F101 Winter Festival Survival Guide

Keep Warm and Party On ❄️🔥

South Africa does not have many winter festivals on the calendar, so when one pops up, the community needs to jump on the opportunity immediately. If you are planning to brave the chill for a winter jol after managing to snag a ticket, though, you’ll need a different set of skills to stay in the game.

Let’s start from the bottom- quite literally, with your feet. Forget those light festival sneakers because mud and frost are the real enemies, and they’re not afraid to take a toe. Pack a pair of reliable gumboots and keep a massive supply of spare socks in your tent. Moist socks are another fast track to misery, so make a habit of swapping into a fresh, dry pair every single time you head back to base.

Also, a little pro tip: keep a plastic bag handy to tie over your boots if things get particularly boggy. Now, when it comes to warmth, we have a few tricks that the amateurs often miss. Gloves are a godsend when you are holding a cold drink, and a high-quality pashmina acts as a permanent shield against the night air. For those early mornings, nothing beats a splash of Amarula or a warm whisky in your coffee to get the blood moving. It also helps to swap your drinks out for those, or a nice warming tequila to keep you going.

When you finally get back to your tent, though, you can still get one over the cold. Toss a hot water bottle into your sleeping bag before you head out so you have a warm cocoon waiting for you at the end of the night. And, if at the end of the day the rains still try to get into your tent, a heavy-duty black bag is your best friend. It’s a great tarp, or raincoat, or extra blanket. We know, it sounds rough, but it’s always better to be warm than to look fancy.

😆 Finally, don’t be a hero. Keep an eye on the frost warnings, and know when to call it. You can always jol again when your toes thaw. 😉 Until then, subscribe to our newsletter here for more expert festival takes, and follow us to keep them available for your next trip.