Rave Survival Tips

The term “Rave” came into existence in the 80’s, it was used to describe an Acid House party where people dressed in outrageous clothing and danced all night to cheesy techno beats. From a parent’s point of view raves are not a safe way to spend a weekend and if my daughter said she wanted to go to one, I’d probably place her in the nearest convent. However, if you had asked me that question when I was 20, I would have told you that I had a friend who said they were great….as long as you know how to stay safe.

There WILL be drugs! Those signs that say safety zone, drug free zone, etc. aren’t worth the neon poster board that they’re printed on. If you are serious about going to a rave, you’d better know what people are offering you. The most common drug that you’ll see at a rave is MDMA (“Ecstasy”). No drug is safe, but there are different degrees of danger. Simply telling someone not to take drugs is unrealistic, that’s a personal choice, but at least make it with your eyes wide open to the dangers. Do a little research on some of the things that you’ll be most likely to encounter.

Go with someone that you know well, preferably someone who has been to a few of these parties. I know that this may come as a shock, but there are some VERY bad people out there. Having someone slip a little something into your drink is more common than people admit, so take someone that you can trust to watch your back.

Ok, enough raving about how dangerous a rave can be, let’s get down to the important part. What should you wear? The answer to that is, absolutely anything. Since you’ll be dancing, and partying, be comfortable. Wear loose fitting, light clothing. As far as colors go, anything neon is popular, along with glow sticks, LED shirts, and wild wigs. Fitting in isn’t really a problem, the more you stand out, the more you fit in. It's all about having fun.