How to Survive 4Knots Music Festival

By Leanne Castro on July 10, 2014

An attendee of 4Knots crowd surfs.

Summer is the time for music festivals. School is out, free time abounds, and all of your favorite bands have hit the road.  As with all of life’s greatest adventures, music festivals require careful preparation beforehand in order to go off without a hitch.

My past experience attending Lollapalooza in Chicago has given me some insight into how to prepare for music festivals located in huge cities, like this Saturday’s free NYC music festival, the Village Voice’s 4Knots Festival. The last thing I want is to miss out on is some groovy jams from Mac DeMarco, Dinosaur Jr., or Those Darlins because I am sitting in a corner dehydrated somewhere, or suffering some other consequence of inadequate preparation.

Below is a one-stop survival guide to packing your backpack for 4Knots. Things you will need:

  1. Hand sanitizer: Outdoor festival porta-potties are filthy, godless places. People will inevitably get far too intoxicated to aim their bodily functions accurately, and the site of this mess will incite in them an outpouring of their own vomit. Unless you plan to hold your pee for the entire seven hour duration of 4Knots, chances are you will end up in one of these hellholes. The sink in the porta-potties with either not exist, be covered in excrement, or have run out of soap. You will be dying for a hand sanitizer shower immediately upon exiting the stall. Pack a little travel sized bottle and you will be your own hero that day.
  2. Cash: 4Knots, like most festivals, features a major attraction almost as exciting as the bands themselves: locally owned food trucks. This year’s options include everything from Papaya King to a Crepes Truck. These delicious smells are sure to get your mouth watering, and you will kick yourself if you don’t bring cash. Some food trucks have started going the credit card route, but many still only accept cash. Bring a $20 bill to be safe and enjoy the heaven-sent combination of the taste of Softee Xpress mixed with the sounds of Speedy Ortiz.
  3. Plastic bag: This goes for both your phone and yourself. I lost a phone to a downpour at Lollapalooza (R.I.P, sweet prince) and have since invested in a Lifeproof case, but if you have not, then you definitely need a plastic bag to put your phone into in the event of rain. Also bring a plastic bag to put yourself into, otherwise known as a poncho.
  4. Comfortable shoes: Music festivals are not fashion shows (as much as Coachella tries to make them into such). You are going to 4Knots for the music, not for an opportunity to get scouted by Tyra Banks. You will be on your feet dancing all day and your puppies will be screaming if you wear flimsy flip flops. Support your arches so you don’t have to miss seeing anything because you’re sitting down nursing your feet somewhere.
  5. A water bottle: Depending on the strictness of security, you may or may not be allowed to bring in a full water bottle. Even if you are forced to dump your bottle’s liquids before entering South Seaport Street, most festivals offer free filling stations so as to minimize dehydration-related deaths. You don’t want to be that person who has to fork over $6 for a bottle of water, so bring your own to refill.

Of course, the most important thing to remember to pack is a readiness to have fun. Considering you will be attending a festival like 4Knots, that shouldn’t be hard.

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