Australian music festivals are back in full swing and festival camping season is here! Whether you’re a festival camping pro or complete novice, we’ve compiled the ultimate how to guide, with the must-haves and checklist so all you have to plan is which stage you’ll be at!

Summer festivals such as Falls Festival, Beyond the Valley and Lost Paradise are right around the corner – this means it’s festival camping season!

Each year thousands of young adults flock to parklands all over Australia, attending multi-day music festivals to bring in the new year. And what better way to celebrate than surrounded by mates, bevvie in hand, listening to some of your favourite artists?

As much as festivals are fun and carefree, it can be difficult to know exactly what to take, especially if you’re a camping newbie. Even seasoned campers weren’t prepared for the wet weather of Splendour in the Grass, aptly renamed Splendour in the mud. So, if you’re furiously googling ‘what to bring festival camping’, read on.

A tent is arguably the most important thing you will bring with you to a camping festival as it’s gotta survive possilbe intense heat, winds, downpours. The last thing you want to do is struggle with tent poles during your camp setup when you just want to start chilling.

We recommend a pop up tent like our 2 Seconds Pop Up Fresh & Black Camping Tent, as it’s self supporting, so super easy to assemble and pack away. Leave your sleeping mask at home, our FRESH & BLACK fabric blocks out 99% of daylight, which keeps it cool and dark for when you finally get to sleep in the AM. It’s also waterproof so you’ll be safe from wet weather even in tropical style rain. Still bring earplugs though for the early morning stragglers and early risers pumping music at 9 am.

Unfortunately most festival camping sites have banned gas cannisters, portable gas stoves and BBQ’s, also not providing power – but we know a way around this! If you don’t want to solely rely on expensive food trucks for every meal, we recommend grabbing a portable electric kettle so you can make cup a soup, packet noodles and dehydrated ready to go meals. Alternatively, opt for long lasting snacks that don’t need refrigeration like protein bars, chips or tinned veggies and fruit – you’ll survive without all 5 food groups for a couple days.

You need to be prepared for both ends of the spectrum, bloody hot and bloody freezing – good vibes can only get you so far.

Many festivals are all about self expression and dressing up in fun clothing but there’s only so much warmth you can get from glitter and a thin festival shirt. We recommend taking a waterproof jacket so you can stay warm and dry – just take it off for photos. Alternatively if you still want your outfit to shine, wear thermals underneath! Another very important part of your outfit in wet weather is your footwear – swap out your white sneakers and heels for some good ole fashioned gumboots to evade trench foot.

Now for hot days lets go back to the basics we learnt in primary school – slip, slop, slap, seek, slide.

• Slip on some protective clothing
• Slop on and reapply lots of sunscreen – we recommend using Sport Sunscreen as it’s sweat and water resistant
• Slap on a hat – remember no hat means no play
• Seek shade under a tree, gazebo, tall person
• Slide on some sunnies

Although lots of festivals provide portable showers, the experience can be less than desirable from long lines to potential foot fungus infection. There’s only so many days baby wipes and deodorant can get you through, so at some point, you’re gonna need a shower.

We recommend going for a portable shower like our 10 Litre Pressure Solar Camping Shower, just fill this bad boy with water, pump it up and let mother nature do the rest. If the sun is absent, use a kettle to bring up the temperature of your water instead. If you don’t want to cop a fine, we also suggest bringing a shower & changing shelter.

Not all festivals allow you to camp beside your car so get ready for a trek. Just like taking in the groceries, you don’t want to make too many trips to your campsite, so we suggest a Folding Camp Trolley. This handy trolley makes transporting your gear a breeze as it can pull up to 50kg and is collapsible into just 18cmx41cmx55cm.

Now you’ve got the must-have down pat, here’s everything else you could possibly need to take to a camping festival.

Shelter Essentials

• Tent
• Pump
• Sleeping Bag, Air Mattress & Pillow
• Lamp & Headtorch
• Gazebo & Tarp – Protect yourself from the sun and rain
• Chairs & Tables
• Picnic Rug
• Backpack & Bumbag
• Camp Trolley
• Portable speaker
• Campsite landmark/Flag

Cooking & Coolers

• Big water bottles
• Dehydrated food & ready made snacks
• Esky & cooler bags
• Food Containers
• Cutlery – Fork, Knife & Spoon
• Cups, Bowls & Plates
• Cooking Utensils – Cooking knife, chopping board, pots, pans, tongs, spatula
• Cleaning Supplies – Rubbish bags, paper towels, sponges, dish soap, tea towel
• Camping Stove & Gas – if allowed by the campsite

Hygiene

• Microfibre towels
• Body wash
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Toilet paper
• Deodorant
• Changing/shower pop up
• Solar shower
• Hand sanitiser

Safety & Protection

• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• First Aid Kit
• Painkillers
• Tent repair kit
• Instant cold pack
• Sunglasses
• Hat

Wet Weather

• Wellies
• Protective backpack cover
• Ground sheet
• Water-repellent picnic rug
• Umbrella – check if they’re allowed in your festivals FAQs
• Fleece blanket
• Waterproof jacket & raincoat/poncho
• Hand and feet warmers
• Thermals
• Thick socks
• Beanie

Games

• Ping pong balls – grab the table and cups you’ve already got there and you’ve got beer pong
• Ring toss
• Nerf Super soaker – fill with the liquid of your choice

Personal

• Debit card & cash
• Tickets – camping, car & festival
• ID e.g. driver’s licence, current passport, proof of age card, International Driver’s License
• Clothes
• Medication
• Power Bank and chargers

So by now you should have a pretty good idea about the must-haves and everything else you could possibly need for festival camping but if you’re still after some tips, here are our Top 20 Camping Hacks.