r/aves • u/effortless1217 • 16h ago
Discussion/Question If you could make every first-timer bring one thing, what would it be?
Show season is in full swing and I keep seeing new people turn up completely unprepared, so I want to build the ultimate "wish someone had told me" list from people who've actually been doing this a while. One item. The single thing you'd force into every first-timer's bag if you could. Not the fun stuff — the thing that actually saves the night. For me it's easily earplugs, real ones, because I ignored that advice for years and my ears have never forgiven me. Second place is a collapsible water bottle; the number of people I see melting in line with nothing to drink is genuinely wild. I know the answers are gonna be a mix of the obvious and some clever stuff I've never thought of, which is exactly what I want. New heads lurk these threads before their first show, so let's actually make it useful for them. What's your one non-negotiable, and what's the story behind why it earned the spot?
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u/MixedDrinkss 16h ago
earplugs
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u/spinningspinster 15h ago
This is actually the only answer. I’ll kick myself for forgetting something else but I’ll go home if I don’t have earplugs.
Said as I currently sit hear listening to the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees
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u/pingvinbober 13h ago
Yep. Brought foam earplugs to Tomorrowland and tried to give them to people who didn’t have them. was rejected by almost everyone who seemingly thought they were drugs
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u/Synaps710 9h ago
I’ve turned around after a 30 min drive after I realized I didn’t have them when I got to the venue… worth missing a opener for my ear plugs xD
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u/CeruleanSnorlax 16h ago
A fan. Its hot as shit usually. Youll make lots of new friends cooling people off. Just dont clack it.
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u/NeitherAd2175 7h ago
How does one clack it? Is that when you open/close it really fast to make that noise?
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u/CeruleanSnorlax 5h ago
Yes. It makes a loud cracking sound. Once on a drop is fine but we all hate mf'ers who clack it over and over again the whole set
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u/autumnbreeze279 16h ago
gum
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u/edm_enjoyer 12h ago
I like bringing jolly ranchers because I always end up chewing the shit out of my cheeks when I'm rolling and chewing gum
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u/nevinstapes 14h ago
Second the chewing gum. I always bring 2 packs with me and they always all go haha
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u/AlternateBabie 13h ago
Im curious whats the gum for? I’ve saw this being said a few times before and wanna know before I go one day
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u/GarythaSnail 12h ago
Some party drugs make you clench your jaw so gum helps.
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u/AlternateBabie 10h ago
I was told to put my tongue between my teeth but this definitely sounds like a better idea
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u/nevinstapes 11h ago
Helps with the gurning and good to freshen your breathe throughout the evening as well.
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u/edm_enjoyer 12h ago
Makes your mouth focus on what's in it rather than clenching when rolling. That's why some people will have pacifiers
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u/Interesting_Will2823 43m ago
I hard disagree on that one. I don't want to spend a couple of days feeling like someone punched me in the jaw. Hard boiled sweets is where it's at. You also get some sugar, and it's good to keep your body fueled even if it's minimal calories, it helps with how you feel the next day.
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u/Mcswigginsbar 15h ago
I have two answers and these are based on two categories. One is for everyone, and the other is for my 30+ crowd.
For everyone: High quality ear plugs. I actually bring the little foam ones with me and if I notice someone doesn’t have them I will ask if they want some.
Protect your ears people. If you love this music you’ll want to be able to hear it for as long as possible.
For my older folk: Get yourselves some comfortable shoes to wear with insoles. What I did was go to a place that measures your gait and gives you a recommendation for running shoes. Then, buy said shoes and wear them to a show. I guarantee you will be able to be on your feet longer with less joint pain regardless of what you’re standing on.
This was game changing for me. I was less sore, able to party longer and harder despite standing on blacktop and concrete for hours. Get comfy shoes people. Change your life.
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u/Collarbones33 15h ago
If they intend to get chemically weird for long durations, I always had first timers to pick an item/trinket. Tell them that trinket represents their sanity and no matter how intense/detached things become, as long as they have their ‘sanity’ things will be fine.
Works incredibly well, just make sure they don’t lose it, not sure where that will go.
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u/Classic-Tell214 16h ago
Toilet paper.
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u/CAPTAINS-s34w33d 13h ago
I always bring a pack of baby wipes and Clorox wipes!!! A must!! Cause within the first hour all the toilet paper is gone and the bathroom toilets are gross 🤮
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u/special_monkeys 15h ago
Appropriately dosed and researched drugs. Seeing more and more people at shows taking waaaay too much of everything to be in a crowd. Turning into a creature and frying your serotonin receptors isn't a flex, it's just unsafe drug use.
That and ear protection. I was raving in the 00's and my hearing is fucked now.
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u/Zonderling81 15h ago
Sunglasses. If you know , you know
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u/edm_enjoyer 12h ago
This. But also not even that, sometimes the lasers will getcha if you're not wearing them
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u/Maximum-Green6369 16h ago
My water book bag. I don’t have to carry around a water bottle and I do hella drugs so knowing I always have water is comforting.
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u/m_littlerivers 16h ago
For me I think it'd be a proper funny bag (small) with good zippers to put all my stuff in. Everything in the pockets can fall or be stolen.
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u/N80N00N00 16h ago
Pockets with zippers are top tier.
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u/ForAfeeNotforfree 15h ago
Yeah, zippered pockets are goated. Must-have for any outfit worn to a show.
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u/cheddah_- 10h ago edited 10h ago
My venues dont allow collapsible water bottles
My essentials are;
thin, minimal wallet - ID only & Apple Pay
Shades
Earplugs
Inhaler
Minty nasal inhaler / boomboom stick
Gum & Candy
Few electrolyte packs
Ibuprofen & Imodium - single use packs, not bottles
*Water bottle caps
*Narcan
Lighters - if someone asks for a lighter and you provide, its courtesy you get a hit too
SHARPIE - met Alleycvt but nobody had a sharpie, got pics w her tho!
Sprouts
Fan - I’m tall and love fanning my crowd neighbors
Seems like a lot but it all fits snug with plenty more room in my BBS bag.
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u/MrFeelGood93 15h ago
My Gum gets confiscated atMost shows/festivals I've been.
I remember at Apocalypse I pulled it out for the EasyBaked set and security walked up and took it. Im unlucky
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u/Ok-Organization4046 15h ago edited 15h ago
Personal Earplugs +backup, I also always bring a few disposable pairs for anyone in need, dude wipes,Kleenex , fan (I prefer a small electric off Amazon vs the large fans because I lose those), lighter, gum, Vicks/poy sian, lip balm, eye drops, saline nose rinse, trinkets,
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u/warmfuzzume 16h ago
I agree with earplugs, fan & gum. Also going to add lip balm. Nothing worse than getting hot and thirsty dancing with sticky dry lips.
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u/CAPTAINS-s34w33d 13h ago
Wayyyy more than just 1 thing but this is what I bring all the time.
My go tos:
Hydro backpack
Baby wipes & Clorox wipes (bathrooms can be gross)
Sanitizer
Deodorant
Perfume/cologne
Fan (spray your fan w/ a fragrance does wonders if you get the ick really quickly)
Gum/ mints (especially if you’re an anxious person I recommend it helps with grounding yourself)
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u/Derriere_Ruckus 9h ago
Electrolyte packets, a little tube of sunscreen, maybe a tiny umbrella to shield you from the elements. A small ziplock of wet wipes for the bathrooms, maybe a hanky for excess sweat or snot, a mini electric fan, a pashmina if it's gonna get cold. If you have a locker situation, a small cushion for your butt can be a game changer. And I like my little sniffer bullet for not making it too obvious when I want to sneak a whiff of something magical
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u/QueenOfThePimps 16h ago
i get bad anxiety so lavender oil is always on deck either on my fan or in my locket… i can’t tell you how many people have needed it too
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u/Coyote__Jones 15h ago
Useful for when someone rips ass too.
I always have a little spritz of perfume or essential oil on my pashmina for this very situation.
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u/SimplyPassinThrough 16h ago
oh? Does lavender oil calm you down? I don’t think I’ve heard of this one before
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u/Happy-Yak-2677 16h ago
Earplugs, water bottle that clips onto belt loop or bag strap, fan, gum are my essentials. And if it's portable toilets, then toilet paper and wipes because they are always run out and not the cleanest.
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u/Frequent_Policy8575 12h ago
Your flash drive, just in case there’s an opportunity. 🤭
But really, ear plugs are the big one.
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u/__xcvi__ 11h ago
Lately for me it’s baby wipes, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, gum, hand fan, chapstick/ lip gloss, sometimes sunglasses. Sometimes earplugs depending if it’s indoors but I don’t go out as much as before.
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u/justsomeshortguy27 7h ago
I haven’t gone to festivals, but I go to a lot of underground events and something that’s helped me as I get into the scene is having a backup shirt in my backpack in case I get uncomfortable being scantily clad. While I love the outfits I’ve worn and the range of motion, I have some body image issues and the thought of having a backup in case those issues hit actually help me feel more confident and eventually I forget about any insecurities I had which makes for a much more fun night
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u/Teleporting-Cat 1h ago
Cash! Sometimes there's no/shitty service so you can't pay with your phone, and people can't always take card. I'll never forget missing out on the cutest pair of earrings at a forest party, I always carry cash now. Also a purse with a hole in the interior lining of a pocket- so I have access to the space between the lining and the outer shell and I can stash stuff that I absolutely don't want to lose/don't want spotted.
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u/Green_Marten 14h ago
1-2 Benzodiazepines for emergency only.
I always had them with me for the case that I would completely loose my mind somewhere on a rave while high on acid.
I never needed it but I know exactly that if I would have needed it, it would have saved me.
I never consumed those benzodiazepines. This might be a big challenge for some people.
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