can be dropped, lost or stolen. It's also a good idea to mark your belongings, perhaps with a UV pen. This way, if they are handed in they will be easy to identify.

• Padlock your tent. Padlocking your tent and baggage can act as a deterrent to opportunist thieves. However, bear in mind that it could also make it look like you have something worth stealing. If you're really worried about securing expensive items such as your digital camera, it's well worth shelling out a few pounds to put them in a locker.

• Manage your money. Before you leave home for your festival, clear your wallet of anything you won't need. Only take enough money to last for the duration of the festival and try not to carry around large amounts of cash. There are usually ATMs on festival sites – and although they usually charge you for withdrawals, it's probably worth paying a small fee to lower the risk of losing wads of cash in the crowd. Finally, make sure you write down and store the number of your debit and credit card providers somewhere safe. This way, if the worst happens, you'll easily be able to call and cancel them.

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