Festival Must-Haves, Field-Tested at Lost Lands and Electric Forest

The best festival gear, of course, depends on which festival you’re attending, the weather, your sleeping arrangements, and a ton of other factors. But as a longtime festival veteran, I’ve field-tested enough gear (and made enough mistakes) to have solid recommendations for preventing blisters, dehydration, a dead phone, and other common pitfalls in most situations. You’ll find my top picks below.

Be sure to check out our other related buying guides, including the Best Tents, the Best Sleeping Bags, and the Best Bluetooth Speakers.

Updated July 2026: I’ve reformatted this guide with refreshed picks and a new look. I’ve also checked prices and accuracy throughout.

Best Electrolytes

These electrolytes are my favorite in general, and I especially like them for festivals because the ingredient concentrations are high enough that they actually help with efficient hydration when you’re hot and sweaty. And the flavors are tasty, too, so I can pass them out to my crew and know they’ll actually drink them. Hydration is of utmost importance when it comes to preventing hangovers and “wook flu,” and this mixture can help. Plus, the packets don’t take up much space in your bag or pocket.

Best Outdoor Blanket

I have yet to try a blanket from Rumpl that I dislike. They pack up and unfurl easily, and most of them have enough space for seating multiple people. They also have little hooks to convert the blanket into a cape, which is nice if it gets chilly at camp but you aren’t ready to go to bed yet. They’re also easy to clean, whether they’re covered in dust or grass blades or spilled White Claw.

For just one or two people, this smaller blanket is perfect. It’s thin, so it’s best for summer or as an added layer.

My Favorite Power Bank

I’m not sure what it is about festivals that seems to make my phone die twice as fast, but it’s practically a law of the universe at this point. (It’s likely that the lack of cell service means my phone is constantly searching for a signal; read our tips on how to save battery life here.) Or maybe it’s just overheating in my backpack. In any case, a power-bank phone charger with a large capacity is really handy. This Anker power bank isn’t the slimmest or the lightest, but it charges up quickly and can rapidly top off multiple devices per charge. Added bonus: You won’t be overpaying for the luxury of a charging locker. I bring two of these to four-day festivals and they keep my phone, speaker, Apple Watch, and other essentials charged the whole time. You might also want a MagSafe power bank around as a backup, though I prefer the efficiency of a larger brick.

A Dedicated Friend Finder

The Totem Compass was designed with festivals in mind. It uses satellites and its own proprietary mesh network to let you find your friends without any cell service or Wi-Fi. No more manually time-stamping your text messages or waving your phone around in the air trying to get a signal. Once these trackers are set up, you’ll be able to navigate to your friend group with ease, just by looking down and walking toward their corresponding light color. Setup is a little tricky, and the battery life could be longer. You’ll also need a way to charge them overnight for a multiday camping festival (the power bank I recommended above is an option). But they worked reliably for my pals and I to hunt each other down, and I felt safer going to stages by myself with another layer of security. And yes, they look cool while you’re dancing, which certainly isn’t a detractor.

My Go-To Earplugs

The Loop Experience 2 are my favorite earplugs overall. They’re part of my daily carry, which is made easier by the convenient case. They protect your hearing without muffling the sound, and they look visually striking which also helps my friends know I’m wearing them so they don’t attempt talking to me on the dance floor. I like how the case flips open, so I’m not jostling to unscrew a metal case in a crowd.

A Lighted Mirror

If you aren’t staying in a hotel (or if you are but your room is cramped), a lighted makeup mirror is invaluable for getting ready. I take the Fancii Abigail with me to every festival. Having a base station helps a lot with elaborate makeup looks or braided hairstyles, and the light is bright enough that you’ll be able to see what you’re doing, even if you’re getting ready in a tent. It’s large enough to give you the full picture, but small enough that it’ll fit in your backpack or duffel bag, even if you’re a chronic overpacker like I am. Just make sure you’re not breaking any rules about glass at the venue. I also like that it gives me a place to put all the random stickers I’m gifted.

A Camping Stove

There are a ton of great camp stoves, but this MSR stove is my favorite for festivals, because I’m not usually making full-size meals (though I have successfully used it to heat up a skillet and make an entire steak dinner). Often my site is just boiling water for pour-over coffee (speaking of coffee, we have a guide for rugged French presses right here) or warming up food we prepared at home. The PocketRocket 2 twists onto fuel canisters and heats up everything lightning-fast. When my group was stranded at a raceway in Ohio, we whipped this stove out and made coffee on top of our car trunk. It’s extremely compact and lightweight—so much so that my only gripe is that I have a hard time finding it between festival trips.

An Inflatable Couch

This inflatable couch is clutch if you don’t mind toting around a carrying case. These days, I keep my on-person carry pretty minimal, so I prefer to only use one if I have a wagon where I can chuck it when not in use. Fully inflated, it can support one to three people (provided everyone’s alright with getting cozy). When there’s limited seating, or you’re on day three with two more days to go, an inflatable couch can provide respite with little effort. I also like that it comes in a ton of fun colors. Just make sure you’re aware of your surroundings—if you’re at a music festival, it’s bad manners to set up a couch in the middle of the crowd. Consider chilling back by the sound booths instead.

Pro tip: A folding hand fan makes inflation super easy if you don’t want to run around to fill the couch with air (yes, that’s really how you inflate it). It’s also cheaper to buy one of these ahead of time than from a vendor at the festival.

Sun Protection

This soft sun hat is easy to pack and bring along, since it folds up, but it still retains its shape to protect your head. It’s a nice large size to keep your scalp, forehead, and neck protected without feeling too suffocating or providing too much coverage to be cute. It’s reversible, too; I like flipping between brown and beige depending on how sunny it is outside and which one matches my outfit better. —Nena Farrell

If you prefer lotion sunscreen, I like everything I’ve tried from Vacation, and this big jug is the perfect size to keep at camp. It contains enough product for me and my friends, and it absorbs quickly without feeling greasy or sticky.

More Festival Gear I Recommend

Fun, but Not Necessary

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

Kandi-making kits: Trading beaded bracelets is a hallmark of the electronic music scene, but thanks to the Taylor Swift Eras tour, fans of more music genres are joining in. Any beads will work, but I highly recommend Stretch Magic elastic—the cheap stuff falls apart way too easily.