The Ultimate Camping Festival Packing List

Do you want to become a festival veteran, overnight?

Festivals are multi-day, marathon events that require you to be prepared. 

Any festival veteran will tell you that it takes dozens of festivals and years of trial and error to know what to bring andhow to pack for a music festival.

Luckily for you, the lunchbox FAM has your back! Your lunchbox comes with the knowledge of theentire lunchbox FAM packed into it. Whether this is your first festival or your fiftieth, you’re now armed withall the tips and tricks you’ll need to become a festival veteran, overnight. Not only will you get through security without an issue and speed through water lines, you’ll also get to enjoy the music without worrying about the security of your stuff. 

The lunchbox itself instantly levels up your festival experience, but it doesn’t stop there. Knowing how to pack your lunchbox like a pro protects your festival experience and ensures that you can focus on what really matters--the music and the community. 

Without further ado…

...Everything You Need to Fest Like The Lunchbox FAM 

Cell Phone: This one’s pretty obvious, until you leave it behind. Your phone isn’t just how you stay connected with friends -- it’s how you check lineups, receive event updates, and capture the photos and videos that will preserve your festival memories forever. For your convenience and safety, be sure to secure your phone in the phone pouch on the front of the lunchbox shoulder strap for easy access and visibility. If the phone pocket feels stiff or too small, don’t be afraid to tug at it! It will expand slightly and the mesh will mold to fit your phone snugly- the only exception is if you have a grippy case that will get caught on the mesh.

Dust Mask/ Bandana: Have you ever been to a festival with a lot of smoke and fog machines, only to wake up congested the next morning? If so, it’s time to up your dust mask game. More than a fun rave fashion accessory, dust masks are a great way to avoid dust inhalation and upper respiratory illnesses at festivals. Just wrap one around your wrist, neck, or lunchbox and check festival rules ahead of time to see what is allowed! Plus, they look badass and level up basically every outfit.

Single-Pack Wet Wipes:Between dust, mud, hugs, and sweat, festivals can be pretty dirty. Plus, you never know when the port-o-potties are going to run out of toilet paper, or even worse, soap. Single-pack wet wipes come in handy when you want to clean your hands before you eat or freshen up after a long day of dancing. It’s key to bring single-use wipes so you can bring the cleanse without having to sacrifice space in your bag. Trust us - your friends will thank you for it. 

Pedialyte/LiquidIV/Electrolytes:We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, festivals are marathon experiences. Between the heat, the dancing, the lack of sleep, and other ways you might be celebrating, it’s easy to become dehydrated and lose electrolytes. Hydration is the key to a successful festival, both during and afterwards, so make sure to replenish often.

Pashmina:This one’s a FAM favorite. Repeat after us…

Bring a pashmina toevery music festival!

This is an essential item! Stylish and fashionable? Check. Provides warmth if it gets cold? Check. Gives you something to sit on? Check. Can wrap it around your head or neck to protect your ears? Check. At lunchbox, every new member of our company is given a pashmina on day one--we’re NOT kidding around when we say this is one of the most versatile festival hacks!

External Battery + Compatible Cords (charged):Your phone is only useful if its charged, so make sure to bringfully charged external batteries and charging cables to stay powered through 10+ hour days. Luckily for you, lunchbox has got you covered with our battery pack pocket and wire charging pathway. Simply string the charging cable through the pathway and plug it into your phone in the shoulder strap pocket. 

High Fidelity Earplugs:Here at lunchbox, we know that noise induced hearing loss is no joke (our founder is partially deaf). In fact, it’s irreversible, so you NEED earplugs to protect your hearing at festivals. Seriously, don’t skip this one. High fidelity earplugs are more of an investment but will only filter out toxic levels of noise, meaning you can still hear the music the way it should be heard without leaving damage behind.

Bluetooth Speaker:This one is one of the more clutch pro-tips for making friends easily, especially for camping festivals. Stick one of these portable speakers in your outside side pocket so you can keep the tunes going on the walk to and from the festival stages, or even back to your campsite. There’s nothing like having some slow beat music to walk to as you return to your tent in the dead of night. Plus, everyone on the walk back gravitates around you--after all, you’re bringing the vibes! 

Keys: When it’s the end of the night, the most annoying thing to track down before you get home to your hotel or camp is your keys - finding them is always a struggle. To make sure your keys stay safe and accessible, hook them onto the clip in your juicebox compartment! That way at the end of the night you know exactly where to find them, without the hassle.

There’s also a few checklist items you should always bring in your bag, even if they aren’t super sexy. These essentials include: 

• Hand Sanitizer**:  This one has never been more relevant than it is now. Be sure to use hand sanitizer liberally and often after you use the bathroom, before you eat, or just because. Share it with your group to make sure everyone stays healthy.
• Gum**:Having a handy pack of gum is a great way to make friends and freshen up during the fest (especially for when you find that rave bae)
• Chapstick**:When you’re hot, moving around, and dehydrated your lips are prone to dryness. That’s why we recommend you pack some chapstick in your lunchbox to be prepared. 
• Disposable Poncho:While checking the weather forecast the week of the festival is smart, it’s better to go in with a “prepared for anything” mentality! Disposable ponchos are small and light but you’ll be so glad you have one if it starts to rain. Just don’t leave it behind as litter!
• Tissues:Let’s be honest, by the end of the festival going to the bathroom can be a real challenge. Porta potties run out of toilet paper fast so it helps to have tissues on hand for you and your friends. Bonus points if you have wet wipes instead. 

** It’s important to bring these items UNOPENED or SEALED, as security will usually not let the opened product in! Make sure to bring multiple for each day of the festival!

Hand Fan:Festival season happens during some of the hottest months of the year, and given the crowds and dancing it is easy to overheat. Hand fans are a great way to get some relief while at your favorite stage, and “clack” to the beat of your favorite artist. Fan those around you to spread the good vibes and keep the crowd moving to the beat! Just be sure that you don’t clack them too much in someone’s face - read the people around you!

Sunglasses (inexpensive):We hope all of your festivals are bright and sunny, but without preparation, you might be walking around blinded by the summer sun. At lunchbox, we understand taking your sunglasses on and off as you go in and out of venues and spaces can be a hassle (we lose them ALL the time), so we built a sunglasses pocket right on the front strap for easy access and storage. PSA: it’s a festival. Don’t bring your favorite designer pair, as you might lose or break them. 

Wallet (ID/cash/debit/credit):While a photo ID is always important to bring into the venue, you should feel safer bringing in your essential forms of ID and payment with a lunchbox to protect your stuff. PSA: It’s always good to have some cash on you as a backup, if payment machines fail or you lose your wallet, but be sure to check the specifics of how to pay inside the festival. Some fests now only accept funds pre-loaded onto your wristband - don’t get caught unaware!

Pack Stuff for Others - Gifts/Toys/Kandi:Here at lunchbox we firmly believe that the best part of the festival experience is the festival community, bar none. We’ll be honest - our best advice is to be considerate of others. Our second best advice is bring gifts, kandi bracelets, crafts, and toys with you! Tons of attendees bring creative, fun gifts to festivals that are for trade, not for sale, which gives you the opportunity to meet other people and walk away with some pretty cool treats too!

But wait, there’s more!

Extra Tips & Tricks For Using Your Lunchbox: 

• Tie a shirt, pashmina, or bandana around the bottom of your lunchbox straps for easy transport. It gives you the ability to bring more layers without filling up valuable compartment space. 
• Buy and clip a walkie talkie to your front straps if cell service isn’t working and you need to communicate with the rest of your group.
• Secure your lightshow battery pack with the button facing outward so you can turn the lights on and off without unzipping your pack. 
• Don’t cover your bladder pocket with EL wire - you need to be able to get in to refill your water! 
• In case you need a reminder, lunchboxes stand out in a crowd! Hold yours up to help find your friends, or have your group leader wear one so everyone can easily follow the lights through the crowd.