As festival season approaches, many of us are preparing for adventures that combine our love for music, community and culture. Whether you’re an experienced festival-goer or a first-time camper, ensuring you have all the essentials is crucial for an enjoyable experience.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the must-have items for festival camping, from practical gear to those special touches that keep your spirit alive even in the great outdoors.
1) Camping Gear
First, we will cover the basics:
- You will need a tent. Probably. Small inexpensive ones will do for a festival weekend, but if you are feeling fancy and want to protect yourself a little more from the heat, you can use a blackout tent
- small rubber mallet or something similar for tent pegs
- Sleeping pad or air mattress
- Sleeping bag
- WARM blanket (it will often get very cold at night!)
- Pillow (or stuff sack/pillowcase filled with clothes)
2) Cooking Supplies
- camping stove
- camping cookware set + eating utensils (deep plate that works as both plate and bowl, cup, cutlery)
- water canister/ water bags
- lighter
- cooler
3) Food Ideas
- instant noodles
- canned foods (beans, lentils, chickpeas, corn, meat or veggies, soup, fruits)
- tortellini or other pasta, tomato sauce, instant rice (most microwave rice dishes can also be fried, read the labels!), dry soup, instant porridge, instant mashed potatoes, pickles
- bouillon powder/ -cubes are a lifesaver!
- ready to eat snacks (small raisin/ chocolate breads, tea-cakes, crackers, bake rolls, nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, sweets, …)
- toast
- processed cheese
- peanut butter
- hazelnut spread
- jelly
- instant coffee or tea
- oil, salt, pepper
4) Other Things
- WARM clothes for the nights (yes, even with 40°C during the days it often gets really cold on the campgrounds at night, I bring my winter coat or sweater)
- jacket, poncho or umbrella in case it rains
- earplugs
- sleep mask
- hat/bandana/thin scarf for sun protection
- first aid kit (band aids, bandages, wound disinfectant, personal meds, painkillers, electrolyte powder, feminine hygiene products, safety pins)
- powerbank
- phone charger
- dish soap
- sun screen
- toiletries, towel, flip-flops
- makeup, styling products and mirror
- paper towels
- scissors/ sharp knife
- trash bag! (we will not leave a trace!)
- small bag or purse for infield
5) Optional Things
- picnic blanket
- camping chair and table, or use something else (eg. cooling box)
- bug spray
- small light for your tent
- duct tape, extra rope, sewing kit
- solar shower bag and bikini/ swim shorts (if you want to avoid the huge line in front of the showers or to use it for washing hands and dishes)
- hot water bottle (for cold nights)
6) General Tips
- for any items you bring, aim for small, foldable, camping optimized stuff or buy travel sizes
- be realistic, bring the essentials but don’t overpack on outfits or things you don’t really need and can somehow live without for a couple of days
- use stuff sacks/ packing cubes to save space
- read and follow campground and infield rules (on the Mera Luna campground for example, you are not allowed to bring glass bottles, at Summer Breeze you can bring a full 0.5L bottle to the infield, so keep some empty plastic bottles to refill drinks and also check what other specific rules festivals might have)
In the end, see for yourself what you need from this list and what things you can live without. And remember, even if you end up forgetting something, the festival community will be there to support you! Just ask some of your neighbors, I am sure they are more than happy to help!
If you want to add to this list, just leave a comment down below! I am more than happy to include your suggestions!
And don’t forget to check out these 10 Festival packing hacks & essentials as well!
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