How to Pack Your Lunchbox for a Festival
October 21, 2022
With 12+ hours and multiple days of music, a long festival day can be a daunting challenge. As you face the heat, the crowd around you, packed lines, your preparedness for the day will determine how much fun you actually have.
So, what exactly should you bring to a music festival?
Disclaimer: this list contains a LOT of possible items. You definitely don't need all of these! Everyone is different and you might not know what works for you until you are at a festival. Learn from your own experiences and pack what will help your long days!
First you’ll need your lunchbox, the original anti-theft hydration pack! It’s the world’s first hydration pack that is built specifically for music festivals. It’ll help you avoid having a phone stolen in the crowd, breeze through any water line, and you can customize it to reflect your personal preferences.
It is designed to solve the biggest problems at festivals, before you ever encounter them. Now, onto the good stuff!
Let’s start with the essentials!
FESTIVAL TICKET: Before you leave for the festival make sure you have your festival ticket or wristband, an accepted form of identification, and some cash or a card to pay for food or merchandise with. There are a lot of events and venues going cashless so remember to check the event details before heading to the festival.
PRO TIP: Put your credit card, ID, and cash in a ziplock bag and clip it to the key leash in the bottom of your lunchbox hydration pack. For easiest access when you are ready to use these items, swing your bag off your shoulder and take them out the side pocket, the same way you would for your water bladder.
GERM PROTECTION: It is always a good idea to come prepared with a mask and hand sanitizer. Masks do so much more than protect you from germs- you can also use one to protect your face from the sun, your mouth/nose from dirt/debris in the air, and to accessorize. Other basic items to pack include wet wipes and tissues/toilet paper (in a ziplock to stay dry) for the bathroom. Camping festivals are long weekends- sometimes porta-potties run out of toilet paper and you definitely want to have a back up plan.
EXTERNAL BATTERY: Pack an external battery and a phone cord so you can stay powered on all day and night. We recommend the powerbox which can hold the equivalent of 4 iPhones of charge, and charges extra-fast.
PRO TIP: Put an external battery in your lunchbox and run your phone cord through the top hole of the pack and down the straps so your phone can stay plugged in and charging while it is in your shoulder pocket.
SEALED GUM: An essential we can’t forget is a sealed pack of gum. You’ll definitely want to bring at least one pack for each day, because as soon as you pull it out, everyone will want a piece.
RAIN PONCHO: Be sure to check the weather forecast before each day of the event. If rain is even 1% possible, pack a rain poncho. These are small and inexpensive, and nothing is better than staying dry and warm all day and night. You can even put them in your lunchbox hydration pocket if you don’t want to take up valuable space!
USE YOUR POCKETS: The organization in the lunchbox is meant to help split up your items as well. Use one of four pockets in the top compartment, the two pockets on the straps, or the pocket in the bottom compartment to split up your items as you need them throughout the day.
Protect Your Body During Every Event
EAR PLUGS: High fidelity ear plugs are an absolute essential when raving! A music festival is designed to blast music to thousands of people so be mindful of how loud it gets indoors or the closer you get to the stage. High-fidelity earplugs let in the sounds you want to hear, but protecting your ears from damaging frequencies (and irreversible ear damage)! You can loop these inexpensive earplugs directly onto the outside of your hydration pack with a key ring so they are easily accessible.
SUNGLASSES: Sunglasses are always a great accessory to have that can protect your eyes from the sun during the day and lights at night. You can keep these in the mesh pocket on your shoulder strap. You can put other small items you might want to grab quickly in here as well.
PRO TIP: Keep your lunchbox organized by keeping similar items in small ziplock bags. The clear bags will allow you to see inside to find what you are looking for, and also allows security to check your items quickly.
STAY WARM: Fold a small jacket or pashmina and zip it under the skin on your lunchbox. You can also loop/tie a pashmina around your strap on the hot days when you aren't ready to wear it yet.
COMFORT ITEMS: Other items you might need are eye drops, chapstick, and essential oil sticks. Packing sealed items can also help you avoid having to throw them away!
Let’s Get Playful - Toys & Accessories
Rave toys are fun to use in the crowd and can also help distract you if you are feeling overstimulated. Finger puppets, squishy or plastic toys, or fidget spinners are commonly found in a ravers bag. Pack some extra to hand out to your friends or new people you meet in the crowd!
FESTIVAL GLASSES: Diffraction glasses and kaleidoscope glasses are a fun addition to your bag. These are cute accessories and they offer a different perspective of visuals at a show. They also make these in goggles and single lenses, so pick which works best for you.
FESTIVAL FAN: A rave fan keeps you and your fam cool on a hot day. These fans fold up nicely and can be slid into the outside pocket of your lunchbox. The elastic bands on the side hold the fan securely in place while you rage, but still keep it close enough that you can grab it when you're ready.
PRO TIP: Don't forget to customize your lunchbox! You can easily change the lightshow wires and skins and can change the vibe of your pack. Match different skins to your outfits or create a DIY skin for a unique touch. Try adding chains, pins, kandi, lights, stuffed animals, or anything you feel represents YOU!
TRADING KANDI: Kandi is a long time tradition at music festivals! Kandi are plastic beaded bracelets that ravers trade with the PLUR handshake. Bring extra kandi, cuffs, perlers, or any other creations with you to trade with friends. If you want to learn more about kandi and PLUR, read our article 'what is plur'.
PRO TIP: Use an elastic loop or carabiner to secure your extra kandi accessories, flow arts, and more to the outside of the bag.
FLOW TOYS: Flow arts are really popular at festivals, so you might see hoops, poi, pixel whips, juggle pins, fans, levitation wands, and gloves. There are a lot of other types of flow toys, and you can even create your own. There are also LED options so at night you can really add another layer to the experience. Some of these can easily be packed inside or attached onto the outside of your bag with carabiner clips and some rope.
While preparing for a festival can seem overwhelming, it’s really just a matter of being prepared. When you have the right items, the right people around you, and the right pack on your back, it’s hard to have a bad experience.
Finding the right people may be easier than you think! The ‘lunchbox fam’ is a community of thousands of unique individuals that thrive off of live events. When one lunchbox owner sees another in a crowd, they’ll shout out “lunchbox fam!” and often introduce themselves. We’d love for you to join us! Grab your lunchbox and come an open mind, and you're officially a part of our rave fam.
Ultimately, only you know what you might need. As long as you show up with a good attitude and take care of your body, you are doing it right!
Have your own festival packing tips? Share them with on instagram and tag us at @lunchboxpacks