Hi Guys!

Dawn here and I’ll be sharing with you some of my top picks of the essentials you’ll need for any music festival. I myself am an avid festival goer and think of the months of April-October as “Festival Season,” attending several of my favorites each year. With that being said, I’ve learned along the way what is absolutely necessary for the best festival experience, and everything you will need (and want) can be found at Alabama Outdoors. Just think of it as a “one-stop-shop” as you prepare for your next festival, including all the gear needed for a camping festival.

The first thing that should be had on-hand at all times is WATER! Seriously guys! Annnnnd you’ll need a container for it. As lovers of Nature, I think we can all agree that we should be using alternatives to plastic water bottles. I’ll be bringing my 40 oz. HYDRO FLASK and utilizing the water-fill up stations. The HYDRO FLASK is made of stainless steel, BPA Free and will keep your water cold and refreshing for way longer than any plastic bottle. Just SAY NO to plastic water bottles! And bring your HYDRO FLASK!

Of course, you gotta have SHADES! These Smith shades are stylish and have a groovy blue mirrored lens, which make selfie shots a lot of fun… just sayin’.

Portable shade is crucial for any outdoor event and AO has plenty of hat styles to choose from; including caps, wide brims and my fave, the Tilley Airflo Hat. The Airflo Hat protects against sun and rain, ties on in the wind, and is super breathable. This hat is an investment piece with a timeless shape that never goes out of style.

Psst… It also has a secret pocket in the lid… and who doesn’t love a good secret pocket, especially at a music festival. 😉

I personally have a love/hate relationship with sunscreen, and often opt for none. However, an outdoor festival is one of the times it just can’t be skipped. I prefer to avoid sunscreens that are chemical based, which is why the baby Bum line from Sun Bum is perfect. The mineral based sunscreen stick is water resistant and its compact size fits easily into any bag. You’ll want to pick-up the banana scented SPF 30 lip balm too.

For the record, Sun Bum’s regular sunscreen line is Paraben and Oxybenzone free and offers a wide range of products which you’ll also love.

Lastly, but certainly not least is a comfortable pair of sandals! Unless it is an all-out Mud Fest (Hunter Boots will do the trick in that case), adventure sandals are your best bet! I am currently loving the Teva Leather Original Universal Premier. Not only are they comfortable and stylish, the neutral color elongates your legs and goes with literally everything! Don’t worry, they’re available for guys too!

The Teva Original Universal Premier with polyester webbing is better for trekking through puddles, so in the event of inclement weather, I’ll be opting for those!

Ok, so now that you have my top FIVE MUST-HAVES for festival season, come by AO to check them out and decide what you’ll be needing for Sloss Fest. If you forget something, that’s okay, we’ll be there along with Teva, Hydroflask, Eno, and Smith to help you out! I’ll see you there!