The best festival essentials to help you survive heat, rain and tent life

What festivals lack in electricity, showers and personal hygiene, they make up for in the lifelong memories and friendships you make. But you’ll still need a semi-charged phone to capture the moment and track down your friends when you lose them in the crowd, which is why our tech editor recommends popping a power bank in your rucksack.

“The Anker 321 is only about the size of a Snickers and weighs less than a phone, while providing a full charge to most handsets – which makes it ideal for keeping on you for some emergency charge in a pinch. If you need as much as two full charges, though, I’d recommend the Anker Nano Power Bank. It’s got twice the capacity and a built-in USB-C cable, which is ideal if you misplace yours!” Simon Cocks, Technology Ecommerce Editor

“If you have an iPhone, Apple’s handy Airtag trackers are ideal for popping into bags, purses, or in the pockets of friends who are prone to going on solo adventures. They use Bluetooth to connect to your phone so you can see the live locations of your tagged goods (or friends!).” Alison Lynch, Head of Content, GHI

For those with Android phones, we recommend the Tile Pro – read our tech editor's full review here: Best luggage trackers and key finders

If you don’t want to use up that precious phone charge, then one of the best instant cameras is a fun way to record your festival experience without worrying about draining your battery. Our tech editor's winner from Instax has an in-built selfie mode and mirror, which makes it even easier to get a great shot of the gang.

It uses square film formats, which are slightly bigger than the ones used on the brand’s other cameras. It can also take up to 300 prints before needing a charge, which is plenty for capturing your festival experience. They look great in photo albums and for decorating your walls with for year-round reminiscing.

“I’ve been using Loop’s Quiet earplugs for some time now, but I recently tried the Experience plugs at a concert and I was seriously impressed. Designed for concerts, festivals and other live events, they offer up to 20dB of noise reduction, without compromising on sound quality.

“I found the music still sounded clear and rich, but my ears weren’t ringing the next day. I’ve also been wearing them at work when I want to quieten the noise around me but still want to be aware of what’s going on. Looks-wise, they are also incredibly subtle and stylish. I’ll be taking them with me to festivals and gigs throughout the summer.” Priyankaa Joshi, Senior Health and Wellbeing Writer, GHI

“A head torch is one of the first things to go in my backpack when going to a festival. While there's usually a good amount of festoon lighting to help you wander the pathways of the campsites, sometimes the Portaloo can be quite gloomy inside.

A head torch means you're hands-free while doing your business, so no fumbling with a torch necessary. This has a red light setting, which I like to use when getting ready for bed in the evenings, as it's not so startling!” Bobbie Edsor, Former Social Manager

“You don’t want to be channelling your inner Bridget Jones by rocking up to a festival with a suitcase – trust me. My friends and I made this error a couple of years ago, and our luggage did not thank us for it.

This year, I’ll be heading into the festival season with this sturdy rucksack from Mountain Warehouse. It’s affordable, and comes with a detachable small bag, which is perfect for carting around my other essentials, such as my water bottle, fan, and more than a few MOTH cocktail cans.” Madeleine Evans, Lifestyle Writer, GHI

"This fold-up chair, which was the top budget buy in our best camping chairs roundup, is so easy to carry. It has a strap too, so you can sling it over your shoulder when you're stalking about looking for the perfect place to pitch your tent. And, it has an all-important drinks pocket!" Megan Geall, Senior Homes and Lifestyle Writer, GHI

“Okay, bear with me. It may seem excessive to take a portable loo to a festival – and you will need a car and a cart to transport it unless you fancy trekking to Glastonbury with a 5kg toilet in tow – but if you’re serious about your comfort (and have nightmares about festival toilets), it’s a game-changer. My friend brought one to V Festival a few years ago and she managed all the logistics – she even brought a small tent to house it in like our very own ensuite (and to hide it from other festival-goers). She fast became my best friend!

There’s nothing better than knowing you can just pop to the loo at night whenever you need to. Note, it’s only for peeing in and you will have to empty it at the end of the festival, but if you aren’t a fan of a sheewee or queues and you’re prepared to transport it, I highly recommend.” Alison Lynch, Head of Content, GHI

You may struggle to carry in your tent, chairs, wellies and, err, portable toilet without a sturdy trolley, so our fashion editor has some words of advice.

“For starters, don't wreck your back before the festival has already begun. But when you are packing away after the festi has ended, your trolley will be your lifeline when making the 100-mile pilgrimage back to your car/coach. But make sure the wheels are fully secured before loading up – you can thank me later." Corin Ripley, Junior Fashion Editor

"I love this air bed - we have it at home for guests, and it packs up small, making it just as great for a more comfortable night's sleep when we're camping. You need a bit of patience blowing it up if you're using a manual pump, but the better beauty sleep is definitely worth it, leaving us more refreshed and ready to go again the next day." Hannah Mendelsohn, Former Homes Editor, GHI

“Chilly’s proved why it’s a market leader by barely dropping a mark in our best reusable water bottle test. Our water remained a refreshingly chilled 11.2 degrees after two hours in 30C heat, and even after 14 hours, it had only changed temperature by 0.6C, making it the perfect companion for a summer festival. The double corkscrew lid prevented any leakage too. It's worth the investment in my eyes.

However, if you’re looking for a more affordable buy, our joint runner-up from Circular and Co is also a fantastic pick (it scored 96/100). It’s lightweight, leakproof, keeps drinks cool for 90 minutes and costs under £15.” Megan Geall, Senior Homes and Lifestyle Writer

“This Aesop hand sanitiser is so bougie, but I adore it, and it just about makes up for not showering for five days. Almost.” Stacey Smith, Senior Food and Drinks Editor, GHI

“These handy, stackable pots from Trinny London combat two big issues for me at a festival – lack of space, and lack of beauty supplies. The trio consists of a lip, cheek and eye tint, as well as a travel version of the brand’s hero product, the De-stress tinted serum. I simply prop up in front of my LED travel mirror, apply quickly, and voila, I am ready to go again.” Maddie Evans, Lifestyle Writer, GHI

“This upgrade on the iconic Batiste dry shampoos is brimming with clever tech. The scent release is sweat- and movement-activated, so essentially you send out bursts of breezy, fresh fragrance every time you bounce your foot to the beat of a song or work up a sweat running to find a friend you've seen in the crowd.

Greasy hair is undoubtedly one of the most inconvenient parts of a festival (right behind smelly Portaloos), and I've been using this for nights out and gym sessions since I grabbed my first can. Buy a few – you be super popular as soon as you pull one out and save a friend a trip to the showers.” Florence Reeves-White, Senior Beauty Writer, GHI

Read more: Best dry shampoos, tried and tested

“I literally don't travel or attempt to sleep anywhere without this sumptuous, silky mask. You wrap it round your head and where other, lesser versions, have string-y straps to keep them on, this is silk all over (good for your skin and hair) and a similar thickness all round your head, so it feels like you have a mini pillow attached to you wherever you go.

After months of my boyfriend stealing mine, I succumbed and bought him his own. No glaring morning sun through thin tent walls for us ever again!” Maddie Evans, Lifestyle Writer, GHI

“I never go anywhere without my Philips Sonicare toothbrush. Genuinely. Where once tatty manual brushes lined the pockets of my festival rucksack, now I walk to the tooth-washing trough (you know the ones) with a smug smile on my face and a fully charged fresh-breath weapon in my palm.

You can charge the case with a USB-C cable, so it uses the same charger as my phone, and once the brush is in the chic pink leather container, the case charges it while you travel, set up camp, and dance the night away. Say goodbye to ferocious brushing when the battery's dead, and hello to a fresh smile that's ready to scream-shout the wrong words to every song on the set-list.” Florence Reeves-White, Senior Beauty Writer, GHI