Even though this is an intense drought year, chances are it will rain at some point during fest. And, just as the wonderful "Baps" in "Misadventures of a Festie Virgin" (see the marvelous story in the Festival Friendships forum) is well prepared for rain, we all can be prepared so that rain isn't a big issue. Here's what I do to be prepared for rain. . .I hope others will chime in with their tips.

Before fest:
Make sure my tent and tarps are well seam sealed. (If you have a new tent, it WILL need at least some of its seams sealed.)
Test out my rain jacket, either by taking a walk on a really rainy day, or standing in the shower 5 minutes wearing my rain jacket. . .if it leaks, either seam seal it, or replace it.
Get trash compactor bags (heavy duty plastic bags designed for use in trash compactors) or cut down heavy duty contractor bags to be the right size for holding my day pack. Pack a compactor bag in my day pack and a contractor bag in the pocket of my crazy creek chair.
When I pack my duffle bags, put things in plastic bags and/or line the whole bag with a contractor garbage bag. Pack a big piece of plastic right inside the bag so I can easily pull it out to cover my gear.
Just before leaving for fest, check the www.weather.gov week-long forecast for Hart, MI. If it looks like it will be cool/rainy, pack a bag of "just in case" extra fleece, rubber boots, socks, etc. to leave in the car for "just in case."

At fest:
Make sure my tent groundcloth (piece of plastic under the tent to protect bottom of tent from sticks/etc.) is completely stuffed UNDER the tent/out of sight. Check that every morning before I leave my tent in case it has shifted around.
Always close up my tent completely whenever I'm away from my tent. Those sunny mornings can often lead to quick afternoon thunderstorms rolling in from the lake.
Make sure any stuff outside my tent is rain and windproofed.
Carry my rain jacket in my daypack everyday.
When it starts to rain, put my daypack/crazy creek chair in plastic bags and decide which "rainwear" to wear. . .if it is warm, take off all of my clothes and put them in the plastic bag with my gear. If it is cool, put on my rain jacket.
Relax and enjoy the rain (or if it is a realllllllly intense thunderstorm/rain, dash for the nearest big tent and stand around with a bunch of womyn and girls ooohing and aahhhing at the thunder/lightning).

That's what I can think of now. . .and I'm doing this exercise partly to remind myself of my systems, check to make sure I have what I need.

Some womyn like ponchos. . .I don't like flappy things and I find that they can be fine if I'm standing around, but not for walking through the woods/ferns/etc. If you do use a poncho, some kind of belt around the waist can help.

oh, and heavy cotton (think jeans, sweatpants, sweatshirts) take a realllllly long time to dry and are not warm when wet. . . just sayin'. . .

so. . .what are your "when it rains at fest" tips???

SKWD

I make sure my raingear is in a side pocket of my suitcase, along with large black plastic bags to put my duffel and suitcase in at parking (should it be raining.) I pack my large tarp and line on the very top of my duffel in case I have to run up to my site and pitch this first before putting up my tent.

I do exactly what tropidyke does above.. rain gear and plastic/tarp coverage needs to be accessible along with any mosquito repellent I chose to use.

Last year Tuesday...huddled under the living room tent (which we draped with extra tarps)...and then we we were all soaked anyway, stripped off everything and went running in the rain!

Its been raining in the Northwest since October - summer is supposed to get installed this Friday. I live in the rain. Here's what you need to know to be comfortable in a camping environment. Tent and tarp as described above. It will always rain at fest at least once. Sometimes we're all - mostly all, snuggled in tents in the night and sometimes we're all out on the land seeking food and music. Strategies at night - find a tent/tarp and wommon and take the cold damp cotton clothes off. Strategies in the day - get soaked and take a warm shower or go to plan A - tent/tarp and wommon and take the cold damp clothes off.

Bring some synthetic soaks, some synth or silk underwear, a rain jacket and don't let a little water scare you. It can create some interesting and fun situations. Mud wrestling comes to mind.....memories....

I have a good-sized poncho that I always keep in my day pack. It's wonderful for the stages, in particular, because, if I tuck my pack under my legs, the poncho covers me, pack and chair, keeping all dry. While I wear rain jackets & rain pants for hiking other places, at fest, it's always a poncho

ah, yes, the mud wrestling....

remember not to put anything against the walls of your tents. keep your tent closed up during the day if it seems like rain (sometimes you can never tell.)

try some cottonproof from nikwax to make a few pairs of paints water resistant.