10 Ways To Survive Any Music Festival

With camping music festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, and other new ones emerging every year, it seems like everyone has festival fever!

If you’re headed to one of these music festivals this year, we would like to share some tips to help you through any camping music festival:

A photo posted by @coachella on

1. When It Comes To Your Feet, Think Practical!

When people start planning their trip to a music festivals, especially women, a common first thought is what they will wear. With this thought, many forget they are preparing for a camping weekend, not a fashion show. Shoes are one of the biggest things to consider when preparing for your music festival adventure.

Everyone has heard the importance of choosing comfort over style, but often, that
advice goes ignored at festivals. Comfortable and durable shoes are essential for any
music festival because with all the walking and standing over multiple days, you have to be prepared.

2. Mother Nature Could Ruin Your Festival Experience.

Be prepared for all weather conditions, from scorching hot to freezing cold, wind to rain and everything between! We highly recommend bringing ponchos, umbrellas, raincoats, handheld fans, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. Even if you don’t end up using any of it, it’s nice to know you have the supplies back at camp if the weather turns ugly.

3. A Shower Can Improve Your Day Drastically.

Some festivals provide access to showers for a small fee. Even though the lines can be long, after a hot, sweaty and dusty day, there is nothing like feeling clean and refreshed after a shower.

When it comes to showering at a festival, it is best to go when everyone else is on his or her way to the festival for a popular band. If you are not as interested in seeing said band, you can enjoy a shower with little to no wait.

4. Side Bags & Lots Of Pockets Are A Must!

It is common sense to not bring a large, bulky purse into a festival, but when it comes to purses in general, sometimes no purse at all is a better option. When you want to keep your hands free, a side bag is a great alternative. Wearing shorts or pants with many pockets so you can fit your phone, money and any other essentials in them
comfortably is also a great option. The less you have to carry around, the better!

5. Music Festivals Are Marathons, Not Sprints.

Festival days are long and filled with drinking, dancing, walking and little sleep, so
bringing a little something to give you extra energy isn’t a bad idea. Consider bringing
instant coffee or energy drinks. Other things to consider: When sleeping in your tent at night, bring something like a yoga mat or cushion (or for an extra comfy camping
experience, an air mattress) to sleep on. Bringing ear plugs (and even a sleep mask) can also vastly improve your sleeping experience.

6. Leave The Valuables At Home.

There is a time and a place to bring out your best clothes, shoes and jewelry, but a
camping music festival, is not the place. Keep anything you don’t want to get filthy, broken or lost at home.

7. Divide Up Your Money For Each Day.

Don’t bring all of your cash into the festival. Instead, we recommend dividing up a set amount for each day and keeping the rest tucked away safely at your campsite. There are many things on which to spend your money, so don’t blow all your cash on the first day.

8. Stick Together With Your Group.

Festivals can be overwhelming with the high volumes of people and spotty cell phone
service. Plan designated group meeting spots in case someone gets separated from the group.

9. Plan, Plan, And Plan Some More.

It’s impossible to see every band playing at the festival, so it’s important to plan out each day and the bands you want to see. There is a high chance two bands you want to see could be playing at the same time, so choose which you want to see more. Many of the stages take a significant amount of time to walk to, so make sure to leave time to get to each performance. Also, if you are camping off-site, be sure to take advantages of taxis and car services like Uber & Lyft.

10. Don’t Stay Thirsty, Stay Hydrated!

Although this one may be obvious, it’s important to stay hydrated the whole time. There is a great amount of drinking that goes on during music festivals, so be sure to bring a water bottle inside the grounds. You don’t want to end up with a case of heat stroke or
dehydration!