Festival camping is about more than pulling in, setting up, and heading out to see the show. When the stage lights go down and you’re headed back to the RV or tent campsite, does the party go dark – or rage on? With a few choice accessories, some planning, even a hand from fellow campers or your crew, you can make sure your campsite rocks. Even if you’re not festival camping, lights, tarps and accessories elevate the experience.
Google “festival camping gear” and it’s likely “Festival camping survival gear” will pop up. It’s not about survival; it’s about thriving. Festival and event producers spend thousands, possibly millions of dollars to amp up their ear and eye candy for attendees. Why not rise to the challenge?
We’ve written recently about the stuff you’ll buy after buying an RV. What about supplies that you won’t find in Camping World or Gander Outdoors?
So, we put out an ask: “Writing a blog for #RoadtripMojo on Unique Must-Bring Festival Camping Stuff, big and small, to create a way-cool campsite and experience. Tapestries (and rope and clips), flags (and poles), musical instruments, pop-up shelters, maybe that geodesic dome (image via #Vice)? What would you add? Share pix and comments for the article.”
Some people replied with some cool ideas. And we shared up some of our own. Enjoy…
– Tunes. Some say the sounds of nature are music to their ears and soul. But sometimes, your earholes beg for more. Your RV likely has a stereo (factory quality as it may be; discover some RV stereo upgrade tips here). Maybe you bring a Bluetooth speaker or some other auditory fix (read some solutions here). While you likely won’t get an earful from fellow festival goers for music jamming too loud, be conscientious with the volume and hour (it goes without saying to watch the volume knob when camping).
– Fairy lights and lasers. Lights aren’t just for, uh, light. At the campground and festival site, they’re mood setters. Illuminate your site from the ground up. Start with a set of solar or fairy lights, maybe strung through the trees or that bare geodesic dome, to fashion a groovy feel for the campsite. Laser light projectors, like those you see around your neighborhood during the holidays, cast what a fellow camper once called “fleas in the trees.” For an added touch, spark up some solar torch lights.
– Tapestries. Part privacy, part mood setter, tapestries wrap the campsite in the warm embrace of a groovy hippie hug. Use of tapestries depends on your communal spirit. Draped like a wall, they can make your campsite secluded (you know, “what happens at the campsite stays at the campsite”). But they also cut you off from the passersby outside, and so much of a festival vibe comes from making friends of passersby. Your call. But if you’re gonna hang some swag, remember rope or twine, and clothes pins, binder clips, or ID badge clips. If you can, get a campsite under the cover of trees. You can secure your lines – and trees and tapestries create a living canvas for your laser lights.
– Pop-up shelters, canopies and Kelty tarps. Tree cover, your RV awning, tarps or other covers sometimes aren’t enough to keep the sun or rain from beating down on the campsite. That pop-up shelter or sun shelter you use at the beach or kids’ soccer sidelines can boost that shade. A shelter even lends a protective rain shield over a tent. Available in a number of sizes, Kelty Tarps can cover a part of or damn-near an entire campsite. String it from solid anchors spots – like those trees, the RV, vehicles roof racks and stakes – the tarp’s collapsible supports boost create amble cover.
– Flags and totems. Got a totem? These inflatable dolls, plush toys or other objects hoisted on a pole, often lighted, are a beacon for your crew or friends to find each other in the general admission pit. Flying your colors? Flags, whether custom-made or from the band’s merch booth, can serve the same purpose as a totem at the campsite – especially when it’s among a sea of tents or RVs. Beware the flag you choose. Though popular, some see a Jolly Roger as a challenge to steal it.
– Signs and banners. When wandering through a campground or RV or tent lot, how can you tell one encampment or pickin’ circle from another? How do you know Quartermoon from Kamp Happiness from some other? Their signage tells the tale. Walking the campground in the bright of day or the dark of night and stumble upon a familiar banner, and you’ve found home. Heck, even if it’s new to you, drop on by. Encampment folk are a friendly lot. If you pass by RoadtripMojo, stop by in the morning for a fresh cup of joe and some fresh bacon.
– Instruments for a pickin’ or drum circle. When the stages go quiet, the music continues around the pickin’ circle. Whether around a campfire, under a tarp, or slung across your back in search of someone else’s circle, if you play, don’t forget your instrument. The sound of guitars, banjos, harps / harmonicas, and any variety of percussion welcomes passersby to your site – and can be your invite into others’ circles.
– Portable chairs and hammocks. Got a seat? Sit in it. Folding chairs, papasans, even bean bags, spread atop a ground cover, mat or tarp make for a comfy lounge. The beauty of hammocks and camping goes without saying. But did we ever tell you the time we opened the RV door to find a stranger crashed out in our Eno hammock?
– Inflatables. Whether an innertube or an inflatable lounger, they bring indoor comfort outdoors. Others do this regularly. “We had an inflatable couch at Floydfest 2019 and it was the best move my tribe has ever made,” said Brandon. The air compressor used for his air mattress worked for his sofa (we keep an air compressor onboard to check and top off the RV and F150 tires before travel).
– Solar shower. Not showering during a festival or camping trip is a first-world problem, but why suffer the indignity? Fill your Coleman 5-Gallon Solar Shower with water in the AM and hang it from a limb or lay it atop your hood in direct sunlight, and you’ll have enough warm water for a quick shower or rinse.
– Miscellany. Freezer packs. Even if you have an RV or access to ice, freezer packs keep stuff cold. Bug spray and citronella candles, because, well, bugs suck. And candles can create mood. Foul weather gear for rain or cold, and mud boots, because flip flops get nasty when it’s foul about. Plenty of water, and a good spirits water flask to stay hydrated when roving from encampment to encampment. One last bring: Wind chimes. Always a nice touch.
Picking Your Site
Get there early and stake out your real estate. Tent campers often arrive early and string up site warning tape to cordon off space big enough for the number of tents in their crew.
Some festival campgrounds allow “buddy sites,” where several RVs can create their own encampment. Lockn’ Festival has Momma and Poppa Bear RV camping for group encampments. These have to be reserved in advance. At formal campgrounds like Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, you’ll have to book sites beside each other (they have multiple, formal buddy sites, like 54 and 54A, designed for RVs to park so the doors open facing each other). So if you’re RVing, ask if.
Pro Tip: At some festivals, RV sites are large enough for a few tents. Added benefit: you can tap into the convenience of the site’s water and power.
When you pull in and set up at the campsite, rise to the challenge and be the ear and eye candy that will make the party thrive deep into the night.