We are ONE month away from Electric Forest ya’ll I am so excited to return home to the forest. I am a list kind of gal so I thought I’d provide ya’ll with a checklist of what you need to prepare for your trip to the forest as well as a packing list. Since this is a camping festival, I wanted to make sure you all felt prepared because that’s what I would’ve wanted when I went for the first time last year. You can also checkout my Ultimate Guide to Electric Forest for more tips.
Checklist
- Travel to and from Forest is secured: flights, driving, renting a car, shuttles, etc. Make sure you have all your confirmations in order.
- Map and directions to Rothbury and back (in case of phone troubles)
- You’ve received your ticket in the mail or are able to get it from will call
- Your camping arrangements: group camping, GA, etc. Make sure you know where you’re camping and what you need to be prepared for.
- Let your bank and/or credit card know if you’re going to be traveling
- Get enough night’s sleep leading up
- Take immunity boosts to prevent getting sick
- Eat healthy and whole meals
- Be active: Electric Forest is A LOT of walking so keep yourself active. Not saying you have to go to the gym everyday but just get your body moving and STRETCH to get your body ready.
Packing List (Provided by Electric Forest)
CAMP SUPPLIES – INFRASTRUCTURE
Keep in mind: you can split these items with your fellow camp members
Necessary Items
- Your tent (make sure to stake it down!).
- A tarp or two for any wet weather (do not leave the tarp exposed out from underneath your tent or it will turn into a giant puddle if it rains)
- A rubber mallet (not metal, those will be confiscated, to stake down your tent).
- Shade – one 10×10 pop up per four people is a good estimate. (Make sure to stake it down. It is not unusual to see at least one flying shade structure or tent during the course of the weekend. Don’t let it be yours.)
- Camp chairs. Foldable ones, enough for your crew, and maybe a visitor if your car has space.
- Decorative tapestries to hang from the side of your shade tent. They block the sun when it’s not directly overhead, let a breeze through, and can also help you identify your camp.
- Folding table. (You don’t want to have to move things from the lid of your cooler every time you need a snack.)
- Spare batteries for everything (if you forget, they are available at the general store!).
- A battery-powered tent fan is nice to have. They hang from the peak of your tent and keep the air flowing. They also keep you cool enough to take a midday nap, or sleep in.
- Sleeping supplies. The ground isn’t soft. In addition to regular blankets and pillows, it’s nice to have a sleeping pad. Quality rest is key to restoring the energy needed for 4 days of Forest. Camping cots and air mattresses (with battery or car-powered inflator!) are also viable options.
- Big trash and recycling bags – 60 gallons or larger is best! Pack a lot of them to keep your camp clean and respectful of the land and your neighbors. (Tie them to the legs of your shade tent to keep cleaning up extra easy, and to keep trash from flying away!) Neighborhood pods will have spare trash and recycling bags should you run out.
Not Essential But Helpful
- Camp lantern(s) – electric not flame! Try hanging one lantern from the roof of your tent, and one from the roof of your shade tent. Leave one on the table for accessibility. (Bonus points for solar-powered or those that use rechargeable batteries!)
- Headlamp (like you see on miners or night time cyclists – using your phone as a light in the port-a-potties can end catastrophically!)
- A portable speaker or radio to tune in to EF Radio! You’ll be at your camp for several hours a day, relaxing, eating, or just having some fun. Some people kill their car battery just to play some tunes. Don’t be that person. Just get something loud enough to enjoy over the music of your neighbors and the stages.
- A flag and flagpole. The campgrounds are large, and it’s always nice to be able to locate your camp from far away. You can get collapsible flag poles for easy travel.
CAMP SUPPLIES – KITCHEN
Necessary
- Cooler with ice. Fill your cooler at your last stop on the way in (some of the stores close to the festival sell out, so be prepared for that). The more full your cooler is, the slower the ice will melt. Block ice lasts even longer than chipped! If you run out of ice, your Neighborhood Pod has it for sale.
- Washable or disposable eating/drinking utensils (cups, plates, forks/spoons). Washable is the greenest choice – but make sure that you also bring biodegradable dish soap and a tub for the scrub!There is potable water within the campgrounds at your Neighborhood Pod. The sinks for that potable water are all tied into grey water basins. When you are done washing your dishes at camp, please strain out food particles, put the food a trash bag, and dispose of your grey water in a sink!
- Reusable containers or bags for your snacks.
- A water resistant container to store dry foods (and keep them dry).
- Cloth or paper towels for clean up.
Not Essential But Helpful
- A small propane or butane cook stove with fuel and cooking utensils (if you plan to cook). Note that neither coal nor propane grills are not allowed due to increased fire risk.
- Small tub for washing dishes.
CAMP SUPPLIES – FOOD
You can get food in the campgrounds and/or inside the venue. I typically had one big meal when I woke up then I’d have a big meal or two inside the venue. Here are some ideas of what you can prepare:
- Pasta salad – already prepared and bagged up with lots of veggies and healthy add-ins
- Granola & energy bars
- Fresh fruit and snackable veggies (cool cucumber, anyone?)
- Hard boiled eggs
- Chips n’ dip, hummus n’ pita, tortillas n’ guac, carrots n’ peanut butter…
- Muffins or other non-perishable baked goods
- Cereal and milk/yogurt
- Instant oatmeal/noodles and a way to make hot water
- MRE’s – meals ready to eat that are packaged in pouches, like Tasty Bites
- Sandwich supplies: peanut butter and jelly or lunch meat & condiments – and bread! Consider wraps instead of sandwiches, as tortillas travel better than bread does
- Salt + pepper
- Pre-cooked proteins (burgers, marinated chicken, etc) and associated dressings
BE HEALTHY – DRINKS
Staying hydrated is the number one key to success. Period. Keep in mind that any drink with alcohol will dehydrate you, and that you must then drink extra water to regain the balance!
- Everyone should have their own reusable water bottle or hydration pack – metal or plastic, not glass! Use this water vessel for all of your hydration needs.
- Water. While bottled water may seem like the most convenient choice, those bottles are wasteful and unnecessary! Bring some reusable, non-glass gallon jugs if you need lots of camp water (there are filling stations all around the camps). Drink lots of water.
- Electrolytes. Plants love ‘em (bad joke), but your body loves ‘em even more, especially when you’re demanding so much of it. Products such as Vitamin Water, Gatorade, Emergen-C, Coconut Water, and all of the fizzy electrolyte tabs out there are ideal for keeping the vital nutrients and minerals that you’re sweating out flowing through you.
- Coffee supplies, if you’re a coffee drinker.
- Tea + honey in case you start to lose your voice.
A note on Alcoholic beverages:
Only canned beer and boxed wine are allowed. No glass is allowed. The limit is 1 case of beer and 1 box of wine per person. You must be 21+ to bring in or consume alcohol. You cannot substitute a case of beer for a box of wine or vice-versa.
BE HEALTHY – CLOTHING
Weather can range from 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit – you must come prepared for it all.
- Several choices of comfortable footwear. You will be walking and dancing many miles a day on rough terrain for 4+ days.Take care of your feet, and they will take care of you.
- Long sleeves (hoodie, sweater)
- Raincoat (better to have and not need than need and not have…)
- Basic clothing for each warm day (long pants, more socks than you think you need, shorts, underwear, plenty of t-shirts/tank tops, sundresses, etc)
- Bonus points: costumes for each day
- Bathing suit for the waterpark
- Waterproof footwear that is easy to put on (flip flops, etc)
- Bandanas
- Hats to keep the sun off your head
- Sunglasses
BE HEALTHY – MISC
- A first aid kit (Band-Aids, blister pads, Neosporin, pain reliever, etc.)
- Earplugs – a set to use when you sleep, and a set to protect your hearing when you dance!
- A sleep mask (chances are you may still want to be asleep once the sun comes up)
- Wet wipes
- Hand sanitizer (bonus points if it clips to your pack for easy access)
- Your basics (soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, contacts (+spares), glasses, fingernail clippers, shaving supplies, etc)
- Any prescription medications that you may need in the Rx bottle labelled with the name that matches your id
- A towel
- A solar shower if you would prefer not to use the showers at your Neighborhood Pod
- Gold bond and/or bodyglide (nobody wants chafing)
- Feminine hygiene products
- Condoms (you know, just in case)
- Sunscreen (use it! Your skin will thank you, and you’ll be sad without it)
- Melatonin (as needed for sleep)
A GOOD IDEA TO REMEMBER…
- Your wristband (which will be mailed to you unless you live internationally – then you go to will call and ignore this suggestion)
- Your phone and phone charging cord (to find your friends, take photos, and use the Electric Forest app. The app has the schedule, artist information, a festival map, sends out important alerts and updates, and more)
- Plan to use the schedule on the app, or print out your paper schedules at home!
- Plan to use the map on the app, or print out your paper map at home!
- Bring a clear bag to allow for Express Entry as you enter the venue!
- List of important phone numbers (just in case)
- Spare car keys (one is none, two is one)
- Cash or ATM card (the consensus is that $50 per festival day works well, with extra for the trip home)
- Swiss army knife, or a multi-tool (camp setup, fixes, etc)
- Duct tape (quick fixes, if you feel like being creative, or pretty much anything, it’s duct tape)
- A USB battery, or solar charger to recharge all electronic devices.
- Water toys (a colorful squirt toy, a mister, or whatever to cool down in the campgrounds on hot days)
- Yoga mat (yoga happens every morning, check the schedule!)
- A pen and notebook (in case you happen to find yourself inspired)
- Jumper cables for your car battery, or to help someone else out.
- A hammock (and straps!)
- Hula hoops or other flow-toys (rechargeable or battery-powered if they glow, and any chargers you may need for them!)
- Body/face paint (and a way to wash it off)
- Your homemade totem (make sure it follows the official Totem guidelines)
Outfits
Checkout my Outfit Tips & Ideas for Electric Forest 2019 blog post!
Also checkout this reddit post for more info filled with tons of resources.
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