Trips & packing
Festival packing list: a day bag plus optional camping kit
Pack a day bag for an outdoor music festival, with camping gear if you need it. Check entry rules, weather and hearing protection.
The checklist
- Concert earplugs
- Sunscreen
- Blister dressings and small plasters
+ 37 more explained items
Build your festival bag around where you will sleep and how you will get home. A day visitor needs essentials that remain comfortable through queues, walking and the final journey. A camper needs that same small bag plus a separate sleeping kit. Mark camping-only items before shopping, and check what hired accommodation already includes.
Start with the ticket conditions for your actual event and edition. Campsite admission, arena admission and access near a stage can have different restrictions. The examples below show why a generic packing list cannot certify an item for entry. Save the organiser’s rules and travel instructions, then check updates again before leaving. Summer is a useful planning cue, but this checklist also works for other months when clothing and sleeping equipment match the forecast.
Use Buy for supplies you lack, Take along for belongings you already own, and To do for checks and travel preparation. Print the checklist or recreate it in Cartdock and divide responsibilities with friends. Keep enough space to bring everything home; leaving a tent behind is not a packing strategy.
Who this list is for
Adults and friends attending an outdoor music festival for a day or a short camping weekend. This list assumes ordinary ticket-holder access and no specialist production equipment. Children, accessibility arrangements and refrigerated medicines need additional organiser guidance. Keep the camping section only if your ticket and overnight plan allow it.
Tips
Choose the ticket plan before the tent
Read the access and validity terms rather than guessing from the ticket name. Roskilde currently allows its one-day wristband into camping within the ticket validity period. That example does not establish the policy of another festival. Decide whether you will leave after the last set or sleep on site, and make the transport or accommodation booking match that decision.
Check every gate, not just the campsite
Download distinguishes campsite and arena bottle rules and requires reusable containers to be empty at entry. Roskilde adds separate restrictions for its inner site and stage pits. Choose your bag and container after reading your own event rules. Leave drones, glass and cooking equipment out of the day bag while you verify permissions.
Give hearing protection an accessible pocket
Roskilde recommends earplugs, distance from loud sources and quiet breaks between concerts. Choose purpose-made hearing protection that you can fit correctly, and try it before departure. If children join you, check suitable ear defenders and the organiser’s family guidance. Plan quieter pauses as part of the schedule instead of filling every gap with another loud activity.
Dress for the walk home as well as the afternoon
Choose shoes you have already walked in, then add a waterproof outer layer and something warm for later. Download advises waterproofs, warm layers and daytime sun protection. Keep a spare dry pair of socks apart from wet clothing if you camp. A forecast is a reason to adjust the kit; it is not a guarantee that conditions will stay unchanged.
Keep the phone useful without relying on it for everything
Save the ticket using the ticket provider’s supported method; a screenshot is not automatically a valid ticket. Store travel confirmations and a readable map offline. Carry a charged power bank and compatible cable, then put a paper contact note in a separate pocket. Agree on a visible meeting place and a check-in time before splitting up.
Make the camping kit small and ready to use
Pitch the tent at home and check its poles, pegs and fastening points before repacking. Download advises testing equipment and keeping camp paths clear. Match the sleeping bag to the expected overnight conditions and use a sleeping mat. Plan food that does not need cooking unless you have verified the exact stove, fuel and cooking-area rules.
Plan the final morning while packing the first bag
Keep a separate bag for wet equipment and collect your own small rubbish during the day. Roskilde asks campers to take belongings home and use designated waste sorting facilities. Allow time to collect pegs, check the pitch and carry equipment back. If the tent is packed damp, open and dry it when you get home before putting it into storage.
The checklist
40 items, grouped like in the Cartdock app.
Print this page to tick items off on paper: the printout keeps only the checklist, with a box before every item.
Buy
Protection and personal hygiene
- Concert earplugs — Try the fit and keep the case in your day bag.
- Sunscreen — Choose a suitable product and follow its instructions.
- Blister dressings and small plasters — Keep a small supply accessible for rubbed feet and minor cuts.
- Hand sanitiser — Check permitted container sizes and keep it separate from food.
- Pocket tissues and menstrual supplies — Take what you personally need in a dry pouch.
Optional food supplies
- Allowed snacks — Check entry rules and choose food suitable for your allergies.
- No-cook camping breakfast — Camping only; choose shelf-stable food unless safe cooling is arranged.
Keeping the load dry
- Reusable dry pouches — Separate electronics and clean clothing from damp equipment.
- Waste bags — Carry your own small rubbish to the correct collection point.
Take along
The day bag for every visit
- Ticket and required identification — Use the provider’s supported ticket format and check ID requirements.
- Small permitted bag — Check size restrictions for the arena and any stage pit.
- Permitted refillable water container — Check material, capacity and whether it must be empty at entry.
- Phone, power bank and cable — Charge everything and test the cable with your device.
- Paper emergency contacts — Keep separate from the phone so lost power does not erase the plan.
- Waterproof jacket or reusable poncho — Keep near the top of the bag for quick access.
- Warm evening layer — Choose something you can carry through the warmer part of the day.
- Worn-in shoes — Test them on a walk before choosing them for the festival.
- Sun hat and sunglasses — Choose comfortable items that stay secure while walking.
- Usual medicines and instructions — Keep your normal regimen and confirm special storage or entry needs.
- Payment method accepted by the event — Check the organiser’s payment guidance before departure.
Camping only: sleeping and washing
- Tested tent with poles and pegs — Confirm permitted tent size and all parts before travelling.
- Sleeping bag — Match its suitability to the expected overnight conditions.
- Sleeping mat — Check for damage and test comfort before packing.
- Head torch or small torch — Check power and store it where you can find it after dark.
- Dry socks and a change of clothes — Keep a dry set away from wet shoes and used clothing.
- Toothbrush, washcloth and small towel — Choose a compact wash kit and check available washing facilities.
- Sleeping earplugs and eye mask — Optional comfort items; try them before the trip.
- Bag for damp equipment — Keep wet gear separate on the return journey and dry it at home.
To do
Before shoppingAccess and travel planning
- Confirm ticket areas and overnight permission — Check validity, camping access, re-entry and departure deadlines.
- Read the current prohibited-items list — Compare campsite, arena and stage-pit rules for your edition.
- Arrange the return journey — Check the last usable service and a backup if the programme changes.
- Contact accessibility or medical support if needed — Confirm arrangements in advance rather than assuming they are included.
Before leavingFinal preparation
- Check the forecast and organiser updates — Adjust clothing and check travel or entry changes.
- Save tickets, travel details and the current map — Keep supported ticket access and useful travel information ready offline.
- Assign shared gear and test the load — Name the carrier for each item and practise carrying the complete bags.
- Agree meeting places and a check-in plan — Use visible landmarks and a backup point if the first cannot be reached.
At the festivalOn site and on the way home
- Locate water, help points and exits — Use current signs and maps and follow staff instructions.
- Pitch only where camping is permitted — Camping only; keep routes clear and confirm cooking-area rules.
- Collect all equipment and sort waste — Check the pitch and bag every peg before leaving; use marked bins.
- Dry and inspect camping gear at home — Open damp bags and arrange any repairs before storing the kit.
Questions and answers
What changes for a day ticket?
Remove the tent, sleeping bag, mat and camping wash kit unless an overnight stay is both permitted and planned. Keep weather layers, hearing protection, ticket access and the return journey in the day list. Day-ticket access varies by organiser: Roskilde’s current rules include camping access only during the ticket validity period.
Can I bring my own drinks or cooking stove?
Read the event’s rules for each area and container type before packing. Download has different bottle conditions for its arena and campsite, and prohibits gas canisters and petrol-fuelled cookers on site. Other festivals can differ. This checklist deliberately avoids a universal stove recommendation; choose a no-cook plan when permissions or safe facilities are unclear.
What if I need regular medicine or extra support?
Bring your usual medicines with their instructions, and contact the organiser about entry, storage or accessibility arrangements in advance. Do not change doses because of a festival schedule. Download lists medical and welfare support; use the current event map to locate help. Ask staff promptly if you or a friend feels unwell or unsafe.
How do friends avoid carrying too much shared equipment?
Assign each shared item to a named person and confirm it is actually packed. Keep personal essentials such as tickets, hearing protection and necessary medicines with their owner. Try carrying the complete load before departure and remove optional furniture first.
Make your own list in Cartdock
Save your own copy with the exact items, measures and instructions. Changes stay in your copy.
Open this guide in CartdockInstall Cartdock, then return to this page and tap Open. The store does not automatically restore this guide.
Say or type one phrase, and Rinka suggests items by section. Rinka is an AI, not a person: a language model writes the answers. Rinka needs a connection and your consent to AI processing. Without an account you get fewer questions; the number of questions depends on your plan. You can also add and edit items yourself.
Share your list with a link and tick items off together. People without the app can open the list in a browser.