#Ultimate Festival Survival Kit

So when summer is here, it can only mean one thing to the music lover, Festival Season! The evenings are meant to be spent outside listening to sweet tunes, indulging in scrumptious food, and sipping on chilled cider. It’s all about letting loose and having a blast, you are there to enjoy yourself! However, there are some aspects that you have to take into serious consideration too, for example what you take with you is what you have to live on for a week, so take my advice and pack smart! I, myself have been to a few festivals, so I understand how difficult it can be to pack light, but also efficiently. So, what I have done is put an assortment of must haves together to create the Ultimate Festival Survival Kit that will see you through until the end.

Which Case?

Your case itself is one of the most important choices you will have to make when prepping for a festival and here’s why…

You will need luggage that is extremely light weight. Trust me on this, carrying your belongings to and from the campsite is probably the least fun part of the festival. You will pull up in the festival car park (which is usually in the next field! And a 10 minute walk away from the campsite) and then it hits you, ok so I have to carry my tent, multiple bags of food, and bedding all the way over to my pitch, how on earth am I going to do this? Let’s face it, you just want to put up your tent and organise your belongings in the least amount of time possible. The festival grounds are calling your name and you shouldn’t keep them waiting!

You will also need to think about compatibility. Not only do you have to take clothes and toiletries with you, but you will also need to take other essentials such as food, a tent, bedding, gas cooker, pots and pans, plates etc. and it all has to fit in your car! Plus if you and two other friends are all going in one car then you are going to have to make room for all of their belongings too.

Browse our luggage department for your ideal case. I spent a good portion of the day packing and unpacking different cases when deciding what I would need for my “festival essentials”, and I finally hunted down the perfect festival case. You might be thinking “I don't want a case way too big to take to a festival? Aren’t I meant to take a small compactible case?” I myself thought the exact same thing, that was until I tested it out and the answer is no, size is everything so make sure your case size is perfect!

First of all choose a case that is extremely light weight (so it is light even after you’ve packed all of your belongings!). Secondly consider choosing a soft shell case that has been made from strong material and can withstand any strain from heavy items. By using a soft shell case this instantly maximises the space in your car so there is plenty of room for other bits and bobs. Transportation is particularly important and needs to be easy so look for luggage with wheels if possible as well as multiple carry handles and straps which can be perfect for when crossing rough or flat terrain, like a festival field.

Festival Glamping

I don't use this phrase lightly. Festival glamping is a form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping. Usually when I go camping I take a sleeping bag with me because they’re basic, they take up little room and they keep you warm. Personally I would love to be able to take actual bedding with me, it would be so much more luxurious, but unfortunately bedding takes up way too much room in the car. Plus, I don’t know about you but I don’t want to get my bedding dirty, (I have to sleep in it after the festival too!) and let’s face it the boot of a car isn’t always the cleanest of places. Well, what if I told you that you can take a duvet and you can take a comfy pillow and you don’t have to worry about lack of space? I know that I would be over the moon if someone told me that!

Well feast your eyes on the photo above, I managed to pack a Spundown single duvet and a Spundown pillow in my case; of course if you didn’t want to take bedding with you then this case would be excellent to store extra items of clothing, muddy wellies, a pair of Dubarry leather boots or towels.

I have chosen bedding from the Spundown range as it is perfect for all of your festival slumbering needs. As well as being supremely comfortable and light weight, after a muddy weekend both the duvet and the pillow can be washed at 60º in a domestic washing machine, job done!

Food For Thought

If you have ever been to a festival before then you know that food can be expensive, especially when you are buying 2 meals a day. So what I usually do is take cans of essentials like beans, spaghetti and pasta packets and buy a meal from one of the stalls in the evenings. LocknLock air tight containers come in very handy when it comes to storing food for when you’re on the go. The range provides robust, sealable containers that come in a wide variety shapes and sizes.

Ok so you and your friends have just cooked an evening meal back at the campsite, you look at the time and realise your favourite band is about to appear on stage in about 10 minutes, there’s simply not enough time to scoff down your food and get to the arena in time. You are desperately hungry after all of that dancing you’ve been doing during the first half of your day, what do you do? Well don’t fret, you can still enjoy your spag-bol and get to the main stage in time! Take a stainless steel vacuum food flask and you can keep your food nice and hot thanks to its fantastic insulating properties. But don't forget to take some loose cutlery or a compactable spoon to save space.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes at festivals I need a break from all of the home brewed cider, and just need to indulge in a nice cup of tea or coffee. If you take a vacuum flask it's ideal for keeping your hot liquids at a reasonable temperature for lengthy amounts of time. Tea for two? Choose a flask that comes with two cups, so you don’t have to wait for the other person to stop drinking before you can have your share! Simply pop it inside your case ready because if you are the same as me I would be lost without a cuppa.

You’re at a festival, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t pamper yourself with toiletries whilst you’re there; you are going to need something to keep you feeling fresh. I chose to keep all my cosmetic products safe and sound in a beautifully designed floral Danielle Chevron Bouquet clutch wash bag. Experience tells me that these wash bags have been made from a hard wearing canvas which is what I need if it is sure to withstand all of the bumps and grazes of travelling.

So you might not want to take a whole bottle of shampoo and conditioner with you, or a whole can of hair mouse, but with the Danielle air travel set you can neatly compact all of your essentials into the small containers that are included in the set. Plus you won’t have to worry about leakages, thanks to the waterproof plastic case that is included with the set your festival clothes are free from harm against your leaky lotions.

Dress To Impress

So where do all of my clothes go? All of the festival clothing items can be placed into the main body compartment, this spacious area in my case is perfect for storing all of my clothes and towels. I separated my clothes so they won’t get soiled when I'm living out of your case for a week.

Not sure what to wear to a festival?

From my experience, you won’t want to pack too many clothes because they will weigh you down (just remember the journey from the car to the campsite!) but you will need to pack the following essentials:

1 Waterproof coat

1 Thick & 1 thin jumper

2 pairs of trousers

2 dresses

3 tops

Pair of wellies

Pair of everyday shoes

Always pack extra sets of socks and pants (as you will remember your parents telling you as a kid)

Top Tips:

Double and triple check that you have got your festival tickets.

Take plenty of bottled water (stay hydrated).

Take a small first aid kit, because you never know!

Pack extra toilet paper and don't rely on the mobile toilets to have any.

Most importantly have a blast; I'm sure you’ve been looking forward to this for a while now… Go have fun!