Festival Checklist: The Ultimate Survival Guide

National Camping Month kicks off in June and marks the start of British festival season – hurrah!

From beer to books to music there’s an event out there for everyone, but whether you want to party hard with thousands of others or relax among an intimate crowd, to really enjoy the full festival experience you need the right kit to survive it.

Here’s the most important items that should be on your festival checklist:

Tent

First things first, unless you’ve stumped up the extra cash for some ready-made festival accommodation you’re going to need a tent, but we’ve got a selection of tents instore designed to sleep two to four people and they’re all under £20!

B&M Tip: Practice putting your tent up at home before you set off, especially if you’re using one that’s been squished in the shed since last summer, there’s nothing worse than getting to a festival to realise there’s something missing.  

If you need supplies, our camping essentials range also includes mallets, tent pegs and ground sheets for tents but it’s also worth packing a flag or ribbon and tying it to your tent – they all look the same in the dark and you don’t want to crawl into the wrong one!

Sleeping Bag

The days might be gloriously hot but after a long day enjoying all that a festival has to offer, the nights can get cold so a good sleeping bag is essential. For extra comfort, pack an inflatable or roll-up camp-mat to add some cushioning between you and the floor.  

B&M Tip: Wash your bedsheets and make your bed before you go away, it will be utter bliss on your return!

Camping Chairs

As a general rule, the less you have to carry to a festival the better so a chair might seem like a luxury item that you can afford to live without for a few days, but our collapsible camping chairs are so light and portable that you don’t have to.

B&M Tip: Take a blanket with a waterproof base layer too, it’ll give you something to relax on or wrap up in and it won’t get soggy.

Camping Trolley

Getting your belongings from the car to the campsite can be a real mission and the bigger the gig, the longer the trek, so make the journey easy on yourself with a fold-up camping trolley.

They’re strong enough to carry all your stuff, light enough to move easily and come with a bungee cord for you to secure everything together.

B&M Tip: When you leave the car, write down its location on a post-it and pack it in your bags. In a few days’ time you won’t remember where it is.  

Those are the non-negotiable essentials but don’t forget a few practical creature comforts too:

Lantern and Pocket Torch: Take a camping lantern to light up your tent at night so you can see what you’re doing and a compact pocket torch to help you find your tent or the loo in the dark.

Toiletries: A certain amount of stink is expected at a festival but you’ve still got standards, right?! Along with cosmetics and a mirror, make sure you pack your toothbrush, deodorant, dry shampoo, wet wipes, toilet roll, sunblock and any other toiletries you may need.

Bin bags: At home they’re used for rubbish but at a festival, the humble bin bag becomes a makeshift seat, jacket and protective layer to keep your stuff dry if it rains. Pack at least three.

Finally – don’t forget your ticket! Are there any other camping essentials that you’d put on a festival checklist? Got any survival tips you’d like to share? Then get in touch and tell us all about them on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages!