All The Fun Of The Festival – Essentials To Pack
Everything You Need For Any Music Festival
Today is specifically targeting party go-ers like myself who see the thrill in getting the most out of their weekend.
A Muddy Festival
We’ve all been there and done it, we’ve all got cheap wellies thinking they’ll last us the weekend until you have your sole cleanly swept off with the sticky mud – leaving you with a single foot to hop along to find the nearest festival shop. This is where picking your wellies is vital, for both comfort, quality and naturally to look wonderful. I always go for Rockafish wellies – they’ve lasted me years and even come in a tall range so my knees aren’t drenched.
It’s highly advisable to take a few sets of shoes, as one might be drying or you prefer to keep your toes warm in the tent in a fluffy lined pair of boots. I pride myself in taking a selection; my wellies, my Cat boots, comfy Converse or trainers for when it’s sunny and a fun pair of shoes. This year that’s my Flashez LED trainers.
Entertainment
So unless you’re prepped with a phone charger – which has previously featured in many of my festival packing guides, keeping off your phone is vital in order to save memory for important calls from across the field, taking photos and snap chatting your wonderful time. So I whip a magazine in my bag for back at the tent or when I want a lazy morning in the sun. I’ve been working a lot over the years with Nylon Magazine and they frequently send me copies of their latest editions, it’s by far my favourite magazine and packed full of good advice and stories.
Keeping Clean
Naturally all major festivals have showers, and if you pay a little extra you get hot showers, hair dryers and all those fantastic services that come with paying VIP prices. But one element of going to a festival is that you don’t have to be totally clean. For years I insisted on using baby wipes and antibacterial hand lotion, keeping me bug free and smelling fresh. But also discovering soap on a rope, and there’s a sole reason why our grandparents swore by it, and that it’s small, handbag sized and sneakily can be wiped off with baby wipes if you can’t get to the shower. My watermelon scented soap on a rope is a lifesaver for a quick scrub without the tub.
SPF
I’m seriously going to sound like a parent when I say everyone needs sun protection, for the most obvious of reasons we have no desire to walk home stinging and looking red like a crispy piece of bacon. I’m using EVY Technologies SPF in 30, it also comes in 50 which I rarely see nowadays. I use EVY’s Sun Mousse as it’s a mousse, which sinks in very quickly – all the quicker to locate the glitter!
Festival weather can often be unpredictable, it’s madness how the rainiest of days filled with emergency ponchos can turn into el scorchio the next day. Protecting your skin from the sun is my biggest handbag essential as you’re outside being exposed for long periods of time. Having recently taken over to Majorca and trying it out it was the best product for super quick drying with it being a mousse it’s easy to layer up and blend into the skin quickly.
EVY Sun Mousse was consistently voted Sweden’s No1 safest sunscreen, EVY absorbs into the top layer of the skin for a non-greasy, non pore-clogging finish. This patented ‘Proderm’ technology provides enhanced protection against deeper penetrating UVA rays and stays put. Long-lasting and effective (one application lasts for up to six hours) there are six formulations to choose from, including EVY 30 Kids and EVY SPF 50, as well as EVY After Sun Mousse. All offer more than 90% UVA protection, far above the EU minimum of 33%, and are UVA five-star rated.
A Sunny Festival
So I love heading to Benicassim & Reeperbahn where the temperatures are higher, and the SPF is needed. So when I’m on the beach in Benicasim sipping something sweet I love a striking bikini. I got my handmade jewelled bikini from All That Glitters Swimwear, where my bikini for Benni has stitched jewels that will go perfect will the ultimate glitter chest.
You’ve probably all seen over the years how much I favour my flamingo float, it goes straight onto my parents pool the day it gets sunny. Sunnylife have an incredible range of pool floats. I love my new watermelon ring to match my tote bag. They’re gonna work their way into my tent or apartment throughout all my festivals.
All Those Extras
Splashing out on some luxe items like a funky cup to hold your cocktail and is washable will see your tent life being luxe year after year. Save the environment with red plastic cups and the poor people who have to pick up everyones rubbish, and just keep your funky trophy cup to sip like a queen.
For Dodgy Tummys
Silicea Gastro-Intestinal Gel is the one product that never makes festival essential guides but incredibly important to have on standby. Better safe than sorry if you get ill whilst partying. The aim of the game is to get you back out and having fun, not sitting in your tent feeling sorry for yourself. Personally I’m prone to getting heartburn with all my fruity cocktails I drink and having milk in a tent isn’t ideal so I combat my heartburn instantly so I can run free again.
For Feeling Under The Weather
In my many years of doing multiple festivals per summer, I’ve combatted the reason why I no longer get the post festival blues, and exhaustion. Taking Hubner ImmunPRO Infection Blocker has been a game changer for my overall wellbeing. They’re also yummy being chocolate peppermint flavour. Absolute life saver. It works by creating a physical barrier in the mouth and throat against germs and viruses and is ideal for when close contact with other people is unavoidable. Simply suck one tablet when you are at increased risk for two hours’ protection.
Bug Protection
Mozzies and biting insects are guaranteed to put a dampener on things when you’re outside, what with their dive-bombing and blood-sucking antics. So whether you’re back-packing through South America, chilling in your back garden or camping out at a festival, make sure you’re armed with Zap-It! A small handheld piezo device, it generates a harmless (no stronger than a gentle pinch) low, electrical impulse when ‘clicked’ against a bite. These ‘zaps’, created by crystals, work to reduce histamine flow and stimulate capillaries into flushing out toxins, thereby stopping the urge to itch and scratch. Zap-It! can be used on up to 1,000 bites (that would be unlucky) and is available in different colours from selected health stores, pharmacies, garden centres and Asda and Superdrug shops nationwide.
Hangover Patches
They genuinely work, giving you energy in the morning when your head should still be spinning. It’s obviously important to moderate your drinking, whether that’s water in between drinks or chugging a bottle before you go to bed, detox all those toxins before the next morning but for an extra spring in your step I found Vie Recovery hangover patches to be a saviour. Formulated with essential herbs, vitamins and minerals that will naturally help your body to break down alcohol, Vie Recovery patches use transdermal technology to deliver their active ingredients into the bloodstream through the skin. These include vitamin C, green tea extract, globe artichoke extract, thiamine, taurine and chromium picolinate. Simply apply a patch to a clean, dry and hairless area of your skin before your first drink. Patches can be left on for up to 24 hours. I also team this with my Murad City Skin Overnight Detox Moisturiser, which is an enviromental shield and keeping your skin in its smoothest and best condition, taking care of you whilst partying it up in the woods.
Keeping Hydrated
My festival secret to energy is coconut water and juice. It’s my hangover cure, as it’s packed with electrolytes and good vitamins that keep you dancing all night. I favour Firefly drinks, as well as Ugly drinks, they’re all brilliant at keeping you hydrated and make fantastic mixers if you want to spice up your campfire cocktails. Always remember though all festivals have a no-glass rule so sip them on the way, store them in the car for a morning hit of energy or pour them into your funky cup.
