BUY YOUR TICKETS IN-ADVANCE! I can't tell you how many times I start banging the pots and pans each March about buying tickets for Reggae. Hello people! They sell out by June, so you must not put this off! Just go to the website and get the skinny. It's about $150 for 3 days of music and camping. It's a great deal! www.reggaeontheriver.com

BRING SHELTER! You are basically roughing it for 3 days so preparation is key. Tent, sleeping bag and mattress pad are essential for survival here. Most people have to camp on the riverbed, which means ROCKS so unless you want to suffer the nightmare of napping in pain, bring plenty of padding. Northern California also has very unpredictable weather patterns, as we all found out in 1999 when a freak thunderstorm rocked the campground. Also, the Oregon fires of 2002 made for cold, foggy weather so shelter thyselves or you will be sleeping under someone's fried-out VW Kombi. Of course, you could do like some folks and bring the big pimpin' R.V. or use Persian rugs and couches for your set-up, but the usual camping suspects will do just fine.

BRING SHADE! It took me about 3 years of stubborn behavior before I brought my own sunshade. I would walk for hours to find shade or mooch off at my neighbors. I finally bought a portable shade structure for about $50 at Sportmart and it was the best purchase of the year by far! Although Humboldt boasts thousands of trees, this particular patch has about 13. The sun is very strong that time of year, so shade is key and so is sunscreen. I bring SPF 1-50, a wide-brimmed hat and a few sarongs that I keep with me as I wander out to the river. In the scorching part of the afternoon, it can reach up to 105 degrees. and I cover myself from head to toe with my sarongs. I've seen people get a little to "relaxed" at Reggae and go home with 2nd degree burns, so WATCH IT! Also employ sunglasses and lip balm. This is a real health risk, and heat exhaustion is the number one hazard here.

BRING WATER!!! This is so crucial, because even though clean drinking water is available, you want to have control of your hydration. The river isn't that clean after even a day and fresh water will help you stay healthy. I usually bring about 5-6 gallons and refill in the river for showers.

BRING A SUNSHOWER! As I mentioned, there are no on-site showers so I bought a Coleman Sunshower my 2nd year and I just hang it on my car so it gets warm! This is so key because you will get dusty, muddy, beer-slathered and just plain sweaty. (There are showers somewhere nearby, but it's a hike) You can also chose to bring a Coleman portapotty, but you have to clean it at the end of the week. I've just gone commando with a bucket and Hefty bags because the outhouses are just nasty come Sunday around noon. Aack!

BRING WARM WOOLIES! It gets cold at night, so bring a beanie, fleece, hiking boots and a big jacket. (The boots are crucial if you are going to be walking around in the dark…there is a ton of broken glass, etc.)

BRING CASH! I usually bring around $300 in 5's and 10's. (There are banks in Willits and Garberville if you forget this tidbit) First of all, the cash machine is going to kill you with a $5 fee, so bring it with you. Next, vendors and hippie kids selling their wares will love you for having exact change. We in line don't want to wait for you while your vendor is off getting change from Mr. Mojo down the way. There are a ton of vendor booths and food booths benefiting local organizations, so you can feel benevolent while you munch on your garlic fries or hemp burger. Ice is also available for purchase weekend-'round.

If you are going to bring food, that's great! I've just found that it's more of a pain to take the time to cook in the hot sun, or while my favorite band is playing, so I just buy from the vendors. You can get a meal for about $3.50-$5.00 and beverages are also available for purchase. You must buy tickets for these and bring your I.D. if you plan on drinking alcohol. If you do cook, remember there are NO open flames. It's high fire danger and a fire would create some seriously bad Karma.

BRING A FLAG AND FLAGPOLE! I never knew why so many people did this, other than to show their pride in something, but it's crucial if you want people to find you. Just hoist your own flag above your campsite so your buddies can locate you if you arrive separately.

KEEP YOUR CAR KEYS AROUND YOUR NECK AT ALL TIMES! It's a HUGE buzz-kill to get locked out of your car. Sure, there are enterprising locksmiths combing the grounds, but a bit of leather or rope tied to your key and hung around your neck will save you a lot of grief. Enough said.

LEAVE FIDO AT HOME! You will be turned away at the entrance if you have a dog, which would be a huge bummer after you toted your rig all the way from Nebraska only to have to relinquish your ticket.

FINALLY! CHECK ANY AND ALL BAD VIBES AT THE GATE. This is seriously one of the coolest events out there and if you ever doubted that peace and love and 15,000 people could co-exist, just show up. It's really changed my life and the life of every person I have met there.