Essential survival tips and tricks for Dirtybird Campout

It's wild, it's rowdy and it's a guaranteed good time... it's Dirtybird Campout, of course, which is quickly approaching in Modesto, California on October 4-6.

For the uninitiated, Dirtybird Campout is much more than a typical music festival. It's an interactive, all-hands-on-deck experience, beckoning fans to not only join a slew of favored Dirtybird artists on the dancefloor, but also out for activities like archery, dodgeball, comedy shows, tug-of-war and much more.

As the name implies, it stays true to its promise as a summer camp by asking attendees to come ready to pitch a tent and sleep under the stars.

To help get you prepared and ready to tackle Dirtybird Campout, we gathered essential tips and tricks to survive the experience from some of our favorite artists and veterans of the experience who will also be in attendance this year. Happy camping!

Pedialyte and B-12 vitamins are on the top of my essentials list. If you want to last all weekend without a nasty hangover, this is the stuff for you. Drink some Pedialyte and take a few B-12s before bed and when you wake up, you'll be feeling good and ready to dance in no time!

Second is a giant carton of Goldfish crackers. It's my go-to festival snack... and also fun to throw in people's mouths.

Comfy shoes are also a must. We all want to look cute as heck in our platforms, but once the sun goes down and you've been dancing and trekking all day, you're going to be happy you brought those worn-in trainers!

Lastly is probably the most important one of all... good vibes! I'll see you at Campout!

Treat sleep and rest like a DJ set you can't miss! There's so much to do that you will crash and burn before the end of day two if you try to just "power through". You want to be fresh all the way through the Family Set on Sunday night.

Get out of your comfort zone! There are dozens of ways to connect with fellow campers at Campout. The dancefloor is an obvious choice, but chances are there is a camp game, an art project or activity for whatever might possibly tickle your fancy too.

Other crucial supplies include: ear plugs, Camelbaks, sun hats, sunscreen and your most comfy dancing or walking kicks that you have. They're going to get some mileage!

Leave the smartphone in yer tent. Is there cell service anyways?! Bringing disposable cameras, a cheap 35MM camera or a Holga is the fun way to do an entire weekend camping festival without looking at that bright, ugly screen all the time. Be free! Try some analog and ditch the digital. The best part is that you won't be able to see what the heck you captured, until one day, just as the real world is sinking back in hard and that Campout buzz is fading... you get them developed! Guaranteed you will re-live some special moments, plus some crazy surprises of who knows what. The look of real film is special - no iPhone photo can compare!

Bring a teeny tiny booklet and market! If I wear a watch, then I truly don't need a smartphone. Fuck that! I write shit down all weekend, anything I want, like a time and location to meet someone, or inside jokes or crazy shit I saw! Sometimes the info of new homies, set times, renegade haps or camp locations of my buddies. I pass it around to others and have them contribute whatever they feel. Some hilarious nonsense ends up in that book. I have so many of these lil books from 15 years of festy weekends. I might look that them loads, or lose them and find them 10 years later and it’s still great.

Bring Wet Ones. I don't really need to explain why... but really, there is nothing better than being able to have a good fresh'n up in a port-a-loo.

For newcomers to Campout, you may not know how many other activities and games go on at the festival, whether its dodgeball, sack racing, jogging with Justin Martin and a whole load of other activities. You need to be on your A-game, so make sure you get fit before you go! Run those hills, do your press ups, so that you can be an athlete in the games field and on the dancefloor.

A good pair of overalls go a longggg way.

Come with an open mind and get ready to get ready for the best kind of summer camp weird-ness!

Hydrate! Show what you know, drink your H20! Don't be a drip, take a sip! Modesto is desolate, hot and dry. Don't be a fool, water is cool! You're not thinking if you're not drinking!

Bring your freshest sunglasses. I prefer the smallest and most impractical pairs possible, but at least they still got that UV protection, baby. Also, a great to have if you plan on not sleeping whatsoever. No one likes to see or be seen with blood shot eyes.

Pack it in, and pack it out! If I see a single person littering, you’re kicked out of the festival. I’ve passed on bringing any plus ones so that I can have a minus one. That means I have the power to boot anyone I deem fit. Don’t mess with me or Mother Earth... pick up after yourself!

I can’t stress this enough, this festival is all about vibes. Leave the bad ones at home and bring the good ones for the show.

Register for your color team and play some games. If that's not your bag, then go to a show at Claude's Cabin or one of the many many activities besides music. The whole vibe of the festival is in the details. Most importantly, let loose and enjoy yourself.

The Thursday night early arrival party is actually one of the best parties of the whole festival. Everyone is getting hyped up for the weekend and this year we have Matthew Dear and Tiga going B2B. Don't forget to wear your PJs!

Check out an artist you have never heard before, especially a different sound like bass music or hip-hop. We spend a ton of time carefully curating every single act playing and they are all very special. I'm sure you will find something you didn't know you loved.

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