I’ve been camping at the previous 6 Coachella’s but still learn something new about making camping efficient/fun/comfortable every year...

want to get a start on preparing over the next few weeks versus week/days prior and still scrambling in Indio hours before.

Just name a few of mine:

— no tent needed, give me canopy and tarps/sheets to keep the air flowing all night and morning

— prepare a decent Thursday dinner (usually prep night before) because rest of the weekend may be Spicy pie, protein bars or pb&j.

— Only need one, maybe 2 powerbanks (at least 20,000mAh)if you’re going to phone less than usual. AVOID power stations at camp for the most part.

— collapsible water canteens vesus bottles because I don’t want bulky when empty if I’m dancing, but insulated water bottles keep it cold.

— pick up plenty of $1 solar lights from dollar store to find your car easier at night...i say plenty because it MAY be stolen/destroyed

— don’t forget koozies or insulated koozies for your beer/soda/sparkling water

— earplugs for the festival and sleep comfortable at night

— eyemask because the brazen sun can wake you at sunrise

— games to pass the AM or early afternoon at camp

— create/find playlist to listen in downtime

— decant alcohol that are sold in glass into plastic bottles or collapsible flasks

— Zipfizz or any other electrolyte powders/tablets often!

— make your beds before heading into festival for the night, wonderful to just pass out when I get back.

— wear PJs or breathable clothing from shower facilities, gets toasty walking back

— always use toilets furthest away from entrance, likely to have TP and splatter

Stick as many full water bottles in the freezer today. They’ll act as ice and drinking water.

Ditch the air mattress and get self inflating sleeping pads. Did this 3 Coachella’s ago and have never looked back. I got a cheap one from Amazon.

Cup of noodles at night game changer especially when we’ve had super cold nights.

Bring at-least one tarp just incase it randomly rains.

Don’t over bring snacks and food. Utilize the bus for groceries runs if needed.

Magnet hook for you shower stuff

Bag for clothes and towels when you shower

Bucket to wash your hands

Harbor freight/ Walmart are my go to for supplies

See y’all in the fields

I’ve been to coachella twice before, both gone with the hotel and shuttle option (honestly I was spoiled with comfort both times) but my friends and I are driving down from Oregon and camping this year! Super excited, I’ve camped at a festival once before but I was wondering from camping veterans what are your top 3 tips for camping?

This started as a packing list and some tips to give to some first timer friends I'm bringing this time around and I just kept having so much fun adding to it that I decided to expand it into a general Coachella guide (primarily focused on car camping).

Since the lineup is about to drop and the amount of basic questions we've been getting here has really started to ramp up I thought now would be a good time to put it out there and maybe help some people out. I realize that the people who don't bother to read the Coachella website probably also won't read some randos google doc but does the Coachella website give you bathroom strats? Didn't think so!

Please let me know what you think or if you feel I've made any glaring mistakes/omissions.

ltwinky's Coachella tips

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on this subreddit for all the advice and information you've put together over the years! This was my first Coachella (and first music festival ever!) and it was truly one of the best experiences of my life, in large part because I was able to research and learn so much from all of you. Our campsite was especially comfortable thanks to the numerous packing lists and camp setups I was able to find.

In an attempt to pay it forward, here are some tips and tricks we learned:

1. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Listen to your body and take breaks when you need to. Being out in the sun drains your energy so be sure to refuel and recharge regularly.

2. Stay plugged into this subreddit throughout the weekend. If I hadn't been monitoring the updates y'all shared about getting into camping on Thursday, we definitely would've taken the wrong route and who knows how long we would've been in line.

3. Definitely do a trial run of your camp site setup. Our group went so far as to chalk up a 10x30 space in our driveway to see how everything would fit, but at the very least, practice setting stuff up before you arrive. This is even more important if you don't camp regularly.

4. Bring 2 canopies. Shade is a precious commodity and it's so nice to be able to spread out. Thank me later.

5. We brought a power bank with solar panels and it was perfect for charging our phones as well as blowing up air mattresses. They're a little pricey, but not having to sit by the charging ports was worth it to us.

6. The wind is no joke. Make sure everything at your campsite is secured before heading out. You don't want to come back to find your stuff has blown away. The plastic stakes we brought were too big for the canopy feet so we used zip ties to connect everything together, and we used extra large binder clips to attach tapestries and string lights. Fortunately, everything stayed put all weekend.

7. Having some kind of hanging organizer (like for shoes) is super helpful, especially if you have multiple people at your site. We put a bunch of shared items (i.e. tissues, hand sanitizer, first aid kit) in there so everyone could easily find stuff.

8. Speaking of multiple people at a site...we fit 4 people in 1 spot (2 in a tent, 1 in the back of the car on an air mattress, and 1 on the back seat of the car). We made it work, but it was tight and I'd say 4 is the maximum number for 1 site to be comfortable.

9. Bring one of those changing tents people use for showers. We did not do this so we had to get dressed inside our tent which was not ideal (especially with an air mattress). It would have been so nice to stand and get dressed normally rather than awkwardly bending over in the tent.

10. Don't forget ear protection!!!! Obviously for the shows, but also for when you get back to camp. Our neighbors kept the party going until at least 3 AM each night, but I had no problem sleeping with ear plugs and a sleep mask.

11. Top off your water whenever you get the opportunity. If you get dehydrated, you're going to have a bad time.

12. Wear a mask/bandana/gaiter to protect yourself from the dust. Saline nasal spray is also a lifesaver.

13. You can't truly appreciate how large the festival grounds are until you're there. If you have conflicting sets, it's going to be a challenge to get from one to the other unless the stages are close to each other. Study the map and use the app to plan out each day.

14. Everyone says this, but it's so true: WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. Make sure they're broken in before you arrive and always have Bandaids on hand in case you do get blisters. I saw way too many people struggling to walk at the end of the night because they chose the wrong footwear.

15. Identify your top must-see, cannot-miss acts and be flexible with the rest. We wandered into several sets we never would have planned to see which just made the experience even better. Likewise, if you're at a stage and the vibes just aren't hitting, go somewhere else. Don't go to a set just because someone might bring out a surprise guest. I almost went to see Mustard in case he brought out Kendrick, but I would've never forgiven myself if I'd missed Gaga's set.

16. Go with the right group. My friends and I have known each other for years and we've done many camping trips together so I knew they would bring the right vibes, but some of our neighbors clearly didn't heed this advice and it really seemed to ruin the experience for everyone.

17. Be nice!! Thankfully, everyone I interacted with was friendly and respectful, but I know some folks weren't so lucky. Everyone is at Coachella to have a good time and hear some amazing music. Don't be a jerk, be patient, and have fun!!!!

This is my third year car camping and I am with a group of 7 people total (5 of which have never been to Coachella). Last year my group arrived around 7pm and it took less than two hours to get in and set up our camp and it wasn’t so bad. As my 2025 group was arriving we saw all the posts stating how bad it was but nothing could have prepared us for the chaos. It took about 2 hours to get through security and then there was absolutely no direction after our car was checked. I told the lady at the security check that the two cars behind me were with me too and she actually said “we can’t help you you’re on your own” which I mean they aren’t obligated to help us stay together but in previous years the staff would try to help keep groups together so I thought it would be rhetorical same. After an hour of sitting passed security and no one telling who to go where/ having 5+ lanes of cars all fight to get to the 2 lines where “traffic control” staff members were, campers got out of their cars and started directing traffic themselves (2 out of my group). Then once we got to where these traffic control people were they told us to go in the wrong direction and led my group and a ton of normal car camping cars to the preferred car camping spots. Once at the preferred car camping spots a staff member (bless his soul he’s the best) told us we were in the wrong camping spots and got in his cart and said “wait a few minutes and I’ll get you where you need to be” he then seemed to be ferrying and escorting campers where they needed to go and then came back and personally escorted us to car camping spots with his cart. I try to tip this man but he said “no it’s not about the money it’s about helping people” I didn’t get his name but I’ll never forget him. Hopefully he helped some of you campers too. I’m not sure how car camping was this horrific this year, maybe Chris lake, maybe a secure company change idk. But I hope that man has a tremendous life because he saved us and we would probably still be lost without him

Asked Coachella some questions about group car camping, hope this helps in your decisions today.

Guys, this is my 5th coachella, and I had never seen such horrible organization for car camping, I've been here hours, just crossed the security check and literally no one is moving, also, I'm with a group of another 2 cars and it's the first time ever, a staff member tells me it might not be possible we camp together (we're literally all together in the line, came together for a reason.