13 Absolute Festival Essentials You Can’t Leave Home Without

Comprehensive festival packing lists are all well and good, but what if you want to take as little as possible?

Dragging everything but the kitchen sink (could be useful) to a festival is crazy. Minimise your backpack with my 5 absolute festival necessities and you’ll be free to enjoy the festival while all your mates are busy deciding what clothes to wear and where to fit all their stuff in the pop up tent.

1. A torch

My first festival experience, Reading Festival, was traumatic. In fact I’m surprised I ever went to a festival again. One of the most disturbing events for my 16-year-old, fresh-from-A-Level-Results eyes was the first night I tried to go to the toilet in the dark.

Thankfully, I’d decided to take a torch with me. Forever, I will thank the festival gods that I did. After queueing diligently I spotted a portaloo on the end unused. I went in joyfully, congratulating myself that I dared to check where no woman had checked in the last 5 minutes, and did a quick scout around with my torch. What met my innocent eyes looked like an explosion in a chocolate factory, and that’s putting it nicely. It was everywhere