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10 music festival hacks campers need to know

 

AUTHOR: PETRINA DARRAH

Music festivals can be an equal amount of pleasure and pain. Camping in a cramped area alongside thousands of others (and some well-used portaloos), dealing with blistering sun or pouring rain, being grubby and tired for days on end - it's not all as glamorous as it might look on Instagram.

Make sure you have more fun than frustration at your next music festival and check out these awesome hacks - guaranteed to make your life easier.

1. TAKE A CAMPERVAN

This is our number one festival hack because it's actually a whole lot of hacks in one. Taking a campervan means you'll have a much more comfortable camping experience.

Here are our top reasons to take a campervan to a music festival:

  • No hassle setting up or taking down a tent.
  • You have an actual bed to sleep in.
  • You can stay nice and dry inside if it rains.
  • You have a fridge to keep your drinks cold.
  • You have a kitchen - hello hot cups of tea and cooked breakfasts!
  • You have more storage space than a tent.
  • No lugging your bags to and from the campsite.

jucy campervans lined up at music festival in australia

2. DROP A PIN WHERE YOU PARK

If you haven’t upgraded to campervan or car camping and have to leave your vehicle in the parking area, drop a pin as soon as you park. On the last day of a festival, the last thing you want to do is spend hours walking up and down rows of cars, trying to clear your hangover from your head long enough to remember where you left your car.

3. TAKE A HAND CART OR TROLLEY, AND A TARPAULIN

It will most likely be a long hike between the car park and the campground. Make things easier for yourself and pile all of your gear into a hand cart. Have a tarp on hand as well, just in case it starts pouring with rain on your way to camp.

4. MAKE SURE YOUR TENT IS BIG ENOUGH

As a rule of thumb, you need to allow for an extra ‘person’ in your tent to make sure it’s big enough. That means only put two people in a three-person tent, and only one in a two-person tent. Between your inflatable mattresses, bags full of gumboots, and grimy shoes, you'll need the extra space.

friends sleeping on jucy campervan at festival

5. DECORATE YOUR GUY ROPES

You’ll need to make your camp identifiable somehow, so you may as well do it by identifying your guy ropes at the same time. In the dark, it’s easy for people to trip over your guy ropes, falling over or crashing into your tent. Make your camp safer and your sleep more peaceful by tying solar powered fairy lights or brightly-coloured flags to guy ropes. This should help a few people see them as they’re stumbling past, and will make it easier finding your spot in a sea of tents.

6. WRITE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ON YOUR PHONE

Just in case you lose it. This will make it a whole lot easier for the finder to get in touch and reunite you.

7. OR JUST GET A BURNER PHONE

Those little old school phones with the buttons are the toughest and usually have the longest lasting battery life. Bounce them around in your bag, drop them on the ground, sleep on top of them – no matter what you do to a little burner phone, you’ll still be able to make texts and calls on the last day of the festival. And you won’t have to worry about losing your $2000 iPhone the entire time. Burner phones usually cost around $30.

jucy van decorated with fairy lights in australia

8. BRING A PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER

If you’ve opted to take your normal phone, you’ll need a portable phone charger to help you keep your battery topped up. You’ll need some battery power for finding your friends, or just googling who the amazing act on stage is.

If you do go in a campervan, the USB charging ports mean you won't need to worry about taking a power bank. Watch out though - they'll make you very popular with your friends!

9. PACK A PILLOWCASE INSTEAD OF A PILLOW

You’re going to need to lug all of your stuff from your car to your camp spot. Pack light – you’ll thank yourself for only taking the essentials when you’re 20 minutes into the trek to your tent, loaded up with your tent, sleeping bag, clothes, chairs, and everything else you need. One thing you can easily ditch is your pillow. Pack a pillowcase instead. It’s much easier to carry and you can just stuff it with a comfy jumper (which you should definitely take) and voila! A pillow.

The other option is to upgrade to a campervan, and you’ll have pillows AND a double bed!

row of tents at music festival in australia

10. LEAVE A SPARE CHANGE OF CLOTHES IN YOUR CAR

After several days of dancing, sleeping in your glittery costumes, and possibly tramping around in mud and torrential rain, a cosy pair of track pants and a clean t-shirt can feel incredibly luxurious. Throw them on for your drive home.

UPGRADE YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE WITH A JUCY CAMPERVAN! YOU'LL HAVE A BED AND A KITCHEN, FOR MAXIMUM COMFORT. BOOK TODAY.

Petrina Darrah is a freelance travel writer from New Zealand. Check out more of her work at petrinadarrah.com.