(Part 2) Best products from r/Coachella

MVP
/u/Diskz for posting the Washington>52nd Route to bypass the entirety of the the Monroe shitshow...Unreal.

Winners
Walking to gates- First year camping and beats the hell out of shuttles/ubers plus cost of AirBNB. More than makes up for lack of AC and showers/toilets.
Portable Shower Bag- Didn't use it every morning but having the option to sleep later was money
Cots- Pretty easy to set up. Also easy to break down each day to open up the space for chairs/chillin. Comfortable to sleep on just make sure you have insulation under you too because you get a draft from below.
Inflatable Lounger thing- Good bang for your $20. Comfortable to chill on, easy to deflate while not in use, easy to haul therefore better than a hammock.
Costco LED lights that /u/kateyrose recommended. Magnetic on the back to clip onto your EZ-up or car.
Losers
Tents- Told my campmates we could go without them but we set them up anyway. Definitely ditching these next year for more space and more EZ-UPs.
Cooking Food- Brought a ton of food which we were always too tired to cook. With the plethora of tasty vendors we'll probably skimp on groceries next year.

Other Notes
Barber- Got my haircut Friday morning. Pretty easy system. Went around 8:30am and signed up for a 10am time slot. Got a low fade and pretty happy with it. Tipped him $20 since thats what I'd normally pay for a haircut. Overall I would recommend if you don't have time to get it done during the week.
Heineken Beer Storage- I hate Heineken but since you can bring any of their other beers this is very much worth it. Alleviates so much space in your coolers. I brought a 36 rack of Coors Light to start the weekend off and brought a 30 rack of Tecate Light to the Beer storage Friday. You can text them to deliver it to your camp but I just picked it up on Sunday morning since we were near there anyways.
Adidas- As we were walking over to the line Sunday morning the carts were passing us so we lucked out on some tokens. Still waited 3 hours for shoes. If they do this next year I have to imagine they provide some more shade over the line because that was the only terrible part of the experience.

Well first, read through your Coachella welcome guide that comes with your box. It has tons of awesome information on what to expect.

Then, use the search bar and find tons of other threads recommending camping items. Seriously there's so many, nobody will cover them all in this thread.

That being said, here's a copy/pasted comment of mine from another similar thread. These are some of the lesser known items I like to recommend:

> "Individually Wrapped Butt Wipes: low profile enough to stash a couple in your fanny pack or backpack. Make the porta potties wayyy less of a nightmare.

>Individual Pedialyte Packets: never worry about hydration. Just drop one into every water bottle or Camelbak refill. Also tastes amazing in conjunction with "goodies."

>Chelated Magnesium: if your "goodies" make you queasy or clench your teeth a lot.

>Hydro Flask Cup: It's going to be hawt as FUDGE out there. Last thing you want is your drink getting warm. I've left these on the hood of my car by accident and come back to it still full of ice. Amazing.

>Ravpower Portable Charger: this bad boy is one of my favorite purchases ever, not just for Coachella. When this thing's fully charged, it charges a full phone battery around 6-7 times. It charges like twice as fast as my wall outlet charger. It's seriously amazing.

>Individual toilet seat covers - Those camping porta potties are a fucking warzone sometimes.

>I'd also recommend side walls for your EZ Up as extra shade. Tapestries work too. "

2013 W1 was Duststormchella, ever since then I've brought these with me. They've come in clutch at a bunch of fests...

Multi use Bandana/Balaclava thing. I like the solid colors but they come in a bunch of patterns. Keeps the dust out better than a banana and is easier to use. Warm when it gets cold. Get it wet if it's really hot out.

Padded Sunglasses. They're cheap, awesome at keeping the dust out and look pretty normal when you have them on. Search for "padded sunglasses" or "motorcycle sunglasses" to check out different styles.

Pro Tip: get the black banana and the all black sunglasses to look like a bandit for the weekend.

Here's everything I ordered just last night!

Bandana Headband face cover things I've bought these before, great for keeping cool and keeping the dust away.

Cheap Fanny Pack

Tapestry

More Tapestry

And some other things I bought a while ago.

Earasers Best earplugs I've bought so far, hella comfortable and inconspicuous.

Plastic Flasks

Extra Earplugs just in case someone needs them along the way

So far...

• GLOW STICKS - I bought 1,000. Last year I did the same and it was so much fun throwing them around the Sahara tent. I hope people don't mind. Everyone seemed to love when I handed them out.
  
• and these awesome glasses.
  
  

I use standard ER20 I got a pair for my girlfriend too and she has small ears but they fit her, but they might be a little big for her comfort. They do get sore even for me at first, but you get used to them pretty quickly and by the end of the weekend when I don't have them in after the festival is over it feels weird for the first day.

I bought this one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Instant-Canopy-Lighting-System/dp/B004E4CUBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474699178&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+canopy+with+lighting

Was on sale when I bought it, about $120, but I'd pay twice that for what it has done for us. I made my own side walls for it from a bolt of cotton fabric I bought at Joann's, but any side walls will do. It lowers halfway, so when we leave the campground for the festival each afternoon, we just lower it instead of taking the top off. It has never blown away (though we do sneak in metal stakes and have sandbags to weigh down the legs as backup). We also double it as a tent and it comfortably sleeps 6 people. The lights on the inside are battery powered and are perfect for chilling inside the tent in the wee hours of the morning.

Tough call! I have a 3 1/2 year old - this will be our first year back since she was born. I think its doable for a couple hrs each day. Personally, I'm just not sure it'll be worth it. Those will be some exhausting days! However, I always considered taking the kids to Arroyo Seco...that always seemed manageable for some reason. But good luck! I'd be curious to hear how it goes. I'd bring one of these so kiddo doesn't have to deal with portapotties. https://www.amazon.com/Kalencom-Potette-Travel-Potty-Trainer/dp/B01C5TOH52/ref=sr_1_6?crid=19I9B4WRE7K81&keywords=toddler%2Bportable%2Bpotty%2Bseat&qid=1554751857&s=gateway&sprefix=toddler%2Bportab%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-6&th=1 :)

This also works great on the top and sun-facing side of your tent! It's difficult to tape down securely, so I ended up using a bungee cargo net like this to hold it down: https://www.amazon.com/Bungee-Stretches-Tangle-free-Carabiners-Tighter/dp/B071GD2SN5

That paired with a battery operated fan let me sleep until 10am last year

I haven't tried the new plugs, but from my experience with their regular ear plugs, they don't diminish very much at all. Sounds are still rich and not muffled. That also means less protection though, but I feel that DUBS has a good balance of sound vs protection out of the other ear plugs that I've tried.

I ordered a bunch of stuff for this year. I went a little amazon crazy.

I stubbed my toe on a tent stake last year so I ordered these glow in the dark tent stakes.

I figured this blow up couch would be a cool addition to our campsite.


I got one of these battery powered fans for my tent.


I ordered a few of these batter powered led lights in different colors for decoration.


I ordered like 4 of these portable fans for our camping group to clip onto their camel packs for the daytime heat.


I ordered this portable battery pack to keep my phone charged.


I ordered a 300 pack of glowsticks 100 for each day.

I ordered these light shooter things. They are fun to play with in the camping grounds.


I ordered one of these anti chafe sticks for my fat legs. It's truly a life saver.


Also I ordered The Watterpuff for obvious reasons.

This is my first Coachella but from what everyone has told me: YES. I got this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXPC074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rtX6ybRCCYSRQ. It's only barely bigger than a regular camelbak but has many more compartments. I also have bag locks to keep things safe. I wonder if it'll be too bulky (thinking about putting light jackets in case it gets too cold)

Not going to Coachella this year but I've been there 8 or 9 times. I always wear military surplus boots. This style:

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https://www.amazon.com/Corcoran-Jump-Boot-M-Mens-Boot/dp/B008M22830

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It's always worked just fine for me. But I'm also used to it since these are my every day shoes as well, I wear them for everything except weightlifting, which I have a dedicated pair of powerlifting shoes for.

Body Glide will become your best friend.

http://www.amazon.com/Bodyglide-Original-Anti-Chafe-Balm-Packaging/dp/B005L8YVRO

http://www.amazon.com/iHeartRaves-Stash-Boxer-Briefs-Large/dp/B00F5JDBE8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453684014&sr=8-1&keywords=stash+boxers

I used those last year and they worked great. Comfortable during the day too.

Good recommendation! I also recommend this pair of Downbeats as I own both and like how downbeats are a bit more subtle/less protruding from my ears.

Can you or u/shazbot28 tell me if these are the same as the Hearos ear plugs I use? If yours are better I'd scoop up a pair right now. I've been very satisfied with Hearos but for all I know these other ones make it sound better.

I have a pair of [DownBeats] (https://www.amazon.com/DownBeats-Reusable-Fidelity-Hearing-Protection/dp/B00A3Z44R2/ref=lp_8132951011_1_1_a_it?srs=8132951011&ie=UTF8&qid=1484009843&sr=8-1) and they're amazing. Been going to EDC for 6 years and can vouch that you definitely still get the full experience (just without the post-festival ear ringing). The little case is clutch, too!

I use this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Instant-Canopy-Lighting-System/dp/B004E4CUBK

I love the LED lights on the inside. Battery powered. When I got it, it was 140, not the 190 listed there...

But also, what devlindigital said, get at least one sidewall (I put mine facing east so the sun doesn't kill me.)

I got a pair of these and they're pretty good
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NW1IZ5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_w8JVAbTGKHTHN

We brought diffraction glasses with us last year and they were a blast! A nice plus was giving them away to people in the Sahara and seeing their face light up when they put them on.

Downbeats are great! My daughter and I both use them.

https://www.amazon.com/DownBeats-Reusable-Fidelity-Hearing-Protection/dp/B00A3Z44R2

I bought this one two years ago and works great. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OXPC074/ref=twister_B00P7MZ8VW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

POWAAA

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-XP2260-Instant-Portable-Starter/dp/B004EIAADG

worked great last year, 120 bucks at Lowes

and a USB charging station to go with

https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Charging-PowerSmart-Technology-Compatible/dp/B011LSGMT2/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486793295&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=anear+usb+charger+strip

I've used these quite a few times at various events! They are really convenient and easy to conceal

I'm getting this car jumper/power source that should last me the whole 4 days
Schumacher XP2260 1200 Peak Amp Instant Portable Power Source https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EIAADG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vfFfvb0Y0QFHZ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EIAADG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vfFfvb0Y0QFHZ


And plug my $40 computer speakers that I use for backyard parties all the time. And use very little power
Logitech Z313 Speaker System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HWRZ2K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_HhFfvb1N5N127
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HWRZ2K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_HhFfvb1N5N127

Check out the Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs.

I've used these for years at Coachella and other concerts. It just reduces the sound volume, you still get to hear all the music (as opposed to those foam ones, where the sound just muffles).

Edit: these also allow you to end a concert without that awful buzzing in your ears for hours after

By chance, were you referring to these?

The Etymotic earplugs: http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ETY-Plugs-Protection-Earplugs/dp/B0044DEET2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1396659396&sr=8-3&keywords=etymotic+ear+plugs

or hearos:
http://www.amazon.com/Hearos-Earplugs-Fidelity-Series-1-Pair/dp/B000V9PKZA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396659422&sr=8-1&keywords=hearo+high+fidelity

are what you are looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/BodyGlide-BGCB-Bodyglide-Original-Anti-Chafe/dp/B005L8YVRO

I've used this stuff for Coachella, Burning Man, 115 degree humid heat in the middle east, etc. Looks similar to the gold bon, I have never tried the gold bond though.

They sell this stuff at REI and probably at running shoe stores, etc.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JT5P7A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will arrive by Monday at the latest

This bad boy powered my wet-to-dry hair straightener and charged phones and battery packs, inflated air mattresses, and still had plenty of juice to jumpstart my truck Monday morning after I forgot about the internal lights being on with the doors open all weekend.
One of the best camping-festival investments I've made.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EIAADG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_kXI5ybH1SKPJ9

Here are the ones I brought, was not disappointed.

Mine didn't have a cord connecting them, but the carrying case helped at least.

There are three kinds of people who don't wear earplugs to live music events:

1. People who are unaware how loud it can be (especially near the front or a speaker stack)
   
2. People who are unaware that hearing damage is permanent and cumulative
   
3. People who know 1 and 2 but don't value being able to hear well as they get older
   
   The choice is yours: earplugs now, or hearing aids later.