Vegas baby, Vegas! EDC Vegas, to be more specific, is back again for their sixteenth annual electronic dance music festival. From June 8-10, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 1,000 acres will be filled with ravers from across the globe who have came to enjoy some of the best EDM acts out there. Surviving these beautifully chaotic three days can prove to be a challenge to some, so below is a survival guide to help make your experience as smooth as possible. Stay at the fabulously trendy The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Make a checklist before you go out to EDC

Remember there are no re-entries at EDC Vegas, so once you are in, you are in. That means that whatever you happen to forget in the car or at home is just a lost cause. For this reason, you should create a checklist with your friends, and check everything off. Don’t be the friend that remembers to bring gum, but forgets their ticket at home.
Wear comfortable clothes
As the EDC website suggests, wear comfortable clothes with material that breathes. Sure that bear costume will get you noticed, but you will also probably drown in your own sweat inside of it.

Wear closed toe shoes

Flip flops is the worst mistake that you could make at EDC Vegas. You don’t know pain until the DJ finally drops the bass and the person next to you turns into a human toe crusher. I have found myself nursing back my toes to health weeks after a festival, due to wearing some open toed shoes. You also want to wear shoes that you don’t mind getting beaten up and covered in massive amounts of desert dust and dirt.

Safety first: Always stay hydrated

You don’t want to be that person who is seen being carried out of a steaming hot crowd because you spent all day dancing in the desert sans water breaks. This is not normal heat, it is brutal Las Vegas heat mixed with the combined body heat of thousands of pulsating ravers. Luckily, the lovely people at Insomniac provide free water filling stations instead of expecting you to pay five dollars for a bottle of water. So, bring an empty water bottle and make sure to keep refilling it! Remember you can’t rage if you’re unconscious!

Bring Kandi to trade

EDC Vegas brings together ravers from all over the world to come to one place to enjoy three nights of music from the best electronic acts from all over. It is not out of the ordinary to bond with a fellow raver while enjoying your time at EDC. There will be so much love and happiness wafting in the Vegas air that you will need a way to remember all of it. The best way to do it, is the old school P.L.U.R way and trade some homemade Kandi with your new friends.

“It’s not a purse, it’s a satchel. Indiana Jones had one”: Bring a bag with you

Whatever you want to call it, make sure that you bring some type of sturdy apparatus to carry all of your belongings with you. The less you have in your hand, the better off you will be. Fannypaks seem to be the bag of choice at EDC Vegas, regardless of the fact that your grandma probably wears one. If you don’t want to bring a fannypak, then I would suggest bringing a small backpack because EDC prohibits bags that are over 12” by 12”. Another great choice would be a Camelback, so you can stay hydrated and keep up with your stuff at the same time (but make sure it is empty before you enter the speedway).

Avoid Overheating: Have a flyer on hand to fan yourself

There are times when hydration might not be enough, and EDC Vegas is bound to be one of those times. Every year there are far too many cases of overheating and sometimes if you are deep in a crowd, you may not be able to get out fast enough to get some air. This is where the countless flyers that are handed to you come in handy. Pick a couple and use them to fan yourself to make sure that your body is at a safe temperature and to ensure your safety.

Bring extra cash/ATM card

You never know what you might need, and there are a lot of tasty things to eat. If you don’t feel comfortable carrying cash, there are ATM’s set up all over the Speedway in case you need to take out some cash. However, I know being in Vegas can tempt people to spend too much, so have some self control!

Don’t over exert yourself

Take some rests. I know there are so many exciting things at EDC from light shows to carnival rides, but make sure that you rest a little in between your fun. Your body will thank you later. If you are going all three days, then get some rest in between days. The after parties will be calling your name, but if you do too much you will look like something out of “Thriller” by the third day.

See you at the carnival!

Keep up with your friends

The massive crowds at EDC Vegas are like neon-colored vortexes that will suck your friends in, for them never to be seen again until the artist’s set is over. For this reason, it is important to have a backup plan in case you get separated. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is massive, so it is best to pick a place where you all can easily identify to meet up at.