Essential packing list for long festivals.

Festival season is approaching. Whether you’re new to it or been doing it for years, it’s always a compromise on comfort on some level.

There are a few key items you can add to your festival packing list that can make the world of difference to your experience, for little cost. If you're going to a longer festival, like Glastonbury or Burning Man, they're must-haves to last the week. Here are our favourites.

SLIDERS

Get a good pair of sliders for camping and you will never look back. Perfect for slipping on when you need to nip to the portaloos, or hanging outside your tent without having to spend 5 mins lacing your boots up.

TENT SPACE

You might get away with a stifling 2-man tent while you’re young - it’s often a necessity because you’re also broke. If you’re a festival regular, a bigger tent is a must. You can keep it tidier, and you’ve got space to host some afters or a private space for some ‘sit down dinners’. Facebook Marketplace is a haven for people offloading large tents in great condition for a fraction of the price you’d buy new.

USB AIR PUMP

If you’ve got the space to bring it, an inflatable air bed can make the world of difference to your festival experience. If sleeps a challenge for you, anything less than comfortable can flat-out ruin whole days of your festival. Midnight deflations are always a risk, so small handheld air pumps that charge via USB are a secret weapon. You’ll be the saviour of many neighbours in your campsite too.

A WEARABLE TORCH + GOOD TENT LIGHTING

There’s nothing worse than a bright blue-toned anxiety light in your eyeballs at 2am. Soft warm-toned tent lighting can make the world of difference to your afters vibes. Your tent will be tidier too as you’re not strewing your clothes about trying to find your bits with just a phone torch.

By the end of the festival, portaloos can become frightening and terrible places, so a torch is essential for staying on the right side of grim. A headtorch is great for carrying round your neck (not on your head - let’s not blind people) or you can get some nifty ones to wear on your wrist.

THE RIGHT SNACKS

If you’ve done a few festivals in your time, you’ll know that what your body needs days deep into a festival is quite different from what fresh-you fancies in your pre-supermarket dash. Protein and salt help keep your overworked body going. Strong flavours are needed to get through to your faded taste buds. A favourite recommendation is the ‘Festival Charcuterie Board’ - pre-packed salami or jerky, cheese minis, some olives or pickles, dried apricots, cranberries and nuts, and red wine (if you drink). Anything fresh is a nice idea, but soon gets soggy and squashed.

A GREAT WATER BOTTLE

As well as keeping your calories up, any experienced raver knows that hydration is key to having a great time. Invest in a litre or larger insulated bottle, fill it up with cool water, and you’ll be clinging to it like a haven of chilled wellness day and night. Remember you can empty it to get it past security, and free tap water is a legal requirement in a lot of countries.

A GREAT COOL BOX

When you’re a few seasons deep in your festival career, you’ll find that a decent cool box is a solid upgrade to your camping set up. Filled with beers, soft drinks and ice, you’ll save a packet from buying in the festival. Do keep in mind though that bars are one of the only places independent festivals make their money.