The Ultimate Music Festival Packing List

You found it! What follows is the Ultimate Music Festival Packing list! These are the essentials for any camping festival but this list will also come in handy for any other music festival.

This list of what to bring to a music festival is from years and years of attending music festivals of all types and refining our list every time. We believe that being prepared for anything at a music festival is one of the best ways to ensure you have a good time.

Knowing that you have everything you will need is a great way to fully enjoy your festival experience and lose yourself in the weekend of good jams, good vibes, and good company.

If there is anything you think we are missing from the list feel free to tweet us @festsurvival or hit us up on Facebook with your suggestions!

Camping Supplies

Your camp is your home for the duration of your festival experience. If you have ever been camping before you know that forgetting just one little item can ruin your weekend… toilet paper, am I right? This list of music festival camping supplies is one that we consider pretty much complete and if you remember each of these items you are sure to see camp envy in the eyes of your neighbors.

• Tent – Here is a great 4 person option, a 2 person option, and a 6 person option from REI, and here is the corresponding 4 person option, a 2 person option, and 6 person option from Amazon.
• Sleeping bag – Here is the perfect sleeping bag to keep you snug while camping, and here is the link for the perfect sleeping bag from Amazon.
• Extra blankets are a must! (Blanket from Amazon)
• Pillows (Buy on REI or Amazon)
• Air mattress (if you pack this also include a pump or extra batteries for the pump, a patch kit for repairs, and sheets to cover it with, Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Headlamps (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Lantern (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Tarp (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Keep everything charged with a Goal Zero Yeti (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Hammer (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Pocket knife (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Extra toilet paper (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Bath towels, at least one per person and an extra (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Chairs (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Coolers (it’s a good idea to pack a large for drinks and to use as a table and a smaller one for food)
• Febreeze for the tent
• Lysol spray for the tent
• Cleaning spray (Windex, etc.)
• Jugs of water (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Stereo or music player (also include extra batteries, CD’s or whatever you need for this)
• Car inverter for electronics
• Jumper cables
• Tent locks (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Extra car keys (if you are camping with friends you may want to give them extra car keys or keyless entry devices so they can store valuables in the car and have access to it if you get separated)
• Hand warmers, hot hands (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Flag or tiki torches (to mark your campsite so you can find it easily)
• Optional items like a fold-out table (regulation beer pong size or otherwise), or a rug
• Hammock (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Shade Awning – Small shade tents, large umbrellas, and Sunbrellas can be helpful to block out sun and rain during the shows if the festival allows them in the venue
• Tapestries to hang up for decoration
• Ashtrays
• Trash bags
• Dry bags (Buy on Amazon or REI)

Food & Cooking Supplies

As far as food goes it’s up to you what to bring but we try and pack things that are easy to snack on as well as meals that can be easily prepared in the dark or with limited supplies. We always pack lots of chips, sandwiches, and granola bars because those seem to be the things we eat the most. Grilled cheese and soups are also good, especially when it‘s cold outside.

• Athletic Greens – super convenient and keeps you going all weekend long! (use this link to get 5 free travel packs with an order)
• Camping stove (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Extra gas canisters
• Biodegradable dish soap
• Hand sanitizer (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Pots, pans, pot holders (Buy on Amazon or REI), spatulas, silverware, plates, napkins (a good rule of thumb is to figure out what kind of food you are bringing and make sure you have the necessary equipment to prepare it)
• Cups and Tumbler
• Straws
• Ice (fit as much as you can into the coolers, making sure to keep half a bag in the plastic to use for drinks. Ice will be sold on the festival grounds but it will be twice as expensive as in the real world so stock up as much as possible before entering)
• Condiments (butter, ketchup, mustard, etc.)
• Shot glasses
• Flasks (often no glass bottles are allowed inside so put your liquor in big flasks when possible)
• French press for coffee (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Coffee or instant hot chocolate and cider, and don’t forget cream and sugar
• Lots of bottled water
• Coozies (Buy on Amazon or REI)

We put together another great list of food to pack for a music festival weekend of awesomeness here that includes some of our favorite recipes.

Staying healthy for the festival is essential and food certainly plays a role in that, so we put together some tips on how to stay healthy at a festival as well.

Toiletries & Personal Items

You want to stay clean right? If not for you, at least do it for your friends and fellow festival fans. The items on this packing list are often some of the most overlooked and forgotten items amongst even the seasoned vets. Be sure to check all of these items off your list before heading out.

• Travel shampoo/conditioner (Buy on Amazonor REI)
• Solar Shower (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Face wipes (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Baby wipes (there are not always convenient showers available so if you refill jugs of water you can use these to brush your teeth and hair.  Baby wipes can help you stay clean throughout the day) *please do NOT dispose of these in porta potties!
• Toothpaste/toothbrushMouthwash (this is convenient when you are getting ready to go to sleep and you’re too blotto to deal with toothbrushes and water)
• First aid kit (Band-Aids, Neosporin, etc. (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Pain medicine
• Pepto and antacids. Any medications you are taking (birth control, anti-anxiety pills, motion sickness meds, etc.)
• Cold medicine
• Vitamins
• Emergen-c or airborne
• Cotton swabs
• Sunscreen (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Lotion
• Razors or shaving kit
• Condoms (if you don’t mind dirty festival sex)
• Hairbrush, clips, ties, bobby pins, headbands
• Sprix

Road Trip Must Haves

When hitting the road for a music festival you don’t just need the gear for the festival itself, you will need to make sure your whip is ready to rock the road. Some of these items are must haves while others are a luxury and we will let you decide which is which. No festival packing list is complete without including your ride.

• Thule Roof Rack (buy on REI or Amazon)
• Inverter (buy on Amazon)
• Car Seat Organizer (buy on Amazon)
• Seat Trunk Organizer (buy on Amazon)
• Ceiling Cargo Net (buy on Amazon)
• Trunk Organizer (buy on Amazon)
• Seat Organizer (buy on Amazon)

These items are going to make a huge difference in helping you stay organized and free up the car to fit more of your festival goodies. You passengers will certainly appreciate the extra leg room and it will make the drive so much more enjoyable.

Clothes & Gear

As far as festival outfits go it’s up to you what to pack. My only suggestions are to bring things you don’t mind getting messed up because you will be outside partying all weekend and things can get pretty dirty. Especially if there is any chance of rain, make sure to pack extras of everything so that you can put on dry clothes whenever you want to. Also, make sure to bring some long sleeves even if it is a summer festival because if you get a little sunburned it can be chilly once the sun goes down.

• Shoes (pack at least one pair of walking shoes as well as flip flops and sandals)
• Rain shoes or crocs (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Socks (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Skirts, jeans, shorts
• Tanks, t-shirts, hoodies, jacket
• Sleeping clothes, sweat pantsBathing suit
• Bandanas (these can be wildly handy for many reasons as well as for fashion, Buy at Amazon or REI)
• Hats
• Sunglasses (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Belts
• Undies and bras
• Scarves, gloves, skull caps
• Raincoat (Buy on Amazon or REI)
• Jewelry
• Backpacks or Camelbak (Buy on Amazon or REI)

These are the essentials but you should also think about fun stuff to do at the campsite like hula hoops, glow sticks, Frisbees, soccer balls, playing cards, and anything else you like to do. I also like to bring a book in case I need a few quiet minutes away from the madness. Also, a paper and pen can always be good to have around.  People often also wear crazy costumes and things like that so go nuts.  And don’t forget your camera!

If you and your friends play music, bringing instruments can also make the camp hangouts a hell of a lot more fun. Typically an acoustic guitar and a djembe or if you are so inclined you could learn to play ukulele and wow your friends with some singalongs!

We hope this list helps you be more prepared for your upcoming music festival adventure! If you want a handy checklist to download to make sure you never forget anything when packing for a music festival again, we put together a free downloadable checklist here.

As always, get out there and have a blast, and if there is anything you think we forgot please feel free to reach out.