Gadgets to sneak booze almost everywhere
The festival season is upon us. This means overflowing porta-loos, four people in a small tent, and queuing for hours to buy a soggy burger. Music festivals in northern Europe are only for the hardy and the dedicated who don’t mind paying the equivalent of USD 10 for a deodorant stick. That’s why organisers advise punters to take with them reusable water bottles, sunscreen, toilet paper, wet wipes and condoms.
What organisers don’t really want you to bring to the festival compound is nourishments, so that they can charge you a fortune for grub and booze. In fact, Glastonbury in the UK is probably the only major festival that allows you to take your own alcohol and drink it in all of the main arenas.
No wonder, captive audiences have gone to some lengths to avoid having to splash out on drinks.
Reader, I had no idea how savvy punters have become to smuggle drink into festivals. Australians seem to be the most unperturbed rule-breakers, arguing they will not pay AUD 8 for a can of beer at a festival, which is more expensive than at a bar. Also, they seem to possess the most nous where to find alcohol carrying kit on the internet. Well, it has to be the internet, will it not?
On a recent visit to Australia, some younger friends immediately pointed me towards a site selling stuff I never even knew existed. Containers range from various types of plastic pouches, which can be strapped around your middle or hidden in your bra (best bought only if you happen to be flat-chested woman) to all kinds of pseudo gadgets like binoculars, mobile phones, cameras, shampoo bottles, skin lotions and tampons. These all look like the real thing but, in actual fact, serve as booze containers. The point is, these utensils will pass muster should there be a body check at the entrance.
If you don’t believe me, check out this site for wares: http://coolpile.com/gadgets-magazine/43-cool-gadgets-to-help-you-sneak-booze-almost-everywhere.
What I also did not know is that you can buy most of these contraptions at Amazon. Amazing.
Mind you, fooling the security guys does not come cheap. A two-pack of faux tampons (10 empty containers) will cost you USD 19.99 plus postage. In that case you might as well treat yourself to a cold one or two at the festival.
If you are unsure whether to smuggle or to buy, bear in mind the following: how much beer you plan on imbibing at the festival depends on how much you want to remember of the festival.
