Summer Festival Survival Guide

The only summer festival survival guide you need

If you’re going to be heading to a music festival this summer, don’t wait to get start getting together all of the things you will need. Of course, summer festivals are lots of fun, but if you don’t take the proper measures to get ready in advance, you could end up sunburned, dehydrated, and miserable! Here’s what you need to know to be ready for a great time at a summer festival.

Getting All Your Gear

When you are starting to get all of your gear together for the summer festival, there will be a few logistics you will need to consider. Where is the festival? What will the weather be like? Does it have the potential to rain or get cold at night? What kind of wildlife will be there? Mosquitoes? Snakes, if it’s in the desert? Will you be camping or staying in a hotel? If you’re camping, will you be using a camper or a tent? How will your access be to food and water?

Depending on the nature of your accommodations, you’ll need to get different gear. Here’s an approximate list of the gear you will need to get you started:

• A sleeping bag, pillows, extra blankets. You will probably want to invest in a fairly nice sleeping bag, especially if you will be in the desert, as it can get surprisingly cold at night. Of course, you won’t want to go and spend thousands on a sleeping bag as you can pretty much count on all of your stuff getting some rough wear over the course of the week/weekend.
• A good quality tent. Make sure this is a good tent for the festival location and make sure it is secure against any wildlife specific to the area.
• Plenty of food and water bottles. Some venues do not allow you to bring food and water into the actual concert area, but you should be able to keep it in your camper or tent. You may be allowed to bring in sealed water bottles as well. Be sure to pack plenty as you don’t want to get dehydrated.
• Sunscreen, bug spray, and aloe in case of sunburns. You should also bring a small first aid kit, just in case. And don’t forget any medications that you need. You may also want to bring extra medication and store it in a secondary place like in the glove compartment of your car.
• Clothes for all types of weather: light jacket for evenings or a coat if it gets really cold, a rain slicker and rain boots, a sun hat, sunglasses, good walking shoes, shorts, tee shirts, jeans, plenty of socks, etc. Be prepared for all types of weather and unexpected weather changes.

Accommodations

When you are actually getting ready to coordinate your trip, you’ll need to look into a few things:

• What hotels are available in the area? How far ahead do you have to book to get a room? Are they in your price range? How will you get from your hotel to the festival? If there’s a bus or metro, what time does it stop running? If you’re on a budget, you may want to consider using something like VRBO for accommodation, especially if you are going with a large group.
• Is there a designated camping area? How much does it cost? Can you rent a camper to share with friends or is it more economical to do a tent for yourself and one or two others?
• How will you get to the festival? If you have to fly, can you get a rental car from the airport? Or is there public transportation you can use?

Remembering Everything Else

Of course, going to a summer festival is all about having fun, so don’t forget to bring all of the items you’ll need to guarantee a good time!

• A bathing suit and towels or blankets for spreading on the ground.
• A canopy tent to block out the sun. This is especially important during the day before the music starts up again. Having shade is crucial for lasting all day in the sun.
• Booze! You’ll have to be careful about getting your alcohol into the venue as some places have some fairly strict limitations on what you can and can’t bring in, but once you’ve figured out those logistics, make sure to bring a range of fun and interesting drinks. A fun idea would be to order some mini champagne bottles for you and your friends to conveniently carry around with you and to toast each other with.
• Bring a mini radio for downtime, a frisbee, beach ball, water guns, etc.
• Bring a cooler and, depending on the restrictions of the location, you may be allowed to bring a mini grill.

And of course, come prepared for a good time! Summer festivals are a great way to celebrate the good weather and free spirit of summer, so plan to relax and have fun! You’ve got a drink in your hand and you’re away from the office enjoying some music and sunshine. What could be better?

What festivals are you headed to this summer?