CONTENTS
Rejoice, ye ravers: British festival season is back again. There is nothing like standing in a field with thousands of other revellers who are having as much fun as you are, forgetting their troubles and letting it all hang out. Where else can you sip cider as the finest musicians play your heartstrings, until the sun sets and you decide to hop on the dodgems in your sexy dressing gown? That’s just as British as a summer fete and I know where I’d rather be.
Funnily enough, this is some of the longest exposure to nature a lot of people get. Many people would shiver at the idea of 3 days of camping out in nature, but spend their summer doing exactly that at festivals. But as with any time spent outdoors, you are at the mercy of the elements: rain, shine, gale or mud can all appear in a flash to remix the weather. What’s more, you’ll spend a lot of the day either walking, standing or dancing, which means you are basically hiking. This is a matter of survival as well as comfort. Fortunately, some simple preparation in advance will make sure you have maximum fun in the field.
I have been to 25+ festivals over the last 10 years. In that time I’ve got my packing list down to an art. I’m also not as young as I used to be, so looking after my body is key to making it until Sunday! Your requirements might differ, but feel free to use this list as a guideline for surviving and thriving at your next festival. I’ve not given specific equipment recommendations, but if you’d like some, feel free to ask.
FESTIVAL PACKING LIST
CAMP
Tent - get one big enough to fit you, any tentmates and all of your gear. I recommend going one size bigger, e.g. a 3 man for 2 people. A little porch section is handy for your shoes and any wet stuff. Blackout tents are great as they keep light and heat out to help you sleep. Otherwise, simple is good but bring one you’d use again: there’s a special circle of hell for people that leave their tents behind at festivals
Sleeping bag - your tent may heat up to nuclear levels when the sun is out, but you’ll be surprised how quickly it gets cold at night, even in the summer. Bring a sleeping bag to help you get proper sleep
Sleeping mat - sleeping on the ground is a bad idea. It’ll be cold, and very, very hard, and you will feel like shit the next day. A foam rollmat is cheap but bulky, or invest in an inflatable one that packs down nice and small
Air bed - a comfier, bougier but bulkier alternative to rollmats. For me, worth it for the extra sleep quality. Don’t forget a pump if you need one. And make sure it fits inside the tent! A bedsheet is a bonus to stop you sticking to the plastic when you’re sprawled out of your sleeping bag in the heat of morning
Tent light - for when you return to your tent in the dark and need to find stuff or get ready for bed. Also handy if you’re likely to have people in your tent for afters at the end of the night. You can use a phone torch and a water bottle, but it doesn’t do much for ambience
Pillow - you can use a rolled up jumper, but I prefer something more comfortable. You can bring inflatable travel pillows, but nothing beats the real deal straight from your bed, if you can fit it in your bag
Eye mask - essential when daylight beams into your tent at 6am just as you are desperately trying to fall asleep
Ear plugs - in every festival campsite, there are sesh gremlins playing horrible trance music at 7am while everyone else is trying to sleep, always within 10 metres of your head. Do they even need sleep? Is that even music? Not sure, but nothing is going to get rid of them and so ear plugs really are essential. Silicone ones are best, foam ones are good too. Also consider earplugs for the rave: you can get ones that let you hear what your mates are saying while protecting your only pair of ears from big bass sledgehammers
Camping chairs - there will be times where your group congregates at the tents: mornings, evenings, afters. Having a chair is very handy for these situations, especially at the end of the night or if the grass is wet. You can buy them cheap, and strap them to your bag to carry them in easily
Bin bags - bring enough to bag up your rubbish, and possibly other peoples. Bring a few and split your recycling as you go: there is 0% chance you will do it on the morning before you go home. And don’t even think about leaving your shit for someone else to clear up. I know you paid for a ticket but leaving it for someone else is a shitty thing to do. It’s not a hotel. 99% of the time this is a nice field in nature. Respect the land, respect yourself!
Speaker - for the campsite vibes. Nice for the warm ups and wind downs, as long as you keep the volume respectful (take note sesh gremlins). Try and download your music in advance as the internet signal is usually non-existent
Portable charger - you would do very well to keep your phone alive. Otherwise if you lose your friends, you’ll have no way of finding them and your night will be a lot less fun. And believe me, your friends can poof! vanish in an instant. It’s just the way festivals work. Also your phone is your camera, map, line-up, Shazam for identifying that banger which is definitely the best song you’ve ever heard. Bring a charger that will give your phone at least a couple of charges. You can use charging stations at the festival but that’s just expensive faff which you can easily avoid. Tip: go on airplane mode to save massive amounts of battery
TOILETRIES
Toothbrush & toothpaste - your morning mouth will thank you for it
Paracetamol - for headaches, hangovers, cramps and any other ailments. (Remember that drinking plenty of water will fix your hungover head far better than any tablets)
Antihistamines - being in a field is all fun and games until hayfever strikes, often at nighttime. It’s no fun sleeping with a blocked nose or itchy eyes
Otrivine - a nasal spray and miracle cure for blocked noses. In my experience, the only product that instantly unblocks your nose 100% of the time. A lifesaver when the antihistamines fail
Rehydration sachets - flavoured powders you mix with water to replenish your poor body with essential salts and minerals. One of the best hangover cures out there. You can find them in the medicine aisle in big supermarkets
Berocca - breakfast of champions. Mix with water for a sweet fizzy brew to make you feel human once more. Get the multivitamin ones for extra nutrients and placebo effect
Blister plasters - because blisters will ruin your fun faster than you can say ‘fucking festival feet’. Compeeds are well known known but you can usually buy supermarket brand ones which are much cheaper
Toilet roll - useful to keep in your tent for spillages and the like, and to take out wads with you in case the toilets have run out (which they absolutely will do)
Soap and flannel - all you need for an impromptu wash: pits, bits and call it quits. A kinder alternative to wet wipes which don’t biodegrade and end up sticking to baby seals
Towel - I can highly recommend going for a hot scrub and coming out like Jesus reborn. Skip the 20+ minute queues and go at less popular times like very early morning or late afternoon
Suncream - don’t be the red lobster fool that didn’t bring suncream. Don’t let the sun bake all of the water out of your poor dry body. You’ll be surprised how little shade there is and how quickly everyone else gets there first. If you’re hungover and start burning, you’ll freak out and have a terrible time
Other stuff: lipbalm, hand sanitiser, contact lenses, tampons, etc
WARDROBE
CLOTHES - keep it simple. You don’t need loads; you’ll be amazed what you can get away with re-wearing when you’re outside all day and everyone is doing the same. Save the extra bag space for more important things
Warm layers - for when it gets cold at night, because it will. Jacket, jumper, leggings, anything that covers you up. Go for something that you can pack away or tie around your waist in the rave to avoid you melting. Avoid jeans: not only do they look boring at a festival but they are also useless at keeping you warm and dry
Spare socks - can save your life if your other ones get wet
Sunglasses: keep the sun out of your eyes, or stop people staring into your soul at 3am
Shoes - bring something you’ll be comfortable walking in all day and all night. But something that you don’t mind getting dirty. People will probably step on your feet in the rave, so no open toes. Look after your feet and your feet will look after you!
Wellies - whatever the forecast says, rain is never far away: this is Britain after all. If it does rain and the land becomes a giant mudswamp, you probably won’t want to go ankle deep in it and ruin your creps. Let alone taking them off before bed and putting them back on in the morning. And if your feet get wet you’ll probably get blisters and that may well ruin your festival. But don’t bring wellies as your only shoe option, as they’re a pain to walk in for miles at a time
Waterproofs - you’ll be laughing when everyone else is getting drenched to the bone while you remain smug and dry in your waterproof packaging. Ponchos are great. You can get lightweight packable ones to bring with you: no good leaving them in your tent when it’s an hours walk away and you’re already soaked
FANCY DRESS - why not? It really does make the festival more fun. Agree on a group theme with your mates, or do your own thing. You get to wear whatever you want for a weekend, no matter how ridiculous. What happens at the festival…goes all over Instagram but is still acceptable anyway because that’s festival life, baby.
Practical stuff is best: bonus points for it being warm, light and comfortable. But if your mates want to do a Mario Kart theme and you have to lug around a cardboard car all day…then you’ll still have a bloody good time.
Personally I love a fur coat: you can buy faux ones cheap. It ties round your waist when its hot in the rave, and keeps you warm in the night air. Deep pockets make for ideal hidden beer compartments too.
Funky hats are useful as they help keep your group together when the gang gets split up in a crowd of 20000 people because someone went off for a wee.
Battery powered fairy lights wrapped around your hat/coat/body have the same useful effect and make all your dancing look 100% better
FOOD AND DRINK
WATER BOTTLE - do not forget to drink water. It really is the gift of life and a miracle cure for all your woes. There will be water points everywhere so bring a decent bottle and remember to drink and top up as much as you can. Bring something that will save you from having to carry it around: I have something that lets me hang my water bottle off my bumbag belt, Batman style. Don’t forget to offer water to other thirsty festival-goers - it might make all the difference to them
FOOD - I recommend bringing some food in with you. There is always food to buy from food vendors all over the festival, but you can barely get change for a tenner nowadays and that’s not sustainable for a humble budget. I try and aim for one hot square meal a day, and bring the rest in with me. Bring stuff you can keep in the tent that’s easy to eat: nutrition and calorie value help here. Also stuff that you can take into the festival with you for a quick calorie boost. You might not feel as hungry as usual, but remember this is a marathon, not a sprint, and you need to keep yourself fuelled:
Fruit - sweet and refreshing in your poor dry mouth. Easy peelers (tiny oranges) are glorious little juice bombs that you can share round with your mates in the rave like Mother Teresa. Apples are good because they don’t get squashed. Dried apricots are nice too
Nuts - those little bags of roasted cashews are good as they keep you full and fuelled, Crisps are delicious but don’t do so much for keeping your body going
Cereal bars - are your friend - portable and delicious. The protein rich ones especially so. Shout out to those flavoured Soreen snack loaves - highly recommend
Sweets - ones without wrappers. Jelly Babies are my festival favourite, which is weird because I never eat them any other time. Haribo always goes down well - sometimes the Tangfastics can be too sugary for me, but it’s down to personal preference. Be wary of chocolate which can melt and make you sad.
Dancefloor surprise - bring one secret tasty treat to share with everyone in the rave. Encourage your friends to do the same and see who brings the best. I think the best I’ve seen is a mind-bendingly juicy kiwi. Someone brought chilli olives once - not the bookies favourite but a nice midnight delicacy nonetheless
BOOZE - if it’s your thing - best to bring some with you, because pints cost like £7 each. (It’s nice to support the festival but not all of us have an extra £700 to spend on beers from the bar alone.) There are usually stingy limits on what you can take into the festival, but it’s usually quite easy to get creative and bring in more. Cans are great - don’t bring glass, that’s the main thing security will check for, because broken glass is a nightmare for all concerned. Buy box wine and hide the winebag in your clothes. Pour your vodka or gin into a bottle and pass it off as water - and hope security don’t sniff it. They often won’t accept plastic bottles for this reason - check specific rules before you go. Don’t bring anything you wouldn’t be happy drinking warm!
Hip flasks - pre-fill them with something tasty and take them in with you. I like to take whisky with me because it tastes nice and makes me feel extremely sophisticated. Vodka or spiced rum work well too
FINALLY...
Cash - most festival vendors only take card but you’ll be amazed by when having a bit of cash comes in handy. I once had a fresh watermelon vendor pop up in the middle of a rave and it was a true lifesaver
Tickets - last but not least, don’t forget them otherwise you’ll feel very silly indeed!
Here’s a quick version of the list for reference:
QUICK LIST
FESTIVAL PACKING LIST
Tent
Sleeping bag
Rollmat OR Air bed, pump, bottom sheet
Tent lights/torch
Pillow
Camping chairs
Bin bags
Eye mask
Ear plugs
Speaker
Water bottle
Water carrier
Portable charger
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Paracetamol
Antihistamines
Otrivine
Rehydration sachets
Berocca
Blister plasters
Toilet roll
Soap and flannel
Towel
Suncream
Lipbalm, hand sanitiser, contact lenses, tampons, etc
Clothes
Warm layers
Spare socks
Fancy dress
Sunglasses
Shoes
Wellies
Waterproofs
Food
Sweets
Booze
Hip flask
Cash
Tickets
GENERAL FESTIVAL TIPS
Assemble a good crew - what’s the key to having a good festival experience? The line-up? The weather? No, it’s the crew. You will have more fun at a shit festival with good friends, than at at a good festival with shit friends. And if your friends turn out to be shit - make some more! That’s the beauty of festivals - most people are up for a chat. It’s how I met my partner and many of my good friends
Pick a good festival - not all festivals are alike: there are hundreds of different flavours and there's usually a preference for everyone. That said, some people can go to a big corporate festival where everyone acts like a dickhead and think that's all there is to it. I won't go into detail here about how to pick a good one, but here's my brief personal opinion: the vast majority of people there should be nice, it's not always about the line-up, and preferably there should be some trees or water around!
Stay until Sunday - the most magical day of the festival. All the suckers have gone to bed, and you don’t know how much more you have in you - might as well find out though. Saturday was all about the line-up, but somehow the music is better on Sundays. For anyone that made it this far (and took the Monday off work) there’s one more night of dreams ahead: enjoy it!
It’s a marathon, not a sprint - you will be physically and spiritually exerting yourself non-stop for days at a time - and you spent a lot of money to be here - you want enough energy to enjoy every moment. Keep on top of calories, hydration and sleep quality and you will have a better time, as well as a better return to the real world
Stay hydrated - I’ll say it again. Water is the miracle cure: easily forgotten but universally true. Drink plenty of it and you’ll have a much better time
Prepare for any weather - it is Britain, after all - and we know better than trusting the forecasts. Pack for hot, cold and wet weather, just in case
Don’t bring too much - my list might look like a lot, but it packs down small. Usually festivals involve a lot of lugging from the car or coach, so you don’t want to unnecessarily bring more than you’re willing to carry
Don’t worry if you forget anything - you can usually buy stuff from shops inside, although it’s usually much more expensive than if you bring it in advance. or borrow from the kindness of others
Don’t be a dick - this essential life rule applies to festivals too. Be nice, be respectful of others and leave no trace. The festival gods are real - they see all and forget nothing, and won’t hesitate to hit you with some karma by making your phone fall down the toilet or something equally horrendous. Love the festival and the festival will love you back
Have fun - this all sounds like a very serious affair, but it’s quite simple - do your prep in advance so you can focus every minute on having fun when you’re there!
Comments