With warmer days on the horizon, festival season is soon to be in full swing. Whether you’ve never been to a festival before or you attend them regularly, these items will definitely come in handy to make your experience a whole lot more stress-free!
Here are 14 items to pack when you’re headed to a music festival:
- A pair of scissors
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I can’t tell you how many times having scissors has saved me at a music festival. Tent door zipper stuck and can’t open? Scissors. Loose threads hanging from clothing? Scissors. Struggling to get that snack open because you’re all sweaty from dancing? Scissors.
Be sure to take a blunt nosed one as some festivals may consider a regular one a weapon.
- Wet wipes
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Let’s face it- you’re at a music festival so you’re almost guaranteed to get a few less showers in than you normally would. A quick way to have a “waterless shower” throughout the day if you’re feeling a bit icky is by freshening up with some wet wipes.
- A torch/portable light
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Rummaging through your tent to find something in the dark is extremely frustrating, and using your phone’s torch only drains your battery. Bring along a light source to make your evening tent-trips a lot faster so you can get back to having a good time on the dancefloor.
- Headache tablets
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Between the sensory overload and presumable overindulgence- why wouldn’t you want to bring a few of these along? Just be sure to not mix them with any substances!
- Bottle of water for freshening up
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A water bottle is without a doubt an absolute essential for staying hydrated, but also really works when you need to do a quick freshen-up at your tent like brushing your teeth or giving your face a quick splash throughout the day when there’s no tap nearby.
- Powerbank/portable charger
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Your phone’s battery will most likely be as depleted as you by the end of the night and the charging stations at festivals either have long lines, make you pay for it, or both. It’s always a good thing to purchase a powerbank if you don’t already have one.
- Pocket tissues
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Nothing quite like walking into a porta-potty only to find there’s no toilet paper, especially when you re(eeeee)ally need to go. Keep a few of those bad boys in your bag and you’re sorted.
- Bandana/head scarf for dust
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If you’re going to a really dusty festival, make sure you have something to cover your nose and mouth so that you don’t inhale any dust while dancing.
- Pillow case
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If you’re already a bit heavy on the luggage, save some space that you would’ve used on a pillow and take a pillow case along instead. Stuff it with some of your clothing before going to sleep- voila!
- Mini mirror
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Doing your makeup (if you’re planning to) in a porta-potty is pretty unhygienic and using your phone screen is impractical. Bring along a small free-standing makeup mirror to make your life a lot easier.
- Lighter
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Even if you’re not a smoker yourself, chances are somebody’s going to ask you for a lighter at some point during the festival. It’s a nifty little thing to have to spark up conversations and make new festival friends.
- Safety pins
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Whether it be a little wardrobe malfunction or a faulty tent zipper, it’s always good to keep a few of these on you. You’d be surprised at how versatile they really are.
- Hand sanitizer
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Many porta-potties don’t have soap dispensers and if they do, they usually run out during the festival. Your hands can also just feel pretty crusty when you’re outdoors all day so get a travel-sized one to keep on you at all times.
- First-aid kit
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Camping means thorns or tree branches or any other sharp, poke-y things that we never see coming. There are always medics at festivals but it’s good to have a first-aid kit on you for any smaller cuts and bumps.
While these are some handy items to have, everyone’s experience will be different. As you go along, you’ll figure out all the things to bring along that work best for you. Even if there is an inconvenience or two and you forget something- your festival experience will definitely make up for it!