10 Ways To Thrive At A Camping Music Festival

As festival season blooms, so does the excitement around the camping experience. You’re ecstatic knowing for a few days you will be away from your daily life routine and worries. There you stand, ready to meet new people, new experiences and most of all, dance to beautiful music.

Here are 10 hacks to make sure you thrive while at a camping music festival.

1. Make A Checklist.

You’re on the road, on your way, then all of the sudden you remembered you forgot something. That is why you make a checklist.

Some items that you will want to have on that checklist include a hammock, tapestries, chairs, spray bottle with fan, fanny pack, headlamp, your Hologram Pika T-Shirt, flow art, and maybe make a totem or bring a flag so you can always find your squad.

2. Be Informative.

First, get familiar with the lineup by making a festival playlist for your journey. Enjoy a catalog of playlists from Thatdrop.com HERE or some exclusive DJ mixes from iEDM Radio HERE. Next, get a map, although sometimes it is fun to get lost in the festival grounds sometimes, just not always. When you get to the campsite, get familiar with your surroundings. Leave trail markers, stake a flag.

Also, explore the events’ website, see what you are allowed to bring. Be aware if there are certain car/RV camping passes you need to buy. Download the festival’s app to your phone for set times and potential surprise announcements.

3. Be Weather Ready.

The weather app could state there will be clear and sunny skies for the duration of the festival, but you could never be sure. Spring for a pop-up canopy that you can find cheap at department stores. Always bring an extra pair of clothes and shoes for any cold or rainy weather. This umbrella hat for only $3.99 will do you wonders.

Same goes for your tent; you will need a dry place to sleep, pack a tarp to protect it. Be creative, think how would Survivor Man construct shelter. Thrive by using the rain for your advantage by collecting it for extra refreshing sips. It could get cold, so pack a warm onesie.

4. Bring Food and Water.

Even though festivals have vendors for you to grab food and drinks, nothing quite beats a family meal. Pack your food, coordinate with others on what to bring, make something bomb together. Have at least two pounds of bacon. Bring a flashing water pack.

Koolaid or Gatorade mix is light to pack and will provide plenty of refreshing drinks. Turn that festival water into blueberry juice! Also, Bloody Mary or Mimosa supplies go a long way to get your day started off right. Furthermore, Pedialyte will rapidly replenish vital fluids, minerals, and nutrients.

You wouldn’t be thriving unless you were helping others, so bring perishable goods for food drives like Conscious Alliance who will in return give you a free poster. Plus, you can leave canned goods in the sun all day and when you get back to your campsite, the food should be warm. Finally, bring vitamins and a pineapple or 3.

Photo via The Pineapple Guy

5. Sleep Strategically and Be Comfortable.

When staying up to experience a sunrise set, you will need to find a strategic time to sleep so you can do it all over again. Rinse and repeat. A comfortable place to rest will be necessary. Go ahead, pack an air mattress, moon mats and blankets.

photo credit Colorado Big Game Trophy Wook Hunters

Or, just tie a hammock to a tree and sleep peacefully in nature or to just chill in on the festival grounds. If you really want to step your festival game up, purchase these tents below:

6. Smell Good and Feel Fresh.

If the festival grounds have a waterhole, take the best hippie bath of your life. Also, now most festivals have showers that are miraculous after dancing to filthy music under the sun and stars. Bring travel size shampoo and conditioner. Along with these items, pack your towel and an extra plastic bag to stick all your dirty clothes in.

Not every festival will have first-class porta potties, so pack wet-wipes, toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer. Finally, do yourself a favor and buy an essential oil diffuser, you can be smelling the relaxing scent of eucalyptus verse the grime.

7. Be an Environmentalist.

Leave the grounds better than you found it. Bring trash bags. Many festivals have recycling stations where you could dump all your plastic bottles and cans, take advantage of those. Give a hoot, don’t pollute.

8. Spread Good Vibes.

No matter what happens or what could go wrong, your positive vibes are a huge part of this experience, radiate love and love will find you. Know your camping neighbors, share stories, laugh often and share what you can. If you attend with the right attitude and mindset, you will walk out of there with new friends and one hell of an experience.

photo via Hulaween Facebook

9. Live in the Moment.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what set you are at or what time it is, all that matters is that you are enjoying the moment with your company and being open to discovering new friends, music and experiences. Roam, don’t always have a direction, let the festival guide you. Get lost, lose the phone, appreciate your heartbeat and all the little things in life. Keep an open mind and let loose.

photo credit Live Edits Lab for Okeechobee

10. Make Your Campsite Your Own.

Bring some ways to play music, either live instruments, a portable speaker or even make your own speaker system. Build shelter with tapestries (use zip-ties to put up your tapestries), put up a hammock city, lay down a carpet, bring a stove, portable lamps, chairs, a side table and whatever else makes you feel at home.