Jun 17, 2019

Summer Fun

Summer Festivals and Concerts are Here! 5 Ways to Look Good, Stay Safe, Feel Empowered

At GTM, we don’t just make handbags and accessories. We are champions of women’s power and protection. But we love to have fun, too, and there’s nothing like the summer festival/concert season! Whether you plan to hit armament-based events like the Mountain Archery Festival happening this month in Utah or the Summer Gun Show in Orlando, or if music festival like Summerfest in Milwaukee and of course Lollapalooza in Chicago are on your list, make sure you arrive in style and with safety on your mind.

Here are 5 tips and tricks to keep yourself safe during large summertime festivals and have a blast at the same time.

Leave valuables at home and carry everything else on your person. We’ve said this before. We don’t care if you’ve not taken off your engagement ring in years or if your grandmother’s diamond earrings are your good luck charm. Follow this rule: do not bring anything you would be sad to lose. Carry a day bag into which you can fit all of your important items and keep it on your person at all times.
1a. We strongly recommend you consider a fanny pack for big events, especially if you like to get down by the stage in a crowd. This way it’s safely attached to your person and can’t get dropped, lost or stepped on.

Party, but not too much. If you drink alcohol, drink slowly. Pace yourself, especially in the summer heat. Take drinks only from the bartender or from a bottle or can you opened yourself and never leave your drink unattended. Drinking too much dulls your senses and slows your reaction time, which in turn makes you vulnerable to others. And most importantly . . .

Stay hydrated! The summer sun is no joke and staying hydrated is critically important. With your attention focused on the festival activities, it’s possible that you will forget to drink water until you begin feeling thirsty. However, thirst is a sign that you’re already dehydrated, which is proven to dampen your mood and energy. Some great tips from the Mayo Clinic include:

Bring a reusable water bottle. At sweltering summer events, dehydration can creep up unexpectedly. Bringing your own water bottle is key to having the best experience possible. Most festivals have easy water filling stations.
Sip early and often. Keep drinking water all day and refill often.
Check your urine. You should be using the restroom about every two hours if you are well-hydrated, and your urine should be light yellow in color. If it’s a darker color, similar to apple juice, you need to consume more water.

Sunblock! Apply sunscreen. It can take as little as 11 minutes in the midday sun to get sunburned. Reapply every two hours or more. Unfortunately, many music festival venues lack shade. Do your best to find and remain in the shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. And we encourage all our GTM fans to wear a hat and sunglasses.

Buy and bring a portable phone charger. Getting lost from your friends at the end of a long day can happen, and if your phone is dead that leaves you vulnerable. There are many options to choose from, some as low as $20. Never plan to be gone for hours at a time without one of these charged and stashed in your bag. You can’t call for help on a dead phone.

In addition to the above safety measures, here are some easy, quick things you can do no matter where you go, even if it’s a night out at a local July 4 fireworks festival in your home town:

Whenever you go to the bathroom, take your purse with you.
If you place your bag on the ground when taking a break in the shade, put your hand or foot through the strap; don't leave it loose.
Don’t wear headphones (or only wear one). That way you can always stay alert and hear what’s going on around you.
Carry a slash-proof, RFID blocking bag. GTM offers many options in both of these categories such as our GTM cross-body CZY-07 bag or the GTM oversized leather travel tote GTM-107. Our highly tested, stylish bags keep your contents safe from digital thieves or purse snatchers and allow you to carry when permissible (make sure you know the rules of each festival).

Tell us where you’re going this summer in the comments and don’t forget to send us pictures of your favorite festivals to our Facebook page.