Coachella and Bonnaroo? Inexpensive survival kit suggestions for newbies

By April MacIntyre Mar 25, 2011, 20:34 GMT

Our mini Coachella kit! photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

If you are a die-hard music festival attendee, please check out our inexpensive recommendations for a to-go survival kit for Coachella.

There's nothing worse than getting to a huge outdoor music fest and not being prepared.  

"Prepared" differs for each person, as women obviously have different concerns than guys, and first-timers who head to three-day music extravaganzas like Coachella and Bonnaroo need to get schooled fast on what to have; so pull up a chair:

Plan to bake in the sun, use an outdoor porta-potty (don't expect toilet paper) and eat overpriced, greasy fast food. You may become sick and get dehydrated.

Music festivals are full of high, drunk sweaty people careening into each other, who will make the event one to navigate wisely.  As with any mass crowd, proceed with caution, be cheerful and pack a useful bag you can bring in.

So along with a tucked away portable pack of Tylenol, a good charged-up phone, sunscreen, money and your ID - here are some great products necessary to survive several days of music and mayhem.

Every experienced concert-goer knows that there are a few key, yet inexpensive, products that should be packing. 

Here are some of the top items on our list:

·         HINT Water:

In addition to keeping music lovers hydrated at Coachella's 100+-degree weather, water also helps to boost energy levels so you won’t have to miss a minute of the music. HINT Water has flavor but none of the calories or sugars so no headaches will ensue.

·         Wet Ones:

Mandatory, the travel packs are amazing. We all know that weird things can happen at concerts, so why not have a sanitary wipe in your pocket just in case? Whether you want to wipe down some sweat, use for bathroom purposes, whatever the case - Wet Ones are 100% portable and kill 99.99% of germs.

·         Medifast Chocolate Mint Crunch Bars:

With shows starting as early as 7:00 p.m. and lasting until well past 2:00 a.m., there’s a good chance you’ll strike up an appetite. Opt for a protein bar like the one from Medifast. It contains a number of vitamins and minerals that will help keep immune systems up and it’s only 110 calories per serving.

·         Goody Starry Night Gentle Elastics:

This is the Duct Tape of accessory-ville. There’s nothing worse than being without an elastic.  Make sure to throw a couple of extra of these Goody Ouchless creations in your bag. Plus, elastics are always great solutions to broken purse straps, awkwardly-ripped clothing, etc. Don’t leave home without them!

·         Ricola Fresh Pearls:

When the encore has wrapped for the night and the last of the speakers are unplugged, make sure to ease your aching pipes with a Ricola Fresh Pearl. These throat drops come in a number of flavors and contain a mix of 13 medicinal herbs that refresh both the mouth and throat. So useful. 

April MacIntyre is Monsters and Critics' smallscreen and people/celebrity editor who loves to visit and celebrate small American businesses when she can. You can contact her on Twitter