Each and every year, thousands of eager festival-goers prepare for their favorite camping festival across the country. There’s so much anticipation that comes with these trips from the stacked weekend lineups to the amazing group of friends we choose to go with. However, we can’t stress enough just how important it is to also prepare for harsh weather conditions to avoid catastrophe.
As we’ve just seen this past weekend, Electric Forest attendees were forced to evacuate the festival grounds on the final day of the festival due to severe weather. While camping festivals are one of the happiest and most memorable experiences, it’s important to remember that they’re still subject to the elements, both good and bad.
As we approach the middle of summer, there are still a bunch of upcoming camping festivals to look forward to. We thought it might be helpful to provide a few tips to prepare for bad weather so that everybody stays safe and happy.
Check out our Top 10 Tips To Prepare For Bad Weather At Camping Festivals below. Enjoy!
1. Check The Weather Forecast
This might sound obvious but it’s important to check the local weather forecast a few days before your trip. If they’re predicting even a 30% chance of rain at some point, it’s easier to err on the side of caution and bring rain gear.
2. Buy a Waterproof Tent with Rain-Gear
Preparing for a festival can be expensive and it’s understandable to cut costs down in some areas. Your tent is not one of those areas. Make sure to do your research on a quality, waterproof tent that can handle whatever is thrown its way.
3. Pack a Tarp
Most high-quality waterproof tents are pretty solid when it comes to keeping rain out. But if you’re camping on wet ground, utilizing a tarp underneath your tent can drastically help in keeping unwanted moisture from coming in through the floor.
4. Bring Waterproof Clothing
It’s always so much fun planning out our creative festival attire. In a perfect world, we get to wear everything we planned, when we planned it. However, make sure to bring at least one set of clothes that can handle bad weather. It might not be as cute or cool, but a pair of rainboots and a rain jacket could make all the difference.
5. Bring Extra Trash Bags & Ziplocs
During your routine pre-festival shopping run, make a point to buy extra trash bags and ziplocs. These can be used to protect valuable electronics, clothing, and anything you don’t want being exposed to rain.
6. Have a Waterproof Bag/Phone Case Handy
Far too many times, the weather seems like it’s going to be fine before quickly turning on its head without warning. Having a waterproof backpack, purse, or fanny pack is an easy way to eliminate the element of surprise. If you don’t carry a bag around with you, you might want to look into a waterproof phone case to at least keep you covered.
7. A Sleeping Pad/Air Mattress is Crucial
In addition to providing more comfort than sleeping on the hard ground, sleeping pads/air mattresses can create an extra barrier between your sleeping bag and the floor. In the event that water does get inside your tent, at least you will stay dry by not sleeping on the ground.
8. Bring More Layers Than You think
One of the hardest things to predict is the drastic temperature change that sometimes occurs at these festivals. One day it might be 100° and sunny before it drops into what feels like 40° during the night. By bringing extra layers, you can prepare for the coldest weather while being able to remove them once things start to warm up again.
9. Make Sure You Have Plenty of Tent Stakes on Hand
As camping festivals take place over multiple days, it’s only natural that you experience a range of different weather throughout the trip. High winds can sometimes come out of nowhere and can be detrimental to tents if not properly secured. It’s wise to bring plenty of tent stakes to secure your tent to the ground and likely a hammer to expedite the process.
10. Bring Sun Gear/Something to Provide Extra Shade
Cold and rain aren’t always the problem when camping. Sometimes it might just be too damn hot and most festivals have little to no trees around the camping grounds. Something like a canopy could provide enough shade to keep you cool during the day. And don’t be afraid to pack your extra tapestries and blankets to create even more shade from the sun during the hot summer months.