I tried to buy all my festival items in one shop

The start of May means the start of festival season. It’s officially four weeks until X Festival, 7 weeks until Adele, Coldplay and Muse grace the Glasto stage, two months until Hideout, and Bestival is way off but that doesn’t mean you can’t start getting excited for five days of serious fun.

No matter what festival you’re heading to this summer, there are some essentials you will be wanting to take with you. It can feel a waste of money buying items for a festival that you will only use that year, however, Tiger stores have every festival essential you will need for £3 and under. Now there really is no excuse not to take a head torch or stool.

Novelty sunglasses

What screams “I’m having fun” as much as these glasses? Don’t bother taking your £125 pair of Ray Bans or favourite sunnies from Topshop, take a pair that you’re only going to wear for those five days, not when you’re on the way to Tesco.

Glitter

It goes everywhere in your tent, it somehow stays on your skin for the rest of the year and you always find it in the most peculiar of places, but glitter is essential, up there with baby wipes, if you want to have a good time.

Sleep mask

If low and behold we get the summer we’ve been promised since the start of the millennium, it might be bright in the morning with glaring sunshine toasting your tent. To prevent yourself from being abruptly awoken out of your unconscious stupor, take an eye mask with you so you can sleep off that hangover for a couple more hours.

Earplugs

It’s time to get over the fact that you’re not 16 anymore, at Reading & Leeds, and able to go without sleep for five days. Ear plugs go hand in hand with the eye mask – sleep is important at a festival if you want to have a good time, so to save yourself being woken up by the 9am Pyramid Stage sound check or noisy revellers at 6am and catch some combat z’s.

Mirror

It might seen vain to bring a mirror the size of your face to a festival, however if you’re going to go head first into face paint and accessorising, such as using the glitter above, a mirror will be necessary. Also, trying to do your make up with a hand mirror isn’t worth it, especially when you can buy one this size but for as cheaper price.

Head torch

You’ll be the legend of the campsite when you’re saving everyone using their phone torches to try and find their way to the toilet in the middle of the night. No one wants to stumble around in the dark, falling over tent pegs or people. Most importantly, you’ll want to see where you’re putting your hands in the portaloos.

Corkscrew

An easy one to forget, you don’t want to be nagging your fellow camping neighbours or risking your mate’s tooth falling out whilst drunk trying to get a bottle open. Although you’ll probably be drinking cans instead of bottles, take a bottle opener in case you get bored of your lukewarm crate of beer in exchange for one of your rationed cider bottles.

Glow sticks

If you’re going to a dance festival or set for an EDM heavy summer, you’re bound to want these at some point for maximum dancing fun.

Cups

Slightly on the glamping side, cups aren’t exactly the most essential item, but if you’re going to be lingering round the campsite waiting for the evening acts, investing in cups might make you feel more civilised amongst the rubbish.

Travel bottles

Your bag is limited already with space and the last thing you want to be lugging round in the heat are bottles of shampoo, conditioner, sun tan (if ya lucky) or any other liquids. Most people won’t bother showering, but if you can’t handle the thought of being grubby for five days, taking these small travel bottles will save on space and help you to get your clean fix.

Spray fan

If you’re going to a festival abroad this will be a god send. Or, if we actually have a summer this year, when you’re waiting in a sweaty tent for the next act to come on a refreshing spritz will do you the world of good. Plus, everyone around you will think you’re a hero.

Stool

Taking a chair can feel exhausting and unnecessary, but once you’ve pitched your tent you’ll want nothing more than a place to sit down to have a tinny. It was okay to steal your neighbours chairs the you were 16, but now people will probably thing you’re a dick. Yes, the stool pictured is for a child, but it’s better than the floor, especially if it’s wet.

First Aid Kit

Okay, a bit of a mum moment, but for under £3 you’re getting a lot of plasters and bandages. Anyway, it’s pretty likely you’re going to fall over someone’s tent pegs, or be knocked over in a crowd, so they’ll definitely come in handy and saves you queuing up at the welfare tent.

Baby wipes

An obvious one, but probably the most essential item. For obvious reasons, don’t be the smelly mate who thinks being away from a bathroom justifies not cleaning for the weekend.

Poncho

Last, but not least, the rain poncho. Accept it, they’re not cool, they’re not meant to be, no one is wearing this because they actually want to, you’re going to look like a walking condom. Although they bring back bad memories of rainy days at Legoland, ponchos are practical and can be squished up into your bag so they can be out of sight, out of mind when the heavens have closed.

 

All items can be purchased from Tiger Stores, UK.