Are you looking for the ULTIMATE Coachella Camping Packing List? Well then you have come to the right place. If you are heading to the Coachella Festival and plan to camp this guide will include everything you need to pack for Coachella from camping equipment to festival fashion ideas.
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What is the Weather like at the Coachella Festival
The first thing that is going to effect both your Coaching Camping Packing List and your Coachella Festival fashion is the weather. So what is the weather like at the Coachella Festival?
The Coachella Festival is located at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California close to Palm Springs. And the Coachella Valley is firmly desert terrain.
So what is it like camping in the desert?
My first answer would be hot!
The Coachella Music and Arts Festival is held annual in April in the desert and the temperatures are certainly starting to creep up by April. Therefore it is really important that you pack for the heat and pack to stay hydrated.
During the day at Coachella Festival you can expect temperatures in the desert to be between high 80F to over 100F / 32C – over 40C. However the nights can become significantly cooler due to the wind.
When we were in Coachella in April 2022 we noticed that the wind was strong and really cooled the temperatures so you will probably want a layer for night to protect against the wind also.
If you are planning to travel to other festivals other than Coachella be sure to check out our Festival Camping Packing List Essentials.
Important Things to Know For you Your Coachella Camping Packing List
Before you get started with your Coachella camping packing list, it is important to know the size of your pitch, the type of your camping as well as things that you can’t bring to Coachella so you don’t get caught out.
Firstly let us examine the types of camping you can do at Coachella.
There are 3 types of camping that Coachella promotes and they are:
- Car Camping and Preferred Car Camping
- Camping (Regular tent type)
- Lake ElDorado tent and lodge camping/glamping
The car camping option is by far the most popular option at Coachella is Car Camping.
It is important to know the following in you plan to car camp at Coachella
- Pitch sites are 30’x10
- only one vehicle can be at the pitch.
However if you are tent camping and not bringing a car with you then your pitch will be smaller so be sure to pack your tent accordingly. For tent campers without a car the size of your pitch is: 15’x10′.
Can I bring food to Coachella?
In answer to “Can I bring food to Coachella?” the answer is yes you can. And actually there are very few restrictions about what food and drink you can bring into the festival.
The general guidance for bringing food and drink into Coachella are:
- Campers 21+ may bring one (1) case of beer cans or box of wine
- Food and Drink can be brought in
- No glass is allowed
But don’t worry if you forget something there is a general store at. Coachella Festival. This will stock things that you may have forgotten and for and drink if you need more. Typical things they sell include:
- food
- ice
- toiletries
- camping supplies
However you can expect to pay a premium for things sold at the General Store inside the Coachella Festival grounds.
Coachella Camping Festival Packing List – Coachella Camping Necessities
Festival Pass / Car Parking Camping Pass
A Festival Pass is required no matter what camp type you choose. Without a festival pass you will not be able to enter the Festival Grounds so whatever you do do not forget to bring this with you. This is absolutely top of your Coachella Camping Necessities list.
Festival Tickets / Wristbands
As well as your festival pass and car parking camping pass you will need your festival tickets and wristbands with you.
Without these you will be unable to get into the festival.
Head Lamp
We always advise getting to the car park festival camping early. The reason for this is because the pitches are allocated on a first come first served basis. If you want to be closer to the festival and the amenities you need to get there early.
However if you get there later or delay in getting your camp site set up you will want a head torch to help.
This is also helpful for when walking back to your pitch or portals at night. Although lights aren’t allowed in the festival they are super helpful for the camp area. Therefore we recommend brining a headlamp for each person in your party.
Click here to shop camping headlamps.
Tent
This may sounds obvious but if you are camping at Coachella then you are going to need a tent. Some people like to sleep out in the open but personally I think you should take a tent for both privacy and security reasons.
Just be sure whatever type of tent you pick you that is fits the size of your pitch.
Also we recommend having a pop up kind if possible as there is nothing worse than struggling to put up a tent. If you don’t have a pop up tent we recommend practising several times at home putting the tent up and down as it will save you a lot of stress when on site.
Tent Lock
If you are worried about any of your things when you leave your tent during the day we recommend packing a tent lock for security.
Click here to shop tent locks
Inflatable Mattress
I personally HATE sleeping on the floor. To make your camping experience more comfortable we definitely recommend brining an inflatable mattress or sleeping pad to help improve your sleeping experience.
Ear Plugs
And speaking of your sleeping experience, the truth is that the Coachella campsites can be a noisy places going on into the early hours.
For this reason we recommend bringing some ear plugs with you to drown out some of that noise.
Click here to shop ear plugs.
Eye Mask
And if you are wanting to sleep in you might want to add an eye mask to your list.
Click here to shop eye masks
Light Sleeping Bag
I always recommend taking a sleeping bag whenever you camp. For a desert camping experience however you may find you get too hot in a sleeping bag. For this reason we recommend only taking a light weight summer sleeping bag as well as a blanket in case you find yourself too hot in the sleeping bag.
Click here to shop lightweight summer sleeping bag
Battery Operated Fan
And speaking of the heat, it is amazing how hot the interior of the tent can get during the day at Coachella. To help keep your tent and yourself cool we recommend bringing a battery operated fan with you for use at night.
Click here to shop fans
Hand Held Fan
And on top of a fan for the tent you will also want to have a hand held fan for the festival grounds. We love hand held fans with mister functions to add an extra layer of refreshment.
Click here to shop hand held fans.
E-Z Up Canopy
As I said above, it is amazing how hot your tent will get in the desert. One of the reasons for this is because there is literally no shade in the desert and Coachella camping grounds. One way to add shades to your pitch is using a canopy.
As with tents, we recommend a canopy that is easy to pop up and down (But practice before you head to the festival).
Click here to shop E-Z Up Canopy
Blanket / Tarp and Pegs
On top of the canopy we recommend having some extra blankets or tarps with you along with some pegs. You can use these to hang around your canopy to provide extra shade. Just be sure to pick light weight things to hang and practise as you don’t want to break your canopy by making it to heavy.
We also recommend taking some of these to double up as floor coverings to sit down on.
Camping Chairs or Swaggins Inflatable Couch
You also need to ensure that you have somewhere to sit in your pitch site as seating is lacking within the festival grounds.
You could consider something like a simple camping chair but for additional comfort an inflatable couch might be a useful addition.
Click here to shop inflatable couches
Fairy Lights
If can be hard to spot your pitch in a sea of camp sites. One way to make yours stand out is to use string fairy lights around the top of your canopy to make it easier to spot.
The best type of lights for this purpose in our opinion are string and battery operated lights.
Click here to shop camping fairy lights.
Phone Charger
The one thing you will notice at Coachella is that you use your phone ALOT! To contact friends, to take photos and videos, and to use your torch to name a few.
Therefore you are going to need to have a phone charger with you
Battery Packs
And you might go through several so we recommending having a couple of battery packs with you
Click here to shop battery packs
Camping Stove
If you are visiting Coachella on a budget we recommend trying to cook at least a few of your meals yourself at your campsite.
If you plan to cook rather than just eating things that are cold and that don’t require cooking you will need to have a camping stove and fuel with you.
Click here to shop camping stoves.
Cooler
As you are camping in the desert heat you will definitely need a cooler to store both your food and beverages.
Ice within the Coachella grounds is very expensive (talking around 10 dollars a bag). Therefore having a good quality cooler will prolong the life of your ice.
Click here to shop good quality coolers.
Ice
You will use a lot of ice storing your food and drink in the cooler. Bring some with you.
We also recommend freezing bottles of water before you travel. This will therefore double up for keeping food and drink cool but will give you a nice cold beverage when it has melted.
Frozen Bottles of Water in Cooler, doubles up on your water source and ice
Reuseable Water Bottle
There are plenty of water refill stations around the festival. To be able to use these and be environmentally friendly bring a reusable water bottle with you.
Click here to shop reusable water bottles.
Food and Drink
As you are allowed to bring food and drink into the festival we recommend you make use of this as it will save you a lot of money.
I recommend bringing things that aren’t perishable and have adequate ice and coolers with you.
Snacks
AS well as food for cooking meals we also recommend taking plenty of snacks that you can grab on the go
Coffee
I can not get my day started without my cup of Joe. If you want to have a morning coffee either bring some cold brew with you or canned coffee or have some camping coffee with you.
Trellis Table
If you are preparing food or even if you are planning to play some table top games you will want a trellis table with you.
Click here to shop Trellis Tables.
Cutlery (non plastic) and Plates
You will also need to have cutlery with you if you are planning on cooking at the festival. although disposable plastic cutlery is convenient it is really bad for the environment.
Therefore we recommend packing some environmentally friendly reusable cutlery and plates with you.
ElectroLyte Packets
These can be useful to rehydrate during the festival in the desert.
Hydration BackPack
A hydration backpack can be a useful addition to stay hydrated in the desert. A backpack with water storage is great for this.
Click here to shop hydration backpacks.
Fanny Pack
Another must for storage is a fanny pack. Now I am not usually a fanny pack person. However at a festival it can be useful to have your hands free but you will need to carry tickets, wristbands phones etc and don’t want to worry about thefts.
Therefore a fanny pack can be the perfect solution.
Click here to shop fanny packs.
Towel
There are general showers and paid for showers at Coachella camp sites. The paid for showers usually cost around 10USD and are superior to the free ones as they have doors and other amenities.
Given the heat in the desert you will want to ensure you have a towel with you as you definitely need to have a shower every morning at Coachella.
Top Tip: we advice getting up early to get a shower to avoid the inevitable long lines later in the day.
Wet Wipes
These can be useful for wiping down surfaces, sticky hands or just for cleaning yourself up.
Travel Toiletries
If you plan to use the showers be sure to have some travel size toiletries with you.
Click here to buy travel toiletries
Shower Shoe
And while I recommend showering every day at the festival, I also recommend protecting your feet in these shared communal spaces. A pair of shower shoes are definitely a hygienic addition to your packing list for Coachella.
Click here to shop shower shoes
Dry Shampoo
If for some reason you can’t wash your hair in the shower, you might want to consider having some dry shampoo with you instead to help freshen up your hair.
Click here to shop dry shampoo
Toilet Tissue
Although the bathrooms should have toilet paper you can’t guarantee that there will be toilet paper left when you go to the portal. Be sure to bring some with you.
Hand Sanitizer
Again, you might not have access to soap whenever you want it so have some hand sanitzer with you at all times.
Speakers
All campgrounds will have people playing music so you will want an option to play your own music rather than having to listen to other people’s.
Click here to shop speakers
Games
WE love camping games. Be sure to pack some with you.
Some of our favourites include cards against humanity but a simple football or cards can be a fun addition to your Coachella packing list.
Sun Screen
You are in the desert with no shade so it should come as no surprise you will need sunscreen and plenty of it. We recommend you having a very high SPF with you.
Aloe Vera
And while I hope you don’t get burnt at Coachella there is always a chance. Aloe Vera will be welcome relief if you do catch the sun.
Make Up
If you want to wear make up at Coachella be sure to bring your make up bag with.
Make Up Remover Wipes
If you wear make up, bring make up remover wipes with you.
Hair Glitter and Face Glitter, neon sticks
You are at a Festival after all so why not add some face and hair glitter or neon make up to your packing list.
Shop festival make up here.
Travel First Aid Kit
A travel first aid kit is worth adding to your packing list wherever you are going.
Click here to shop travel first aid kit.
What to Wear to Coachella
So now you know your Coachella Camping Necessities what should you wear to Coachella. Your essentials have to be:
Sun Hat
The sun is strong in the desert so a wide brimmed hat will help protect your face.
Click here to shop sun hats.
Sun Glasses
Another must for the desert. Just be sure they are a pair with good UVA protection.
Click here to shop sunglasses.
Face Mask / Scarf / Bandana
Deserts are dusty places and if you get a windy festival as it was in 2022 you will find that the dust and sand is really whipped up. Protect your face and lungs by wearing either a face mask or bandana.
Sandals/ Comfortable Shoes
You will be on your feet for a long time at Coachella be sure to pack comfortable shoes that won’t make your feet sweat.
Shorts
It is hot at Coachella, shorts are perfect for the daytime.
Loose pants
Or if you want something longer length have a very loose pair of trousers that are breathable.
Crop Top / T Shirt
A crop top or t shirt is perfect for women at Coachella.
Short Sleeve Shirts
For men you will want a short sleeve. We love these bold short sleeve t shirts.
Hoodie
However although you are in the desert it is worth noting that the nights can get cool. We recommend having a lightweight hoodie with you.
Cooling Towels
As it gets so hot in the desert, you may want to consider adding a cooling towel with you.
Click here to shop cooling towels
Trash Bags
And of course you don’t want to leave trash in the desert. Have a plentiful supply of trash bags with you to clear your space when you are leaving.
And there you have it – our ultimate Coachella Camping Packing List! Is there anything you would add to your Coachella Camping Necessities and Essentials? Let us know in the comments.