Everyone has something that completely heightens their festival experience. It could be your favorite lip balm, a fan or a high-quality headlamp. As essential as those items are, considering how to carry those things from camp to the dance floor and back again is just as important. At smaller festivals where you can easily walk back and forth to grab supplies, you might be able to get away with just a holster and a water bottle that you can set down at the stage. Larger festivals may require a utility belt, Camelbak and some hidden pockets to make sure you have everything you need on your festival adventure. At the end of the day, it never hurts to have a trusty carry-all to keep all your creature comforts with you.

Make sure to take note of what items are allowed in the festival grounds, as well as if there are security check points between the campsites and the festival.

The following carry-alls will lighten your load.

Utility Belts

These belts can be your best friend. When purchasing a belt, make sure that it will fit your essentials, and definitely make sure it is big enough for your phone. You can also clip your fan or reusable cup to belt part, and they often have a secret pocket or two on the interior as well.

If you’re looking for a simple, affordable belt, we recommend Nayture’s Empire or Wild June. For custom belts and more intricate handmade leather work, Subverse Industries, Mystic Fables and Gato Montes are the best.

Holsters

Holsters are another great option for girls and guys who want to be hands-free while dancing and adventuring about the festival grounds. They are extremely comfortable when you want to wear a non-utility belt with your outfit. Wild June has a few great designs airing on the more simple side. They come in a multitude of colors as well. The pink one above features three pockets with magnet closures and one secret zipper pocket.

A Wild June holster. Photo by: Rose Brown Jacob

Once again, Mystic Fables offers some incredibly detailed options for holsters, such as the one pictured above.

Ladee Taha also has some fabulous and unique options like this fringe version below. Her pieces are very well priced and can be ordered online.

Backpacks

If you're looking for a unique backpack to flaunt at a festival, there are options. Just make sure to choose a small one and don’t be a turtle in the crowd!

Also, don’t fully abandon your inner PLUR raver. Sometimes a plush animal backpack is still the best choice for your outfit and doubles as a snuggle buddy or pillow for those times you just want to sit down and chill.

Utility Pockets

High quality, sturdy pockets with zippers and snaps are the way to go at festivals. Don’t ever risk putting something in a coat pocket that doesn’t close. Odds are you’ll lose it at some point. One of the coolest pieces of clothing with multiple pockets is the Utilikilt for men. The look might not be for everyone but if you have the slightest inkling that you can pull one off, you probably can. Some might say there’s nothing sexier than a man in a skirt! The one pictured above was custom-made and features front and back pockets attached to the skirt. You can also double up and wear a belt with it for extra storage.

This leather utility vest by Gato Montes is another fab way to carry your items in a super fashionable way.

Secret Pockets

There are a lot of festival clothing items created with secret pockets these days. Many hoods, including the one pictured above, are among those items.

Boots are also a great place to stash items. You can find some with zippers or snap pockets on the sides. One of our festival insiders also suggested wearing thigh-high boots and stashing items inside.

This article was originally published in November 2017.