Going to a music festival this summer? Here's what to pack

With the second-ever Greenbelt Music Festival now in the books, the summer music festival season is officially underway in Iowa (and elsewhere)! This is basically the holiday season for the IPR Studio One team: lots to plan for, get excited about — and stress out over — but we do it because we love it.

If you’ve never been to one of Iowa’s amazing outdoor music festivals, I hope you’ll take the opportunity this year. Hinterland and 80/35 are the big names, but there are smaller festivals happening as well, encompassing a variety of musical genres. There are even some fests happening in September, including the Lost Woods Festival , which is happening Sept. 28 (sure, summer officially goes until Sept. 21, but we’re probably going to have unseasonably warm days well past then).

You should know, though, that attending a festival involves a fair bit more planning than a concert. If you’re going to be there all day, you need to think about all kinds of stuff that doesn’t apply if you’re going to a concert that’s only a few hours. I’ve been going to festivals for years now, with both my family and my colleagues, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve said out loud, “Oh man, I should have brought ( insert thing here ).”

Well, I'm finally putting all of those years of subpar planning to good use! Here’s the list of things that I’ve discovered I need after my years of going to festivals. You may well have some items that are essential to you that aren’t listed here — and if so, and if I should know about it, please let me know . Lastly, a disclaimer: we’re not getting into camping supplies here. That 1. Would double the length of this (already very long!) story, and 2. It's not my area of expertise.

Before you ask whether I'll remember to pack all of this stuff this year, the answer is probably not! The ideal outcome is that we all learn from each other, and maybe look out for each other, when we're hanging out in the blazing sun and/or pouring rain, waiting for that magical moment when our favorite bands take the stage. Let's get packing!

Your festival packing list:

Tickets

Please don't forget your tickets. If it's possible to download them to your phone, or take screenshots, do that. Otherwise, put the most responsible member of your group in charge of carrying them.

Weather-appropriate clothing

Look, I’m aware that festival fashion is important . If you’ve got some cute outfits you’ve been saving for festival season, or a wacky costume (shoutout to the guy in the pickle suit at Hinterland 2022), go for it! You’ll get no snark from me.

I, on the other hand, am just trying to survive. Usually for an outdoor festival in the summer months, this means shorts and a t-shirt. My wife has a cricut machine and made me enough t-shirts for a four-day festival, with slogans like “This Is My Festival Shirt,” or “I’m Technically Working.” These are my "go-to" shirts, and have become a favorite of mine and everyone around me. If I'm hosting a live broadcast, or otherwise need to look extra sharp, I may go for a Hawaiian shirt.

Depending on the weather, some adjustments may be needed. If it’s raining, like it has at both Hinterland and 80/35, I’ll have a rain jacket or hoodie; if it’s chilly, like it was at Lost Woods, I’ll have on long pants and a jacket, and possibly a stocking cap.

Comfortable shoes

Footwear is the one area where I’m going to go full Dad Mode on you all.

Please wear shoes or sandals that are broken in and that you’re not afraid to get dirty. You’re going to be on your feet for most of the day, so wear something that will give you proper support. My preference is for sandals with a firm sole and straps in the back. These result in some funky tanlines, but I can stay on my feet in them for 14 hours a day, they don't feel heavy, and they dry fairly quickly if they get wet.

Again, keeping the weather in mind is important here: if you’re at Hinterland and it’s been raining, the ground will be muddy, and negotiating those hills is going to be difficult. If you slip and fall, not only are you going to get covered in mud, but your friends and/or coworkers are certainly going to post you slipping and falling on Instagram. The likelihood of this happening will be reduced if you’re wearing shoes that can handle this sort of situation.

In a rare convergence of fashion and function, lots of folks wore cowboy boots at Hinterland in 2023 (and yes - cowboy boots are 100% function-designed). I wore hiking boots, because that’s what I have, and they’ve probably got a few years left in them.

A hat or something to keep the sun out of your eyes

A wide-brimmed hat, a baseball cap or sunglasses will all help keep the sun out of your eyes. I have a tendency to overdo it here: I’ve got a well-ventilated hat that I bought at a Bass Pro Shop and prescription Ray-Ban sunglasses. The Ray-Bans are probably my one somewhat fashionable accessory, but if I’m being honest, I don’t strictly need them. At almost all other times, I’m rocking transition lenses, which are the ultimate in functional Dad Fashion. It’s not like anyone’s going to mistake me for Bob Dylan in the Ray Bans.

Something to sit on

Eventually, you are going to want to sit down. Some festivals take place where there’s stadium seating — the Iowa State Fair (which, it turns out, has stuff other than music) is one that comes to mind. Most of the time, though, you’re going to have to provide your own seating. And when it comes to bringing your own chair, there’s one option that reigns supreme: a camping chair with a bag.

Really, there's no need to debate here. Prioritize your options this way:

1. Camp chairs are easy to transport (as long as they’re in the bag), and they have cup holders.
2. The classic folding lawn chair works, but is more difficult to transport.
3. Picnic blankets are fine but you’re still sitting on the ground (and if it's been raining... that ground is wet and muddy)

There’s one big “but” here: Hinterland doesn’t allow chairs with legs to be brought in , so you’ll have to look into other options. The “ couch pouch ” (or air lounger, as those dorks at Amazon insist on calling it) is a solid choice if you don’t mind people surreptitiously taking photos and videos of you while you’re trying to inflate it. Otherwise, you’re probably just going to have to go for the picnic blanket, unless you’re willing to get creative and test the limits of what you’re allowed to bring in. One year my wife spotted some Hinterlanders with an inflatable sectional couch. I don’t know how they snuck it in and I don’t want to. Plausible deniability!

Sling bag

A key part of the middle-aged dad experience is discovering something that’s existed for years and getting unreasonably excited about it, to the point that you can’t stop talking about it. I've had a few in my life, and my latest is the humble sling bag.

I got one of these bad boys for Christmas, and I’m not afraid to say it changed my life. No longer do I have to worry about my keys or cell phone falling out of my shorts pockets if I’m forced to sit on the ground. Everything is securely zipped up, and I don’t have to carry around a much-too-large backpack and stuff it full of things I don’t really need in order to justify having it. The sling bag also negates the need for cargo shorts, that much-maligned-yet-classic piece of Dad Fashion. Plus, cargo shorts are bulky! I know I sound like a madman here, but once you try the sling bag, you won't miss the cargo shorts.

Once your keys and cell phone are in the bag, there’s room for a few other essentials. You’re probably going to want a portable cell phone charger. I have one that’s solar-powered (and also has a flashlight and a compass) — it rules! I also like to have mints (when I got my sling bag, the first words out of my mouth were literally “hell yeah, I can carry mints now”) and lip balm on hand. Make sure you get the latter in a small tin, as opposed to a tube, so you can share if needed.

My hair's pretty long, but not quite long enough that I need to carry hair ties. If it was, though, you bet I'd be throwing some in my sling bag. Pain relief medicine is a good thing to have on hand too, and so are bandages. You might not end up needing either, but they also don't take up much space, so maybe grab some travel-sized packs of both when you make your next Target run.

An empty water bottle

Judging by the popularity of Stanley water bottles (and Yetis and Hydroflasks before them), I probably don’t need to lecture you too much about the importance of drinking water. It’s crucial at an event like Hinterland, where temperatures reached 106 degrees in 2022. That year, every time I went down to the pit in front of the stage, I saw someone passing out from the heat. Festival staff were on the case every time, and Hinterlanders do a great job of looking out for each other. Still, it’s best not to put yourself in this situation.

Many festivals will allow you to bring an empty water bottle or Camelpack onto their grounds, and often have water stations available for free. I have both, and prefer a water bottle with a strap. Camelpacks are great but take time to fill up, and I don’t like to hold up the line, so I save the Camelpack for when I’m mowing the lawn. At a minimum, I’d suggest alternating water with whatever other beverages you’re consuming. It's definitely possible to drink too much water , but realistically that’s not something you’re going to have to worry about. The likely worst-case scenario is that you’ll be visiting the porta potties a lot. Speaking of which…

Hand-sanitizing wipes

Do not assume you’ll be able to wash your hands. The hand-washing stations near the porta potties always run out of soap, water or paper towels (usually all three), almost always well before the festival is over. Bottled hand sanitizer is fine in this situation, but it’s not much help if your hands are covered in mud, barbecue sauce, etc. This is where wipes come in.

Look for wipes that are at least 60% alcohol . Anything less doesn’t do an effective job of killing germs. Also please note there’s a difference between hand-sanitizing wipes and disinfecting wipes. The latter are for cleaning surfaces, and if you use them to clean your hands, your skin will be mad at you.

I kind of speak from experience on this one. When I was living on my own shortly after college and had no idea what products to buy in general, I washed my face with antibacterial soap for almost a year. It worked, but my then-girlfriend, now wife, was horrified.

Sunscreen and bug spray

These are two separate items that solve separate problems, but I’m lumping them together for two reasons: 1. They are both things you have to apply and reapply, and 2. They may not both fit in your sling bag. You might have to admit defeat here and grab a backpack, or at least a larger sling bag.

Unless you like sunburn, sunscreen really is non-optional, even in cooler temperatures. Pay attention to the sun protection factor , or SPF. Anything under SPF 30 is basically useless, and higher numbers block slightly more of the sun’s UV rays but don’t necessarily last longer — which means you need to reapply it often to avoid sunburn. Also, sunscreen expires, so check the bottle before you head out, and check the date if you’re buying a new bottle too. (My family learned this lesson the hard way on spring break about ten years ago. We still don’t like to talk about it.)

Summer is prime time for insects, especially mosquitoes and other really annoying bugs. However, depending on the timing of the festival and your surroundings, bug spray may not be super-necessary. At Hinterland or Lost Woods, you might be glad you have it. If it’s the Des Moines Arts Festival , you can probably leave it at home.

Also, if this all sounds like too much for you to fit into your sling bag - backpacks are always an option (just be sure to double-check your favorite festival's website for what's allowed and not allowed on the grounds). As noted, I prefer trying to fit everything into the sling to keep my carry load minimal, but do what's right for you!

Cash

Very few music festivals allow you to bring in any sort of cooler or outside food. (The Bowlful of Blues Festival , held over Labor Day Weekend in Newton, is one notable exception.) At most of the large festivals, you’ll be hitting up the food trucks and small vendors. Most of these are local businesses that make some really great food, and they make most of their money for the year at events like 80/35 and Hinterland, so be sure to support them.

Most festival vendors accept credit cards, Venmo or another means of electronic payment. But not all of them do, and you really don’t want to stand in a long line for some tacos, only to find they don’t take cards. Also, electronic payment is hardly infallible: point of sale systems can and do fail, and once the headliner takes the stage and everyone starts posting to Instagram at the same time, the Internet gets extra iffy.

This is where cash comes in! It’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around. There may be ATM machines on the festival grounds, but again, it’s better not to assume. Plus, the service fee is probably going to be $5 anyway. Have your cash on-hand before you leave the house, hotel, AirBNB, etc.

If nothing else, have some cash handy for tipping the vendors. Those folks are working hard without many breaks, and they’ll appreciate the gesture. And maybe, just maybe, they'll remember you if you make a second trip.

Camera

Last but not least, don't forget to bring a camera! Photography is another area that I'm not exactly well-versed in, so I don't have a lot of room to talk here. But I've taken enough mediocre pictures with my phone that I feel qualified to tell you to bring a high-quality camera if you're looking to get some great shots of musicians on stage. Your phone will be just fine for getting pictures of you and your friends.

One more note on cameras: even though I enjoy watching concert footage that people post on YouTube, don't forget to put it down and enjoy the music. Your favorite music festival only happens once a year. Be less concerned about documenting the moment, and experience it — you invested quite a bit to get here. Again, I speak from experience here. In 2022, I filmed Glass Animals' encore of "Heat Waves" for my daughter, who wasn't there. My arm almost fell off from holding my phone up, and as far as I know, my daughter still hasn't watched the video.

Hope to see you at a festival this summer! It'll be over before we know it.