Ultimate List: What to Bring to Warped Tour

I know this is a little late in coming since the tour this year is already half-way over, but I myself am getting ready for my own Warped Tour date. After much research and through my own experiences, here is what to bring:

Everything you could possibly need:

A sturdy backpack - don't bring the biggest one you could possibly own, but a regular school backpack works well. It depends on how much I have listed below you plan on bringing and how much merch you plan to accumulate during the day. You get handed a lot of free stuff and trust me, you will want to buy merch at some point. You could bring one of those little drawstring bags, but the rope that keeps it pinched close wears on your skin. Bring a small backpack with thicker straps.

Money - Bring at least $200. I swear you will spend more than you plan to. This takes into account gas money to get there and the ridiculous amount of food you will scarf down at the end of the day. Bring five dollar bills, tens, and twenties to make it easier to get merch. Bring a few $1 bills because you have to pay to get a site map and sometimes stickers are a dollar or so. Don't keep your money all in the same place either. Keep it separated in a couple different pockets/places just in case some jerk tries to steal it.

Ear plugs - it was the one thing I forgot to bring last year and my ears rang for days. Even if you don't use them usually, bring them anyway and your ears will thank you if you are right up against a speaker. I don't care if you don't use them, just bring them.

Baby wipes - because portapotties are gross and sometimes run out of toilet paper at the end of the day.

Rain poncho - because rain. (See weather)

Big zip lock baggies - to put your stuff in so that nothing gets wet/dirty and it keeps things organized.

Silver/black sharpies - some people (bands/YouTubers/etc. that you just run into) don't always carry sharpies with them so bring your own to be on the safe side.

Bandana/towel - the bandana keeps the dust out of your face and is good to keep hair back/sweat off, and the towel is to wipe yourself off too.

Waterbottles - biggest you can carry and unsealed. You can't bring open ones in with you, so get a small one to drink in line. And water refills are free because they have a water filling station.

Food - you can bring your own food as long as it is in a plastic bag. I brought in like four pop tarts and barely ate anything all day. You will forget to eat. Try not to do that. Bring your own food in because the food there is usually hard to get because you have to buy tickets for it and it is extremely overpriced.

Cds and other stuff you might want someone to sign - If you have your heart set on going to a signing, bring in your own stuff for the band/person to sign. Just keep it wrapped in something (like the towel) to keep CDs from getting scratched, or just bring in the lyric book.

Sunscreen - duh.

Check the weather - See what the weather will be like to mentally prepare for the blazing sun or ya know, snow in July.

Camera plus batteries - you can't bring in professional cameras unless you are a professional and have a special pass. If you don't want to waste your phone battery, bring a camera. Just be careful to not lose it.

Portable phone charger - because phones. And they have charging stations, but you have to pay and stand next to one hundred other people trying to charge their phones too. If social media doesn't matter to you, just leave your phone on airplane mode and only take a few photos. LIVE IN THE MOMENT NOT YOUR PHONE SCREEN.

Sunglasses - duh. Just be careful of bad tan lines.

GPS or map to get to the venue - it's good to know where you're going and how to get there.

Cans of food to donate - Warped Tour is a great way to donate and recycle. Because the tour is so big, they use it to make a difference in the world. Feed Our Children collect cans of food, old cell phones, or will take just $5 to let you skip the line. I have seen the line. Skip it if you can. It's worth losing a couple cans of soup to a good cause.

That's a lot of stuff to bring, so let me condense:

Backpack
Money - $200

Ear plugs
Baby wipes
Rain poncho (optional)
Zip lock bags
Silver/black sharpies
Bandana/Towel
Sealed large water bottle
Stuff to get signed
Sunscreen
Check weather
Camera/extra batteries/portable phone charger
Sunglasses
GPS/map to venue
Food to donate

Okay, okay. I know I am an over-packer. The bare minimum:

Small backpack or probably a really good pair of cargo pants
Money
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Sharpies
Cans of food - seriously just do it

Some other notes:

What to wear?

VANS SHOES (Vans Warped Tour)
Converse are okay too, just leave the creepers and doc martens at home. And if you plan on wearing flip flops or sandals, just stay home.

Shorts - don't die of heat stroke because you wore your brand new skinny jeans. And don't wear a dress. Really. This isn't Coachella.

A comfortable top - if you want to wear a crop top, fine. If you want to wear a bikini top, do so at your own risk. Tank tops work well for this tour because you are covered up enough to get dirty and jump around and cool enough to be comfortable.

And as for makeup, I once heard someone say to not wear it because it will melt off anyway. I thought that was a dumb thing to say. If it makes you feel confident and comfortable, pile on the makeup. It will melt off either way, but you will feel prepared to take on the day. Warped Tour is not about looks, but about having a really great day. Be you and don't let anyone stop you.

How to prepare?

Check out what bands are going to be there, who you might want to go to a signing for, what stages they are playing. Check social media in the morning to get set times or else look at the big blow up sign when you get to the venue.

Pack your bag a day or so before.

Triple check you have your tickets.

Get to the venue about an hour before doors open if you can.

Double check you have your phone.

Go and have one of the best days of your life.

Questions or think I possibly forgot something? Comment below!
New to my blog? Comment about your first Warped Tour or favorite memory from the tour!