Survival Guide to Making Coachella Awesome

Coachella is about to drop on the festival scene and this event is by far my favorite to attend. Featuring some of the hottest artists in hip-hop, rock, rap, electronic music, and more, I have SO many fond memories of Coachella that I encourage any music-loving, adventurous soul to go.

Even though I had fun times, there were definitely things I would have liked to know before pitching my tent and digging into what the festival has to offer. To help all you newbies out there, here is my ultimate survival guide to making sure you have a Coachella to remember:  

#1 – Bring a hydration backpack! It’s hot in the desert and this will save time on trips to water refill stations and save money from needing to buy water bottles all weekend. Plus, you won’t add negative points to your ecological footprint.

#2 – Pack an EZ-UP for shade on your campsite. The sun is always shining at Coachella and nothing is worse than having your tent turn into an oven from baking in sunlight all day. Or if you’re staying at an Airbnb with a pool, make sure to bring your flamingo, unicorn, or pegasus floaties!

#3 – Take a portable phone charger. Everyone uses their phone at Coachella for videos, photos, and connecting with friends. The public charging stations are super packed and will take time away from you being able to enjoy the event. A portable charger can solve this problem, but in circumstances when your phone is not charging and you need the battery to last, use dfndr battery to combat battery drain. That way you won’t miss a single moment.

#4 – Cover your face. A bandana or facemask is crucial to have for the dust in the air. You don’t want that dust in your lungs. Sunscreen is also important when you’re in the sun for 10 hours or more a day. And don’t forget extra sun coverage like a hat and sunglasses.

#5 – Spring for an air mattress if you’re camping. The campsites are all grass, but the ground is not that comfortable to sleep on all night long (dependent on when you do get to bed).  😎

#6 – Beat the crowds before hunger pains hit. Getting food earlier in the day is much better than later. Lines for food can get really long as the night goes on, not to mention popular menu items often sell out each day.  

#7 – Head to Do LaB. If you’re looking for a place to cool off while still enjoying some music, Do LaB is the place to be. Dance up a storm as water guns spray into the crowd to keep you refreshed. Like a sprinkler on a sweltering, summer day!

#8 – Make a plan. Check out the daily lineup ahead of time and talk to your group about which stage you’ll head to and at what time. Then forget about the plan and just live in the moment!

#9 – Capture the antics. After 2 full days of taking photos and videos of your favorites acts, it’s very likely that you might run out of storage on your phone. Use dfndr performance to clean duplicate photos and other junk files so you have more room for epic festival memories.

#10 – Hide the evidence. What happens at Coachella stays at Coachella! Feel free to virtually “lock” your #NSFW photos with a private gallery app, such as dfndr vault. Go ahead, we won’t judge.

Now that you know all the essentials for the most colossal Coachella experience, you should be ready to have the time of your life. The event runs over 2 weekends, April 13-15 and April 20-22. This year is gonna be the best one yet!