How to: Packing for a music festival

As a first time festival goer this year, I inevitably made numerous mistakes, but I'm coming out far more knowledgable and ready to take on any future festival experiences! Here's a few tips to give you a bit of a head start if you're thinking of attending a music festival in the future, or even as a refresher for you seasoned festival attendees. 

Clothing

I had been given the advice by a good friend who attended Spendour in the Grass 2013 that I should only bring clothes that I would be willing to dispose of afterwards. At the time it seemed logical due to the high likelihood of muddy days clad in ponchos and wellington boots. In hindsight, I can't help but seriously wonder what on earth he got up to that destroyed all of his clothes. I would recommend throwing out the rule book, and bringing whatever your heart desires, excluding family heirlooms or anything you couldn't bear to part with on the off chance it does get damaged.

How much should I bring? Try to pack for the three days of the festival, but also plan for possible outfit changes.

How can I pack for the weather? Pack trans-seasonally, it may be sweltering during the day but I promise you there will be some cold nights! Bring along some cozy pyjamas, a pair of jeans for afternoon swap overs and a thin but warm cardigan/jumper/jacket that you can tie around your waist until it gets cold enough to wear.

What fashion is suitable for a music festival? Festivals aren't the time to shy away from trends, go all out and experiment. This is the time to wear psychedelic prints, all floral everything, floral headpieces, body glitter, you name it! 

What shoes should I bring? Avoid sandals and heels, dust and mud will ruin your strappy numbers, as for the heels - it's a music festival, need I say more? I rotated a pair of combat boots for traveling there and back, and for the festival a pair of vans (converse or any kind of casual lace up shoes are comparable) and my trusty hunter boots. Pop in a pair of thongs for early morning visits to the showers to beat the crowds!

Camping supplies

It can seem like the most logical option for camping supplies would be 'less is more', but I can promise you that once you arrive at tent city you'll be struck with instant jealousy of all the amazing camping setups. Camping location is somewhat luck of the draw, arriving on the first camping day is a smart move, but on the other hand several friends arrived late on the night before the first day of music and they still managed to secure far better spots than us! 

What major are the major components of your campsite? You of course need a tent, if you're sharing make sure it's spacious enough, because after spending days on end in close proximity you're going to want a bit of breathing room. Under that you'll want to place a groundsheet, because if it can rain, it will. 

What can I bring to make our camp area comfortable? It may seem excessive, but if you have room for transportation, you should definitely bring a gazebo. We found ourselves extremely envious of our neighbours setups, and considering your campsite is your home for 3+ days you're going to want a comfortable setup. That includes smaller items like camping chairs, a table and several forms of light. 

Food and drinks

How much food should I pack? I aimed to bring enough food to suffice for breakfast and snacking, with the intention of purchasing one large meal during the day, and indulging in some of the delicious desserts the festival food vendors had to offer. 

What kind of food should I bring? Breakfast foods like bread and condiments (if you want to be really Australian go for the vegemite, otherwise the classic peanut butter or nutella should make you friends on the campgrounds) are a good start. Other ideas could be cereal, just remember the long life milk! Add to that a variety of fruits, nuts, muesli bars or anything else that will keep you satisfied and full between meals. Last but not least stock up on juice, soft drink and most importantly bottled water - you'll thank me later! 

Happy festival times, ladies and gents! 

-Melissa

Splendid times at Splendour

This year I had my first festival camping experience at Splendour in the Grass 2014 in Byron Bay. It definitely lived up to the hype, and it's reignited my interest in both camping and live music. Here are a few of my favourite bits from this years festival.

Splendour in the craft

Music 

I was devastated to find out that Two Door Cinema Club were unable to make it to the festival this year, but some other musical gems more than made up for their absence. Seeing Outkast was an incredible experience, they are true performers, and the vibe was amazing. Some existing favourites with standout performances included First Aid Kit and Ben Howard, both of which I would be happy to see again and again. It was a pleasure to see some friends from the Australian Institute of Music playing at the AIM buskers stage, playing their own blend of electronic dance music as the musical duo Ataractic. Last but most certainly not least, my favourite new discovery of the festival was Hiatus Kaiyote, whose stunning musical dynamics and harmonies kept us dancing all night long. 

Ataractic at the AIM stage

Food

The overwhelming variety of food available at the festival was enough to make anybody hungry. The Hawkers markets was home to numerous bars and restaurants, my favourites being a vegan juice bar near the Red Bull stage, and the greek stand which served up the most mouthwatering wraps and chips that I visited twice. The Splendid food hall was home to the infamous Byron Bay organic donuts, and despite having several flavours I personally couldn't go past the original (and in my eyes best) donut. The truck stop was the best place to grab a bite to eat on the way to the main stage, and was home to just about every cuisine you could imagine, all sold out of the side of a truck. Last but not least, after hours meal times were best served in the campgrounds, with my personal favourite being the sweet potato chips served right by our friends campsite, because who doesn't love sweet potato chips and mayonnaise?

These lovely people

Bars

For the purpose of saving money we tried to limit the amount of drinking inside the festival, though there were a few notable bars worth checking out. Our most frequented place was the Bundaberg bar, with other interesting sites being the wine bar (for a classy drink or cheese platter) and 'Rumspringer' where you could get a drink whilst seriously questioning the legitimacy of the 'Amish' people in the bar. 

Lionel Richies head

Shopping

As a self confessed shop-a-holic, the festival fashion available in the grounds were vast and somewhat irresistible. The selection of vintage clothes and hand crafted jewellery was pretty incredible. I was proud that I managed to behave myself, though my one big purchase was at the stall for local Byron Bay label Liberated Heart. I purchased a matching set of a crop top and a-line skirt in a psychedelic print, which was perfect for the last day of the festival. 

The big banana

The festival was full of dancing, music, food and good times with a group of amazing people. Bring on Splendour in the Grass 2015!

-Melissa