Expert Festival Packing Guide

Whether it's your first trip to Glastonbury or your tenth trip to Truck Festival, packing the car for those long weekends under canvas is always daunting. Knowing what to bring and what to go without can be the difference between a comfortable weekend away and an arduous hike from the car to the campsite with too much luggage. Luckily, our experts have banded together to compile our essential festival packing list - helping ensure you’re not caught short on the trip to the Main Stage. Whether glamping, camping, or driving the camper van, here is our guide to all the essentials you'll need for a truly epic summer festival weekend!

Your camp is your home - for a few days at least! So ensuring it's comfortable, safe, and set up with everything you’ll need for a great time away is a big priority towards a stress-free experience. First up is the obvious - your tent and sleeping bag. Ensure you select a tent with enough room for everyone in your party and all your luggage (should the heavens open!) Additional pieces to bring to camp include a lightweight and packable travel pillow to avoid getting your home pillows dirty, a sleeping mat to even out the field's lumps and bumps, a lantern or flashlight for that midnight trip to the loos, and a good lightweight camping chair - it will beat sitting in the mud! Nail these basics, and the rest will follow. 

Cooking your own food is the best way to save some money and do your bit to reduce waste at a festival - but to do so, you’ll need to come prepared. A cool box will help keep your food (and drinks!) fresher for longer, while a camping stove, pots and pans, and enough fuel are all you need for a basic camp kitchen (if in a group, you can spread the weight between you all to make it easier to carry in). Remember to bring a camping mug, bowl, and a spork to enjoy what you’ve made!

Remember: Some festivals do not allow cooking stoves. Make sure to check on the festival website before attending.

A large rucksack or duffel bag is often your first thought when packing for a weekend away... But what about the basics? A bumbag or daypack will help keep your essentials and valuables close at hand without the bulk or added weight - perfect when you're jumping up and down to your favourite headliner. With the sun beating down, don't forget to pack a good pair of sunglasses and your reusable water bottle - perfect for keeping hydrated while you seek out some last-minute food. And when the heavens inevitably open, having a good waterproof jacket or reusable poncho, a decent pair of walking socks, and a trusty pair of wellies will see you through the storm (and mud.) 

Festivals are notoriously dirty places, and it’s all part of the fun, but being honest - everyone still wants to feel clean! Pack a microfibre towel rather than a full towel. These are lightweight, quick drying, and great for wiping down a wet tent on the last day! Dry wash is also an underrated saviour for freshening up between showers should the line be too long. Additional handy items to pack include cleaning utensils for camp, a collapsible washing-up bowl, an eco-friendly washing-up liquid, a hanging travel wash bag, sunscreen lotion, a Shewee (for those last-day festival loos), and a first aid kit.

Last up, we have our additional list of items created to help make your festival experience feel as seamless as possible. Packing cubes and dry bags can help separate your clothes from the clean and dirty and are perfect should your clothes get wet from an errant shower mid-set. A headtorch is ideal for a late-night trip to the loos and also proves a great way to find your tent on that late-night trip back to the site after the last act. A picnic rug and blanket are ideal for early morning breakfasts, and a clothesline can help dry off your raincoat and microfibre towel in the sunshine while you dance it up at Main Stage. Finally, don’t forget to bring a trolley for carrying all your stuff from the car to the campsite and back – you don’t want to spend all day going back and forth, or worse, have to leave anything behind!