What to pack for a festival?
I don’t know about you, but I love hunting down the best camping gear. There’s just something about being outdoors that makes you extra aware of your surroundings—and more mindful of the impact we have.
I live just 30 minutes from Glastonbury, and as the roads fill up with thousands of festival-goers, I thought I’d pull together a few eco-friendly essentials that are perfect for a music festival. These are secondhand or made from recycled materials, fixable (because mending is better than throwing in the bin - right?), and of course, colourful and fun - like a fesitval should be!
You’ll find the items listed below along with where you can buy or hire them. Just a heads-up: they were all available at the time of writing, but some are one-of-a-kind or limited in stock—so if something catches your eye, don’t wait too long (or you might want to think about booking for the next year its on).
If you’ve tried any of these, I’d love to hear what you think. And if you’ve got your own must-haves, feel free to drop your suggestions in the comments!
Here we go:
Hire a tent at Pilton Camping - A significant amount of tents are abandoned at music festivals in the UK each year, with most ending up in landfill. Estimates suggest around 250,000 tents are left behind, contributing to a large amount of waste, SO why not think ahead and hire a tent? You’ll just need to bring your sleeping bag and essentials and its all pitched for you so you can just go and ENJOY yourself!
Dragon Denim Jacket by Chloe Haywood London (£165) Preloved denim jacket that has been patched and mended with a HUGE dragon applique on the back. It celebrates Glastonbury Festivals’ new area called Dragons Tail which is is a gloriously relaxed new space to take time out, find shade & shelter and revel in the moment.
Sunhat by Chloe Haywood London £38 - Everyone needs one - a beautiful handwoven panama straw which provides excellent sun protection, shielding your face and neck from harmful UV rays. The natural straw is far more breathable and comfortable for all-day wearing than cotton or synthetic alternatives. Stay cool, comfortable, and stylish while enjoying your favorite outdoor activities all summer long. Sustainable why? Handwoven in panama but sourced from the company that directly pays the weavers so its Fairtrade. The hats have then been decorated with metal leaf by hand in the UK so not only a beautiful product but unique to the wearer too.
Sunglasses by Kyloe in the Wild - ‘Bolt’ £66.99 Sustainable why? All their sunglasses are made from recycled materials and I particulary love this Scottish small business for their excellent customer service.
Phone Portable Charger by GOMI (£79) I LOVE Gomi portable chargers. They charge my phone three times before needing to be recharged themselves. They’re made from recycled plastic, and every so often they offer Limited Edition drops made from offcuts of their waste plastic and they’re BEAUTIFUL! They also offer a two year guarantee and will repair your kit too. Get 10% off your purchase with the code CHLOE10
Black Cassette iPhone 16 Pro Case by Pela Case (£40 but also BOGOF) You’re at a music festival with bands like PULP (aka Patchwork), Supergrass and of course Rod Stewart, you need to go retro with the cassette tape style phone case made from flax shive and a plant based biopolymer. They say, ‘We use the strongest parts of nature to make something truly innovative.’
Crochet Bag from Rocket and Bird Handmade bag from a shop based in Taunton in Somerset stacked full of handmade gifts and presents.
Kiss Cuff by Chloe Haywood London (£20) Limited Edition wide leather bracelets made from leather remnants from Mulberry Handmade and designed in the UK.
Sequin Top by Warehouse by sold on VINTED Preloved, losing a few sequins, but still a beautiful rose gold and SHINEY top which is affordable enough to have fun and if it gets trashed, who cares?! Size 10 but perfect for anyone UK 8 to 12
Deodorant by Fussy - this lovely brand contacted me directly as they were convinced I’d love their deodorant, and they weren’t wrong! I LOVE Fussy. I love their beautiful fuss free packaging and they have some fab case colours. Take advantage of my 15% discount by popping CCHLOE15 at checkout to get an extra discount. Sustainable why? Plastic-free, compostable refills keep mother nature happy. All natural, free from aluminium, parabens and 100% vegan.
Brown Suede Pixie Boots on VINTED (£10) - Cute preloved ankle boots that are really great with a short skirt / shorts or even with jeans and so affordable.
Costume from REWARDROBE Dressing up is ALWAYS allowed at festivals so you should maybe look at some of the ex circus costumes from REWARDROBE (my sister business) which looks to circulate waste textiles and costumes from the entertainment industry
I hope you’ve enjoyed my festival picks! Make sure you check out my Friends page, where you can discover more businesses and products that I LOVE, plus you may find some fabulous deals too!
And don’t forget to leave your comments and your Sustainable Summer ‘must haves’. 💋