This is our tenth year at Camp Bestival and are now seasoned festival campers. Our packing list has evolved as technology changes and the kids get older, but it is essentially still the same.

Camp Bestival is held at Lulworth, a spectacular site in the heart of Dorset which is very hilly so you have to make an executive decision where you pitch your tent. It is either close to your car or close to the main site and I would recommend you find a flat pitch as there is nothing worse than sliding down the tent when you are trying to sleep.

As there are lots of hills to climb, dragging a trolley full of camping equipment and / or kids can be very hard work, however, with a bit of planning, you can get it down to two or three trips.

It does all sound hard work, but I can promise you it is very worth it!

Our Camp Bestival Packing List!

Outwell Transporter – With puncture proof rubber wheels this foldable transporter takes up little room in the car and provides easy transportation of bulky items like the tent to and from the campsite. It also doubles as a handy festival trolley and we lined ours with a picnic blanket and decorated it for the kids when they were little, to sit in when they get tired.

The Tent – I would recommend you choose the perfect one for your family and there are loads of affordable options out there. We have a large Coleman Blackout tent which has headroom for taller kids and teens, plus a blackout area, which really does keep the kids asleep longer. Don’t forget the mallet and tent pegs!

Windbreaks: The thing about any festival is it is busy, very busy. It is easy to feel lulled into a false sense of security on a Thursday as everyone leaves each enough space to pitch, however people arrive all through the weekend and any spare inch of space is used to pitch a tent, which we found to our cost when someone pitched right by our front door and we had to climb over their guy ropes every time we needed to access our tent. Using windbreaks creates a divide and stops this happening.

Air Beds: We started off with Self Inflating Sleeping Mats which are great for saving space, but an air bed adds an extra level of comfort and insulation to you stay – just don’t forget the pump!

Sleeping Bags: It may be the height of summer, but trust me it gets very chilly at night, so a good quality, warm sleeping bag is a must!

Pillows: Comfort is a must

Decorations: Solar Fairy Lights / Bunting / Flags: Anything to decorate your tent and trolley with to make it easy to find day or night.

Bungee Cord / String / Scissors – great for attaching a sunshade to the festival trolley or making sure things don’t fall out whilst transporting them to / from the car.

Torch and Headlight – A headlight is a must as those festival toilets are pitch black in the middle of the night and can be used hands free when you have to hold on to the kids.

Clothing: it is the UK so be prepared for any eventuality – this year we saw all four seasons in one weekend! Do check the weather forecasts before you leave, but it is wise to take waterproofs and wellies, warm jumpers, t-shirts, shorts, tactical jeans, underwear, sun hats, sensible shoes and pyjama’s / warm onesie’s for overnight. You can customise these with funky iron on patches and sequins.

Toiletries: The great thing about Camp Bestival is it provides warm showers and sinks, so you can take your normal toiletries. I do recommend adding baby wipes and toilet rolls to the list too, as these can come in very handy, especially with kids.

First Aid Kit: Get a decent size one make sure you add paracetamol suspension, insect repellant, antihistamine, plasters, paracetamol, ibruprofen, rehydration sachets, sunscreen and after-sun.

Food / Drink: We invested in a Coleman Extreme cool box a couple of years ago and haven’t looked back, as its keeps food and drink cold all weekend. Food can get expensive, so we take snacks – nuts, crisps, biscuits, fruit, squash and breakfast cereal to help keep the costs down. We found that freezing Capri Sun drinks before you go also helps as additional freeze packs to keep everything cool. There are free water filling stations all around the site, so make sure you take refillable bottles too.

For the Kids: Glow Sticks, bubble guns, colouring books / activity packs, top trumps, face paint, glitter etc. Dressing up clothes – we love our tails from Tell Tails as they don’t take up too much room

Ear Defenders are also a must, to protect young ears from the loud music.

For the adults: Although festivals tend to have charging stations now, I still recommend taking a power bank for your smart phone as taking photo’s and videos really wipes your battery. Camp Bestival allows you to take in your own alcohol, just make sure it isn’t in a glass bottle, as its a glass free site.

If you forget something, don’t panic – there are stalls onsite that pretty much sell everything that you could every need!!

What is your family festival must have?

Check out this link for my packing list: https://amzn.to/3DzIuvB

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