Don’t forget essentials at summer concert fests

Music festival season is finally upon us. With massive festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo coming up, there are a lot of things that you should know beforehand. Your experience at a music festival can be ruined by not being prepared, so here is a list of a few things you need to know for an optimal festival experience.

1. WATER

Water is your best friend. Almost every music festival is held outside on the hottest day of the summer, and you probably will be headbanging to your favorite bands, so it’s extremely important to stay hydrated. Lack of water could lead to dehydration or even passing out, which would probably ruin your entire festival experience.

2.  APPAREL

What you wear could make or break your entire trip so be sure to dress appropriately. The most important part is your shoes. You will probably walking around and standing for hours on end, so you don’t want to be wearing strappy gladiator sandals or flip flops. For a minute, they would seem like the perfect shoes because they go great with your outfit, but wearing something like that would result in dusty, blistering feet while at the same time, everyone around you would be stepping on your toes.

Also bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and maybe even a bandana. It will most likely be really hot and sunny, so it’s important to protect your skin and eyes from painful sunburns and ugly tan lines.

Fanny packs, though they maybe be a bit ugly sometimes but most of the time really cute, can be really helpful. Unlike with a backpack or a purse, fanny packs aren’t bulky, they’re more secure to your body and there is a smaller chance of something getting stolen out of it.

3. PLANNING

Planning out your entire day can be really useful so you can see all of the acts that you want and not miss any. Write down the acts that you want to see along with the times that they perform or download the app of that festival so you can get notifications of when you should start heading to where you need to be.

4. PHONES

Festivals usually last all day, and you will probably be taking lots of pictures and be needing to stay in contact with the other people you’re with, so a portable power bank or a solar charger would be extremely helpful. Some festivals have water hoses running for if you want to cool down or wash off, so a plastic baggie for your phone might be useful too. Or even leave your phone at home or in the car because you’re supposed to be in the moment.

5. NECESSITIES

Do not forget your tickets. It happens more than you think. Make a checklist of everything you need, and go through it before you leave the house. Also, don’t forget your wallet, keys, sunglasses or anything else that you would need to complete your experience.