Music Festivals are a completely different world, and honestly one of the biggest life changing experiences. It was found in a survey, when asking elderly people which moments of their life they’d like to relive, that the #1 most talked about memory was a music festival.
I genuinely think that everyone should experience one festival in their lifetime, regardless of genre. Rock, Country, Hip Hop, EDM, doesn’t matter – music festivals are unbelievable events that are a blast to attend.
As a result of being a DJ/Music Producer, I’ve been to a lot of festivals. Therefore, I wanted to write this post explaining the 11 things you should bring with you to a Music Festival. This list will most likely be helpful for beginners, but even still, you might see a couple things on here that you didn’t think of!
1. Water
Hands down, this is the most important commodity at a festival. With the heat, constant dancing/moving, and various drugs in the mix, you’re going to be unbelievably hydrated. Every festival is different, but make sure you have a system where you can drink water on a regular basis.
My strategy is to bring a gallon of water per festival day (ex. I’ll be 3 gallons for a 3-day festival). You might not drink all of it, as you might not be able to bring it in, but drink as much as possible throughout the festival.
2. Camelbak
Out of any item, this is definitely the most popular on a festival veteran’s list. In case you don’t know, a Camelbak is a mini-backpack that can hold 2-3 liters of water. Not only are they designed to be worn for hours, but they have a tube that wraps around to the front that you can easily bite and suck to drink water immediately. They’re less than $50, and completely worth it.
3. Portable Charger
When you combine horrible reception with tons of filming you get one thing: A low battery. Getting a portable charger can help refill your cell phone’s battery completely on the go – just plug it in and you’re set. One important point I have to make is this: Remember that you’re there for the experience – not to record as many videos as possible. While videos are awesome for memories, don’t be one of those people who needs a video for every single second of the festival.
4. Gas
Now this is more important for a festival where you’re camping, but either way, make sure you have a full tank of gas when entering the festival grounds. If you’re going to a festival next to a city, this may not be as crucial, but you never know – so fill up before arriving!
5. TONS of Food
This one, like the previous one, applies more to a camping festival – but either way, I highly suggest bringing as much food as you can. Focus on non-perishables like trail mix, protein bars, and various snacks.
My favorite nutritional items to bring are definitely protein, green superfood, and Soylent (Powered Food) – the main reason why is that they’re all non-perishable and all you need to do is combine them with water.
6. 5HTP
I’m not going to go into a lot of detail about 5HTP (benefits, chemical makeup, etc) on this post, but this is the most common supplement at festivals. I’m not endorsing any type of drug use, but if you do happen to have drugs that directly affect your neurology – hallucinogens, amphetamines (ex. Molly, Ecstasy, etc), and more, 5HTP will help reduce the neurotoxicity of those drugs.
7. More Clothes
Overall, a good rule of thumb is to bring way more clothes than you think. Trust me on this. Especially with underwear, you can’t bring too much, and I can promise you that you’ll never regret bringing too much.
8. Earplugs
For some reason I’ve seen this notion, both online and offline, that it “isn’t cool to wear earplugs.” I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get earplugs and wear them, as the more events you attend the more you’re damaging your ears. My favorite earplugs are EarPeace, as you can adjust how intense the sound reduction is.
9. Sunscreen
Especially if the festival is outside (90% of them are), sunscreen is an absolutely must. Nothing is worse than having a horrible sunburn and having to keep partying for another few days. Sunscreen is extremely cheap and will go a long way.
10. Condoms
Although sometimes this comes off as a taboo topic, I want to be blunt – it’s a music festival. Make sure you bring condoms, as sex is a pretty common thing at festivals. The last thing you want to do is risk it and then have a complication a few weeks later – always be safe and wrap it.
11. Electrolyte Supplements
Last but not least, electrolyte supplements. Although water helps replenish what you lose, electrolyte supplements really help to give your body everything it needs when dehydrated. Electrolyte drinks and tablets are extremely useful for not only keeping you hydrated but keeping you going for hours on end.
