What To Pack For Glastonbury
The Stuff That Actually Matters
Packing for Glastonbury is about being prepared without overloading yourself. Everybody is unprepared for their first Glasto, so don’t stress if you’ve forgotten your wellies, left the blow-up mattress on the doorstep or did a last minute buy of a waterproof jacket that isn’t waterproof! You’ll still have a mad time, but the right kit just makes everything way easier.
Many first-timers massively underestimate the trek from the car parks to the campsites, where it can be anywhere between 20 mins to an hour long walk to your chosen campsite. A lot of people end up ditching half their gear by the gate or argue with their mates about whose turn it is to carry the cool box. The key is thinking strategically about what you’ll actually use versus what sounds nice in theory. That fancy camping chair? Brilliant if you can carry it. That second case of beer? Maybe go for a beer run during some downtime instead.
So, What Do I Need Then?
Tent, your most basic essential: Your tent is your home for 5 days. There is no right or wrong tent to take, just as long as it has the quality to survive for those 5 days. You might consider something cheap in the £20 – £60 region but consider if it will withstand you flailing around to get dressed on day 3 in a tight space. Can you trust that you (or somebody else for that matter) won’t put your foot through it? One tiny mistake like that can result in a soggy mess that ruins your weekend. So shop for a decent quality tent from a reputable brand and make sure it doesn’t weigh a ton, anything under 5kg’s is manageable for a single person to carry. If you’re group camping, then the lot of you can probably handle up to 15kg easy enough, as long all your mates pull their weight.
If you don’t have the budget or space for a quality tent, hiring might be worth considering, but more on that below.
Sleeping Bag and Airbed, your other most basic essential: You will walk for miles and miles whilst on site, so a comfy place to rest those weary legs is a must. Choose a sleeping bag rated for variable temperatures as the nights can be surprisingly chilly, and a decent airbed as well for maximum comfort, you don’t want to be reinflating it at 2 am after an afternoon on the ciders! If a full airbed is too bulky for you, then a self-inflating camping mat is a good compromise between comfort and pack size.
Clothing: Pack light but smart is our advice. Prepare for anything, as we all know what the British weather is like. The bare minimum we suggest: waterproof jacket, wellies, sturdy boots, warm hoodie, multiple t-shirts and underwear, quick-dry trousers with pockets, a pair of shorts and a couple of towels. Avoid denim, if it rains it’ll never dry and if the weather is warm, you’ll be too hot in a crowd.
Other Practical Items
So, you’re sorted with the basics. Chuck all that in a rucksack and you’re good to go plus still have a hand or two free. What else to take? Firstly, alcohol is permitted on site. Beers, wines, spirits, that dodgy homebrew your mate’s made, all allowed as long as it’s not in glass bottles or containers.
We also suggest toilet paper, sunscreen, a power bank for charging your phone, painkillers or ibuprofen and some Berocca or some other multivitamin (let’s face it, you’re probably not getting your 5 fruits and veg per day whilst you’re here!). If you want a bit of fun, take a flag or inflatable to help find your tent during the day and make yourself at home by stringing up some fairy lights around your tent. Trust us, when you’re stumbling back at 3am and everything looks the same, that daft inflatable or twinkling lights will be an absolute lifesaver.
Mud and Sunshine, Prepare For Everything
Depending on how you’re getting to site, you could take a festival trolley and ditch the rucksack completely. Add some storage boxes to be super organised and you’ll have plenty of room to take some other essentials such as beer and water! Be mindful though, if it’s a washout that trolley could become a nightmare to pull in Glastonbury’s famous mud pit.
Tent Hire for Glastonbury: A Smarter Option?
Look, we know dropping £100+ on a decent tent for one festival feels a bit mad, especially if you’re not a regular camper. And cheap tents? They’re basically expensive bin bags that let you down when it matters most. That’s why tent hire for Glastonbury makes sense. You get proper quality gear without the commitment of storing it or the guilt of binning it after one use. Plus it’s just easier, as there is no worrying if it’ll actually survive the weekend.
Glastonbury tent hire has become increasingly popular and for good reason.
Our 2 Man Fresh&Black popup tent is perfect for festivals like Worthy Farm. It goes up in minutes (genuinely), the blackout fabric means you might actually sleep past 7am and it’s built to handle whatever the Somerset mud throws at it. Our Festival tent hire starts at just £45 plus P&P and £20 deposit for the whole festival. We’ll supply a returns label making return shipment a doddle after you’re done with it and, as long as you don’t completely trash it, you’ll even get your full deposit back.
The catch? Decent tent hire options get snapped up by May when everyone starts panicking. So if you’re considering tent hire for your Glastonbury trip, don’t leave it until June. And honestly, it’s just better for everyone. Less waste, less abandoned tents littering Worthy Farm and you don’t have a soggy tent taking up space in your flat for the next year.
At The End Of The Day
You need to remember that Glastonbury isn’t just a festival, it’s a temporary city where you’re living rough for nearly a week. Your tent isn’t just somewhere to sleep; it’s where you’ll be getting changed in the dark, storing valuables, potentially sheltering from storms and stumbling back to at 4am. Your feet will cover more ground than you think — one study estimated the average festival-goer walks nearly 12 miles per day at Glastonbury. So while it’s tempting to pack fashionably, comfort and practicality will save you from day three regret when your feet are covered in blisters and you’re wearing a bin bag because your “waterproof” gave up.