To celebrate Festival Season this week, we're offering 50% off event & festival hats and all accessories such as sunglasses, patches, pins!  Code "festivalseason" unlocks the savings. On top of the killer sale, we've compiled this ultimate list of advice, recommended products, and creative solutions for modern camping and living your best fest-life. Whether you're a festie-n00b or a seasoned vet, these are the ten, magnificent festival principles that every music festival lover should live by, plus packing lists, pro-tips, and tricks that even the most advanced festival squads can learn from. Let's begin.

💧#1 THOU SHALL HYDRATE PROPERLY💧

While it might be annoying to hear over and over again, it’s probably the number one most important message. Regardless of what you’re consuming, even just an hour of high temps, sun exposure, and excessive walking or dancing can drain your body of the most vital nutrient we need to, literally, survive.  Buy a bottle for you and your friend before going to the stage, pack a few if your backpack if they’re allowed, or fill up a refillable hydration pack, such as this super dope 2-liter Vibedration situation.  

💦 Pro tip: Did they take your water cap? Pack your own! Hide a few plastic water bottle caps in your backpack, wallet, shoe, Grassroots stash pocket, whatever! Most are the same size and interchangeable! It's nice to cap your drink after you walk away from the concessions stand, but please, do your part and make sure they are properly recycled after (re)use! ✌️🌱

❌ #2 THOU SHALL NOT BE “THAT GUY” ❌

We’ve all witnessed or seen it before… some super-spun wook who’s falling asleep at the show, the enraged troll whos starting a fight in the crowd, or the festie-goblin who is unaware he is overstaying his welcome at your campsite while knocking your stuff over.  No one thinks it’s cool to overdo it. Don’t waste a potentially incredible experience and wreck your social status over substances that you don’t need. Get it together and check yourself: it’s no one’s job but your own. Besides, these events are super lit as is.

🛑 Pro tip: Don’t risk it. Test it. While we prefer to stick to cannabis and concentrates, we know that’s not all that’s out there. Bunk Police & Dance Safe are two organizations with affordable test-kits to check if your substances are pure, authentic, and what you think they are.  Test everything: even if you trust the source.

🚿 # 3 THOU SHALL PRACTICE PROPER HYGIENE 🚿

Just because you’re camping for four days doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of your body per usual. Take showers frequently, wash your hands, scrub your feet, braid your hair back, and use your deodorant! Trench foot, head lice, warts, and urinary-infections are just some of the reasons you should take care of yourself out there, not to mention parasites, fevers, viruses, and legit plagues. Consider checking yourself (and your friends!) for ticks, irregular-looking bites, etc. And check yourself when you get home too! Some signs and symptoms may not appear for 3-10 days after an encounter, so even when you’re back home, be aware of any changes to your body and see a doctor or specialist as soon as possible!

🕷️Pro tip: Use mosquito repellant or Lavender Oil! If the heavy bass music doesn’t repel the insects and arachnids as you’d hoped, a little repellant does the trick! Looking for a natural, eco-friendly option? Lavender oil is a natural insect repellent and is more eco-conscious than sprays, candles, and foggers! 🆒💜

🕶☀️ #4 THOU SHALL PREPARE FOR THY SUN ☀️🕶

Apply sunscreen. Wear sunglasses. Put a wide-brimmed hat on. A little shade for your face and eyes can prevent skin damage, eye damage, and keep you from overheating! To be as comfortable out there as possible, we recommend the Grassroots California Straw Hat or a Dri-Bear hat (which is water- and sweat-resistant!). Support the fest by wearing GRC Official Festival Merch and get yourself an extra pair of shades since you know yours will break or get lost in the crowd.

🔥 Pro tip: Super hot out there? Dunk your hat to keep your head cool! Not only will it keep your body temperature down, but it will also help your hat fit your head! And it’s a great way to stretch your hat if it’s a little snug.

⛈☔️🌬 #5 THOU SHALL PREPARE FOR THY WEATHER ⛈☔️🌬

It’s 2019 and the boot game is popping! Get yourself a pair of rain boots or a second pair of shoes in case it's muddy. And a raincoat or trash bags to make a poncho! If you have time to spark a bowl, you have time to check the weather and plan for the rain, snow, high of 103℉, or a low of 20℉. If you like to pack light, consider wearing your larger, heavier items in or stowing some emergency gear in your car, trunk, backpack, etc. Prepare tarps with drainage to keep your site as dry as possible and store as many items off the ground or in weatherproof bins to prevent everything from getting wet.

👢Pro tip: Don’t bother packing tons of Ts, tanks, or shorts. You can always get band merch or a poncho at the show (especially if Grassroots is there!), but you can’t always get a good raincoat or pair of mud boots.

✨👀#6 THOU SHALL WANDER & FIND THYSELF 👀✨

Do it. All of it. Walk through the Forest to experience the magic. Peep the live painters. Check out the vendor tents. Go to that horticulture workshop. Get up early to go to the Yoga Flow Sesh. Stand in the longest Food Truck line just to score, “whatever they’re having”. Every festival, show, and experience has so much to offer and you can’t go wrong by exploring all the sites and sounds. You don’t need a squad or crew to go and you’ll 100% have a better time if you actually involve yourself in as much of the festival as possible. Festivals often have initiatives and incentives to get involved, from free tickets to merch prizes, and access to private events so it’s also worth your time to go explore.

⏰📕Pro tip: Get a waterproof watch and a copy of the festival guide.  With a map, full schedule of events, and the time at your fingertips, you can browse what’s happening daily and forget everything else.

♻️🗑 #7 THOU SHALL CLEAN THY SPACE AND LEAVE WITH WHAT THOUST CAME WITH 🗑♻️

There is nothing more disheartening than leaving the site on Monday and looking at the pounds of waste left behind. From beers cans and food waste to tents, chairs, and baby wipes... it's all litter. My rule of thumb? If you bring it in, you take it out, and the same rule applies at the stages. Don’t drop that beer can, bottle, or cup on the ground for a volunteer to pick up later; toss it in your bag and dispose of it on your way out. Do your part by cleaning up after yourself so the natural environment can better recover after you leave!

💡 Pro Tip: Set a system for trash, recycling, and compost at your own campsite, and communicate it with your group. Many festivals have trash, recycling, and compost programs in place for the masses, so doing this at your campsite helps! Hang a trash bag for trash, keep cardboard beer cases around for bottles and cans, and keep all your food scraps in a container to be composted as you leave. Don’t know what’s what? Check it out here and be sure to educate your camp and neighbors too!

🔌📱🤳#8 THOU SHALL UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY TO LIVE THY BEST LIFE 🤳📱🔌

Your phone died, you lost your wallet, someone stole your cash from your campsite. Eek. Rather than living like our ancient ancestors, get with the times and use the tech that’s designed for festie-fam and campers like you. Many festivals offer cashless options and by connecting your credit or debit card, PayPal account, or bank account to your wristband, you can pay for drinks, food, and merch without the risk of carrying cash.  Apple Pay, BitCoin, and PayPal are pretty great options for vendors and artists, too! Battery life preventing you from checking the schedule, recording your favorite song, or snapping that selfie with your favorite artist you just ran into? Some fests offer charging stations and reusable charging packs such as SWFTCharge, for example. You may need to pay a one-time service fee, but then you have access to pre-charged battery packs that you can swap out all weekend long. Just make sure to pack an extra set of charging cables!

☀️🔋Pro Tip: Stay charged with the sun! Invest in a Solar Charger! We recommend Solar Chargers (like this 25,000 mAh Power Bank for Android and iOS) or a Portable Battery Pack (like this 20,100 mAh Power Bank).  For a portable, long-term charging solution, we recommend at least 10,000 mAh.

🎒📦 #9 THOU SHALL PACK LIGHT & SMART  📦🎒

While you’re only going to be gone for 3-5 days at a time, it feels like we have to pack an entire life with us while we camp under the sun, clouds, and sky. A fresh towel becomes a luxury and an actual pillow is a delightful treat after a long day of dancing.  While our Camping Festival Packing List is actually quite lengthy, we’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible for both your back and your brain. Tying your shoes to your backpack, and using your backpack as a pillow, are great pieces of advice for first-time campers, but having a system for organization on-site is just as important! Tote Bins for storage and a hanging-shoe rack (like this or this) take your campsite to the next level! If you can camp with your car, we suggest you leave as much as possible inside, should the weather (or local wooks) not cooperate

⚙️Pro Tip: A method to carry, pull, roll, or drag things to your site can be the biggest game-changer of them all!  Bins with wheels are great for storage, mobility, and seating if you can fit one or two in your car! Some of our other favorite mobile solutions include this Collapsable Utility Wagon or this sturdier, garden or muscle cart. But our all-time favorite wooked-out answer to your moving problems? A Rolling Garbage Can. It doubles as trash space too if you keep it well-lined! If you camp or fest frequently, it’s definitely worth the investment.

💗🤗 #10 THOU SHALL BE A FRIEND & SHOW LOVE 🤗💗

Being away from home around hundreds or thousands of new people can be overwhelming and stressful, but a friendly smile, high-five, or helping hand can change everyone’s experience dramatically. Offer a band-aid to that girl who scraped her knee, or share some Chex-Mix with the mate who just rolled up with a case. High-five that tall guy who’s trying not to block shorter people’s view and give your friends a hug when you wake up each day. A little love goes a long way. In Griz’ name, #SLSL.

🤝 Pro Tip: Sharing is caring, especially with your neighbors! Nothing beats meeting a new crew who you can trust on-site. Not only can y’all look out for each other’s campsites and friends, the more people you know locally, the more fun you’ll have! Make the first move to meet your neighbors by introducing yourself and your whole squad when you first roll up so you set a positive, supportive tone from the start!