The short answer: a camping chair is almost always worth it, a decent trolley is worth it if you're a group of three or more, and a gazebo is only worth it if you're staying four nights or more and the festival actually permits them. Airbeds are overrated; a good roll mat is not.
The walk from festival car park to campsite is typically fifteen to thirty minutes, often over rough grass and sometimes uphill in the rain. Every bulky item has to justify itself against that walk. Here is how the usual suspects stack up.
Camping chairs – worth it
This is the item people leave behind and then regret within four hours. Sitting on wet grass gets old quickly, and a tent is a poor place to socialise because only two people fit in the porch.
The trick is to buy cheap and light. A basic folding chair in a shoulder bag weighs under two kilos and costs less than a round of drinks. Directors' chairs and anything with a footrest are too heavy and too bulky to be worth carrying.
Verdict: take one per person. Arrange them in a circle with your group and you have effectively built a living room.
Trolleys – worth it for groups
A festival trolley turns three trips into one, and for a group carrying a tent, chairs, a cool box and a weekend of food and drink it is transformative.
But cheap trolleys fail. The failure point is always the wheels: small, hard plastic wheels sink into soft ground and snap off. What to look for:
- Large pneumatic or thick rubber wheels. Anything under 15cm diameter will struggle on grass.
- A metal frame, not plastic joints.
- A pull handle rather than a push bar, which is much easier over uneven ground.
- Foldability, so it stores flat behind your tent rather than taking up pitch space.
Verdict: essential for three or more people. For a couple travelling light, a good rucksack each does the same job with less faff.
Gazebos – usually not worth it
A gazebo gives you shade, shelter and a place to cook. It also weighs 12–20kg, takes up as much ground as a large tent, needs two people and twenty minutes to erect, and is banned or restricted to a special area at a growing number of UK festivals because of the space it consumes and the emergency access it blocks.
Verdict: only if you are camping for four nights or more, arriving early enough to get the space, travelling by car with room to spare, and you have confirmed the festival allows them. Otherwise, a cheap tarp and a couple of poles gives you 70% of the benefit at 10% of the weight.
Cool boxes – worth it, with a caveat
A cool bag is far better value than a rigid cool box for festival use: it is lighter, it squashes flat once empty, and it does not become a useless plastic crate on day three. Freeze bottles of water to use instead of ice packs and you get cold drinks on Friday and drinking water by Sunday.
Verdict: take a soft cool bag. Skip the hard box unless you're arriving in a campervan.
Airbeds vs roll mats
Airbeds feel like the comfortable option and often are not. They deflate overnight, they puncture, they need a pump, and – the part people miss – a large volume of cold air underneath you actively pulls heat out of your body. Many people sleep colder on an airbed than on foam.
A self-inflating mat is the sweet spot: warm, compact, and comfortable enough. A plain foam roll mat is the budget option and still beats an airbed for warmth.
Verdict: self-inflating mat if you can, foam mat if you can't. Airbed only if you have a pump and a large tent.
Windbreaks – underrated
A cheap beach windbreak weighs almost nothing, packs into a stick shape and does three jobs: it cuts the wind so your camp is usable, it marks out your patch so people don't pitch on top of you, and it gives a bit of privacy. Genuinely one of the best value items you can bring.
The things not worth their weight
- Full camping kitchens and multi-burner stoves. You will cook once, decide the food traders are easier, and carry the rest home unused.
- Inflatable sofas. Fun for an hour, then a wet plastic bag.
- Large speakers. Restricted at most festivals and guaranteed to annoy your neighbours.
- Heavy sleeping bags rated for expeditions. Bulk without benefit; a three-season bag plus a hoodie does the job.
- Multiple pairs of shoes. Wellies and one pair of trainers is all anyone needs.
How to divide it up
If you're going as a group, agree who brings what before anyone shops. The classic mistake is four people arriving with four stoves, four cool boxes and no mallet. Share the heavy communal items – tent, gazebo or tarp, trolley, cool bag – and let each person carry their own chair, bedding and clothes.
Frequently asked questions
Are festival trolleys allowed on site?
Yes, at virtually every UK festival, though some restrict them at peak arrival times on the main paths. They usually have to be stored at your pitch rather than taken into the arena.
Can I take a camping chair into the arena?
Usually not. Most festivals restrict chairs to the campsite and to designated seated viewing areas.
What size trolley do I need?
Around 90–110 litres suits a group of three or four. Bigger trolleys are harder to steer through crowds and gate queues.
Is it worth buying a cheap tent and leaving it behind?
No. Abandoned tents are a serious environmental problem and most UK festivals now campaign against it. Take your tent home.
