From Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, the summer is all about music festivals. If you’ve gone every summer now for what feels like a bazillion years, you’re likely a crafty veteran. But not everyone knows how to navigate these fests and, even more important, what to have on hand. Being well prepared or not can make or break your experience. You don’t want to be bogged down by having too much stuff but you also don’t want to be without the necessities. Wondering what to bring and/or wear? Read on for our suggestions on summer festival must-haves.
You Can Leave Your Hat On
Not only are hats a fashion must-have at music festivals; they’re practical to boot. They’ll keep your face safe from what could be unrelenting sun. If you’ve been camping at the festival and don’t have access to easy showering, this could also save your hair for a day or two! Whether it’s a giant sun hat, fedora, trucker hat, or a summer newsboy cap, you’ll be so glad you have it (or them). And although a hat is a great sun shield, you want to bring plenty of sun lotion, too.
Throw Some Serious Shade(s)
Just like hats, sunglasses can make a serious style statement along with keeping your eyes safe and make for better daytime concert viewing. While your Ray Bans or those Tory Burch designer cat eyes might be your faves, you might consider bringing trendy but less expensive options to these music festivals. It’s far too easy to lose things in all the chaos, especially if you’ve—ahem—had a few cocktails.
Flats for the Win
Chunky sandals are not your festival friends. You’ll be walking and dancing more than you’d ever thought possible, so just leave those babies at home. Rothy’s flats are stylish, comfortable, sustainable shoes that will get you through while looking super cute, too. Fashionable and environmentally friendly no longer have to be mutually exclusive.
A Flag Marker Makes a Difference
Bring a flag to mark your concert spot and to mark your tent if you’re camping. The huge crowds at these festivals can be overwhelming and, while your ideal plan isn’t to get separated from your party posse, it happens. A bright, easily distinguishable flag is a great idea to get back to your group after bathroom breaks, etc. Speaking of bathroom breaks, you might want to throw in some baby wipes. Just trust us on that.
Lids, Lids Baby
This Cosmo article offers a great idea to bring drink lids with you. This might sound strange but as the article explains, “Whenever you buy water at a festival, they take the lids off. So, you have to drink it immediately, then buy more water in an hour or so when you’re thirsty again. Take some lids with you so you can stick it to the man and decide your OWN water-drinking pace, thankyouverymuch.” The lines at festivals are endless, so anything creative like this that you can do to avoid them will be a huge plus.
Freshies to Feel (Well, Sort Of) Fresh
An unscented deodorant (to avoid attracting bugs) will be your faithful friend during this likely showerless period. And if you haven’t heard about or seen these Freshies (via Allure magazine), they will change your life. Tiny, portable deodorant balls that pretty much fit in your pocket, Freshies are the invention we didn’t know we needed.
Creature Comforts
You have to face festival facts in that you’re not going to get a lot of sleep. However, you want to maximize the time you do have catching some Zzzzs so, if you’ve got a favorite pillow, blankie or sleeping bag, bring it. No one will make fun of you. Bring a Therm-a-Rest or yoga mat to go under your sleeping bag. Also, rain is always a possibility; so make sure you’ve got something that goes over the tent to protect it from leaking. Bring ponchos, too, as you don’t want a few raindrops to keep you from seeing your favorite band(s).
A well-prepared festivalgoer is a happy one. Make sure to bring the items on this list and anything else that will make you cozy and comfy and you’ll surely become a repeat visitor.
