Writing your own festival checklist is all well and good until you arrive bleary eyed at 7am only to realise you’ve either forgotten pants or, worse, your actual ticket. We’ve all been there, desperately borrowing toilet roll and sun cream but, after almost two years with COVID restrictions, we’ve decided it’s time to get our acts together and do festivals RIGHT in 2022.
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Thanks to yours truly, you can do exactly that: arrive to your arena or field of choice equipped for every outcome, only this time, you won’t have to whip out a Pukka pad and get planning because we’ve done all the hard work for you. Whether you’re a pack light type of festival goer or a seasoned pro who arrives with a cool box and camping stove in tow, our checklist will have you covered and, yes, we’ve even remembered the all-important hydration salts to get that inevitable hangover gone in a jiffy.
We’ve broken our list down into a couple of categories, mainly so that those of you in a hurried panic can find what you’re missing ASAP. Plus, if you scroll right down, we’ve even curated you a ‘click-to-buy’ shopping list of all the best bits (picked by our incredible style team, of course). So, let’s get into it…
Clothes, footwear and accessories:
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Toiletries and first-aid kit essentials:
- Make-up, minis if you can find them (primer, foundation, concealer, setting powder, bronzer, blush, highlight, eyebrow pencil/powder/pomade, eyebrow gel, mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lip liner, lipstick/gloss, setting spray, make-up brushes and sponges)
- Moisturiser
- Lip balm
- Biodegradable make-up remover wipes (shop our top pick)
- SPF for face
- Sunscreen for body
- Aftersun (a must for sunburn)
- Deodorant
- Perfume/body spray
- Dry shampoo
- Two packs of baby wipes or shower wipes (shop our top pick)
- Two packs of biodegradable toilet wet wipes – if it’s a wash out, toilet roll will fall apart (shop our top pick)
- Hand sanitiser (shop our top pick)
- Toothpaste and mouthwash
- Toothbrush
- Tampons, sanitary pads, menstrual cup and/or period pants
- Insect repellent
- Hayfever tablets
- Two packs of painkillers (paracetamol, ibuprofen etc.)
- Plasters and blister plasters
- Any daily medication you take (the contraceptive pill, mental health medication etc.)
- Hydration salts (e.g. Dioralyte) to stave off the worst of the hangover
- Optional: Berocca/effervescent vitamin C
- Optional: Buscopan for tummy aches and bloating
- Optional: Leave-in conditioner or detangling spray
- Optional: Mini shampoo, conditioner and shower gel if you plan on showering
Camping equipment:
- Tent, we recommend buying ‘one man’ bigger in size than you plan to have using it (shop our top pick for two people here)
- Camping rucksack (shop our top pick)
- Roll mat, camping mat or airbed (shop our top pick for one and two people)
- Sleeping bag (shop our top pick for one and two people)
- Camping pillow (shop our top pick)
- Lightweight, foldable camping chair (shop our top pick)
- Expandable 10L water holder for stand-up showering and easy campsite water bottle refills (shop our top pick)
- Tent light (shop our top pick)
- Camping towel (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Camping stove (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Camping cookware set (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Ground sheet (most tents have these built in)
- Optional: Carabiners to hang things off tents/clip things to your bum bags (shop now)
- Optional: Aeropress Go compact espresso maker (shop it now)
- Optional: Shopping trolley for drinks and heavier items (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Camping washing line (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Campsite canopy/gazebo (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Small torch
- Optional: Spare tent pegs (alternatively, check yours are all in good nick before you leave)
Miscellaneous essentials and recommendations from team GLAMOUR:
- 🚨YOUR FESTIVAL TICKET🚨
- ID
- Cash and bank/credit card (top tip: festival cash machines usually charge)
- House keys
- A portable charger (shop our top pick)
- Phone charger lead
- Breakfast bars – you may buy lunch and dinner, but having something on hand for the mornings when you’re too groggy to head to the nearest food stand will be a lifesaver
- Snacks (chocolate bars, Pringles etc.)
- Plastic bags/bin bags for rubbish and wet clothes and towels
- Hair brush
- Compact mirror (shop our top pick)
- Eye mask (shop our top pick)
- Ear plugs (shop our top pick)
- Your alcohol of choice (shop our top pick)
- Reusable water bottle (shop our top pick)
- A lighter
- Hairbands/hair elastics (shop our top pick)
- Condoms
- Optional: Travel speaker (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Inflatable sofa (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Disposable camera (shop our top pick)
- Optional: Biodegradable glitter and vaseline/glitter glue (shop our top pick)
- Optional: A Camelbak reservoir for your water or, at festivals that allow you to have your own alcohol by the stages, transporting your wine/beer/spirit (shop our top pick)
- Optional: A drinks cooler (shop our top pick, it keeps ice frozen for five plus days)
- Optional: Cordless hair tools (shop our top pick)
- Optional: A flag so friends can find you in the crowd or, alternatively, to signpost your tent among the masses
- Optional: A Shewee or Travel Jane for when toilet queues are too long
For more from GLAMOUR UK Commerce Writer Lucy Smith, follow her on Instagram @luceeeeesmith.