Festival essentials

MANILA, Philippines - We’ve all been there. You’re lost in the crowd, happily jumping and fist-pumping midway through the set of your favorite band, and then bam, a sudden downpour occurs. Or you come home from a particularly hot day spent dancing at an outdoor stage, and you don’t recognize the toasted sunburned person staring back at you in the mirror.

To avoid mini catastrophes like these, here’s a rundown of what to bring to Summer Sonic — or any music festival — to make the most of your experience.

• Sunblock. Many events happen during the hottest season of the year, and having the sun beat down on your skin while crossing a bridge and wide expanses of grass and concrete is inescapable. Come protected and slather on the SPF.

• Flask. This was at the top of our shoulda-woulda-coulda list. The alcoholic drinks sold at festivals’ “official” bars are extremely expensive. The staff aren’t usually strict with the beverages you bring on-ground, though, so you may want to hide your drinks in a secret container.

• Camera phone. Capturing any aspect of the performances on film or video is sometimes strictly forbidden. At Summer Sonic, the staff is pretty vigilant at enforcing this rule, particularly when you’re near the railing. It’s best to take photos sneakily (if you must) while pretending to text.

• Face towels. We never enjoy carrying stuff to any concert, but face towels will save the day. It’s the equivalent of a Swiss army knife for hot outdoor shows: wipe sweat off, use it as a pamaypay, dip it in cold water to cool down, etc.

• Eco-garbage bag. The Japanese frown upon scattered cigarette butts and plastic cups. The Summer Sonic staff diligently distributes handy eco-garbage bags (complete with the SS logo) when exiting a stage, so be a trouper and use it.