“It was very hard to stay hydrated,” she said.

Stock your campsite

Firefly’s new Big Barrel fest preps launch

Also, there is no running water at the campsite.

Jen Rini can be reached at (302) 324-2386 or [email protected]. Follow @JenRini on Twitter.

Steveance Boyser of Virginia Beach dances with Sarah Grayber in a giant puddle as Snoop Dogg’s performs on The Lawn stage at Firefly on Sunday.(Photo: KYLE GRANTHAM/THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Keep your shoes on

“It was odd,” Eberly said. “We saw that rash on quite a few people’s lower legs.”

Open blisters on the feet are only made worse by mud, Eberly.

That only means one thing when Big Barrel kicks off Friday: mud and lots of it.

Firefly’s new Big Barrel fest preps launch

Preliminary forecasts show that temperatures in Dover may teeter around 80-degrees, but there’s 60 percent chance of rain is predicted for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With those predictions, you may have to pack and repack your backpack. So, as you prep for Big Barrel, here are some things to keep in mind:

And if you are not wearing shoes, infection is especially difficult to treat, Eberly said, since it is nearly impossible to keep dry and dress with Band-Aids. To avoid contracting something icky, she suggests ditching the flip-flops and sneakers and choosing boots and dry, cotton socks.

Watch out for strange rashes

Injuries and rashes related the mud and steamy heat kept the three medical tents stationed at Firefly busy this past weekend, said Deb Eberly, trauma program manager at Bayhealth Medical Center.

Bayhealth had physicians and medical staff on hand throughout the weekend to help the 3,591 people who hobbled and dragged muddy legs to the tents. Only about 3 percent of those patients had to be treated for drug or alcohol-related issues and 28 were transported to Kent General in Dover for follow-ups, Eberly said. All 28 were discharged and did not stay overnight.

DELAWAREONLINE

Firefly fans posted about a strange red leg rash in droves on Facebook.

Her go-tos are sunscreen as well as pain reliever medication, hydrocortizone and aloe cream to apply topically. Hydrate with water constantly.

Heat exaggerated the rash, but she said it was fairly easily treatable with topical hydrocortisone creams.

“It’s always nice to bring wipes,” Eberly said.

Campsites can be up to six miles away from the festival grounds, so pack the essentials, Eberly says.

“You don’t really know what grows through the mud,” she said.

The boots will help with your stability too; slippery mud tends to cause more sprained and twisted ankles.

Keep Benadryl on hand for allergic reactions too, she said.

Probably the biggest tip health experts have for Big Barrel festival-goers: wear covered shoes.

It is possible to contract staph or other bacterial infections from the mud such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a nasty skin rash which is resistant to antibiotics.