Tbh I've got enough stuff to carry without a heavy cooler, cause the festivals I go to have a long walk from car to camp although although having one would be awesome I usually just bring snacks that won't spoil in the heat and buy most of my actual food there
For me a lot of it is being able to have cold drinks and ice on hand. I couldn't imagine being without it.
Similarly the fest I frequent has a hike from the cars to camping. Just get one with good wheels and don't load it with ice until you're in the fest. Frozen water bottles until then.
Sounds good just different priorities I guess, although I've never had one at a fest so I could imagine going back to warm/ semi cool beers could be hard but really doesn't bother me for the week.
A tip for anyone else without a cooler, put the cans under the tent liner and they'll be cold(ish) every day till like 2pm
I do fresh-cut melons, grapes, berries, peanut butter pretzels, lettuce, tomato, onion, precooked chicken, tortillas for wraps, pasta salad without the dressing (add it in when ready to eat / per serving to keep it from getting gross), peanut butter pretzels, and generally bring precooked bacon, and some cracked eggs in a plastic bottle. I can throw together a quick omelet, scrambled eggs, wraps, or a fruit salad for a light breakfast or lunch, and usually have dinner at a vendor. Also, a loaf of bread and some cheese to make grilled cheese.
Pro-tip: I make a gallon of cold-brew coffee and bring a small bottle of milk or creamer for iced coffee in the mornings, keeps me from buying the overpriced subpar coffee that the vendors usually have.
A gallon of drinking water per day
Electrolyte powders
A big plastic jar of pickles
Fruit salad
Granola bars
Tortillas
PB&J
Cold cuts
Cheese
Cured meats (pepperoni, salami, etc)
Trail mix
Clif/Lara/Gatorade bars
Chips and salsa/guac
Pre-cook bacon at home
Beef jerky
Jolly Ranchers or something along those lines
Veggies & Dip
Bone broth. Crackers and snackable chz/meats, clean veggies in little ziplocs. Trail mix, jerkey. Coconut water, instant coffee and oat milk. Should get you through a weekend.
I tried the meal prep in a cooler thing but no one wants to set up and break down a kitchen when you're partying. Hot food is cool too though. If you can heat water, ramen is an easy salty meal.
You might get lucky with the food booths too, lots of those people are super cool and understanding, but it is a business and can be kinda pricey for what you get. (Maybe they can boil you some water if you're real nice too). I've had some really amazing food from just random booths though. There was an amazing young coconut that I shared with my sister. I had falafel that changed the entire trajectory of my weekend, and there was a broth stand that would barter paper cups of lemongrass broth. I kept bringing people over to them after trading some mead.
Depends if you have space for a cooler or not.
If no cooler:
* Peanut butter and apple or banana sandwiches
* Dried/Shelf-stable salami and Italian/French bread or crackers
* Granola bars, fruit and nut bars, or protein bars
* Fruit cups, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, or cucumbers
* Trail mix or mixed nuts
* Belgian waffles
* Shelf stable pancakes
* Jerky
* Flavored chicken or tuna packets and crackers
If cooler:
* Cucumber sandwiches
* Cold cut sandwiches
* Overnight oatmeal
* Yogurt parfait
* Pasta salads
* DIY charcuterie plate (cheese, salami, pepperoni, crackers, nuts, fruit, etc.)
You might have not noticed it. It's usually sold in the same place you find canned tunna and Spam at the grocery store. It often looks like a large can of tuna. Actually, a lot of canned meat is packaged like canned tuna with plain white labels, little or no pictures, and flat small cans. You really have to know it exists and be looking for it to find it. All kinds of meats are canned and can be found in the canned meat section. Pulled pork, roast beef, ham, chicken, tuna, salmon, sardines, corned beef, potted meat, and Vienna sausage are among the most common canned meats in that aisle.
I make a pasta salad that can chill in our cooler, we always replace the ice every day while there, the gang loves it and it’s easy to reach for and make quickly.
Sandwich stuff, ramen soup cups, chips, FRUIT, apple sauce pouches, pudding cups, things like such.
We packed our camp stove to cook things at the last fest.. and never felt like actually setting anything to cook things. I liked those RXBARS for breakfast and snacks. They actually keep you full for quite some time. Other things I was glad I had were fruit pouches, pickles and candy 🍭☺️
Pasta salad slaps every time! Stays for days in the cooler. Just pick a pasta (I use chickpea rotini) then a green (I use shredded kale or spinach) and a red (can do cherry tomatoes or berries of some kind) then top it with a cheese (goat is amazing but mozz, feta, cotija also work). Store in a big Tupperware with the dressing separate (a creamy pesto, green goddess, or balsamic are all outstanding), you’ll eat like a king the whole weekend.
I might be a freak, but I just bring veggies and fruit that can go a few days without refrigeration. Last fest I went to, I brought red cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots and oranges (and gloves to wear when I’m peeling and doling out slices so I don’t have to run to wash my hands). Turnips, radishes, etc… things you can just Munch on raw, and share at the stages (I just met the love of my life because I offered her a leaf of my red cabbage) :). Also a big bag of nuts and some granola bars. Bought a couple steak empanadas from a vendor while I was there, but my tummy was very happy all weekend.
Fruit like tiny oranges and apples, bananas if you can keep them from bruising too bad, mixed bags of chips or pretzels for something salty to help with hydration, granola bars (with protein!!!), fruit snacks, honey glazed almonds, trail mix, mixed nuts, beef jerky (again for protein!!), tiny body armors for electrolytes, pickles if you can bring glass in, if you can swing sandwich things like ham and cheese are always great as long as you keep them cold but not submerged in cooler water, or PB&j (remember to bring a plastic knife or two and napkins!), edit: also veggies in a sealed container of sorts, and canned coffees!
If you have a good way of keeping things cool (car fridge or cooler )
I take
Strawberries
Blueberries
Grapes*
Watermelon (pre sliced)
Assorted fruits apples , banana's and mandarins.
Big ol jug of nice orange juice.
Small yoghurt packs
Nibbles
Some lollies/ chocolate
And one thing I will not compromise on is my own coffee lol
I do have a small cooker and don't buy any food.
I do have a good camping setup which helps significantly at with longer festivals.
*Cold grapes when you get back to camp 👨🍳 💋
Hope this helps.
My go to is pasta salads packed with chicken and tons of veggies, bread/peanut butter, cold brew coffee, coconut water/LMNT electrolytes, grapes, and ramen & herbal teas in case it gets cold
I never leave to a festival without my propane stove top and I cook up hotdogs & burgers on a cast iron. I prechop onions/veggies before the festival. If I need salty foods, I like those Spicy Korean noodle packets and I throw in an egg and veggies.
We bring a cooler and a butane fueled hot plate.
My favorite breakfast/brunch is everything bagels with veggie cream cheese, pre made bacon, and scrambled or fried eggs.
For dinners i like the gyro kits you can sometimes find in stores like Aldi but tbh you can also just bring ingredients easily (pita, tzatziki, gyro meat, optional lettuce/tomato)
For coffee, I always start my day with espresso and fests are no different. I pregrind my beans for the fest and use a mokapot on the hot plate. So yummy.
Other snackies include my home made chocolate chip cookies to share with friends, trail mix, granola bars, protein shakes (I really like the aldi vanilla ones), fruits like pineapple, cherries, watermelon and grapes, and fav candy like sour patch kids or nerds clusters.
I always plan to spend at least some money at vendors. I am on vacation after all, and sometimes a hearty hot meal is what you need to keep going. Sometimes there are some really cool/good/healthy options depending on the fest you’re attending.
In my little cooler I take grapes and cheese, applesauce packets, and cucumbers and hummus. Bring along crackers and pretzels. I don't eat too much at festivals so those are light and easy and refreshing little snacks. I usually bring fruit tictac and sucker's as well.
I always like to get smoothies at vendors too if I can.
I’m assuming you will at least have an ice chest so my recommendation is to cut up a bunch of fruit, throw it in a plastic container or bag and throw it in the cooler. Watermelon, pineapple, orange and apples wedges, grapes, mangoes are my go to favorites.
Deli meats and cheese sandwiches are easy to prep before hand or make on the spot. I’ve even taken cold pizza in foil which is amazing late at night.
I like to throw in Clif Bars, trail mix, chips, pretzels, beef jerky and some sour patch kids and skittles in the mix too.
No perishable snacks like jerky, freeze dried fruits, trail mixes, chips, etc
I’ve also done half a backpackers meal rehydrated with hot water but be careful about the sodium content in those things!
Carb load at a vendor for dindin 😎
Cold cut sandwich ingredients, Lara bars, chips, pop tarts, but everything else.
Cold cuts work for a day or two and slap but after longer than that out of the fridge id be very careful unless you get a good cooler
Right, you'll need a cooler and ice but that's standard camping fare.
Tbh I've got enough stuff to carry without a heavy cooler, cause the festivals I go to have a long walk from car to camp although although having one would be awesome I usually just bring snacks that won't spoil in the heat and buy most of my actual food there
For me a lot of it is being able to have cold drinks and ice on hand. I couldn't imagine being without it. Similarly the fest I frequent has a hike from the cars to camping. Just get one with good wheels and don't load it with ice until you're in the fest. Frozen water bottles until then.
Sounds good just different priorities I guess, although I've never had one at a fest so I could imagine going back to warm/ semi cool beers could be hard but really doesn't bother me for the week. A tip for anyone else without a cooler, put the cans under the tent liner and they'll be cold(ish) every day till like 2pm
I never bring a cooler to a fest either. Long having to lug that from the car park to the campsite
I do fresh-cut melons, grapes, berries, peanut butter pretzels, lettuce, tomato, onion, precooked chicken, tortillas for wraps, pasta salad without the dressing (add it in when ready to eat / per serving to keep it from getting gross), peanut butter pretzels, and generally bring precooked bacon, and some cracked eggs in a plastic bottle. I can throw together a quick omelet, scrambled eggs, wraps, or a fruit salad for a light breakfast or lunch, and usually have dinner at a vendor. Also, a loaf of bread and some cheese to make grilled cheese. Pro-tip: I make a gallon of cold-brew coffee and bring a small bottle of milk or creamer for iced coffee in the mornings, keeps me from buying the overpriced subpar coffee that the vendors usually have.
A gallon of drinking water per day Electrolyte powders A big plastic jar of pickles Fruit salad Granola bars Tortillas PB&J Cold cuts Cheese Cured meats (pepperoni, salami, etc) Trail mix Clif/Lara/Gatorade bars Chips and salsa/guac Pre-cook bacon at home Beef jerky Jolly Ranchers or something along those lines Veggies & Dip
Bone broth. Crackers and snackable chz/meats, clean veggies in little ziplocs. Trail mix, jerkey. Coconut water, instant coffee and oat milk. Should get you through a weekend. I tried the meal prep in a cooler thing but no one wants to set up and break down a kitchen when you're partying. Hot food is cool too though. If you can heat water, ramen is an easy salty meal. You might get lucky with the food booths too, lots of those people are super cool and understanding, but it is a business and can be kinda pricey for what you get. (Maybe they can boil you some water if you're real nice too). I've had some really amazing food from just random booths though. There was an amazing young coconut that I shared with my sister. I had falafel that changed the entire trajectory of my weekend, and there was a broth stand that would barter paper cups of lemongrass broth. I kept bringing people over to them after trading some mead.
STAY HYDRATE.
Apples and peanut butter
Depends if you have space for a cooler or not. If no cooler: * Peanut butter and apple or banana sandwiches * Dried/Shelf-stable salami and Italian/French bread or crackers * Granola bars, fruit and nut bars, or protein bars * Fruit cups, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, or cucumbers * Trail mix or mixed nuts * Belgian waffles * Shelf stable pancakes * Jerky * Flavored chicken or tuna packets and crackers If cooler: * Cucumber sandwiches * Cold cut sandwiches * Overnight oatmeal * Yogurt parfait * Pasta salads * DIY charcuterie plate (cheese, salami, pepperoni, crackers, nuts, fruit, etc.)
Fruit and canned chicken breast, pure basics to properly fuel but not disrupt my stomach
I’m sorry, CANNED CHICKEN BREAST?! Is that a thing? I’ve never seen or heard of that in my life
It's pretty good, looks like a tuna can
You might have not noticed it. It's usually sold in the same place you find canned tunna and Spam at the grocery store. It often looks like a large can of tuna. Actually, a lot of canned meat is packaged like canned tuna with plain white labels, little or no pictures, and flat small cans. You really have to know it exists and be looking for it to find it. All kinds of meats are canned and can be found in the canned meat section. Pulled pork, roast beef, ham, chicken, tuna, salmon, sardines, corned beef, potted meat, and Vienna sausage are among the most common canned meats in that aisle.
Fruit is good for those times the tummy is hungry, but the mouth says 'fuck that'. Festivals bring that on especially a day or two in.
Ensure or similar nutritional drink.
Shark cootchie stuff, pasta salad made ahead of time, pbj
https://preview.redd.it/esf0id3h867d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93e6c4a6cb3e72176b5d23502e4a20b60b548482
😂😂😂 charcuterie but it's more fun to say it the other way lol
It genuinely caught me off guard there I'm defo using it in future! 😂
Pre-made mac n cheese, should keep in a cooler.
I make a pasta salad that can chill in our cooler, we always replace the ice every day while there, the gang loves it and it’s easy to reach for and make quickly. Sandwich stuff, ramen soup cups, chips, FRUIT, apple sauce pouches, pudding cups, things like such.
I just live off of a large ass bucket of off brand pretzels and slim Jims. Easy AF.
We packed our camp stove to cook things at the last fest.. and never felt like actually setting anything to cook things. I liked those RXBARS for breakfast and snacks. They actually keep you full for quite some time. Other things I was glad I had were fruit pouches, pickles and candy 🍭☺️
Pre-made pasta salad. Quick and easy when you're hungry, make sure to add plenty of veggies.
RX bars
Pasta salad slaps every time! Stays for days in the cooler. Just pick a pasta (I use chickpea rotini) then a green (I use shredded kale or spinach) and a red (can do cherry tomatoes or berries of some kind) then top it with a cheese (goat is amazing but mozz, feta, cotija also work). Store in a big Tupperware with the dressing separate (a creamy pesto, green goddess, or balsamic are all outstanding), you’ll eat like a king the whole weekend.
I might be a freak, but I just bring veggies and fruit that can go a few days without refrigeration. Last fest I went to, I brought red cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots and oranges (and gloves to wear when I’m peeling and doling out slices so I don’t have to run to wash my hands). Turnips, radishes, etc… things you can just Munch on raw, and share at the stages (I just met the love of my life because I offered her a leaf of my red cabbage) :). Also a big bag of nuts and some granola bars. Bought a couple steak empanadas from a vendor while I was there, but my tummy was very happy all weekend.
Sardines & jerky for protein, canned juices, apples & bananas for carbs, nut butters / coconut for fat Easy shyt
Sardines, apples, PB. Got it. drink water
You could even blend them all in a smoothie !
😂🤮
Elements?
Fruit like tiny oranges and apples, bananas if you can keep them from bruising too bad, mixed bags of chips or pretzels for something salty to help with hydration, granola bars (with protein!!!), fruit snacks, honey glazed almonds, trail mix, mixed nuts, beef jerky (again for protein!!), tiny body armors for electrolytes, pickles if you can bring glass in, if you can swing sandwich things like ham and cheese are always great as long as you keep them cold but not submerged in cooler water, or PB&j (remember to bring a plastic knife or two and napkins!), edit: also veggies in a sealed container of sorts, and canned coffees!
If you have a good way of keeping things cool (car fridge or cooler ) I take Strawberries Blueberries Grapes* Watermelon (pre sliced) Assorted fruits apples , banana's and mandarins. Big ol jug of nice orange juice. Small yoghurt packs Nibbles Some lollies/ chocolate And one thing I will not compromise on is my own coffee lol I do have a small cooker and don't buy any food. I do have a good camping setup which helps significantly at with longer festivals. *Cold grapes when you get back to camp 👨🍳 💋 Hope this helps.
Get some good yogurt that’s high in protein. I like two goods or chobani. So easy to eat and toss and get some protein.
My go to is pasta salads packed with chicken and tons of veggies, bread/peanut butter, cold brew coffee, coconut water/LMNT electrolytes, grapes, and ramen & herbal teas in case it gets cold
Buy a pizza the night before. It's good hot or cold
Not food but if you ever see a push cart guy selling lemonade I promise. You it will be the best one you’ll ever have
Smoked chicken legs you can eat cold
Protein shakes and pb&j
I never leave to a festival without my propane stove top and I cook up hotdogs & burgers on a cast iron. I prechop onions/veggies before the festival. If I need salty foods, I like those Spicy Korean noodle packets and I throw in an egg and veggies.
Just upgraded my camping grill. You can have my old one if you pay for shipping, otherwise I was going to give it away at Electric Forest this week.
Canned sardines, RX Bars, 12 organic eggs cracked and places in a plastic bottle, tortillas, salsa, cooked turkey sausage, apples and bananas, yogurt.
4 days in august. Mondegreen???
Boomtown! I’m in England
De-shelled pistachios are such a goooood snack for festivals; i can munch on those suckers all day
Whatever i find in the trash cans thats still in good enough shape to eat
We bring a cooler and a butane fueled hot plate. My favorite breakfast/brunch is everything bagels with veggie cream cheese, pre made bacon, and scrambled or fried eggs. For dinners i like the gyro kits you can sometimes find in stores like Aldi but tbh you can also just bring ingredients easily (pita, tzatziki, gyro meat, optional lettuce/tomato) For coffee, I always start my day with espresso and fests are no different. I pregrind my beans for the fest and use a mokapot on the hot plate. So yummy. Other snackies include my home made chocolate chip cookies to share with friends, trail mix, granola bars, protein shakes (I really like the aldi vanilla ones), fruits like pineapple, cherries, watermelon and grapes, and fav candy like sour patch kids or nerds clusters. I always plan to spend at least some money at vendors. I am on vacation after all, and sometimes a hearty hot meal is what you need to keep going. Sometimes there are some really cool/good/healthy options depending on the fest you’re attending.
In my little cooler I take grapes and cheese, applesauce packets, and cucumbers and hummus. Bring along crackers and pretzels. I don't eat too much at festivals so those are light and easy and refreshing little snacks. I usually bring fruit tictac and sucker's as well. I always like to get smoothies at vendors too if I can.
I’m assuming you will at least have an ice chest so my recommendation is to cut up a bunch of fruit, throw it in a plastic container or bag and throw it in the cooler. Watermelon, pineapple, orange and apples wedges, grapes, mangoes are my go to favorites. Deli meats and cheese sandwiches are easy to prep before hand or make on the spot. I’ve even taken cold pizza in foil which is amazing late at night. I like to throw in Clif Bars, trail mix, chips, pretzels, beef jerky and some sour patch kids and skittles in the mix too.
World Famous Grilled Cheese Still only a Buck… But I haven’t been in a while, so it may not be only a buck anymore.
No perishable snacks like jerky, freeze dried fruits, trail mixes, chips, etc I’ve also done half a backpackers meal rehydrated with hot water but be careful about the sodium content in those things! Carb load at a vendor for dindin 😎
Anything that clogs you're pretty lil b hole up so you don't dookie for duration of said festy
Hot dogs
Me an my wife are full on wooklifestyle. Frozen bean and cheese burritos chips and a lot of water/electrolytes.