What do you do at festivals?

[mzbanjo]

Hey all, I'm just wondering where you keep your instruments while attending festivals in the summer time. I'm planning on bringing my new Weber to Rockygrass this year (among a few other places) and am unsure as to what the normal procedure is. I brought my guitar (Martin D-16) to R-grass the last two years (hadn't yet discovered the mando for myself) and just left it in my tent while I was at the stage area, but never felt all that comfortable doing so. I certainly don't want to just leave it in my car all day long, so my question is, what do you all do? BTW, any other cafe-ers with Rockygrass plans? I'll be at Meadow Park and, due to my complete newness to the mandolin will be trying to learn as much as possible.

[Tom C]

I stay with a group of people. Somebody is always around the camp site. I have left it in my tent. One day all my beers in my cooler were taken, but luckily mando was still in the tent(teenage locals). I will leave it in the car with sunroof and side windows partly open. I was thinking about an oversized cooler.

[earthsave]

I just carry mine around wherever I go. Mandos are small so that is easy enough to do. The guitar usually would stay in the tent under sleeping bags to keep the sun off of it and outta sight.

[John Flynn]

Two suggestions:
1) Do a web search for a device called a Pac Safe. It is a really well-designed metal net that you put around your case and then lock to any immovable object with a metal cable that is part of the net. I have used one at a festival and worked really well. Amazingly, this whole metal net thingie folds up and fits in a pretty small carrying case. BTW, a shaped mando case would take a "small" Pac Safe. A rectangular case will take a "medium."

2) Get a good gig bag, but only use it for carrying your instrument around in such a way that you can physically protect it: Do not set it down in gig bag!

[ethanopia]

I'm still trying to convince my wife that we should go to rockygrass. We have that week off for vacation and she has never been west of Chicago. I've been wanting to show her the rockies because I spent a good part of my youth skiing and visiting assorted areas of Colorado and I've always loved it.

Does anyone have any extra tickets with on site camping?

anyway as far as what to do with a mando, I vote for Parking in the shade and keeping your windows opens around 2" mando covered by some kind of waterproof tarp and maybe a blanket. And if you don't feel good doing that then carry it with you it's not THAT heavy. Plus if you run into someone and want to pick there you go it's right there.

[jcs271]

The large cooler in the trunk (or backseat) is an excellent option. Not only does it moderate the temp extremes but anyone up to no good sees a cooler of food not a 5K mando. Leaving an instrument in a tent or in plain sight in a car could be the biggest mistake you ever make!

[sunburst]

I like the cooler idea. I keep my b@^Jo in a Mark Leaf case and carry it in a gig bag with shoulder straps at festivals.
In spite of all the drawbacks of the old Leaf cases, (big, heavy, unweildy) they function like a cooler. No other case that I know of will moderate temperature better in extreem situations. Mine once got set too close to the campfire and I didn't notice 'til I started to smell the nearly molten resin in the fiberglass. The banjo was cool as a cucumber. Fell off the porch once, about four feet to the ground, no damage. There are more stories about how these cases have saved instruments, but you can't get them anymore.

[mandorado]

MZ, I'll be at RockyGrass again this year. Maybe we can jam a bit. I haven't been playing a really long time, but I know a few tunes. I'm not camping, but will be staying at a friends place near by.
I usually take a Colorado Case gig bag and keep my mando with me at all times. It can get a little dicey after dark (and after a few beers) in a crowd, but because the case is light I can put it on, has shoulder straps, or just sling it over my shoulder. Works ok. Not advisable for mandos that you are paranoid about.

[wannabethile]

i hide it in my sleeping bag. hehe

[jaybee]

Some wise old sage (I've forgotten who)once said that to protect a mandolin from theft the safest thing was to store it in a banjo case. I'm just passing it on.

[ronlane3]

that's a great place for it jaybee. BTW, it was great to meet you and thank you for letting me pick that mighty fine gibson of yours.

[GVD]

Get a Travelite case and then you can do any or all of the above. It's got a ton of insulation if you want to leave it in the car under a blanket. It's light enough to carry with you all day with the shoulder straps. Plus it's strong enough to withstand a good wobbly pop tumble. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

GVD

[mrbook]

If they are not with me, I keep instruments in the car (windows cracked), in cases with a climate case or space blanket around them. I'm a very trusting soul, but I couldn't stand having an intrument lost or damaged. I can't imagine leaving them unattended in my tent. I leave all my camping equipment out, but I have no emotional attachments there.

[krishna]

I bought a bookbag backpack thingy for university students,cut off the zippered back,and screwed the sholderstrap part to the underside of my mandolin case.On the top of the case,I screwed on the actual backpack part,and so I can go anywere with quite a load in my pack AND my mandolin is safe by my side the whole time. When I am at a festival It NEVER leaves my side and sometimes I have my Guitar there to.(It also has a backpack,but a $150 metal framed one attatched.I rigged the mando case up so it attaches to the guitar case with backpack quick release clips and I have been doing this for years. I've been told at many festivals to patent it. Kerry

[ira]

is there anything for mandos that are not f styles that is similar to quality and price of the travelite?