Hi,
I'm Maxime, I'm a 26-year-old french student. I planned to travel the UK (backpacking and couchsurfing) during next august to improve my english and I will be CAT during Reading Festival.
As I couchsurf, I don't need a tent before the festival. And I don't want to carry it during my whole trip.
Do you know if it's possible to \"couchsurf\" at Reading Festival, I mean \"to be hosted in a tent\" ? (of course, I will have a sleeping bag)
Or will I have to buy a tent just before the festival ?
Thank you for your help,
Maxime
Tent @Reading
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- Last Post 29 July 2010
Unless you manage to find another CAT who is willing to share their tent, or is able to lend you a spare tent, you will need to buy yourself a tent.
If you do not want to carry a tent around on your pre-Reading travels you could buy a cheap tent from either Tesco (ten minute walk from Reading Festival site), from a shop in Reading town centre, such as Argos or Millets (twenty minute walk) or from the on-site festival village.
If you do not want to take the tent on your post-Reading travels you can donate the tent to charity at the end of the event.
Is it possible to leave the festival area during for a while (to buy a tent for exemple) during the festival time (of course not during my shift !) ?
Thanks
Maxime, welcome to CATs and welcome to the forums....
You're free to come and go as you please (outside of your shift times) once you're on site and registered/logged in etc.. and have your 'arena crew' wristband.
Assuming the crew camping area is where it was last year, then the Tesco is only about 5-10 mins walk, under a railway tunnel onto Portman Road. Also, as per Tavis's response above, you could of course walk into Reading town centre, 15-20mins and there's an Argos, Millets, Blacks and a Cotswold Outdoor Ltd.
If, as per your opening post, you are looking for a tent that you don't want to carry around with you on your travels, then you're probably better off getting a cheap one in Tescos. They'll also have reasonably priced sleeping bags and a roll mat too. Don't worry about a mallet, there'll be plenty of CATs on site that will have one, and will possibly offer to help you erect your tent.
Bonjour Maxime
I'm a couchsurfer too, I have just got back home to London after 6 weeks couchsurfing in Italy and will be a CAT at Reading; I will prob have a two-man tent (still need to buy it) so maybe you coul 'surf' with me - what's your username on CS? I'm Rozmaloz...contact me on there
Roz
i dont mind hosting people in my porch if they want to crash there in exchange for alcohol...message me on here or cats facebook page
There is a Tesco about 10 minute walk from the staff campsite, providing you get there on Tuesday they should have a shed loads of cheap tents on sale there.
Saying that, if you are feeling sociable then the CATs are a friendly bunch and I'm sure someone will let you crash with them!