What I’m Bringing to Elements 2025
Elements Music and Arts Festival is almost here! It’s time to pack and get ready for the fest, and I’m here to help you with some must-haves for camping this year.
It will be my first time at Elements, but I’ve been to a ton of camping festivals before, and I couldn’t be more excited for this one! I’m planning on showing up early to set up quickly and have as much time as I can to explore the campgrounds and vibe villages to discover all the cool things camping has to offer. I want to travel light and set up fast, so I’m not spending all day setting up, but it’s also super important to be comfortable for sleeping and relaxing during the morning hours and to stay cool in the summer heat. Rain is always a possibility in the summer, so being prepared for that is a must as well.
The most important thing I’m bringing is a 10×10 straight-leg pop-up canopy. The ones you can set up quickly with one person are the best, but make sure yours is straight leg! They provide the best coverage and stability, and you don’t want to be moving around all day chasing the shade when it gets hot! It’s best to set yours up slightly to the east of your sleeping area, so that when the sun comes up, you will already be in the shade. For extra shade and privacy, be sure to bring some tapestries or blankets if you don’t have any and hang them from your pop-up using zip ties or clamps. Also, make sure you stake them down properly and use the tie-downs if yours comes with them, just in case it gets windy. You don’t want to see your pop-up flying around the campgrounds in the middle of a breeze!
Make sure you bring something comfortable to sleep on! Air mattresses are a popular choice, but make sure you are able to reinflate them before the middle of the night, as the temperature changes can make them deflate, and that’s not comfortable! Your neighbors will appreciate you not using the pump when it’s time for bed, so make sure you top it off before your last trip from camp for the night. If an air mattress isn’t your vibe, cots are also a popular option and keep you above the ground, which can get really cold at night. Personally, I like to sleep in the car with the windows down with a tent and an air mattress as a backup option. Whatever you do, just make sure it’s comfortable and dry if it rains! It’s also a good idea to practice setting up your tent and pitching it if you haven’t before. Learning how on the day of a festival is rarely the easiest way.
Before, I’ve survived festivals with snacks that don’t need a cooler. It wasn’t for me, so this time I’m bringing the biggest cooler I can fit with me and some dry ice. If you’ve never used dry ice before, it is a game-changer for keeping your cooler ice cold all weekend and keeping you from having to spend a ton on ice to keep your food safe. Combining dry ice with a layer of regular ice in your cooler and keeping it in the shade can make it last all weekend. If you do use dry ice, make sure you research how to use it safely and keep a towel between it and your food, or it will freeze everything solid. Trust me, I know from experience and had some very icy hot dogs last time I did this. In the cooler, I love to have some hot dogs to cook, some fruits for easy eating and great nutrition, and some cheese and my favorite sliced meats to make sandwiches. Outside of the cooler, I always have some non-perishable foods like canned ravioli, which is a lifesaver when you don’t feel like making anything, some nuts, chips, jerky, granola bars, and some bread and condiments for sandwiches and hot dogs. Make sure you bring some kind of camping stove or grill to make everything on if you are cooking, and be sure to test it out before using it at the festival for the first time.
Don’t forget your clothes! Be sure to pack your craziest, coolest merch and gear to bring. There will be people going all out on outfits, so don’t be afraid to bring the silly, outlandish, or just plain awesome outfit you never get to wear. A favorite tip of mine is to plan your outfits ahead of time and go ahead and pack them in individual resealable bags, so on the day of the fest, you don’t have to search for the pieces you want. It’s also a good idea to bring some comfortable backup clothes, because sometimes that wild outfit you had planned sounds great, but once you’re in the heat or if it starts to rain, something simple and comfy might be a better option. I also like to bring cooling towels specially designed to evaporate water and cool you down in case I get too hot, as well as my handy large festival fan (no clacking though!)
Some other must haves I’m bringing to Elements are a battery power station to charge all my devices without having to run the car all day, a bike lock to keep anything secured to the car for when I’m not around without having to pack everything up, some trinkets to give away and as a way of saying thank you when I’m gifted something (believe me this will come in handy!), sunscreen to keep my skin safe, my favorite artist merch so everyone knows I’m cool (and if you know me you know I’ll have a hard time deciding which Pretty Lights hat and shirt to wear Sunday), jumper cables in case anyone around me needs them, a tarp and waterproof mat so I can walk around camp barefoot, backup power banks for phone charging, and an instant film camera for capturing camp memories.
My last tip for Elements is to be mindful of totems. I know it’s important to be able to find your crew in a crowd, and at a festival, a totem can be the best way to do that. But a lot of the artists on this incredibly stacked lineup pair up with visuals that are almost as incredible as the music, and you don’t want someone’s view of the visuals blocked by your big sign! If you do bring a totem, make sure it’s collapsible for when you don’t need it, or it doesn’t obstruct everyone else’s view. Just make sure to read the room and give people the space they need to see and to groove, and you will be good!
The weather is looking awesome for Elements, and I’m super excited to be there with you all this weekend, Aug 8-10, in Long Pond, PA!
If you still need passes to Elements, get them HERE!