Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
The past 3 years we have made the 1100 mile drive to Roo. This year my crew is gonna try flying, which will hopefully make the dreaded drive back much less miserable.
With bag fees being so high, we are trying to figure out how to get tents, ezups, chairs, etc down to TN. I know we could probably ship our stuff or if we want to be eco-pirates buy cheap stuff and throw it away at the end of the weekend. Philosophically I can't go the eco-pirate route.
What have folks who fly down to Roo done in the past?
3/19 Portugal the Man 3/31 Japandroids 4/3 Alberta Cross/BRMC 5/1 White Rabbits 5/7 OK GO 5/14 Mumford and Sons 6/2 The National 6/10-13 Roo 8/21 MMJ and Tom Petty
Flew last year and definitely will be again this year. You're right about bag fees. We got absolutely screwed last year, but I mostly blame that on the airline we chose(Air Tran). It is worth paying a little more for a flight on an airline that has cheaper fees or free (we are going Southwest no matter what, I think they offer two free bags).
As for packing, we got almost all our camping gear into 2 large suitcases, with the exceptions of chairs(they fit but made the bags too heavy and were the cheapest and easiest thing to throw out in the baggage line) and a cooler. Both we got for about 40 bucks total down in TN. The EZ up we checked as a 3rd bag. For our clothes, we managed to pack them all in a carry on. The biggest thing is just making sure your suitcases aren't too big or too heavy before going to the airport. We obviously had to ditch some things we bought, but we just gave them to our neighbors(who we are actually planning on going with this year, so it worked out).
I would also recommend, IF you plan on renting a car anyways, not necessarily flying into Nashville. It always seems to be more expensive. We flew into Atlanta and this year are also considering Birmingham. Still a little bit of a drive, but it worked out for us. We flew Thursday morning, arrived at Roo around 4 or 5 and waited in no line what so ever and got a great camping spot.
This is why I ultimately decided my group should drive this year again. Just too difficult to bring everything that way, though we're still planning on coming with a much lighter load.
Post by popsicle sarah on Jan 27, 2012 14:02:37 GMT -5
Network with people who live close to Bonnaroo. There are lots of inforoosters in the Nashville area. I know I have an extra tent (or two) and tarps that I'm willing to loan out. People who have done Roo several times and don't have to worry about a space issue tend to bring more than they need (and upgrade equipment over time).
Just as an example, let's say you need 4 chairs for Bonnaroo. Paypal the money for 2 chairs to one person and 2 to someone else. They bring the chairs for you and get to the keep them when the festival is over for payment. No "eco-pirating" and who wouldn't want a couple extra camping chairs for the future just for bringing them and taking them home.
If you or anyone else is flying in and renting a car to drive down I have plenty of space here in Murfreesboro and will hold it for you. You can also take the secret route in with us if we are meeting up.
I flew into Chattanooga last year and it was a super easy process. Small airport (unfortunately, not a lot of direct flights) but small lines, easy to rent a car and about an hour away from Manchester. Plus downtown Chattanooga has some great watering holes to check out!
If you or anyone else is flying in and renting a car to drive down I have plenty of space here in Murfreesboro and will hold it for you. You can also take the secret route in with us if we are meeting up.
You can also reach out to the Helping Hands thread when that starts up... many of us driving in are able to bring extra...I usually bring beer/water/coolers/chairs etc for those flying in... it is also a great way to make new friends!
This will be my second year flying into a fest (not Roo, but same prep), and I learned a lot last year. First, you can check a cooler. Load your gear into a cooler and your clothes into your carry-on. If you have multiple people flying, share gear and have one person check the shade tent.
If your weight is too high, take out all the batteries and just buy them there. You'll probably use them up anyway, so you won't be waisting much when you throw them out before flying back.
Sleep pads are lighter than air mattresses and pumps, and take up less room.
Camp chairs probably aren't going to make the cut. You can get those folding back support chairs that sit on the ground, or blow up chairs.
Lastly, if you need to ship something, UPS will let you ship to one of their locations and you can pick it up there.
Post by stallion pt. 2 on Feb 19, 2012 13:44:07 GMT -5
Look at backpacking websites for tips and gear recommendations. If you fly in and noone is driving gear in for you, you are essentially backpacking Bonnaroo, so you have to go light and spartan. The best bits of gear I can reccomend from my 7 years of flying to roo is a light backpacking sun shade instead of an ez-up (Kelty makes great ones in several sizes and I always see em at Roo, and Crazy Creek canoe chairs or some other foldable, frameless chair. They're surprisingly comfortable (and def. beat sitting in mud and wet grass) and can easily be taken all over Centeroo.
John: We don't even understand our own music Spider: It doesn't, does it matter whether we understand it? At least it'll give us . . . strength John: I know but maybe we could get into it more if we understood it
Post by psychedelnick on Feb 19, 2012 19:22:32 GMT -5
I'm doing the same I did last year. Getting a late night arrival at BNA (Nashville airport) on Wednesday, stay the night in the airport, and catch the shuttle to Bonnaroo in the morning.
There was actually about 10 other people who also stayed the night in the airport too.
3/19 Portugal the Man 3/31 Japandroids 4/3 Alberta Cross/BRMC 5/1 White Rabbits 5/7 OK GO 5/14 Mumford and Sons 6/2 The National 6/10-13 Roo 8/21 MMJ and Tom Petty
I'm heavily considering flying to Roo this year, I drove my first time back in 2010. But I'm wondering which way of traveling would be more expensive? That's assuming I fly in with just a small 1-person tent, clothes and other bare essentials, then take a shuttle from the airport in Chattanooga. Would I be better off driving and spending money on gas/hotels rather than getting a plane ticket and shuttle passes or a rental car?
I'm heavily considering flying to Roo this year, I drove my first time back in 2010. But I'm wondering which way of traveling would be more expensive? That's assuming I fly in with just a small 1-person tent, clothes and other bare essentials, then take a shuttle from the airport in Chattanooga. Would I be better off driving and spending money on gas/hotels rather than getting a plane ticket and shuttle passes or a rental car?
Well that all depends on where you're coming from bro. If you're really far off, gas is $4/gal and Southwest has a lot of flights for ~$100. Just do some rough calculations and see how much gas you think you'll use round trip and compare that to the flight. The shuttle and hotel room probably offset each other.
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." ~William James
"I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?" ~Zhuangzi
I'm heavily considering flying to Roo this year, I drove my first time back in 2010. But I'm wondering which way of traveling would be more expensive? That's assuming I fly in with just a small 1-person tent, clothes and other bare essentials, then take a shuttle from the airport in Chattanooga. Would I be better off driving and spending money on gas/hotels rather than getting a plane ticket and shuttle passes or a rental car?
Well that all depends on where you're coming from bro. If you're really far off, gas is $4/gal and Southwest has a lot of flights for ~$100. Just do some rough calculations and see how much gas you think you'll use round trip and compare that to the flight. The shuttle and hotel room probably offset each other.
Haha might help if I told everyone where I'm coming from right? I'd be driving from Massachusetts, so it's about 2200 miles round-trip if I drove. I'm thinking the best plan for me might be to fly somewhere relatively inexpensive, rent a car and buy a cheap one-person tent on the way there. Has anyone else done it that way?
You could give a call to the Post Office in Manchester and ask if they accept packages via General Delivery. You'd pay regular postage costs and would need to show an ID at pick up. Basically you're sending a package to yourself.
good call on the general delivery, that would be a good thing for bulky items. Ultimately I figure I am going to have to drop off some items I buy for Roo at a friends place to hold until 2013.
3/19 Portugal the Man 3/31 Japandroids 4/3 Alberta Cross/BRMC 5/1 White Rabbits 5/7 OK GO 5/14 Mumford and Sons 6/2 The National 6/10-13 Roo 8/21 MMJ and Tom Petty
I'm heavily considering flying to Roo this year, I drove my first time back in 2010. But I'm wondering which way of traveling would be more expensive? That's assuming I fly in with just a small 1-person tent, clothes and other bare essentials, then take a shuttle from the airport in Chattanooga. Would I be better off driving and spending money on gas/hotels rather than getting a plane ticket and shuttle passes or a rental car?
I could be wrong but as far as I know there is no Chattanooga shuttle.....
I've flown before and did the car rental thing and it wasn't so bad. You get there on your own terms and get to pick up additional supplies on your own instead of putting it on the plane. Last year flew solo and did the shuttle from Nashville and had VIP and it was perfect.
Thanks for the idea of duct taping items. I was trying to figure how to bring a chair down.
