10 Eco Friendly Festival Must Haves

Festivals are so much more fun if you’re well prepared with these eco friendly music festival must haves!

By Paige French

We Brits are famous for many things: our dry sense of humour, our distaste for people who don’t queue (it’s just rude!) and our ghastly weather. But when the rain stops and the clouds part, we can put on a bloody good music festival.

In the summer, there are loads of festivals to choose from. Like the Reading Festival, Glastonbury, or Bestival. Or you can go international and go to Benicassim or Coachella. But no matter what festival you’re choosing to go to, there are essential items that you should be packing to make the weekend in the mud that little bit easier to get through.

Since you’re outside (and possibly feeling a bit…toxic, shall we say?), make sure whatever you bring is going to be easier on the earth and your body by making some sustainable choices.

Here, we’ve picked 12 Eco Friendly Festival Must Haves that will see you through any festival, anywhere.

Main image: Jakkolwiek

1. First, A Good Deodorant

Dancing all night with no shower afterwards? Yipes. No wonder this is the first of our eco friendly festival must haves on the list!

Make sure yours is non-toxic, like this one by Tom’s. It’s great for both women and men, is aluminium-free, goes on clear, and offers strong odour and wetness protection. And it’s all done naturally, with no toxic ingredients!

2. A Solar Mobile Charger

No plug in site, but you NEED to take pics of yourself and your mates….the only solution? A solar charger. They’re eco friendly festival must haves for anyone who really wants to share their memories of the event.

Plus, they’re dirt cheap now, so go for it! This one below is a top seller on Amazon, and is nice and compact, too.

3. Healthy Snacks

Yeah, there’s food on offer there. But do you really want to brave the queue? Or pay, like $30 for a sandwich? Instead, pack some essentials that will last the weekend. Granola bars, dried fruit, boiled eggs and nuts are good, healthy options.

4. Some Solid Sunnies

A good pair of sunglasses is another of our top eco friendly festival must haves. Not just for blocking out the sun’s rays, but also for hiding the bags under your eyes and smeared mascara, of course!

Naturally, we prefer ours to be eco-friendly, like these ones below . Choose wood frames, biodegradable, plant based plastic frames, or just go vintage, to be as sustainable as can be.

5. God Willing, Some Sunscreen

True that British festivals are best known for being a mud bath, but you never know…! Should the sun decide to shine down, you may be delighted. But then you’ll need to add another of our eco friendly festival must haves to your list: sunscreen.

Of course, organic/mineral is always best, like this one by Green People. It provides an SPF of 30 and is unscented, too.

6. Eco Friendly Wet Wipes

Still the best way to stay ‘clean,’ given the terrifying spectre of queues for portaloos and all. But many are not only full of parabens and other harmful chemicals – they’re also made of plastic! (even though it feels like paper).

Make sure yours are as natural as can be, like these ones from natracare.

7. Dry Shampoo

Greasy is never a good look. A hat can only stay on for so long, so to prevent ‘hair shame’ , make sure you’ve got a bottle of decent organic dry shampoo!

This gorgeously scented one by Rahua is one of the most important eco friendly festival must haves for anyone who also wants to smell nice.

8. A Good Tote Bag

This is one of the most essential eco friendly festival must haves. Why? It will be your home-away-from-home for the next few days!

Make sure it’s durable, eco-friendly, vegan, washable, waterproof, zipped, and big, like this one from Rothy’s, below. Put all of the above in it!

9. Excellent Boots

Hope for the best, expect the worst. That’s is the motto you should be following for festival weather. Especially if you’re British!

And just in case you’re hit by the worst, you’ll need some boots that love mud. This pair of vegan boots below would look awesome with shorts or skirts, and will last forever, through any weather.

10. Fashion That Makes You Stand Out

Let’s face it: everyone wants to be noticed when they’re festivalling. Celebs, paps, lots of cute boys, and of course, loads of musicians are all going to be there! So fashion that makes you stand out is another of our eco friendly festival must haves.

If you’re into bold, edgy styles and daring festival wear is taking center stage. You can turn heads in a stunning, alt-glam look with pieces from women’s rave outfits. They’re perfect for sun-soaked daytime dancing or paired with combat boots and a cloak for that after-dark rave energy.

You might also look your best with loose, floating maxi dresses and kaftans (that hide unshaved legs). Or go a little bit hippy with an organic cotton crochet knit outfit, like this one from Reformation, below.