There’s just something so magical about summer music festivals. Maybe it’s the fresh air. Maybe it’s the non-stop lineup of bands you’re dying to see. Maybe it’s getting the chance to break away from real life and dance away the weekend. Whenever I go to a music festival, it’s like I’m in a whole other world. For one weekend all I’m focused on is singing along with my favorite artists, the festival foods I’ll be munching on, and which Instagram worthy outfit I’m going to post as an #OOTD.
Two of my very favorite music festivals are: Tortuga Music Festival and CMA Music Festival. Attending each of these for the first time gave me a quick reality check. I learned I had no clue how to efficiently survive a music festival weekend. No surprise there considering the only research I had done beforehand was outfit inspo searching on Pinterest. I didn’t think twice about how to prepare for those weekends or what I needed to bring in order to efficiently make it through either festival.
During my first ~fest szn~ I learned the (very) hard way that your hair is a big matted sweat ball by the end of the day two, your phone dies daily before the clock even hits noon, and as soon as the sun goes down you have to scramble for the perfect selfie lighting. Life lessons, y’all. Trust me when I say you don’t want to learn these lessons mid-festival like I did.
Today on Keeping Up with Kahla I’m teaming up with BabbleBoxx to share the items you need to efficiently survive a festival weekend. AKA the guide that past Kahla really could have used before her phone died mid Eric Church performance that first year at Tortuga. A very sore subject to this day.
Block the Rays
Festivals are usually held outside in the bright, beaming sun. You’re going to want a pair of sunglasses that will carry you through the weekend and without sacrificing style. These Gold and Tortoise Rectangle Sunglasses from Zenni eyewear are dishing out all of the 70’s vibes and I am HERE FOR IT. I love how I can wear them lower on my nose for an on trend look. The gold accents are big for 2019. Ditch the all black sunglasses and branch out for something different. That’s what festival season is all about. Zenni eyewear has an entire “festival sunglasses” section on their website full of fun choices to rock while you’re out living your best festi life.
So You Don’t Miss Your Favorite Artist Perform
I love smart watches as much as the next gal, but when I’m out and about during festival season I need something durable. This G-Shock watch from Casio is just the accessory for the job. I’m wearing the S Series GMAS120MF-2A2. It’s water resistant (up to 200M) – so you don’t have to worry about that inevitable festival sweat ruining it. You can also set four daily alarms on this watch. This is a super nifty feature to ensure that you don’t miss your favorite artists perform. Schedule an alarm just before their set time so you know when they’re up next. This is especially helpful when you have to run across the grounds of the festival to make it to the stage they’re performing on (been there, done that, sweated a lot). I’m a sucker for the matte band and rose gold metallic face on this ladies watch.
Keep Your Mane Managed
Remember that big matted sweat ball of hair I talked about earlier in this post? Yeah. Your hair has a big WTF moment during festival season, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t wash their hair every day (hi, it me). Make sure to treat your mane to some TLC before and after your festival weekend. These Mane Club hair masks will work some serious magic on your locks. Each of these hair treatments is a 5 in 1 deal. They strengthen, repair, condition, tame frizz, and add shine. You’ll practically hear your hair whispering “thank you”.
Let the World Know You Were There with the Perfect Lighting to Boot
If you’re planning on capturing your weekend with Instagram stories, endless photos, questionable Snapchats, videos of your favorite artists, and inevitable selfies (obviously you are) – then you’re going to need some help doing it. Never go into festival season without a portable charger and mobile ring light. Carrying around a dead phone at a festival is THE WORST, especially when you want to capture ALL THE MOMENTS. Having minimal lighting for your selfies is also a major drag, especially when you’ve put so much effort into your festie look. The portable charger and mobile ring light that SIMPLE Mobile sent me are definitely staying in my bag (inside and outside of festival season). SIMPLE Mobile is a phone service that offers affordable, no-contract plans with unlimited talk and text, high speed data and must-have smartphones. Their service is perfect for festival goers looking to stay connected and wanting to share their weekend on socials.
Go Handsfree All Weekend
So you have your sunglasses. You have your watch. You have the hair masks. You have your portable charger and mobile ring light. What else could you possibly need? OBVIOUSLY a clear, cute backpack to carry it all in. This Samsonite Go Clear Backpack is P-E-R-FECT for festival season. It’s lightweight, plus it has a front zipper pouch to keep your smaller personal items in tact. A lot of festivals now require your bags to be clear. This backpack is event-friendly (even outside of festival season – think stadiums for game days). I love the size cute pack. It carries everything you need and you’re left hands free to do more important things like: snapping the perfect selfie, waving your hands in the air to your favorite song, or holding on tightly to your beverage of choice.
There ya have it folks. These products are sure to help you survive the festival weekends you have planned this summer. What are some of your go-to festival essentials? What festivals are you heading to this summer? Let me know in the comments below.
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.