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My favorite time of year is just around the corner: festival season. I cannot wait for the days I cover myself in glitter and dance the hours away during those warm summer nights, but whether you’re a seasoned festival goer or a newbie to the scene, follow these tips to ensure you have the best festival experience yet!
WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR FESTIVAL BAG:
Through trial and error, I have perfected my packing list to ensure I have absolutely everything I could possibly need for any situation that may arise inside the festival grounds. Here are my shopping recommendations from the basic essentials to the worthy investments.
Clutchloop:
After getting my phone stolen during my first EDM festival ever (RIP to all the beautiful fireworks videos I will never get to see), I vowed to do everything in my power to ensure that never happened again. While I rave about how incredible festivals are to everyone I come across and recommend everyone go to a music festival at least once in their lives, pickpockets are a very annoying and very prevalent problem at festivals all across the country. Therefore, it is best to be prepared. To use it, you just place the anchor sticker onto the back of your phone, slip your phone case on over it, and connect your phone to the clutchloop which then attaches to you bag. It’s that easy! And since purchasing my clutchloop, I have been saved from obsessively checking my bag every few minutes to check if my phone is still in there, and the $25 I spent up front has saved me several hundred dollars I would’ve had to spend on another phone.
LUNCHBOX:
This hydration pack is another rave essential I swear by for keeping my personal belongings protected at all times while also staying hydrated. The straps have two anti-theft, mesh pockets for easy and protected access of your phone, and the two zippers on each pocket lock together and face inward so no pickpockets are capable of sneaking into your bag. The bottom compartment holds a two liter, leak-proof hydrapack bladder, and the top compartment is big enough to store all your festival essentials while also having built in pockets to keep small items organized. Additionally, the hydrapack has interchangeable sleeves so you can change the look of your bag as often as you like. Though the bag is $129, I can honestly say this bag is worth every penny. It is festival friendly so you never have to worry about getting turned away at security, and they sell clear options for festivals that only allow see-through bags. This bag is sturdy, comfortable, holds so much stuff, and I swear this bag was designed by ravers for ravers because every little detail is accounted for. This really is the perfect bag for festivals and if you are a regular attendee, then I promise this bag is worth the investment.
pashmina:
If you go to any EDM festival, odds are you’ll see 90% of the crowd wearing this raver wardrobe staple. Pashminas come in so many patterns and colors, they’re super soft, and they keep you protected from the sun during the day and warm at night. Amazon sells plenty of pashminas if you’re in a time crunch and want express shipping, but Etsy is more sustainable, has more options, and is the better choice for supporting small businesses. If you’re willing to wait until the day of the festival itself, get your pashmina inside the festival grounds. That way you are getting a souvenir that is versatile and has a special memory attached to it. All my pashminas are from every festival I’ve attended, and I still wear them all on a regular basis while reminiscing about my memories from that festival.
EARPLUGS:
Protect your ears!!!! Tinnitus is not fun, neither is going deaf by 40 because you kept going to concerts in your 20s without ear protection. Earplugs are inexpensive, they’re comfortable to wear, and they don’t disrupt your ability to hear the artist at all. 10/10 would recommend!
All the other little essentials:
It’s always the little things that often get overlooked when packing your festival bag, but the small items are usually the most important to make sure you remember. Pack lip balm, hair ties, sunscreen, pads and tampons, and hand sanitizer. You’ll never know when you’ll need it, so always make sure you have it. If you want to make friends in the crowd, the easiest way to do so is by offering someone gum or a trinket. Trinkets are the most wholesome way to tell someone you love their vibe, their outfit, or anything about them. I keep every trinket I’ve ever received, and seeing people’s reactions when they receive a trinket from me is always one of my highlights of any festival experience. I typically give out capybara stickers, but popular trinkets you’ll see people handing out often at festivals are rubber ducks and sprout hair clips. Also another fun festival tradition is to make kandi for the festival and trade them with other people in the crowds using a raver handshake (sorry swifties, but ravers did it first!).
WHAT TO WEAR:
Though music festivals are all about freedom of expression, and no one will bat an eye whether you wear pasties or a onesie, some articles of clothing are just a nuisance to wear and not worth the hassle. While platform boots and heels are gorgeous and may enhance a rave fit, save them for another day, because you will be walking at least 10,000 steps by the time the final act concludes, and you don’t want your festival experience to be tarnished by a million blisters and sore feet — especially night one of a multi-day festival. Instead, I recommend a pair of comfy, broken in sneakers that you don’t mind getting dirty. My favorite festival shoes are these $40 LED shoes which are comfortable, fun to shuffle in, and always get compliments. In terms of clothing, I recommend clothing that is movable and breathable, especially if you plan on dancing all night, because the crowds can get very hot, very fast. Opt for an outfit that you won’t have to spend most of the night holding up or pulling down because it keeps slipping all over the place, because from personal experience, it can get very frustrating, very fast, when you are trying to enjoy the music yet you’re preoccupied trying to hold your outfit together. Accessorize your outfits with pashminas, kandi, or a bucket hat, and for makeup bejewel your eyes with rhinestones and douse your body in glitter. My favorite stores to buy festival fits from are iHeartRaves and Freedom Rave Wear.
TIPS FOR WHILE YOU’RE IN THE FESTIVAL:
You made it in, now what’s next? Set up a designated meeting spot for you and your friends to reunite at in between sets if you split off or happen to get lost. Make sure you’re time stamping all your text messages, because service usually disappears by the time the sun sets. If a festival has an incredible lineup full of all your favorite artists it may be tempting to stay in the crowd the whole time, but make sure to allocate some time to explore the market that sells everything from festival merch to pashminas and jewelry, wander off to a hidden stage and discover a new favorite artist, or sit down in the grass and strike up a conversation with a stranger. While I mainly go to music festivals for the music and to dance, my favorite moments always end up being the unplanned ones.
Wellness and plur:
If you take any advice from this article to heart, remember festivals are a marathon, not a race. Take breaks in between sets to sit down in some shade and have something to eat. Spending $20 on some chicken tenders may hurt your bank account, but your body will thank you for it. Remember to hydrate before you die-drate, and if you are drinking alcohol, remember to pace yourself and know your limit. In the event that you or one of your friends get carried away, do not fret. Find a med tent — the medics are there to help you, not to rat you out or make you feel guilty. If you see something, say something. Never be afraid to ask for help from medical or security staff on the premises, they are there to help!! Festivals are beautiful, fun, magical places where our differences are celebrated and not judged, and our problems are left outside its gates. That being said, festivals can be overstimulating for even the most experienced raver at times, so if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, it’s totally okay to leave the crowd, lie down in some grass, and mentally clock out for a bit.
America’s rave scene was built on peace, love, unity, and respect (plur). The fifth, honorary letter is responsibility. Practice those values as you venture into your next festival and you’ll have the time of your life.