I'm sure many will agree - festivals are one of the most enjoyable bits of summer! Festivals have only been a regular staple of my summer for a couple of years and I always look forward to the atmosphere and having a good time with my friends. If camping or a weekend away is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of local one-day or weekend festivals featuring some great bands and entertainment. So you get great bands and the opportunity to support local musicians and venues, all while not having to travel miles and miles to get there. Brilliant.

Which festival you choose is really dependent on what music you like and how long you can go without the luxury of home comforts! If you get any tickets for V Festival now I'm extremely jealous (the line up this year is fantastic!) not to mention you'll be extremely lucky - however there are loads of festivals to choose from so don't be too put out!

"Survival" at festivals is generally a lot tougher if you’re female, how are you going to cope with no straighteners and not many chances to wash! On a more serious note, it's really important to bear in mind that unless you’re willing to pay to put belongings or valuables in a secure area, you need to keep your luggage to an absolute minimum!

On the subject of tents, don't be tempted by those funky looking pop-up ones without a bit of practice in putting them away again. To illustrate, when we arrived last year two of my friends looked very smug when they just popped out their tents and sat with a beer straightaway - however, when it was time to go home we had packed our tent away 40 minutes before they figured out how to get the pop-up ones back in the bag. Needless to say, they weren't so smug then!

There are a few can't-do-without festival essentials that are small but offer a bit of peace of mind. Perhaps stating the obvious here but I’d recommend travel shampoo and conditioner (if showers are available on site) or dry shampoo which is cheap, quick, effective and a favourite of mine!. Then there's the usual bits and bobs such plasters, baby wipes and of course, the not so glamorous but necessary items …loo roll and hand sanitiser, for example. Judging by my list of things to take this year and my love of shopping, we’re going to need a bigger tent.