Festival Packing List: From Camping to Electronics and Clothing [2024 Updated]

Music festivals happen all year round. They act as a wonderful social gathering where everyone gathers to listen to their favorite musicians and bands playing. Whether you're heading to a music festival or any other festival, it is vital to be prepared with all the essentials that will elevate the overall experience and ensure you've everything handy when the need arises.

While creating the festival packing list, make sure you don't end up overpacking the items or miss the ones that are important for the trip. It's also worth checking the festival's rules for prohibited items, like metal water bottles, selfie sticks, and advanced first aid kits with sharp pieces. This ultimate guide will reveal the essential items to make the experience more enjoyable.

Tips for Festival Essentials

Music festivals are filled with fun and a complete sense of freedom. However, you still need to be prepared before stepping out of your home. Here are some tips to prepare the music festival camping list:

Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

Many festivals come with refilling stations. Regardless of the festival you're heading to, make sure to carry a reusable water bottle so you can refill the bottle whenever you want.

Keep Sunscreen Handy

Sunburns can ruin the festival experience. That's why sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is one of the most essential items to carry. Make sure to apply sunscreen to any exposed area of your skin at least 15 minutes before heading out in the sun.

Plan for the Weather

Outdoor weather during the music festival can be unpredictable. For this reason, you need to check the forecast before you head out. Bring a light jacket and an umbrella if it's likely to rain or cold temperature. On the other hand, if it is likely hot, carry sunglasses, a sun hut, and battery-powered fans.

Bring Snacks & Non-Perishables

Your festival packing list is incomplete without non-perishables and snacks. They come in handy, especially if you are camping for multiple days. Some snacks and non-perishables you can carry to the outdoor music festival trip include crackers, dried fruits and nuts, energy bars, and pre-packaged snacks.

Carry a Portable Power Station

Since you'll be carrying electronics like phones and lamps, make sure to have a portable power source to supply continuous electricity. Jackery offers a wide range of lightweight and portable solar generators that can be carried anywhere. The small Jackery Solar Generator 100 Plus is a lightweight, travel-friendly charging solution that can power many small appliances like phones and tablets.

Festival Essentials

Your festival essentials include all the critical items you might need during outdoor music festivals. Here are some critical festival camping essentials:

1. Ticket: While it may sound like the obvious thing to carry, it can slip off your mind at any time. If you don't want to show up at the music festival gate without tickets, keep them handy.
2. Money & Card:Some festival tickets do not include complimentary food and drinks. So, it's better to carry some cash and cards in case of an emergency.
3. Phone: Festival spaces are huge, and you're bound to get separated from your friends or family members. That's why you need to carry a phone all the time and stay connected.

Camping

Camping is one of the evitable parts of music festivals — and if you want to enjoy outdoor camping, you need the right items. Here, we will include the list of camping festival essentials you need to carry.

1. Tent: Choose a tent that comfortably fits all the people planning to camp. If you camp often, consider investing in a 3-season tent.
2. Sleeping Bag: Nobody likes to freeze while sleeping outdoors. So, choose a proper sleeping bag that's warm and comfortable to sleep in throughout the night.
3. Pillows: An inflatable pillow is easy to carry and ideal for camping adventures. You can also consider a travel pillow or a small pillow that is not too hard to sleep on.
4. Foldable Blanket: It's an excellent option for sitting down and watching the music performance for long hours.
5. Glows Sticks: Finding your tent at night can be challenging. For this reason, carry glow sticks and hang them around the tent.  

Tech/Electronics

You'll need to carry some essential electronics on your outdoor festival trip. Here are some of the festival must-haves:

1. Phone: You'll need to carry a smartphone whenever you head outdoors, and an outdoor music festival is no different. It lets you stay connected with your family and friends.
2. Camera: If you love taking high-quality pictures, take the camera with you. Disposable cameras are great for music festivals.
3. Headlamps:You'll need at least a few battery-powered lights to navigate the music festival. For example, you can bring a small torch for navigation, a lamp for a tent, and some fairy lights.
4. Jackery Solar Generators: These portable solar generators can charge most outdoor electronics, such as phones and lights. You can plug the electronics into the Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations and charge appliances anytime.

Clothing & Accessories

Outdoor weather can be unpredictable. Only proper clothing can improve the overall experience and make the trip memorable. Some clothing and accessories must be carried to the festival location, including:

1. Sunglasses:Carry a pair of sunglasses so you don't end up hurting your eyes or looking tired in the photos. You can also pack a hat to keep you cool and prevent sunstroke from direct sunlight.
2. Welly Socks: They are excellent accessories for keeping legs mud-free and avoiding splashes of mud or rainwater.
3. Disposable Rain Ponchos:If it's likely to rain during the music festival, it's best to carry disposable rain ponchos — so you don't have to invest in an umbrella.
4. Warm Sweater: It can be a bit cold at night. A comfortable hoodie or sweater can keep you warm all night.
5. T-shirts & Shorts: If it's going to be hot, consider packing the lightest and funkiest T-shirts with shorts.

Some other general festival outfits include ski suits, jumpers, hoodies, swimwear, and fancy dress outfits.

Medical Items

Next, you need to pack some medical equipment. While some music festivals will have corner shops where people can purchase essential medicines, it's best to be prepared for every occasion.

1. Painkillers
2. Plasters
3. Antiseptic cream
4. Eye drops
5. Bandages
6. Sanitary products
7. Insect repellent
8. Vitamins and supplements

Food & Drink

The foods and drinks you choose will depend on your needs and preferences. One thing to note is that they should be easy to carry and non-perishable. It's better to bring some water bottles to the festival than pay money to buy them.

Check the food and beverages list below to learn some food choices for breakfast, snack, lunch, or dinner. These items can be great meals while building the tent or during the first hour of the festival.

1. Sandwiches
2. Water
3. Energy or Cereal Bars
4. Cooking oil
5. Fruits
6. Vegetables
7. Stovetop popcorn
8. Instant oatmeal
9. Dried fruit
10. Trail mix
11. Granola
12. Eggs
13. Cold cuts
14. Bread
15. Choice of milk
16. Coffee, tea, or hot cocoa

If you plan to cook your favorite foods, consider investing in a cooking pot, mug/bowl, and other small kitchen appliances.

Personal Items

Here are some other personal items you must carry:

1. Hand sanitizer
2. Insect repellent
3. Mirror
4. Spare eyeglasses
5. Contact lenses
6. Brush
7. First aid kit
8. Earplugs
9. Emergency flair
10. Headlamp

Jackery Solar Generator for Festival Camping

Jackery is a well-known brand that manufactures high-quality solar generators, power stations, and solar panels. The Jackery Solar Generators combine Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels to charge indoor or outdoor appliances.

The intelligent Battery Management Technology (BMS) and temperature sensors in the Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations take safety to the next level. The durable and portable Jackery Solar Generators are ideal for outdoor music festivals because they can charge essential equipment, including phones, lights, cameras, and more.

Here are some popular Jackery Solar Generators for festival camping.

Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Plus

The Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Plus has a LiFePO4 battery of 1264 Wh and a high 2000 W output. It can supply steady power to 99% of camping appliances, including phones, tablets, mini refrigerators, car fridges, etc. The large LiFePO4 battery can power cooking appliances like instant pots and coffee makers. It supports an additional Jackery Battery Pack 1000 Plus to expand the battery from 1.25 kWh to 5 kWh.

Jackery Solar Generator 500

The Jackery Solar Generator 500 has an NMC battery of 518 Wh and a 500 W pure sine wave inverter. It features an AC outlet, three USB ports, and a 12 V car output to charge 7 outdoor appliances at the same time. It can charge most of the small appliances required at the music festival, including lamps, phones, laptops, small fridges, and other devices. The portable solar generator can also power medical equipment like CPAP machines.

Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station

The Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station is a mini, travel-friendly charging solution with a LiFePO4 battery of 99 Wh and an output of 128 W. It weighs only 965 grams or 2.13 lbs and can fit in your palm. It is designed to safely charge outdoor music festivals. With the portable solar charger, you can supply safe electricity to phones, tablets, watches, etc.

Conclusion

Festival camping can undoubtedly be a thrilling experience for many people. Since outdoor camping involves traveling to different locations, you need to carry important items and electronics from the festival packing list in your bag. You'll also need a portable power source like Jackery Solar Generators to charge most camping appliances. For example, the Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Plus is a larger backup generator that can be used to camp for multiple days and charge 99% of outdoor appliances.