How To Prepare For Coachella - What Do I Need To Bring?

So you have your ticket for Coachella and now you need to prepare for the best weekend of your life! But, where do you even begin? 

(If you don’t have your ticket yet, click this link) 

Whether you plan to camp or not, here is an essential list of things you do not want to forget:

1. Sunscreen

The sun in Indio is strong, there will be little shade options and a festival is not a place you want to have to deal with sunburn or worse, sun stroke. 

2. Sunglasses

Another must for the Indio sun and your festival outfit look! Check out some of our funky festival shade options here. or visit our favorite sunglass store RadSunnies.com 

3. Sun Hat / Sun Visor 

A sun hat or visor will not only top off your outfit but also provides you with some necessary UV protection. Check out our selection here. 

4. Cooling Towel

Did we say it was hot at Coachella yet, because it is!! A small cooling towel will fold neatly into your bag and can be used as a neck cooler, as a cooling bandana, or a chilled headband. You can even purchase hoodie cooling towels that offer UV protection - great for people who don’t tolerate the heat as well as others. 

5. Ear Plugs

Concert ear plugs allow you to experience top notch sound while protecting your ears from any long term effects of loudspeakers. (If you're camping don’t forget a 2nd set of noise cancelling ear plugs for when you eventually want to get some shut eye in.) 

6. Hands Free Bag

It’s important to keep your valuables on you (not to mention you will need some cash for drinks, merch etc.), but you need those arms free to dance the day away! 

Check out some of the great festival bags we offer here.

7. Reusable Water Bottle

Don’t be that person who passes out from dehydration! There are now water refill stations inside the campsite and festival site. Bring water bottle with you and a hydroflask is an even better option to keep your water cold all day. Staying hydrated is important when mixing hot sun and alcohol.

8. Hand Sanitizer 

It’s not an easy task to find a sink with clean running water, even at the portapotties. Having your own supply of hand sanitizer will come in very handy (excuse the pun). 

9. Toilet Paper 

Don’t take it for granted that every toilet will have a supply of toilet paper. If you don’t want to be caught off guard (because lets be honest, it’s always too late before you realise that roll is empty), then throw a little personal emergency supply into your bag. 

10. First aid supplies

Band-aids, medical tape and some pain killers make up a simple first aid kit. Be prepared for the little unexpected accidents so you can continue to party the day away. 

Planning to camp at Coachella? Obviously a tent and a sleeping bag is a must. But, what else do you need to make the weekend both a fun and pleasant experience - here’s our “things you need to make the most of Coachella camping” list:

1. A Shade Maker

You’ll spend more time in the campsite than you think and you don’t want to be stuck under the baking sun or in a sauna like tent the entire time so having some shade to sit under is a must. Funky throws, blankets, small tarps that you can turn into a shelter or a pop up cabana if you don’t want your own ‘make and do’ version will be worth their weight in gold. 

2. Air Mattress (and a way to pump it up) 

After a day on your feet partying you’ll want a comfier place to sleep than the ground or a thin floor mat - be kind to your body and get yourself an air mattress. Just make sure you also have a way to pump it up. There are many self inflating mattresses out there, or battery powered pumps that you can purchase. 

3. Flashlight / Headlamp

If you’re thinking “I’ll just use my phone as a light at night” then think again.. Phone batteries die, or phones get lost far too often. Bring a flashlight, or even better, a head lamp for late night adventures or toilet visits. 

4. Hygiene / Cleaning Products 

Baby wipes / Face wipes! Although Coachella has some shower options, the que for them every morning isn’t always worth the wait. And, you can help keep your tent fresh at night by cleaning all the dust and dirt from you before you climb into bed.

Toilet paper and hand sanitizer is also a must - these things always run out fast in the campsite bathrooms. 

5. Charging Block and Spare Batteries 

Keep all your electronics and flashlights in running order for the weekend with a fully charged charging block and a few extra batteries.  

6. A Cooler and Water 

Who doesn’t like drinking roasting hot cans in the daytime? A cooler with ice or cooling packs will keep your drinks fresh and if you plan on bringing food items (which we suggest is a good idea as food can be expensive!) with you for the weekend it is an absolute must have. Pro-tip: Throw in some frozen water bottles to help keep everything nice and cold in there which can then become your cold and fresh drinking water as they melt. 

7. Folding Chairs or Floor Cushions 

Make your campsite hangout as inviting and comfortable as your can with some folding chairs, or if you like to sit on the ground floor cushions are a great option to provide some extra comfort. 

8. LED String Lights 

Many people hang these up for “the vibe” but they also have a very practical use! Attaching some string lights to your tent, tent string or shade area can help it be more visible at night - aka. avoid any twisted ankles from falling over tent strings, toppled and squashed tents from falling into the campsite and help yourself to safely find your way into your tent at night. 

9. Eyemask & Ear Plugs 

Campsite are loud and it gets bright very early - give yourself the best chance of a few hours of sleep with a light blocking eye mask and noise cancelling ear plugs. 

10. Portable Speakers 

It is a weekend about music afterall! While waiting for the festival to start at noon, keep everyone in your group entertained. 

 

One final important note for anyone camping at Coachella is to keep track of your camping spot. 

Picture this - you set up camp, hang out there with your friends for an hour and decide it’s time to go check out the festival. You party all day, you see some of the most amazing artists, you make so many new friends - Life couldn’t get any better! The festival's activities start to end and it’s time to go back to your campsite - but now it’s getting dark, there are 1000 more tents set up, most of them look the same and you can not remember how far from the exit your camp is! What a nightmare. 

When you arrive at your spot, whether it be tent camping or car camping, make a note of where you are! There are “street” numbers to help you, but taking a picture of your surroundings never hurts. Finding your camping spot in the dark is never fun and should be avoided at all costs.

We hope this helps you have the best (and safest) Coachella camping experience possible!