Festival Checklist
Camping at a festival is probably the most varied camping you're likely to see, you'll see groups with large family tents pitched up next to little two berth pop up tents. The gear you take is obviously up to you and your budget, but for the most comfortable festival possible, we've put together a checklist so that all you need to worry about is which band clashes affect your day.
Leave No Trace
Leave no trace is the number one rule of the outdoors, it helps us to care of the green spaces that we all enjoy, this is especially important with regard to festivals which for many years have created large amounts of waste with left behind camping gear.
When the festival is over it's important to take home everything you brought with you, or dispose of items you do not want in the correct way. If for some reason you do not wish to bring your tent home, ask the festival if they have any drop off points for unwanted tents. Even if this is the case, the tent will need to be in usable condition, so please do take care of it. While some people may think that all tents that are left behind are donated to charities, this is simply not the case and most tents left at festivals go to waste.
Discarding your tent creates landfill that is very difficult to dispose of, and we urge all festival-goers not to leave behind any of their camping equipment.
While it shouldn't need to be said, don't destroy other peoples kit either, this only adds to the chance to somebody will leave behind their waste.
One of the main reasons cited for not bringing home a tent is not knowing how to pack it back into its bag, or thinking that it is difficult. The best way to learn is to practise and we promise you that it's really simple, check out the video below for some helpful tips.
What to take to a festival
These are your festival essentials
- Festival Ticket (If you forget this, the rest doesn't matter)
- Money (The queues for cash machines at festivals can waste hours of your day)
- ID (Many festivals need your ID for various reasons, especially drinking)
- Rucksack
- Tent & Tent Pegs
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Mat or Air Bed
- Weather Appropriate Clothing & Footwear (Always take a waterproof)
- Hat
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Torch / Head Torch (For those late night toilet trips)
- Toilet Roll
- Sun Cream
- Dry Shampoo / Wet Wipes (You will start to smell)
- Bin Bags (For dirty clothes and rubbish)
- Duct Tape (Great for repairs, or creating a mad hat out of beer cans)
Tips for Buying a Tent
It's always tempting to buy the cheapest tent you see when you're going to a festival, and while every tent servers a purpose, it's important to work out whether that tent is the right choice. Look out for these things when buying a tent:
- Tent Berth - Whether it's a 2 man tent or a 4 person tent, this rating is measured based on how many people can lay in the tent side by side, this does not include rucksacks and luggage. Always size up on the number of people sleeping in the tent.
- Hydrostatic Head or HH - This figure is a measurement of how much water pressure the tent can take before leaking. The higher the number, the more resistant the fabric. Cheap tents are often single skinned and only really ideal for warm, dry weather.
- Single Skin tents - Cheaper tents will often just be a shell of a tent, this means they're more susceptible to condensation, which is often mistaken for leaking.
Optional Extras
- Camping Chairs (For around the tent)
- Unperishable Food (Snacks, canned food, dried food if you're planning to cook on site)
- Paracetamol (We say optional, but lets face it...you'll probably need it)
- Ear Plugs (Great for protecting your ears against loud music, and even better for getting some sleep at night)
- Portable Charger (Modern phones will not last the length of a festival, and the charging queues can be time consuming)
- Microfibre Towel (These towels dry quicker than normal towels)
- Festival Buggy (Great for moving your gear from car to campsite)
Why not try..
Festival Clothing
We're not going to try and tell you what to wear, and you probably wouldn't listen to us if we did. Here's a list of items you really should take, to make the weekend as comfortable as possible. Even if the weather says it will be one thing, always expect the worst. This is Britain.
- Waterproof Jacket / Poncho
- Hoodie / Fleece (It can get cold at night)
- Quick-drying legwear (Avoiding denim can help for wet festivals, choose a quick-drying material and the chances of it drying for the next days activities will be higher)
- Comfortable shoes/boots (Ideally you'd take supportive footwear, as you'll be on your feet and walking over uneven terrain all day)
- Wellies (The great British summer will eat your trainers alive)
- Hat (Shade at many festivals is a premium, and if it's sunny you can make yourself ill having the sun on your head all day. Also helps if it rains, or if it's colder at night)
- Spare socks & underwear (if either of these get wet, it won't be comfortable. Take dry spares)
Health & Safety
Look after yourself at a festival, if you're on medication make sure you're fully stocked up. Festivals can be dirty places (especially the toilets) so keep yourself clean and safe.
- Personal medications (plus extra)
- First Aid Kit
- Sun Cream
- Anti-bacterial handwash
- Toilet Roll
- Fully charged mobile phone
- Contraception (If for some reason you think a festival is a good place for that type of behaviour)
Please remember..
Do your bit, always bring your festival gear home with you. Buy camping equipment you want to use again and again and in the long run you'll save yourself money.