If you wish to follow the rally around for the full 3 days (or 4 if you intend to visit the Shakedown, as well), then you need to be prepared !

The forests of Wales can be particularly nasty in November, but some pre-planning can make it a very enjoyable experience. As long as you make sure that you have enough spare clothes to change into when your original ones inevitably get wet, you will be ok.

I have followed the Rally of Great Britain around now since the early 1990's, and include here some tips which I have picked up over the years: -

You don't need a 4x4 or a big transit van, but I would recommend you keep to 2 people per car. In a family size car such as an Astra, Vectra, Mondeo, etc you will definitely have enough room for all your extra clothing and food.

A hatchback is a better option. You can fold the rear seats down and make a decent bed in the back. I have a saloon at the moment [a VW Passat], and that is also fine. As long as the rear seats can fold back, you will be ok.

I've tried sleeping in the front seats, and even when reclined it is not the same as sleeping in a flat area, where you can at least move around a bit in the night.

One word of advice is to not treat your car like it is a rally car. I have found to my cost in the past that if you drive over rough ground, even very slowly, getting to or from a stage carpark, you are likely to damage the underside of your car, which would not only cost you a lot of money, but would also mean your rally will be cut short. At the end of the day, it's just not worth it. Leave the rallying to the experts !

2. Sleeping

Most important is a good standard sleeping bag. Many people who I have spoken to over the years have had an ordinary sleeping bag which they would use in the summer. Believe me, investing in a decent sleeping bag will be very welcome when it comes to spending a few nights in a car. It doesn't often snow in November these days, but you never know ! Always be prepared. Over a period of three or four days you will need some sleep, so having a good nights sleep will further enhance your enjoyment of the rally. You should be able to buy an excellent standard sleeping bag for around £20 - £30.

When I arrange the car for the rally I always put the back seats down. This is a good idea if your car allows this. I also use some old caravan bed cushions to act as a mattress, covered by an old sheet. Don't bother using new sheets or covers - they are bound to get muddy, so best advice here is to use something that you don't mind getting dirty. With the "mattress" covered by a sheet it can become a very comfortable bed if you have a warm sleeping bag. The advantage of having it ready in the back all the time is that you can arrive at the stages late at night, and not have to bother making the bed in the dark.

I always use the rear of the car to keep all the clothing, etc whilst travelling. When I sleep I usually put my clothes bag on the drivers seat, making sure that the clothes that I will put on first in the morning are easily accessible.

Make sure that some items are easily accessible during the night. A torch is always handy, and if you have a parcel shelf this is an ideal place for an alarm clock. Always take one and preferably a spare. There is nothing worse than preparing yourself for an early start and then oversleeping.

3. Safety

Throughout your visit to the Wales Rally GB, you will be advised that "Motorsport can be dangerous". It is. But it is only if you don't plan ahead and look after yourself. Marshalls from the local motoring clubs are in full force around the busy spectator points, but if you venture into the forests a bit deeper, the marshalls will become more and more scarce. This is the time when you need to take care.

Remember that rally cars, whether they are the top WRC cars or the privateers down at the bottom of the entry list, can appear from nowhere in a split second. If you haven't allowed yourself room to get to a safe area, you are not only endangering your own safety, but also that of the driver and co-driver in the rally.

A lot of people do walk in the road from point to point during and stage, and then when the marshalls blow their whistle they get out of the way as soon as they can. Try not to do this. The best way to keep safe, and also keep the marshalls happy is to find a good spot before the stage starts, and aim to stay there for a while.

Some parts of stages also allow you to move about from one point to another behind the taped areas. Use these if you can, although it is not always easy making your way through a part of a forest (sometimes in the dark).

Once you think you've found a good spot to spectate at, make sure it is safe. If a car has an "off" is there somewhere for you to go? Are you above or below the level of the road? How long is it before you can see the car approach to when it actually passes by you? These are all questions you need to ask yourself.

If you are in one of the busy spectator areas, the marshalls will obviously not allow you in dangerous positions, such as on the outside of bends, but also remember that this is an FIA rally - the final round of the World Rally Championship, and if they are not happy with the safety at a particular point on a stage, then they have the power to cancel that stage. This has happened in the past, not only in the UK but on other rounds of the WRC. Beware. Don't be the one to get a stage cancelled !

If you keep to these simple guidelines, you will enjoy a much safer rally, and will also keep the marshalls and the FIA happy.

Obviously everyone has different needs with food. However I have picked up some tips over the years. If you can, go to a supermarket before the event [or preferably on the morning of the first day]. This way, the food you get will at least be fresh for a couple of days.

Good food types to take with you: -

Bananas - Excellent fruit for energy, and a good basic food which can fill you up if you are in the middle of a Welsh forest with no other source of food.

Chocolate bars - Apart from being very tasty, most bars such as Mars and Snickers are packed full of nutrients and are also quite small so can easily fit inside pockets of a coat.

Pasties - These are not everyone's favourite food, but I certainly think they are a cheap alternative. They will usually keep fresh for 2 to 3 days [especially as the car will be cold most of the time]. Pasties and sausage rolls are also quite light, so can easily be carried around in your coat pocket.

Drinks - Whether you're in the forests all day or travelling around, try to have some water with you. With the amount of walking that you are likely to do, together with the possible lack of sleep and living on fast food, you are likely to become dehydrated unless you do something about it. A small bottle of water is a good idea to keep with you at all times. A cheap alternative to the isotonic drinks which you can buy is to take a bottle of water, drink 10% of the contents, fill up that 10% with concentrated orange or blackcurrant squash and then add a pinch of salt (if you have any available !). This type of drink will ensure your body salts and hydration levels are kept topped-up.

At most stages there will be catering, which is normally to a high standard considering the conditions. For more information on the catering at each stage, please look at the Stage Information section of this site.

5. Clothing

The correct clothing will be essential to your enjoyment of watching the rally. If you need any help with choosing the correct clothing, take a look at the Performance Clothing website on http://www.performance-clothing.com. They are a company based in mid-Wales specialising in clothing for Rallying and other outdoor sports.

Working from the bottom up: -

Footwear:

I take as many pairs of socks as I can physically fit in my bag. If it is wet and muddy, socks easily become uncomfortable even with the best footwear. As a rule of thumb, take at least 2 pairs of sports socks for every day you will be at the rally. Also take some thick walking socks, which you can buy at any decent outdoor pursuits shop [such as Milletts]. Look at Millets website on http://www.millets.co.uk if you need any help.

Probably the most important piece of clothing you need is a very good pair of walking boots. Over the course of the rally you will do a lot of walking, some of it on very rough terrain [depending on how adventurous you are]. Because of this you will need a pair of boots that are waterproof or at least don't let water in unless submerged, but are also comfortable to wear and walk in. Spectating usually involves a walk followed by a lot of time standing around. Make sure your boots have been "worn in" before November. Having bad blisters could ruin your enjoyment, and you may miss out on walking an extra ½ mile to find your ideal spectating location.

The boots I wear are not expensive. I bought them in 2002 for less than £50 from Millets. Make sure that they have good grips, and fasten high up your foot - some mud can get deep ! In 2000, I was spectating on a stage where at least 10 people fell over right in front of the crowd, on a steep bank. Firstly, this makes you look stupid and secondly, it can be dangerous - one of those people were taken to hospital with a broken ankle. Don't make the same mistake ...

Legs:

Of all the parts of the body, the legs are probably the area where you don't actually need to have the most layers on, simply because you will probably be doing quite a lot of walking to get to your viewing location in the stage.

However, don't let that fool you into thinking just a pair of jeans will do. If you do wear just jeans, imagine what you're going to feel like after standing in the rain for 2 hours.

I am also an athlete and so keeping warm, especially in the winter is of second nature to me. Fortunately, some of my athletics clothing also helps me to keep warm when spectating at a rally.

If it is particularly cold, I usually wear a pair of full-length running tights or tracksters first (after underwear of course !), followed by a pair of tracksuit bottoms (fleece-lined if possible), then a pair of loose-fitting jeans, finishing off with a pair of waterproof lightweight trousers (again which I use for athletics). Obviously you can do away with the waterproofs if it is not raining, or if you are in for a long walk. Unless you have an expensive pair of waterproof trousers which allow air to circulate you will end your long walk feeling very sweaty and uncomfortable, which will then make you feel colder when you stop and find your position. However, even if it is not raining when you leave the car and start your walk, this doesn't mean it won't be raining in 2 hours, so always take a pair of waterproofs with you.

Body:

Your torso and arms will not be doing much work when you're walking to a stage or when you're actually spectating, so it's important to keep these warm. A simple rule which I have learnt over the years is to have plenty of layers, but keep them thin, apart from your coat.

If it is particularly cold or wet, I usually start with an ordinary short-sleeved t-shirt, followed by a type of running top which I love to wear. I have only got two of them and they are getting quite old now, but combined with other clothes they keep me warm and dry in all weathers. All they are is a very thin top with a hood, but the theory of thin layers here certainly works. They were a bargain when I bought them - they only cost me £3 each, and I have certainly got my use out of them.

On top of these running tops I usually wear a long-sleeved fleece, or in extreme conditions an extra long-sleeved t-shirt as well. Some fleeces which you can buy at any outdoor centres can be very good, some can be quite poor. Don't go for the most expensive by any means but just be aware that you get what you pay for. You don't necessarily need a waterproof fleece because you will have other layers on top of it, so don't waste money there. I also have some really warm ASICS fleece-lined tops which I used for athletics, and they are perfect.

Once you've got your fleece on, you'll be feeling warm now, so the next layers of clothing will depend on the weather conditions. If it is really raining hard, I now put on a lightweight showerproof coat to go underneath my proper "Rally" coat. My rally coat is not 100% waterproof (mind you what is in the Welsh mountains in November !), so by the time the rain has got through that, it has to come up against another layer of semi-rainproof material. This always gives me enough time to get to a stage, spectate for a few hours and get back to the car to dry off.

If it is not raining but cold I just put my "Rally" coat on, and carry my lightweight coat. I bought my coat from the Network Q Rally Show in Cheltenham in 1998. It cost me £70 in a sale, and is the warmest coat I have ever owned in my life. When at the rally many people have got Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford, etc jackets on, which can cost up to £200. Well, I am quite happy with mine. It is a British Rally Championship forest jacket, which I bought from the Performance Clothing stall at the show, and it takes a persistent 2 hours of heavy rain to get through it.

Hands:

Rather obviously, a decent pair of gloves is a must here. I did try to get away with a pair of fingerless gloves one year, to have less weight and bulk to carry around, but they were a waste of time. The best type of thin, lightweight gloves I have found over the years are ones made from Thinsulate. Have a look at their website at http://cms.3m.com/cms/US/en/2-147/creFFFX/view.jhtml. It's a good idea to take at least two pairs, because they generally get wet and muddy, and are easy to carry as they're so lightweight. Hands and feet are specially susceptible to the cold, being the extremities of the body, so these need to be kept warm when standing around.

An example of some Thinsulate Winterfleece gloves.

Head:

	Everybody knows about the statistics of losing heat through your head. Most experts say that you lose at least half of your body heat on a cold day through your head. There are various reasons for this, far too technical for this website, but bascially it means you need to wear a hat. If there is one thing that stands out with rally spectators it is their fantastic choice of headgear ! You will see an almost unparalleled amount of wacky hats when you visit any rally in the world, especially the colder ones such as Sweden. But are they all good ? Most hats are good, and will do the job, but personally I would stay away from baseball caps. Ski hats, like the Subaru one pictured on the left are much warmer, and do tend to keep the heat in better. If it is really cold, I sometimes even wear two. The best place to buy one? I would suggest either the Rally Show or at any of the larger stages, where you will find merchandise galore, and hopefully some good bargains if you search hard enough.
Subaru Ski Hat

6. Other Equipment

Apart from clothing, there is also more equipment which you could take with you if you want to make your time at the rally more comfortable. An essential item in my view is a small size rucksack. Any type will do, and it doesn't even have to be particularly waterproof. When you have found an area to spectate you can easily keep the rucksack dry by storing it under some trees (plenty of those in the Welsh forests !). The rucksack pictured here is of the Karrimor make, with a mesh back to help stop perspiration.

A rucksack can be a good storage space for a pair of lightweight, waterproof trousers, a lightweight coat, food and drink, a torch if you are walking to the stage in the early morning before the sun rises, and also the stage information and maps. If you are in a group or a couple, a small rucksack will have plenty of room for all this for two people, and if you have a long walk to the stage, at least you can take it in turns to carry.

Having a good quality torch is essential if you are planning to spectate at the very early or late stages of any of the days, as the daylight is short-lived at the end of November. The terrain over which you may walk can get very rough in the forests, so you will need a torch to ensure your ankles survive. Another reason for a good powerful torch is perhaps not so obvious, although it will be if you have ever been to Sweet Lamb in the evening. Once darkness descends, it's basically a competition to see who has the most powerful torch beam. Each side of the bowl shine their torch beams on each other, and for hours it's as though there is a strange morse-code language going on. Make sure you have a powerful torch - it's more fun if you do.