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Whether you’re headed to the desert or the city, here are some essentials for every music festival weekend.
Charlotte Maracina Associate Writer
Charlotte Maracina is an associate writer for CNET based in Long Island, New York. When not writing about top products on the market, she’s traveling, binging Love Island or following Harry Styles on tour.
Expertise Charlotte has two years of experience tracking different travel, fashion and lifestyle trends among 18-24 year olds. She studied Communications and Sociology at Belmont University.
The start of Coachella in April marks the beginning of music festival season across the northern hemisphere. Music lovers will travel all over to see dozens of their favorite entertainers and for a weekend of fun with friends. When it comes to festival season, figuring out what to pack can be one of the most difficult decisions.
Sure, you need your Instagrammable outfits, but what else is a must-have for music festival weekends? If you’re camping, your packing list will be quite extensive, but don’t forget about the little things that will help enhance your weekend. Whether you’re going to Tennessee for Bonnaroo or heading to Chicago for Lollapalooza, here are items you absolutely need to pack for your upcoming festival weekend.
In search of a bag to pack in for the weekend? As the name suggests, the Béis Weekender bag is perfect for a weekend getaway. While you may have to cut down on the number of outfits you’re bringing (you don’t really need several changes a day) the Weekender bag can hold a decent amount and still count as your carryon item.
Every festival veteran knows that a small bag or fanny pack is absolutely essential for a jam-packed day of listening to music and wandering festival grounds. My personal favorite is the Lululemon All Night Festival Bag, which is the perfect festival crossbody. The bag is big enough to fit all of my tchotchkes along with my wallet, sunglasses and collapsible water bottle.
Some festivals only allow clear bags to enter festival grounds, which is why a clear mini backpack can get the job done. Make sure to check the bag policy for the festival you’re going to so you know exactly how big of a bag you can bring.
This one is a given. A weekend of music typically means a weekend of drinking, too. Avoid nasty hangovers by keeping your electrolytes intact with Liquid IV. I always drink a Liquid IV before and after I go out.
Water bottles are an absolute must for every music festival. It’s so important to stay hydrated while out in the sun for 12 hours straight. Most music festivals have water bottle filling stations so you don’t need to spend an absurd amount of money on water bottles at the festival. Although they’re not the most insulated, I prefer collapsible water bottles because they can fit in most bags and I won’t mind losing them because they’re relatively inexpensive.
If you’re looking to brighten up your smile before you take approximately 1 million photos in front of an art display on the festival grounds, you need to get Moon’s Midnight Whitening Strips. I’ve been using the whitening strips for about two weeks and am already noticing a difference.
The BodyGlide foot and anti-chafe balm truly are game changers. One of my least favorite things about summertime is my thighs chafing against each other while wearing shorts or dresses. The BodyGlide anti-chafe balm solves all my problems. Both the blister and chafe balm will prevent a lot of unnecessary pain, making them a great addition to every long, hot festival weekend.
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Charlotte Maracina