Festival Essentials

So I was asked on Facebook a while back about what to pack for an outdoor festival. These are my festival essentials.

I have been to many festivals over the years and have refined my packing methods accordingly. Tried and tested, these items have served me well during both short and long festival days.

Sunscreen: UV Protection is very important, especially for outdoor activities where shade is limited or nonexistent.  Make sure you apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before heading out for the day and bring it with you to reapply.  An SPF 30 product needs to be reapplied every 2-3 hours while and SPF 50 product needs to be reapplied between 3-5 hours.  My rule of thumb is to reapply face sunscreen every two hours and body every 5 hours.  This goes for lips too!  I reapply my SPF 15 lip balm almost every hour.

UV Protection Haircare: If you are like me and have color treated hair you will want to invest in some sort of UV protection for your hair.  There are plenty of spray and leave-in products designed for this purpose.  I like this one by Alterna Haircare.

Sunglasses:  Your eyes need protection from the sun too especially when you are watching a performance facing the sun: Ouch!  I like oversized frames because they provide the best eye coverage.

Hat: my theory on hats is that they provide good sun protection for your head but are kind of a pain to bring to a festival.  Hats can also get in the way when you are trying to see the stage and are a nuisance for the people behind you trying to see the stage over you and your hat.  If you are going to wear a hat make sure it's low profile like a baseball cap or a beanie.  Beanies are actually nice for cold nights and they are easy to stuff into a pack.

First Aid Kit:  I have learned the hard way many times that it pays to be prepared.  You need bandaids for when your comfortable shoes turn uncomfortable and start giving you blisters and also for any cuts and scrapes.  You will need one or two disinfectant wipes for when you drunkenly fall down that incline and scuff you knees or a similar embarrassing accident.

Earplugs: I always bring them with me but honestly I almost never use them;  This is probably why my hearing is so bad but I find them uncomfortable and awkward because they always pop out of my ears no matter how tightly I jam them in.  I know people who swear by them and use them at every concert.  It is nice to have them when you need them and they take up virtually no room in your bag.

Hand Sanitizer:  lots of people equals lot of germs.  You will want to use this before eating anything.  I like the gel kind because I feel like it works better, but the wipes are nice because they can double as napkins.  Also, when the portable hand washing stations run out of water, and they do quite quickly, you will need this after using the toilets.

Disposable waterless toothbrushes:  I like to have these on hand for when I eat anything stinky;  Garlic fries anyone?  These ones also have a pick end for if you get anything stuck in your teeth.

Flashlight:  I like to have one when I have a long walk back to my vehicle at night;  Sometimes you have to walk through some precarious areas.  This one by Lifegear is a flashlight, a flasher, and a whistle.  The flasher can be fun for night time concerts because it blinks bright blue like a glow stick.

Makeup Remover Wipes: Let's face it, getting back at two in the morning, who wants to wash off eye makeup and then face?  These wipes get the job done.  You can even do it on the fly if you feel like your not gonna make it until you get home.

Smartphone: You will want to document your experience by taking pictures ... and then proceed to send those pictures to everyone you know via social networks. That's why you should bring a smartphone if you have one. This all in one device is nice for taking photos of friends and the occasional selfie.

Camera: I still like to bring my trusty old point-and-shoot with me to concerts because of the optical zoom. When you end up standing a football field's length away from the stage trying to take pictures of your favorite performer it helps to have a good zoom lens.  Most venues will not allow DSLRs or professional camera equipment, but most are okay with point-and-shoots like my lil' Canon Digital ELF.

Headphones: If I am taking public transportation to an event I like to bring my earbuds with me so I can listen to  the performer(s) before the show to get pumped.

Backpack: I have tried many different ways of toting my stuff to festivals and I have to say that I prefer using a backpack.  You don't want to bring your regular purse to an event because it will likely get ruined especially if it's a nice designer one.  Some people like to have a purse like bag or messenger bag for events, but I find that they aren't ideal because you are holding the wait on one side which is not good for your back;  You end up switching the bag back and forth all day which gets tiring.  Also, when you use a purse/bag it's sticking out to the side and when you are packed in like sardines it can be very annoying for the person next to you who keeps getting bumped by your bag while you are trying to awkwardly dance.  Some people use a crossbody bag which is the best option next to the backpack.  I like to use a crossbody for shorter events, but for an all day event where I need more stuff the crossbody just doesn't cut it.  My backpack holds everything I need and I can evenly distribute the wait across my back so I am not getting tired.  The other nice thing about a backpack is that it places some room in between you and the overzealous person behind you who is trying to climb over the top of you to see the performers.  Just be careful when you are trying to dance because the same thing applies as with the purse: you need to be mindful of the people around you and their personal space.  Yes it's hard when you are squished together during standing room only, but even then do your best and don't be rude.

Scarf:  for when it gets cold or you can use it to jazz up an outfit.  Scarves can add whimsy to dull attire by adding instant personality.  If you are crashing at a friends house you can also use it as a blanket or pillow depending on how long and thick it is.

Clothing:  I don't want to get too specific because everyone has their own style and tastes and festivals are a time to show off your personality.  Be creative!  Just make sure that creative doesn't mean uncomfortable.  A lot of outdoor festivals last 12 hours or more a day and the last thing you want is to be adjusting yourself or in pain the whole time.  Dress in layers if the weather is unpredictable and bring a cover up for night (I like my hooded poncho because it doubles as bloth a cover up and a blanket.)  Wear shoes that you will be comfortable standing, walking, and dancing in all day and night.  I advise against anything with open toes because during the course of the day people are constantly dropping food and drinks on the ground and you don't want yuck on your feet.  Plus, the area around some portopotties can get soggy and you really don't want that on your feet.

Festival Tips:

• Stock up on napkins because you will need them when the toilets run out of toilet paper
• Take the money you plan on bringing and double it!  I usually bring at least $100 per day to a festival and that pretty much just covers food and drinks for myself for one day
• Don't bring a ton of food with you;  Eating the festival food is part of the experience and saves room in your bag
• If you can't decide what to wear, wear something black (it's the most flattering)
• Try and sucker someone else into driving so you can imbibe worry free

Best piece of festival advice I have received:  Drink wine instead of beer because it gets you drunk faster and you don't have to pee as much LOL

I will be heading out to two different festivals this weekend with all this stuff.  Maybe you will be there too.

Peace, Love, and Rock n' Roll

Kendrix