When you head off to a music festival, the majority of people know that they aren’t going to be living in the lap of luxury. It’s all about taking enough with you to get by and putting up with the less than perfect conditions - unless you go glamping, that is!
Read more: Top 24 Camping Hacks
However, there are a few tips and tricks you can do to make life that little bit easier, and be the envy of the whole campsite who’ll wish they’d done the same thing. Check out our list of camping hacks you can use at music festivals this summer…
Portable battery packs
Even the most battery-conscious will find that their phone runs out of juice at some point over the weekend, particularly if you’re taking photos or updating social media all the time.
This is why taking a portable phone charger is an absolute must. Some of them are one-time chargers, whilst others require batteries that you can just replace and keep your phone topped up.
Some mobile phone companies have stands at festivals at which you can leave your phone for a couple of hours and charge it up, so it’s worth looking out for those too.
Make the most of space in your backpack
Getting everything you need for the festival into your rucksack is an art form, although you’re only going for the weekend so leave out any non-essentials or anything too bulky.
Make the most of every pocket, nook and cranny, and even strap things to the outside of your pack if you must.
You could even try this amazing space-saving tip…
Wet wipes
Wet wipes are your best friend at a festival. You can queue up for the sub-standard showers if you like, but why do that when a tub of wet wipes will suffice? For most, a quick scrub with some wipes will be all they need to get by for the day - you’ll be surprised how refreshing they are if you wake up in a hot tent in the morning.
Read more: Camping At Music Festivals - A Beginner's Guide
They’re also just incredibly handy for wiping up any spills or getting rid of mud if it starts raining. Definitely don’t forget these.
Put foam tubes on guy ropes
People tripping over your guy ropes at night is, unfortunately, a certainty at a festival. Alcohol + darkness + thin guy ropes = disaster.
Many tents have brightly coloured guy ropes to try and guard against this, but a much better way of doing so is to use some foam tubing (apparently some people call them pool noodles) and put it around the guy ropes, like the below…
It’s not guaranteed to work every time, but it might just stop a few people from stumbling into your tent.
Dry shampoo
Wet wipes aren’t much good on your hair, so if you absolutely feel like you have to wash your hair then ‘dry’ shampoo might be just what you need. It’s fairly self-explanatory - just give it a quick burst on your hair and it’ll look and feel much cleaner. It’s not as good as having a proper shower but it’ll do as a quick fix.
DIY water lantern
Lighting in the campsite can be a bit of an issue at some festivals once the sun goes down, so you might have to make your own illumination.
Some kind of torch is necessity anyway for navigating through the campsite in the dark, but you can go one step further and make a DIY water lantern to help light up your tent.
Check out our range of camping lighting and torches if you fancy having a go.
Make a flag for your tent
Tracking down your tent amongst thousands of others, even if you know roughly where you’re camped is easier said than done.
One way of easily identifying it from a distance is to make a flag and stick it to your tent. You can go really professional with it and make an actual flag, or you can go for the budget option and put a plastic bag on a stick - just as effective and much easier. Just don’t be one of those people who makes an enormous flag and then stands at the front of the crowd so no-one can see.
Read more: Festival Tents Buying Guide
Or you can buy a tent that stands out from the crowd a bit. Our Easy Camp Carnival tent, for instance, is pretty eye-catching so should help you easily locate it.
Foam floor tiles
You know those big foam jigsaw tiles that young children often have? Well they’re actually pretty handy if you’re going camping.
If you’re concerned about sleeping on a bumpy, uncomfortable floor, then laying down some of these foam floor tiles will instantly make you much comfier when trying to get to sleep.
The only downside is that they’re quite bulky, but if you share the load between a few of you then it’s not so bad. You can always leave them in the car and then nip back to get them once your tent is up.
Bin bags
Don’t underestimate the versatility of a good ol’ bin bag. Not only can you keep your tent nice and tidy, but you can also use them to put muddy or wet clothes in, keeping them separate from all of your dry kit.
Read more: Parents' Guide To Camping At Music Festivals
However, it doesn’t stop there. If the weather is being particularly unkind then, being waterproof, bin bags can help keep you dry. You can rip a few holes in one and turn it into a makeshift poncho or even wrap them over your feet to keep them clear of mud and water.
Toilet roll dispenser
Whilst grabbing a handful of loo roll will probably do for most, if you want something far more sophisticated then this DIY toilet roll holder is a great little trick. It will also help keep the toilet roll dry if it’s raining and can be used around the tent or campfire for general cleaning.
Do you have any festival hacks you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.