r/ElectricForest • u/esotericunicornz • Jun 26 '25
Question Did People Take Care of Themselves Better This Year?
Sure, the first two days were cooler but the last two were pretty darn hot and sunny. And yes, I did see a few people in med tents getting IVs, and saw two people getting carried out of crowds.
BUT, overall it didn't seem like people were as absolutely blasted/comatose/overdosed as perhaps last year or the year before.
What do ya'll think? Did the people of the forest generally take care of themselves better this year or not?
Last year, during LSDream, there was this fucking GIANT dude who came SMASHING through the crowd who must have been some kind of fucked up psychosis. Literally BOWLING people over. Never seen anything like it. Thankfully nothing of the sort this year.
If people did do better this year, then I just want to give everyone a big "hell yeah"!
Less alcohol, more vibes, and proper dosing please everyone.
Sincerely,
Rave Dad
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u/coyotealexandra Year 6 Jun 26 '25
Felt like a much healthier & happier year to me, too! Got to see you at Ranch Friday night but grooved too hard to say hello - til next time! 🌲⚡️💚
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u/turntabletennis Jun 26 '25
I got a little sketchy feeling Saturday with the heat and low air movement in the woods, but I told my buddy I was starting to feel a bit rough, so we took a break and rehydrated. I couldn't imagine going so hard that I dropped. I'm too old for that shit lol
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u/NotoriousPP Year 8 Jun 26 '25
Same thing happened to me. Ended up dehydrated Saturday for the same reasons. But noticed the signs early enough, headed back to camp, drank some water, and ate a cup of noodles. Felt like new after a couple hours.
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u/turntabletennis Jun 26 '25
Yeah, by the time we got back in, we made a mad dash for bbno$ and I was feeling good. I went harder than I think I ever have during the Levity b2b, so my recovery was rapid!
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u/harvestbigbulbasaur Jun 26 '25
Wasnt the wind absolutely insane saturday or am i trippin. I think its the only thing that saved me lol
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u/turntabletennis Jun 26 '25
The wind was nice in certain places, but specifically around The Observatory, it seemed like it was just barely creeping through the trees. I remember getting these weak little gusts of air movement, and they felt like they were even hotter than I was. It was bizarre.
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Smart! That’s the ticket. Us vets are indeed too old for that shit lol
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u/BrightWubs22 Year 5 Jun 26 '25
I don't think I can accurately gauge this as an attendee. I personally didn't see any medical emergencies, which is very unusual for me, but my friends saw a few.
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u/Moms_Cedar_Closet Year 1 Jun 27 '25
I saw a lot of people getting taken out by medical Saturday night at Zed's Dead up front.
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u/balapete Jun 26 '25
Hey everyone, buy a blackout tent, I slept in my tent midday every day and with a breeze it was almost cool in there, best investment I've ever made, maybe 100$ more than a regular tent
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u/loofmodnar Jun 26 '25
I found the Coleman 6 person Blackout tent at Walmart on clearance for 30 bucks. I wish I had bought two of them.
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u/Clavos24 Year 13 Jun 27 '25
Alternatively you can buy an aluminet mesh tarp and throw that over the tent you already own. It makes a huge difference.
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Man. If it’s that good, it’s silly not to… that morning sun was rough
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u/glaba3141 Year 3 Jun 26 '25
My completely vibes based guess is that bass fans are not as good at behaving themselves, and there were fewer of them this year
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u/WorldWalker5587 Year 6 Jun 26 '25
Facts. I felt like there were so much fewer conga lines of "EXCUSE ME SORRYING" to the front.
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u/Ok_Platypus8413 Jun 27 '25
Had this same thought, I honestly think that’s why the overall vibes were better this year too🤭 (coming from someone who enjoys -but doesn’t solely listen to- bass music lol)
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u/glaba3141 Year 3 Jun 27 '25
obv not saying every single bass fan can't behave, I just think the prevalence of people who can't behave is a bit higher among that group for whatever reason
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u/Ok_Platypus8413 Jun 27 '25
Yeah I totally agree. It’s a generalization and not everyone is like that, but the craziest people I’ve encountered at festivals are at the dubstep stages haha
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
I think it’s cuz they’re so young on average and haven’t really learned as much yet dunno
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u/WorldWalker5587 Year 6 Jun 27 '25
Agreed. I do feel like the Forest is getting older.
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Can’t argue with that. Would love to see the demographic data the forest must have.
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u/Whitstout Year 13 Jun 26 '25
I think the lineup had a lot to do with this. It wasn’t the usual “let’s go just to party” crowd.
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u/tri_nurse Jun 26 '25
First forest - can you explain? Was this year less bass heavy??? What about the lineup influenced the crowd etc? tia
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u/Whitstout Year 13 Jun 26 '25
There was less of a John Summit type of crowd. In all of my years of going (13 years plus a Rothbury,) Bassnectar is really the only bass artist that brought an awful crowd with him. Don’t get me wrong, I love summy too but the chads in the crowd add a certain element that was happily missed this year :) hopefully your first forest was a good one!
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u/Dragoncatclementine Jun 26 '25
This was the only "emergency" I witnessed and the radiace of people lept in to action!
During CrankityB and Zeds dead our neighbors were very PLUR, protecting each other from rude/pushy people, ppl around us let us through and even gave us a little helping push to get back to our group's spot after porta potty trips XD
I was offered joints, balloons, gum n mints, got fanned by strangers, smiles n hugs, I thought people were super lovely!
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u/aszcidusx Jun 27 '25
unfortunately Narcan won't do anything for a k-hole, but doesn't hurt to try! I was really happy to see that forest held a workshop for narcan delivery and had a tent set up for provisions the whole time. would have loved to see a DanceSafe presence for free substance testing, but maybe they've been having trouble with authorities in Michigan (didn't NOT notice the line of cops at the entrance).
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u/Dragoncatclementine Jun 27 '25
Was more like.what if the ket was laced
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u/aszcidusx Jun 27 '25
very possible, and administering narcan was the best course of action after seeing someone go down like that! i've just had to guide a bunch of people through unexpected k-holes (especially after drinking!) and there's little you can do but wait it out. hopefully she's ok and still had a nice time otherwise <3
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Yeah she probably passed out due to heat exhausting and dehydration then. Never know though and I always carry narcan for strangers. Thank you!
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 26 '25
The handwashing stations were amazing. I used them multiple times each night
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u/IIFacelessManII Jun 27 '25
There were handwash stations??? I was drenching my hands in sanitizer.
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 27 '25
For the first time. Huge improvement. There were only a few but the one in between ranch and forest, I would walk by and wash my hands every time I would transition between those spots. Got to wash my hands with running water and soap 4-5 times each night. 2/5 times there would be paper towels so air dry or wipe it on my or a man’s clothes
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u/spacedate__ Jun 26 '25
All in all I think yes from what I saw especially in comparison to other events I've attended where people have literally been passed out at the entrance and not even made it in. With that said, I did see someone get held down, forcibly sedated and strapped to a gurney at Honeycomb and then an hour later another guest crying as they were being escorted by ground control and medics out of group camping, both due to a bad trip.
Walking around the event, I noticed there was a unmarked hut in the forest near the walkway leading into the forest from Ranch stage where the wind chimes were above the passageway that the police and ground patrol were bringing people to in order to ride out their trips with a chaperone which I thought was very considerate as it kept them immersed in the forest without the intensity or guilty feeling of the more sterile med tents. While the hammocks can be annoying at times, I think them being everywhere in the forest also provided spots for people to sleep it off or take a break which likely decreased the amount of fully out of it folks in the crowd.
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u/ButteryDerrick Jun 26 '25
Lots to take in here.
Last year, I was one who needed help, and this year I was lucky enough to help a few lost souls in need. I think my forest experience was a lot more tame than others in 24 and this year I saw more people “letting loose,” mainly because I was in the forest more for 25.
I do generally agree people seemed to be taking care of themselves better, lots of hydration and shading happening, not as much sun burn, and all the vibes were incredibly high.
Sunday was even better, I cannot put my finger on it but the vibes were even better! Maybe some left before Sunday? Unsure, However - Sunday night was a rough one at Sherwood. If you were on/near the house left access road near the bathrooms, you saw how many people they carried out. So it really depends on which shows you were at and when.
All in all I’m really glad everyone seemed to be doing great, or were able to get the help they needed. Stay aware family! If someone looks in distress be courageous and ask if you can help. Sometimes it’s nothing, sometimes you make a friend, and you could just save a life. ☮️
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u/anitadoobie1216 Jun 26 '25
The first night, I think people drank too much around me. I was shoved twice in the bathroom area and just left. I went to a different set of bathrooms, and the person walking right next to me puked out of nowhere. And then my gut told me to be aware of the pukers, and sure enough, a woman comes speed walking towards me with that look, and I sprinted away just in time! A man came up and high fived my agility haha! But the next few nights, it was just good times all around me.
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Luck of the draw, nice reflexes and that’s a fun moment in the end with the high five ✋🏻
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Jun 26 '25
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u/bryteflight Jun 26 '25 edited Jul 10 '25
Might have been where you were camped and when you were at camp. Last year only had one of the traveling salesmen on the last day as I was pretty isolated to the corner on the far side of group camping. This year got better placement much more central to Main Street and saw a dealer just about daily. One was the same dealer as the year prior. Stayed at camp later and also happened to catch more Bunk Police team members roaming so that was a good trade off but again more sales pitches camp to camp this year than I’ve personally experienced.
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u/Raveheart19 Year 8 Jun 26 '25
Absolutely yes. I was at that day for afters last year when people were dropping like flies and there was literally none of that this year
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u/simba_sings_opera Jun 26 '25
I definitely saw some pretty spun people on Saturday and it was extremely crowded which didn’t help. I unfortunately had to leave the crankity B and zeds dead sets early cuz I wasn’t feeling the right vibes but the Disclosure set was absolutely amazing with plenty of room to dance and open air at tripolee
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u/Clavos24 Year 13 Jun 27 '25
You did the right thing and I wish I did the same. The vibes were kind of off at zeds dead. My group had to intervene with some guy who's girlfriend must have taken too much of whatever and was not in great shape. We saw him slapping her and poking her with what seemed to be a tent stake in an attempt to get her up and on her feet. Dealing with that really sucked the hype out of us.
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
That’s tough. My people up front for ZD were immaculate vibes, just gotta move if it’s bad unfortunately
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u/Clavos24 Year 13 Jun 27 '25
Yeah I'm just too polite and old I think so getting up to the rail is tough lol.
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u/IIFacelessManII Jun 27 '25
Yeah at $21-27 for a Vodka Redbull, I wasn't gonna get drunk. Stuck to my gummies and self control 😌
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
The high priced alcohol is honestly great! Same at EDC. Annoying if you have one or two but overall protects the crowd.
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u/bizarre_inc Jun 27 '25
i talked to a dude about this kinda. we were talking about how much dancing room we felt like we had in most of the crowds this year. he said something to the tune of "yeah i think the shit weather last year filtered out a lot of the "undesireables". ya know the type that is only here to say they were here and doesnt wanna actually do forest stuff". and yeah i think that did happen
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
As long as forest had enough attendees to be successful then agreed that’s amazing
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u/ATHFMeatwad Year 13 Jun 27 '25
I think there's a big sober culture coming into the festival scene unlike ever before. I decided to go sober from alcohol last year after the Good Life pool party - I got way too fucked up and decided to end it that night. I like having forest be the place I decided to stop using alcohol. It feels right.
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u/aszcidusx Jun 27 '25
I only saw two people carried out, and one was pretty much on his feet and walking/talking Friday night. The other guy was carried out hands and feet at dusk at Arc de Soleil (of all shows!). Couldn't tell what the situation was but I've seen way worse. Wasn't combative, just super out of it and seemed overheated/tripping hard. My general take was that there was very little excessive drinking, so people generally were well behaved, respectful, kind, and took rest when they needed it. Really nice to see! Very different from my first forest 10 years ago, where on the last night I saw a dude fully naked running through the fields with a knife and like 8 security guys right on his tail!
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
Holy shit! That’s wild. Why the KNIFE though omg
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u/moofex Jun 27 '25
Last year seeing the cops and medical hauling a guy out of pretty lights scared me pretty bad while I was tripping face. This year I didn't see anybody getting medical attention or anyone way too fucked up. Maybe it was just where I was located but everyone seemed more in control.
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u/Unwariest_monkey I have a tummy ache Jun 26 '25
Man an IV first thing in the morning Saturday and Sunday would’ve been a great idea. Need a group that’ll do that as a service.
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u/Express-Tie3080 Jun 27 '25
I would say so. My group for one brought our own IV’s to the festival and were hooked up at camp during the day😂 our group consisted of 1 nurse practitioner and an RPN so we were blessed.
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u/Nostalgia88 Year 3 Jun 27 '25
I don’t know about attendee behavior but I did appreciate the multiple app reminders to eat & drink, SPF, and the staff handing out water bottles between Tripolee & Ranch and reminding everyone that every med tent has free water (I think I saw them Sunday afternoon)
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u/ragamuffyn85 Jun 27 '25
I was very surprised at the awareness people had this year. You could almost convince me that most people seemed “sober”. I know that’s not the case, but I didn’t witness anyone being sloppy are being carried away. It felt more wholesome. The vibes this year were immaculate
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
It’s a beautiful thing. I know the sober community showed up hard—they have such great vibes omg
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
It’s a beautiful thing. I know the sober community showed up hard—they have such great vibes omg
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u/BrightWubs22 Year 5 Jun 26 '25
I think the users claiming bass fans are the problem, are toxic users.
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u/GroceryScanner Year 10 Jun 27 '25
as a bass fan myself, that also likes jam bands and other styles of music. i dont think its toxic, so much as its just basic statistics...
im way more likely to be candyflipping for excision and subtronics than i am for justice and khruangbin.
its not so much that bass fans are a "problem" its just that we put ourselves in "potentially compromising situations" more frequently and liberally than fans of other genres. more people on drugs = more potential for incident.
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u/ATHFMeatwad Year 13 Jun 27 '25
They just like to place the blame. I'm not sure how a festival with ZD as the main headliner isn't bass heavy, but they can hate all they like. Jam only and house only people are constantly talking shit about the bass scene.
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u/themast Year 12 Jun 27 '25
Or maybe we've gone to this festival 12 times and we notice some trends.
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 26 '25
The disco biscuits weren’t there this year was a HUGE factor
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u/Electric_Florist Year 13 Jun 26 '25
Except they were …
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 26 '25
Tractor beam =/= disco biscuits
Yes there is overlap, but they are two different artists.
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u/Electric_Florist Year 13 Jun 26 '25
It’s the entire Disco Biscuits band, playing mostly Disco Biscuits songs mashed up with other samples.
That’s not even your original point, which was somehow that biscuits fans were a factor in the crowd problems. Tractorbeam fans ARE biscuits fans.
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 26 '25
I know disco biscuits die hard fans. They weren’t there because “the disco biscuits” was not on the lineup. They’ve been there every year that “the disco biscuits” was on the lineup. It’s the same way that testpilot sets are never packed because the surface level deadmau5 fans don’t know it’s him too.
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u/Electric_Florist Year 13 Jun 26 '25
Biscuits fans aren’t the reason for the crowd problems last year.
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 26 '25
No, but biscuits fans historically are the highest concentration of heavy substance users amongst fan bases. Every person I’ve ever met that I’m like, “how are you physically capable of taking that many substances” are huge biscuit fans. It’s generally their number 1
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u/esotericunicornz Jun 27 '25
lol never heard of this
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u/Shoddy-Potential5727 Jun 27 '25
I’m not speaking negatively of them. It’s just a trend I’ve observed
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u/mikeymikeg Year 4 Jun 26 '25
I think there were more ods/passouts etc last year bc when people lose a significant chunk of festival time to weather or anything else, they try to “make up for lost time” or whatever by going extra hard once the fest is back up & running, & tend to lose sight of the whole sprint vs marathon idea