Ahhh festival season how we’ve missed you so. A fabulous time to chill, drinks heaps of booze relax at your campsite, meet people and of course listen to some of your fave artists live. How blessed we truly are.
And heading into the biggest period of live music, there’s tens of thousands of people visiting multiple camping festivals across the country. So no doubt many of you will be in the final stages of organising your bags, tents and tricks to smuggle alcohol festivities. But let me guarantee you, just packing a basic tent will have you green with envy of the setups around you at camping festivals. So we’ve got some handy tips that’ll have your campsite thriving for max vibes.
Always Bring A Gazebo(s)
Look whether it’s just you and a mate, or a group of ten plus, gazebos are a deadset must. Our Aussie heat and sun is leaving no prisoners, and you’re never actually going to spend much time in your tent. So make sure you buy one or bring one, and seriously a decent gazebo starts from around $60 at Bunnings, which means it’s never going to cost you guys much to get it sorted.
Usually a normal gazebo will take care of two to five of you, while if you’re in that more adventurous six to ten amount, you’ll need two or a bigger setup. But with plenty of protection from the elements, and a perf place for pre-drinks pre-lemonades, you can also invite your neighbours over for extra fun times.
Think Of It As A Lounge/Bedroom Type Of Situation
Putting a bit of extra effort in with your campsite is a small time commitment for absolute comfort and good times when you get to the festival. So picture your setup as a sleeping/living scenario. You’ve got your tent/swag as your bedroom and sleeping area, but you need a living room. So bring stuff with you for your ‘living area’ under the gazebo that will make it a proper fun place to chill at. Besides the obvious camping chairs, think plastic buckets and an esky or two for food + drinks, a few rugs to chuck on the floor (underrated) and pop up table/s.
Throw in a footy/soccer ball, some beach stuff (great for games to get you going before going into the festival), and even a board game or deck of cards (you’ll be surprised how competitive it gets.) Make it homely, make it fun, and you’ll be glad you did.
Minor Campsite Decorations Are Key
Little things are indeed what makes your campsite a fan favourite. Whether it’s draping rugs and sheets from the top of your gazebo, having little battery-powered fans near ice to spread that makeshift air-con goodness, or a guitar/uke for a sporadic jam, think about little additions that will perk up your space. To be honest, the best stuff here is found lying around your place, but a group visit to a dollar shop before hand will probably also result in a tonne of gems being found.
Make Sure You Have Proper Speakers
Remember, this isn’t just a ‘lil getaway for you and your group, you’re going to have hundreds of people all around you likely that will think their Spotify playlist is much better than yours. So they’ll be armed and ready, and you need to be as well. And it’s a situation where your regular Bluetooth speaker might not be enough. You may need to bring multiple, or even suss out if someone in the group has something more powerful.
Make sure your bad boy/s have good bass and enough to pump super loud if multiple groups join you at your camping wonderland. Most UE Booms are solid, JBL and Bose speakers are also good bets if making a new investment. A group next to me once hired JBL speakers just for the three days, but boy what a dream that was. Whatever way you go, make sure you have plenty of power (batteries) and volume, you can always turn them down if needed (as if you will though.)
Image Source: One Stop Festival, Pinterest, Down The Rabbit Hole Wines
