Festival footcare

Give some thought to your poor feet when you're padding around fields for days, as well as those sharing a tent with the stinkers.

Poooooh! Stinky feet...

You stinker! Just because your armpits are under the impression that they'll never see soap again, it doesn't give you an excuse to let your feet pass the point of no return. OK, so it's hard to keep clean at festivals, but smelly feet in a tiny tent are worse than trapped farts inside the sleeping bag (alright, that's debatable).

If you're taking one pair of old, sweaty trainers, at least try and wash your feet once a day and dry them properly (even if it is only with bog roll). Athlete's foot fungi love nothing more than warm, moist places and trainers are usually the biggest culprit for inviting infection to set in. Try to wear sandals when the sun's out so your feet can breathe a bit, and take a clean pair of socks for each day - they don't take up much room and you can always buy cheap ones to throw away.

Eooooow! Achy feet...

There's going to be a fair amount of rubbing going on, especially if you're at one on the bigger festivals when you can cover miles in one day. If you don't want to be stuck at one stage all day, take shoes that you know can stand the pace, preferably ones that are comfy and worn in. Sticking to the same shoes for four days is a sure way to get blisters, so take at least two pairs, or accept that you'll be a hobbling wreck by day two, and not because of the drink and drugs. No room in your backpack? Then at least pack some heavy-duty plasters.

Aaaaaah! Free feet...

All that green grass just makes you want to kick off your shoes and skip around barefoot doesn't it? While you'd think that a load of free-loving hippies gathering in the countryside couldn't create danger if they tried, the reality is that a festival floor is no better than that of a club. Sorry to ruin the romantic vision, but broken glass, old needles and half-eaten curries hide just as well in long grass. Go for flip-flops or sandals instead, that way you can still feel the breeze through your toes without having to hobble off to the first aid tent.

Squelch! Wet feet...

When the rain comes down at a festival you've just gotta succumb and accept that you'll get wet. Take some time out to dry your feet off completely, and try not to sleep in soggy socks. Don't care? There were some reports of trench foot at previous muddy festivals, which is caused by having constantly wet feet, and is made worse by being cold and having badly-fitting boots. Get yourself to the medical tent immediately if your feet get swollen and blistered, or you may live to regret it.

Festival footcare essentials:

• Plasters;
• Two pairs of shoes - one sturdy pair and one open-toe pair;
• Wellies - ones with buckles at the top if possible, to avoid leaving them behind in the mud;
• A clean pair of socks for each day;
• Wet wipes to clean feet and loo roll to dry them.