A couple of questions from a newbie

1. i was in tent only, and as long as you got there early enough you could set up just about anything you wanted! I'm sure you're asking about regular GA though, so i'll let someone else take this one
2. i had bottled water but heard from everybody that the free water wasn't bad at all. some said it had a faint sulfur smell but that the taste wasn't affected.
3. i used those shower wipe things every morning and every night, felt pretty good but i'm sure i wasn't SUPER clean. they do have showers available in GA but they're like $10 a pop, so i didn't test em out.
4. this seems to be a pretty elusive question, i came by bus.
5. not sure there are any really bad spots, just farther away, and there's not really too much you can do about that. i'd recommend tent only if you're going GA though, just a hop away from VIP and very close to centeroo. the only problem is you need to haul your stuff over from wherever they have you park (or wherever the bus drops you off)
6. again, i came in by bus, but this seems to vary pretty widely. (they didn't check us at all coming in on the shuttle bus from the airport, fyi)
7. bring a camelbak, very comfortable shoes, and be prepared to have the absolute time of your life

oh, and welcome to the board!

I'll go ahead and chime in with my take, even if it's just the same as CKS -- some sort of consensus builds confidence in a situation like this, right?

1. They'll tell you that there definitely isn't, but you can almost count on the fact that there will be. Like CKS said, 'tent only' is the best place to truly spread out.

2. I had heard so many nasty descriptions of the water in 04 and 05, but caved in last year and filled up my Camelbak at the water station time and time again -- I didn't smell anything weird at all -- perfectly fine in my eyes!

3. If you insist on bathing, bring a solar shower. Showers can be tough to come by and are kind of pricey. Personally, I've gotten by every year with the occasional splash of water on the junk and a whole lot of baby wipes!

4. Everybody has a theory, but nobody knows for sure. After trying to add up all the experiences on this board I came up with one answer -- it's a crap shoot.

5. You really don't have much choice, unless you go the 'tent only' route. I mean, you don't WANT to be out in the middle of nowhere, but it's almost impossible to dictate where you end up.

6. It varies. Just be careful. There are no guarantees for this one.

7. Camelbak, Crocs, bring much more water than you think you'll need, Pedialyte, pace yourself, unless you can truly stand parting with something that's not allowed -- don't bother trying to sneak it in, be prepared for lots of rain, and do your best to roll with the punches.

1. Is there enough space in regular camping to have an ez up shade and a 2 person tent side by side?
It depends... we would have had enough room for it this year. A good tip I got on this board... have tarps in your car ready so as soon as you park, you can jump out and claim space with them.


2. Is the water they give out for free alright for drinking? Is there a bad taste? Is the taste bearable?
The water in Centeroo has never bothered me. Since it's well water, it comes out nice and cool too. Some of the water stations in the campgrounds have a very strong sulfur smell and a funny aftertaste. Bring water to drink at camp, but don't worry about carting it into Centeroo.

3. What's the best way of bathing? Is there a way?
You can sponge bath at the water stations. Daytime is crowded and you'll have to wait. Suck it up and do it at night when there's no line and it's mostly empty. It's cold, but refreshing. I bring a plastic water bottle with a squirt nozzle and rinse with that.

5. What spots should I avoid camping in?
It's been said, you don't get much of a choice.

6. How much do they search one's car upon entry?
We've never been searched too deeply, but it's all random. Last year the guy asked us if we had any glass in our cooler, we said no, and he waved us through.

7. anything else you think would help a first timer?
Read this board to be well prepared. Take a camelback with you into centeroo. Use it to carry the following items: money, a travel roll of T.P. (the portapotties are often out, but you'll never have to worry about it with your own), hand sanitizer, baby wipes, bandanna, something to lay on, rain ponchos, snacks, camera, etc...

Don't wear flip flops.

Drink lots and lots of water.

6. if you plan on coming in on weds. they will deffianlty search your car, btu honestly its not hard to abide by the rules, don't bring any glass bottles and get everythign else you need when you get in

Don't overpack is good advice. In my case I've overpacked food every year. Some people do most of their eating at camp. I found myself getting hungry all the time in Centeroo with all the food smells wafting around. So, I always had food to give away at the end of the weekend. But, do pack extra clothes. It feels real good to come back to camp and be able to put a nice fresh shirt on after walking around for a couple hours. As far as getting a good campsite, I've gone three years in a row and have had great spots each year. I think you just have to get there between 7-9. I've gotten good spots regardless of where I came in at. It's just timing. Space should be fine for your eztent. 2005 I tent camped. We had two cars, so two campsites. We set up a large screenroom and four tents no problem. These weren't small tents either. They were all 3-4 person dome tents. Allthough we used one as a pooptent. Big thing for me is shade. There are not many trees on the campgrounds. You will be miserable without some kind of shady area to chill in. Portable shade too, like the aforementioned hats and umbrellas. Hope this helps.

1) yes. at least for us; in '04 i went and we had a very large 3 room tent (6 or 8 person) and a smallish shade tent that was big enough for six people to chill in and we had plenty of room for that. just watch out for all the tent ties/stakes. if your mind is a little too expanded it can be like walking though a minefield of boobie traps

2) despite being told that the water was not for drinking, i found it to be yummy and delightful and free in every way. not having to budget for water is a good thing. we brough several frozen gallons of water though, highly recommended as both a source of ice and a souce of water, as well as a lap cooler (hey man, can you pass me that frozen gallon of water, it's hot as shizzle in here)

3) i took an empty gallon with me to the water station, filled it up with water, and dumped it on my head. very chilly, but very refreshing and not nearly as difficult to do as you'd think when it's 110' out. sometimes i even brought shampoo. just fill the gallon up, dump it on your head, refill, repeat. it's just like a shower!

4) we got to the walmart parking lot just off the manchester exit at about 2am on thursday morning. we went inside to check out the chaos a bit and enjoyed the partiness of the parking lot. then we napped in the car till approximately 6:30 or 7am, at which point we got in the line o traffic on i-24. we spent about five or six hours in traffic, very enjoyable traffic though. got a fairly good camping spot, 10 to 15 minutes away from centeroo.

5)wherever you end up camping, mark it on the map if possible. it's easy to get lost. even better, make a big flag (instructions in leo's bonnaroo guide) or mega helium balloon to make it easier to find your camp

6) it depends on what you're trying to hide. if you have glass bottles or a nitrous tank, you're likely to get busted. if you have above what would be considered a "personal use" amount of mind expanding substances, be especially careful. if you've got a quarter sack in your pocket or your shoe, you shouldn't have much to worry about. just use common sense and be respectful of authority. the po po on horses are really quite friendly.

7) bring ziplocks to keep things waterproof when you're rollin' in the mud or chillin under the mushroom fountain. bring a little notebook and some writing utensils to get phone numbers, friends names, etc. etc. get a NEAT SHEET! the most useful thing ever. it was way too hot for us to sleep in our tent so some of the best rest we got was during mellow shows where we were way in the back, napping on our neat sheets. they're soft, very portable, and waterproof. i think you can get them at walmart for like ten bucks or something. take lots of pictures! bring condoms! bring a bathing suit (or three) to wear 90% of the time. bring tons of deoderant. know where the nearest first aid tent is at all times, you never know when you might need to find it. try and drink a glass of water between alcoholic beverages.

okay, i guess that about covers it for now

ROCK ON!

1. Yes. If you get there and aren't waaay too stoned to mess with your tents and get your nuts together fast enough. Most people are cool about space, in my experience
2. Apparantely in the past its been pretty sulphur tasting but last year (06) the water just tasted a little bit like garden hose water.
3. solar shower. $10 hot shower. Mist tents with broken nozzles
4. i have no idea when the "right time" to arrive is. nobody probably does. its all seems extremely random to me. just don't arrive a day and a half early or you'll end up in BFE
5. If your spot really worries you that much, you can go tent only
6. the search on entry is mostly for glass bottles. they look in your coolers.
7. be prepared to miss most of the bands you set out to catch. things don't run too smoothly when you are in altered states sometimes

Remember that camelbacks had to be emptied out before entering
centeroo. When the parkers guide you to your campsite, claim space quickly. A little more than you think you need. When they come behind you with the next row they will make you tighten up your space a little bit. This should leave you with more than enough room. Be polite to the parkers and you will end up with all you need.Get to know your neighbors, soon all stuff will be in a flow with them. Offer to look out for them, they should do the same for you. I cant wait!!

my camelbak was full every trip i took to centeroo, nobody seemed to care

They only emptied guys camelbaks, sad to say, but thats what I observed. I walked right in with a ton of drinks every time as well.

Oh I know it.

Back pockets... sneaky. Drinking seemed a bitt tough for me at Roo. Its weird, I can handle other stuff for sure, but the thought of drinking beer in 90-something degree weather turns me off. Kudos to you man.

In response to the question about my pooptent. First thing you need is obviously a toilet. I bought a seat off ebay that attaches right on a 5 gallon bucket that you can get at any hardware store. I then bought some cheap insence and took a roll of cheapo garbage bags from work. They were just the small office trash bags. So, you light an insence, put the bag in the bucket, attach the seat, and do your business. After you are done remove the bag and dispose of. It is mainly helpful for the ladies and/or the late night #2's. If you are camped close to port o potties you may not need it. But, we found it to be useful. Oh yeah, I also used my crappy coleman tent fan in there for air circulation. With the insence it never really smelled in there. It is a little weird crapping on a bucket, but you get used to it.

these sound great