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What I Packed for Splendour in the Grass Byron Bay in July
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items Byron Bay in July sounds dreamy until you realize it's winter in Australia, the mud is real, and you packed like it was Coachella. I spent my first Splendour freezing in a crop top with dead phone batteries and blisters from terrible shoes. This is e...
Sections
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Rain-Proof Layers That Don't Look Like a Trash Bag
Campsite Setup That Survived Three Nights of Chaos
Festival Footwear That Won't Destroy Your Feet
Portable Power So Your Phone Doesn't Die at 2pm
Staying Warm When Byron Bay Gets Cold at Night
Food and Hydration Gear for Long Festival Days
Rain-Proof Layers That Don't Look Like a Trash Bag
July in Byron means surprise downpours between sunshine. I looked like a soggy newspaper my first year because I brought a $5 poncho. These kept me dry without sacrificing the vibe.
Grab this before you fly out. It packs down to the size of a burrito and saved me during a sideways rainstorm on day two. Perfect for anyone who refuses to carry an umbrella at a festival.
Men's Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket
Wear this if you want to look like you planned the rain. A girl complimented mine while we were both ankle-deep in mud near the Amphitheatre. Runs a little big so layer underneath.
Womens Waterproof Jackets | Women's Raincoats
Toss this in your bag as a backup layer. Weighs almost nothing and dries fast when the sun comes back out twenty minutes later. Solid pick for anyone on a budget who still wants something reliable.
Women's Rain Jackets
Use this for those cold gusts that hit after sunset. Not fully waterproof but blocks wind like nothing else. I wore mine every single night walking back to camp.
High Coast Wind Jacket M
Keep this one handy if you tend to run cold. The longer cut means your thighs stay dry when everyone else is soaked from the knees down. Wish I'd had this year one.
Women's Moss Waterproof Rain Coat
Bring this if you want one jacket that handles everything from drizzle to full downpour. Packed mine every day and used it every day. Not the most fashionable but genuinely reliable.
Men's Venture 2 Jacket | The North Face Canada
Campsite Setup That Survived Three Nights of Chaos
Sleeping at Splendour is either your favorite part or your villain origin story. My first tent leaked at 3am and I spent the rest of the night in my car. Never again.
Snag this if you're splitting camp with one friend. Sets up in about five minutes and the rainfly actually works, which sounds basic but you'd be surprised how many festival tents fail that test.
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Review
Try sleeping on the cold Byron ground without a pad and you'll feel 80 years old by morning. This one inflates fast and kept me off the frozen dirt. Worth every cent.
NeoAir XLite NXT Ultralight Sleeping Pad | Therm-a-Rest
Get this for July nights specifically. Temperatures drop to around 10C and a summer bag won't cut it. I was the only one in my group who slept through the night comfortably.
Kelty Cosmic Down 20 Sleeping Bag Review
Use this to find your tent at 1am when every campsite looks identical. The colored light modes also made our spot the hangout zone. Charges via USB which is clutch.
BioLite AlpenGlow 500 Lantern Review
Bring a real pillow or regret it forever. I used a balled-up hoodie my first year and woke up with neck pain that lasted three days. This one weighs nothing and packs tiny.
Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Neck Pillow
Swap out whatever flimsy stakes came with your tent. Byron soil can be soft after rain and regular stakes pull right out. These gripped even in mud and saved my rainfly during a 2am wind gust.
MSR Groundhog Tent Stake Kit, 6-Pack, Regular
Festival Footwear That Won't Destroy Your Feet
Blisters ruined my second day completely. I wore brand new boots and could barely walk to the GW McLennan stage by 4pm. Break your shoes in weeks before or just pick the right ones.
Wear these broken in, not fresh out of the box. After a week of wearing them around the house, they molded to my feet and handled the Splendour mud like they were built for it. Because they kind of were.
Women's Originals #500
Grab these if the forecast looks ugly. They're not cute for dancing but when the North Parklands turn into a swamp, you'll be the one still standing. Pair with thick wool socks.
Hunter Women's Original Short Rain Boots
Keep these at your campsite for morning walks to the showers. Waterproof, easy to rinse off, and way better than flip flops on uneven ground. My camp shoes became my most important shoes.
Birkenstock Men's Arizona Essentials EVA Sandals
Try these if you want something between a hiking boot and a fashion boot. They handled the gravel paths and the dance floor equally well. Lighter than they look.
Palladium Unisex Pampa Hi HTG Supply Boot
Ditch your pride and bring these for camp. I judged everyone wearing Crocs until I was hobbling around barefoot on cold grass at 7am. Now I'm a convert. The lined version is even better for July.
Crocs Unisex Classic Clog - Black
Use these if you plan to walk 20,000 steps a day, because you will. They have actual arch support and grip, which matters when you're navigating muddy hills between stages all weekend.
Danner Trail 2650 Hiking Shoe Review
Portable Power So Your Phone Doesn't Die at 2pm
There's nothing worse than losing your friends in a crowd of 30,000 people with a dead phone. Happened to me during Ocean Alley's set and I wandered alone for an hour. Charge everything.
Bring this fully charged and it'll keep your phone alive the entire weekend. Heavy, yes, but I charged three phones off one bank and still had juice left. Toss it in the bottom of your bag.
PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W
Hang this on your tent during the day and let Byron's winter sun do the work. Not fast enough for emergencies but great for topping off overnight. Works best if you're patient.
Goal Zero Nomad Solar Panel
Grab this if weight matters to you. Half the size of most banks but still held enough for about two full phone charges. Slipped right into my jacket pocket on cold nights.
NB10000 Gen4 - POWER BANK
Use this one if you also need to charge a tablet or camera. The fast-charge port brought my phone from 5% to 50% during one set. That speed matters when you're running between stages.
BioLite Charge 80 PD Power Bank Review
Keep this as your backup bank. Small enough that you'll actually carry it instead of leaving it at camp. Saved me twice when my main bank was still in the tent.
Review | Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank 10K
Stick this on the back of your iPhone and forget about it. No cables, no fumbling in the dark. I walked around with it attached all day and barely noticed the weight.
Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)
Staying Warm When Byron Bay Gets Cold at Night
People forget Byron in July can drop below 10 degrees Celsius after dark. I wore a t-shirt to a headliner once and spent the whole set shivering instead of enjoying it.
Pack this in your daypack and pull it out when the sun drops. Folds into its own pouch and weighs basically nothing. Everyone in my group borrowed mine so honestly bring two.
Women's Ultra Light Down Jacket
Wear this under everything. Merino doesn't stink after three days, which at a camping festival is a genuine superpower. Kept me warm without overheating during daytime sets.
Men's & Women's Classic Thermal Merino Wool Base Layers
Use it as a scarf, headband, or face cover depending on the moment. When that ocean wind kicks in at night, wrapping this around my neck made a bigger difference than adding a whole extra jacket.
Multifunction Headwear Buff Original EcoStretch Neckwear
Bring at least three pairs. Cold feet ruined more nights than anything else my first year. These are thick enough to actually insulate inside boots and they dry faster than regular wool socks.
Heat Holders® The Warmest Thermal Sock™
Throw this on after sunset and leave it on until morning. Cheap, warm, and you won't cry if it gets lost in someone's tent. I've bought the same one three years running.
Carhartt WIP Acrylic Watch Hat, Black | Official Online Store
Layer this over a hoodie for that sweet spot where you're warm but your arms can still move. Dancing in a full puffy jacket is miserable. This solved that problem perfectly.
Patagonia Nano Puff vs Down Sweater and Micro Puff
Food and Hydration Gear for Long Festival Days
Festival food lines can stretch 45 minutes during peak sets. I missed half of Gorillaz waiting for a burrito. Having your own snack setup at camp changed everything.
Fill this with hot water before you leave camp in the morning. Tea at midnight while everyone else is freezing and paying $7 for a cup? That's the move. Keeps liquids hot for 24 hours, not exaggerating.
Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle | 1.9L
Boil water in two minutes flat at your campsite. Instant noodles, oatmeal, coffee, all before the food vendors even open. Saved me money and time every single morning.
Jetboil Flash 1.0L Fast Boil Stove for Camping
Bring this to refill at the water stations inside the festival grounds. Wide mouth means you can add ice and it won't spill in your bag. Mark it with tape so nobody accidentally grabs yours.
Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle
Stash these everywhere. Pockets, bags, tent corners. When you're four hours into a stage marathon and starving, a Clif Bar at 11pm hits different. The white chocolate macadamia one is the correct choice.
Clif Bar Variety Pack, Chocolate Chip
Keep one of these clipped to your bag because you will buy food that requires a utensil and they will be out of forks. Happened to me twice. Lightweight titanium version lasts forever.
Sea To Summit Delta Long Handled Spoon - Hike & Camp
Drop one in your water bottle every morning. Between dancing, walking, and the cold dry air, dehydration sneaks up fast. Way cheaper than buying sports drinks inside the grounds.
Effervescent Electrolyte Tablets - Be prepared, feel better sooner
Comfort Items That Made Camp Feel Like Home
After ten hours on your feet in the cold, coming back to a bare tent on hard ground is demoralizing. A few small comforts turned my campsite from a punishment into a place I actually wanted to be.
Sit in an actual chair instead of on wet grass. Weighs less than a kilogram and folds into your pack. I set mine up outside the tent every morning and it became the group hangout throne.
Chair Zero High-Back
Wrap this around yourself at the campfire or throw it over your sleeping bag for extra warmth. It's basically a sleeping bag that doesn't zip, and it's way cozier than any wool blanket I've tried.
Original Puffy Blanket - Deepwater