Close your eyes. Breathe it in. The wait is finally over – after more than two long and arduous years, festival season finally once again upon us!
It’s hard not to get caught up in the sheer excitement of it all but before you get distracted planning your schedule of must-see acts on Clash Finder or start decanting your gin into plastic bottles, you need to make sure you’re showing up with all the necessary tools for an optimum festival experience.
We know this can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re a first time festi-guy or gal, but fear not. We’ve teamed up with LIDL Ireland to put together a comprehensive guide of everything you need to be crowned king or queen of the campsite this summer.
Getting there…
Is there anything more tragic than the sight of someone hauling a wheelie suitcase through bumpy fields of grass and mud? Couldn’t be us! Pack your stuff efficiently into something like the Hiking Rucksack (€19.99) and you’ll be from your car to your camping spot in no time, ready to stake your claim on this land for the next three days.
Getting the shoes right…
Now you’ve landed, first things first, let’s talk shoewear. Any festival veteran will tell you how key to survival getting this right is – come rain or shine, you don’t want to be traipsing around a campsite in fashionable but painful boots or flimsy sun shoes. Something durable but comfortable like these ridiculously affordable Men’s Hiking Shoes (€22.99) will do the trick nicely.
Nailing the fashion…
Now you’ve assured your feet ultimate protection, it’s time to think about what you’ll be wearing. Again, practicality should take priority here but there’s no reason you can’t still look cute whilst being prepared for all eventualities with these trendy Men’s DIY Dungarees (€29.99) which will allow you to frollick between stages and roll around the grass to your heart’s content. The right jacket is, of course, essential at any Irish festival as you never know when the elements could leave you sweating or drenched. Thankfully LIDL has you covered with a number of trusty options such as the Men’s 3-in-1 Jacket (€29.99), Ladies’s Knit Fleece Jacket (€ 11.99) or the Men’s Power Stretch Jacket (€14.99).
Eating and drinking like a king…
Just because you’re sleeping under the stars, doesn’t mean you have to eat like an animal for three days. This Cool Bag with Lunch Boxes (€12.99) will allow you to bring along a whole assortment of delicious snacks and treats you’ve prepped in advance which will satisfy your cravings and line the stomach nicely for yet another day of festival fun. And hey, even the healthiest of snacks can taste better washed down in the sun by an ice cold beer which leads us to the Electric Cool Box (€69.99). This is a product that will allow you to seriously level up your festival experience by guaranteeing that you’ll be enjoying bar-quality drinks all weekend long – forget about those shudder-inducing memories of near-boiling hot cans that have been left in the tent all day.
Hydration, of course, is key to staying safe and refreshed at any festival so don’t even think about heading off without a solid flask for carrying water around – this Stainless Steel Insulated Flask (€8.99) looks ideal for keeping water fresh and cold.
Sleeping like a queen…
We know half the fun of a festival happens when the acts have finished but even the staunchest party people among us need their shut eye, and when the time comes for sleep you want to be doing that in style. The Camping Air Mattress (€19.99) will allow you to drift peacefully to sleep under the stars (or the sunlight, depending on what time you settle) in total comfort and support so that you won’t feel achey the next day. And, as with many elements of festival life in Ireland, you need to prepared for temperatures high and low (well let’s face it, more so for low…) so a reliable sleeping bag is essential. LIDL’s Sleeping Bag Assortment (€17.99) should suffice perfectly.
Staying connected…
The ultimate nightmare at a festival is losing your friends and that’s why a fully charged phone is an absolute necessity. This Powerbank (€59.00) looks incredibly ideal as not only does it have a USB port to plug your phone cable into, it also has an actual plug socket meaning you could use to plug in an electric pump for your air mattress or any other number of gadgets which could enhance your festi-lifestyle tenfold.
All of these brilliantly affordable items will be on sale in LIDL stores around the country from April 14th and you can check out the whole LIDL camping https://www.lidl.ie/c/take-a-hike-camping/c537/w2
So, now all that’s left to do is to make a list of what you need, get yourself down to your nearest LIDL on April 14th and, eh, meet us at the mainstage, yeah?
