10 Festival Essentials You Can’t Live Without

Have you noticed that suddenly the mannequins in front of Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters are exclusively wearing floral hippie gear and floppy hats? Obviously, it means outdoor musical festival season is right around the corner! Whether you’re planning a trip to Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, or heck, even Warped Tour, here are ten festival essentials you can’t live without:
1. Water Stay hydrated. Seriously. The last thing you want to do is pass out due to dehydration or heat exhaustion. It isn’t cute. Check the festival website to see if you’re allowed to bring in empty water bottles for use at hydration stations. If not, bring plenty of cash so you can stock up throughout the day. 
2. Sunscreen A festival is not the time to work on your base tan. Lather up with plenty of sunscreen and bring extra in your bag!
3. A VIP Hook Up Every festival has a VIP section. At first you think it’s totally not worth it to pay for VIP. Then you get to the festival and realize you’d do anything for a cleaner bathroom and a shorter booze line. Try to secure a hookup if you can so you get a taste of the good life. 
4. Phone Charger Your phone is def going to die at some point during your festival excursion. Embrace that. Know that. But if you can, plan ahead. Head to a camping gear store beforehand. They usually have cool solar powered or wind up chargers that will come in handy when you don’t have a power outlet nearby. 
5. Pen & Paper Don’t overlook the importance of having a pen and some paper on your person. Who knows, maybe your phone is dead and you meet a handsome stranger. You will want to toss him (or her) your number. Also, if your phone dies, you’ll be able to write down your friend’s numbers and borrow a stranger’s phone to connect with them later. Yeah, admit it. You don’t know any numbers by heart. 
6. The Perfect Pose If you’re being honest with yourself, half of your festival day is going to be spent snapping photos of you and your friends doing cool shit. SO – bring your A game and practice the perfect pose before getting to the festival. 
7. Wet Naps or Hand Sanitizer Festivals are notoriously grimy. It’s just a fact. Try to avoid being totally gross (and potentially getting sick due to other people’s germs) by bringing hand sanitizer and wet naps with you. 
8. Ear Plugs In case the tunes are too loud, come prepared with a little something for your ears. 
9. Cash Money Festival ATMs are usually sketchy and super busy. Bring cash so you can avoid the entire to-do!
10. A Designated Driver
It goes without saying… always party safe, especially in huge festival settings. If you’re going to drink, don’t drive! Plan, plan, plan!