Festival essentials

[Tinytigertail]

I'm off to my first festival in over 20 years, the weather looks very mixed. Apart from tent, sleeping bags, etc I could do with your top tops on what to take to make my experience a little more comfortable whatever the weather.

A trolly to take your stuff from your car to the field.

A money pouch to go under your top.

A knee length raincoat.

Plasters

Waterproof mascara

Thanks both, we have a trolley and some disposable raincoats (I know they are awful environmentally, but they are left over from DD's Reading trip last year!) Are there usually lots of phone chargers to hire? It's a cashless festival and I was hoping not to take a card but just use Applepay.

Wet wipes
blister plasters
dry shampoo
more socks than you think you’ll need
eye mask and ear plugs for sleeping
an inflatable pillow
ibuprofen
paracetamol
a big water bottle for the tent
carrier bags to carry muddy wellies and shoes home in
phone battery pack
i have a thing that goes round your neck for phone/money

@FanofLeaves great list, thank you!

Take a card. Festivals are notorious for mobile signal issues due to so many phones in one place. If you can't access apple pay you're without a payment method.

Also if you have a power pack, take it. The hireable chargers are generally slow, really expensive and rubbish!

I’ve just got back from a festival, here is my list:
Stove
kettle
travel mug
sun Hat
wool hat
Bug bands
Sunglasses
Hairbrush
Wellies/boots
Plastic cutlery
Battery packs (multiple)
Antihistamines
Bin bags
Duct tape
Underwear
SOCKS
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Coffee
Bug spray
Suncream & aftersun
Hair bobbles
Pillow
Drinks
Camp chair
Wet wipes - full body
Deodorant
Clothes
Pj’s - long
Sleeping socks
Wax ear plugs
Face mask
Toilet paper
hand sanitizer
Campbed
Kettle
First aid kit (sudocreme plasters mircropore etc)
Sleeping bag
Mallet
Tent

Insect repellant
Flip flops / sandals

Crocs/sliders for showers/loo dashes.
Clip a couple of clothes pegs to your tent before you pack it away - they always come in handy.

Crocs or wellies for night time toilet dashes, snacks, water bottles, proper waterproof jackets and ideally trousers as well - dry people equal happy people.

Take power packs, charging points are expensive and often full, take a card in cash Apple pay rejects your payment.

I always take booze as well, I tend to stick to lemonade with pimms added before going as I can hack drinking it warm

Take a picnic blanket and ideally chairs, backs can give up the ghost by day 3

And take patience and a packed lunch as queues enter the site can be crazy - we alway go my motorcycle which means less space for gear but riding past the queues is very satisfying

Arret. There's nothing worse than a bad stomach at a festival, but with booze/sun/slightly iffy food, it's pretty common!

We took a little jet boil stove to make teas and coffees at the tent, it was over £3 each time for a tea or coffee.

We took the little milk sachets like the ones you get in a hotel room so they didn’t need refrigerating (bought on Amazon) tea, coffee, sweetener and a jar of instant hot chocolate and an enamel mug and teaspoon each. We also took individually wrapped croissants and pain chocolats for breakfast.

Do beware of the sun, I got sunburn for only the second time in my life and we found it very cold in the evening so blankets and warm jackets were useful.

Definitely take chairs as per PP

Hope you have a great time

A small plastic bowl, we used a mixing bowl from home, a sponge and washing up liquid were useful as well, I wouldn’t have wanted to put our things straight in the pot wash sink after seeing someone washing underwear in it 🤢

She wees
Bucket, bin liners and nappies / puppy pads for night wees in the tent

Battery lights. Torch. Flag or something on top of tent so you can tell where yours is. Put wrist band on your left wrist if right handed.

Ear plugs and an eye mask. You will get decent sleep with those.

A hat. If you can't face the showers, you can at least disguise your hair.

A onesie to sleep in if it's cold.

If you can get it onto the campsite, a couple of old cardboard boxes. Put them flattened under your air mattress and they will stop the cold ground from freezing your mattress.

Disposable wee bags for night time & emergencies.

Blister plasters, camping stove, frying pan and kettle, a camping chair, trolley, pain killers, washing up bowl. I had a plate, bowl and cutlery, we had pancakes and sausages for breakfast, I also had cereal.

I took a plastic gin glass with me too, bought ice from the coop on site and had my gin and lemonade like a proper grown up😂, the ice also kept the milk cold overnight!