Festival Kit List

Festival Kit List

by: Lowri

Our definitive packing list designed to help you survive a bumper crop of summer festivals. In style.

Odds on, you are planning to go to at least one festival this year.

Festivals have become a summer staple. A rite of passage. It’s amazing – these days, as you’re sitting there while Shaznay trims your bangs, the typical question is no longer “Where you going on your hols?” but “Which festies you going to this year then?”

So it follows that you’ll need to be super-prepped for whatever you have planned. This country is cold and changeable. You are leaving civilisation in a small way, and will be (virtually) sleeping outside - so packing a bikini, flip flops and a smile for a weekend at Glastonbury is likely to result in misery and an unhealthy reliance on friendly people with blankets. Ill advised.

If you’re comfy you will have more fun. Trust me. This cut out and keep packing list is my absolute saviour when spending 4 days at a party in a field. There are some things you can get by without, but most things are essential – or they are if you want to roll the festival in style. Which you do.

1. A tent. Share with someone fun that you love. Don’t rely on sleeping in your mate's two man tent with everyone else. You’ll be much happier if you have room to sleep, change, eat, huddle if it’s wet and get it on.

2. Duvet, sleeping bag, roll mat. The more bedding you can fit in the better. Sleeping on something will keep you much warmer. Take a pillow case and stuff it with a couple of jumpers as a pillow. This can also act as your dirty washing bag for the trip home.

3.a) Food and booze. Snacks are the way forward. Festival food is delicious and expensive. So cereal bars, bananas, nuts, crisps, apples, oranges and so on will keep you going when you’d rather spend your last fiver on something to get you wasted than on a plate of Jerk Chicken. (I always make the mistake of taking hummous, cheese and salad. And by Friday have a cheesey tent full of fizzy hummous – don’t go down that road.)

b) Most festivals have a no glass policy – so decant that bottle of brandy into a plastic one, buy wine boxes not bottles and bring a massive fold-up water carrier so you only have to traipse to the tap once or twice.

4. Swiss Army Knife. Essential for everything from cutting the sleeves off your catsuit when it’s hot to opening bottles and chopping food. I never go to a festival without one.

5. Waterproof coat and wellies. Optimism alone will not keep you dry. An umbrella is also useful. Bestival 2008 it rained solidly for 3 days. The umbrellas saved us all. Also, take sun cream. Crucial if the sun does decide to make us happy.

6. More socks than you think you’ll need. Plus two really warm jumpers – one to sleep in, one to wear if the other gets wet.

7. Selection of hats to doff at the hotties. Trilby, topper, bowler, fedora, baseball cap, beanie.  Delete as appropriate.

8. Fancy dress. These days, festival fashion is crucial. No millets anoraks in sight. Everyone is super dressed and it’s fun. Tutu, sunglasses, glitter, shiny leggings, catsuit, cloak, waistcoat, ballgown etc etc. It’s worth taking normal clothes too though. See *Practicality.

9.a) Mirror. This may seem vain but without fail everyone crams into my tent to use it.

b)  False eyelashes, facepaint, bhindis, more glitter. Eye make-up remover. Wet wipes. Anti-bacterial hand sanitiser if you’re concerned about (whisper it) swine flu.

c) Animal hats/ears were last year’s festival staple, and lycra onesies.

10. A torch! A head-torch is useful for navigating your way through the tent maze when laden. A big torch which stays in your tent at all times is handy for that 4am loo trip. (Oh, and bog roll is helpful too).

11. Loads of bin-bags for dirty clothes, shoes, rubbish etc, plastic ground sheet for sitting outside.

12. Contraceptives. You’ll be looking hot and you never know when you’re going to get lucky.

13. Bum bag, pocket belt, small bag, hip flask etc.

14. Camera to capture the love. Pen and paper to document the glory (if you are so inclined).

15. Take nothing you couldn’t bear to come home without – except your best mates.

Image courtesy of the incredible Dan J Wiseberg-Austin.

For goodness sake check out our Festivals Homepage right now.

Lowri