I've Been to Coachella 8 Times — Here's What to Pack
The $8 Amazon Product That Saved My Feet at Coachella — Plus 11 Other Items to Bring
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After eight years spending the second weekend of April at Coachella Music Festival, I think it's safe to call myself a seasoned veteran. While I've never camped (I'm ballsy but not that ballsy), I've done general admission, VIP, and even one year with an artist pass, so I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the festival.
I'm typically the one everyone in my group turns to when it's time to find a bathroom quickly, and I'm always the one leading everyone from stage to stage because I essentially have the map of the festival memorized. Over the years, I developed a packing list of items that are my festival must-haves. One important note? Packing for the festival isn't just about curating the perfect outfit. Although I do have a formula I usually follow (pants the first night, a dress the second, and shorts the third) and places I always shop for the cutest outfits, there's way more to the festival than just looking cute. There's lots of walking involved (I walked over 20,000 steps on Saturday alone), it's hot, and although it's sweltering during the day, the temperature drops fast at night.
If you want to avoid a sunburn, blisters, getting the dreaded "Coachella cough," or a dead phone right when you want to film your favorite artist going on stage, you're going to want to pay close attention to your packing list. Ahead, I'm breaking down all of my top Coachella prep tips to help you get ready for the festival, plus all the products that are an absolute must for my bag.
Blister Bandaids
Band-Aid Hydrocolloid Gel Heel Bandages ($5)
When you're walking 15,000 steps or more a day, blisters are kind of inevitable. I like to tape my feet or apply blister bandaids to any "hot spots" I know I'll have issues with by the end of the weekend prior to heading for the festival on day one. Typically I apply them to my pinky toes, the backs of my heels, and if I'm wearing knee-high boots, wherever the highest part of the boot hits on the sides of my legs just to avoid any rubbing or chaffing. I've been doing this for eight years now and it always makes a huge difference.
Heel Protectors
Amazon Wonderwin Gel Heel Cups ($8)
I brought these for the first time last year, and they were an easy add for this year. Most of my boots are too small to fit an entire shoe insert inside them without causing chaffing, but I saw a bunch of people talking about heel cups on TikTok and I decided to test them out. Not only did they prevent me from getting blisters on the backs of my feet, but the extra padding at the heels meant I felt like I was walking on a cloud all day long. These things absolutely saved my feet this weekend, and they've landed a permanent spot on my Coachella packing list.
Sweat-Activated Dry Shampoo
Batiste Sweat Activated Dry Shampoo ($10)
I washed my hair every single day at Coachella because the dust is actually insane, but I still used dry shampoo, and this one from Batiste was key. It's sweat-activated, which means you put it in before you even start sweating, and then it kicks in throughout the day. I sprayed it into my roots before heading out to the festival, and it basically prevented my hair from collapsing the second I got hot. Instead of looking flat and kind of greasy by midday, my hair actually held some volume. I typically use it before workouts when I want my blowout to last, but it's easily become a festival must-have.
Hand Sanitizer
Touchland Power Mist Hydrating Hand Sanitizer ($10)
Although there are actual bathrooms on festival grounds, most of the time you'll be using porta-potties, and they are almost always out of hand sanitizer. This year there was always toilet paper (thank god), but I was happy to have my own personal hand sanitizer so I could spritz my hands after I went to the bathroom. I like the Touchland brand because you just have to press a button rather than opening any packaging and squeezing it into your hand. Plus, it never leaves my skin feeling dry or dehydrated.
Sunscreen
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Broad Spectrum Max SPF 100+ Body Sunscreen ($13)
Coachella sun is not subtle, and this is the sunscreen I trusted the entire weekend. Not sure how I didn't know that SPF 100+ existed, but ever since I found out I've been hooked. It sounds intense but it's actually exactly what you want when you're outside for hours with zero shade. The formula is lightweight and dries down matte so you won't end up walking around feeling greasy or sticky in the heat. My skin didn't burn once, which easily makes this a go-to product for Coachella and every other festival I have coming up (hello, Stagecoach).
Allergy Medicine
Zyrtec 24 Hour Allergy Relief Chewable Tablets ($20)
This is not a sexy packing item, but it's absolutely necessary. This year in the desert my allergies were in overdrive. The dust, dirt, and pollen flying everywhere are a recipe for disaster. If you suffer from allergies, make sure you pack some type of medication that will help with symptoms. I like these Zyrtec chewables because I don't need water and I can take them whenever (like when we're 2 hours into the festival and I realized I forgot to take one before I left the hotel — whoops).
A Long-Lasting Lip Stain
Summer Fridays Lip Stain ($22)
This was my entire lip situation for the weekend, and it was good. I didn't want to deal with reapplying lipstick or worrying about gloss melting off, so a stain was the obvious move. I essentially used it as a lip liner with the tiniest bit of Aquaphor, and it was the perfect combo that lasted through drinks, food, and hours in the sun. I would put it on in the afternoon before heading to the festival and then just tap a little more on at night if I needed it. (But I really didn't even need to reapply — it's that long-lasting.) It's one of those products that makes you look put together without trying — exactly the kind of energy you want at a festival.
A Hair Treatment
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment ($36)
My hair was fully on the verge of becoming straw by day two of the festival, and this product saved it. Between the dust, the dry air, and constant washing, it needed serious help. This leave-in treatment is what made it feel like actual hair again. I used it after every shower, focusing on my ends, and it instantly made everything softer and more manageable. It also helped with frizz, which was out of control in the desert air. If you're putting your hair through it, this is a non-negotiable.
A Facial
Hydrafacial ($250)
If there's one thing I refuse to gatekeep, it's how good a Hydrafacial is. I'm not saying a facial before or after a festival will make you immune to the festival skin chaos, but it certainly helps.
What I love most about a Hydrafacial in particular is that there's zero downtime. I can get it a day or two before any major event, and my skin will 100 percent look better than it did when I walked in. Smoother, clearer, and more hydrated. It's not one of those facials where you walk out red and irritated. It's an immediate glow and a consistent result, every single time.
A Lash and Brow Lift
The Brow Lift ($150)
The Lash Lift ($250)
Before heading to the desert, I got a lash lift and tint plus a brow "lift" and tint at Striiike, and it fully changed my entire Coachella routine. I didn't have to think about mascara, curling my lashes, or filling in my brows once all weekend. My lashes looked long and lifted from the second I woke up, and my brows actually stayed in place without any effort. It made getting ready feel almost too easy, I could throw on some base makeup and be out the door in minutes. In a setting where you're hot, dusty, and constantly on the go, not having to deal with eye makeup is kind of. . . everything to me? It also just made me feel more put together with way less work, which is exactly the goal at a festival. Unfortunately for my bank account, this is going to be a monthly must have.
An Immunity IV Drip
Dripology Immunity IV Drip ($300)
I booked an Immunity IV Drip at Dripology before heaing to Coachella, and it ended up being one of those things that just made the entire weekend easier. I did it as a preventative move, knowing I'd be in the heat for long hours and around tons of people (and germs, ew). Dripology is absolutely my favorite place to get an IV — they make the entire experience feel like a spa day. It's for sure a wellness thing that feels extra, until you're in a situation where you're dancing in the desert for three days straight. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
A Comfortable Pair of Boots
Frye Harness 12R Boots ($498)
These were my main shoes all weekend, which is a bold choice since they were brand new, but they fully held up. They're sturdy, broken-in, and have enough structure that your feet don't feel completely destroyed by the end of the day. Paired with the heel protectors, they were shockingly comfortable. They also work with basically every outfit, which made packing easier. There's a reason people swear by Frye boots. They're built to last, and that matters at a festival like this. I also didn't feel like I had to baby them because the more worn they are, the better they look.
A Phone With a Fantastic Camera
Apple iPhone 17 Pro ($1099)
Having a good phone at Coachella is essential. Between filming, taking photos, coordinating with friends, and inevitably losing service, you need something that can keep up. The camera quality alone makes it worth it, especially for night shots and video. The battery held up surprisingly well, even with heavy use all day, and I didn't even need to bring along an external battery. My pictures and videos were perfect, and my orange phone (my favorite color, mind you) was easy to find in my bag full of desert essentials.
Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.
