Boston Calling kicks off next weekend, and while I’ll only be attending one of the three days of the festival this year as opposed to committing to the whole weekend like I normally do (Troy is visiting, so we’ve made some other plans while he’s in town!) I’m still extremely excited to spend a day with friends eating good food and listening to some of my favorite artists. This year, we’ve got Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, and The Killers all performing one right after the other. A dream lineup!
I’ve been extremely fortunate over the years, including this one, to have press credentials for the event. Not only because it gives me access to an area of the festival grounds where I can sit in the shade with friends and colleagues and charge my devices and/or work on content freely- but it’s also a safe space where I can keep my purse or heavier items that I don’t want to have strapped to my shoulder or hanging off of my arm for hours at a time. Boston media representatives are absolute gems- and no one messes with anyone else’s belongings.
That doesn’t mean I don’t carry stuff with me, of course. You never know when you’re going to need a dollop of sunscreen, a swipe of deodorant (it gets hot out there) or just a place to store your sunglasses when the sun goes down or if the weather changes. I’ve shared a couple of versions of “What’s In My Carry-On?” before cross-country vacations in the past, so I thought it’d be fun to do a festival version this time around.
So let’s take a look!
First things first, I actively tried to avoid the resurgence of the fanny pack (I had one when I was eight. That was enough.) but even I can’t deny the convenience that comes with them. Luckily. they’re a lot more stylish these days- so people look less like tourist dads from the early 1990s and more like practical travelers and concert-goers when they wear them out in public.
This olive green one from obé Fitness can hold a lot of stuff securely, has adjustable straps for comfortable wear, and can be worn around the waist or across the chest depending on your personal preference. I wore this to festivals I attended last Fall and felt confident that my belongings weren’t going to spill out or break while I was walking around and dancing.
I want to be prepared and smart when I’m going to be in a crowd and out in the sun for any significant period of time- and while Boston Calling has a lot of hydration and sunscreen stations where people can fill up water bottles and slather on SPF for free- it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra in your purse. I carry this facial SPF50 from Glow Recipe with me on festival days, beach days, any day, really- and dab some on every few hours to protect my face and neck from burning to a crisp.
And let’s be real- festivals can get gross- and there’s plenty of surfaces that a LOT of people come into contact with. I like to carry around hand sanitizer with me for that very reason just to make sure I’m not spreading any germs or bacteria when I eat, drink, apply sunscreen, etc. I’ve stocked up on an abundance of watermelon-scented sanitizer sprays from Touchland for that very purpose- and I’ll be carrying one with me next weekend!
Naturally, you’re going to want to keep sunglasses handy and any access wristbands/passes in your bag where you can easily locate them, too. I keep my wristband/pass in a separate pocket of my bag so it doesn’t get lost amongst the other items I’ve packed up for the day- and the sunglasses are usually on my face or resting on my head- but everything fits when I need to store it!
The next few items are purely for comfort and to benefit the people I’m around since spending hours in the sun and dancing amongst thousands of other music fans can get a little icky to say the least- especially since “freshening up” isn’t always an easy option. For cases of excessive sweatiness or feeling grimy- I usually have a travel deodorant with me for touch-ups throughout the day. One of my favorites, not only for it’s size but for how good it smells- is this cucumber and mint one from Native.
If I need something just a little stronger to make me smell and feel fresh until I can get home or back to my hotel for an everything shower, I usually have a travel-sized perfume spray with me, too. Lately I’ve been obsessed with this sample of Commodity’s ‘Rain’ fragrance that I got via a subscription to Scentbird. It smells so crisp and clean.
And finally, I never go anywhere without a lip balm or oil- and bonus points if it’s a fun, tropical color/finish while I’m gearing up for the Summer. Lately I’ve been obsessing over this deeply hydrating oil from e.l.f. Cosmetics in the shade “Coral Fixation” since it leaves my lips moisturized and insanely shiny.
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Not pictured are things like my ID, cash/cards, my phone and it’s charger, or my refillable water bottle (which is always in my hand!) but I think having that stuff on me is self-explanatory. The items shown above are just some of the extra things I like to have within reach if and when I need them.
And while I’m excited to share my photos and full recap of the festival when the time is right- there’s still a few days left if anyone has any recommendations on what else should be in my bag. Feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment with what you keep in your music festival kit!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 