So you're going to LIB this year? Whether this is your first year or fifth, there is always room to improve your essentials list!
What's LIB?!
Lightning in a Bottle (LIB) is a transformative festival on the beautiful Central Coast brought to you by the DoLab. A transformative festival is an immersive music, camping, art, yoga festival where you actually camp inside the event. You can wander the grounds at all hours of the day and watch it transform over the weekend, a truly incredible experience.
Day Time
I highly recommend attending talks, workshops, sound meditation, yoga, and floating in the lake if it's too hot to see music. However, floating in the lake is only available when California is not in a drought. And we're in good luck this year!
Night Time
Let your freak flag fly and go shake your rump! There is so much great music at all times of the day but night time really allows you to let loose because temperatures drop significantly.
Hot Tips
In order to not talk your ear off, because I definitely can, here are my quick bulleted hot tips:
- General
- Make a staff/totem. This is essentially a stick with some funny logo, image, object, shape, etc. that helps you find your crew. Don't forget to add LEDs for night time!
- ALWAYS carry a headlamp and toilet paper after sunset. No one likes to go into a port-o-potty empty-handed, especially since they can get really gross... from all the people who missed because they didn't have those two things.
- If you get cranky, you're probably just hungry, hot, or thirsty. Figure out which one it is and solve it before getting in a fight with your friend or significant other. I recommend a coconut popsicle or rice bowl.
- Packing
- Get a Hydroflask or Vibedration pack and hydrate to dominate. There are spigots all around the festival grounds to fill up. Sharing water is also a great way to make friends and ensure everyone stays safe. Love your community and look out for each other!
- Get a backpacking backpack to pack all your stuff for the weekend! It's so great for strapping on your sleeping pad and sleeping bag, especially if you're not car camping. BTW - get car camping, you'll thank me on Monday. Make sure to carpool!!
- Organize your outfits into ziplocs. This is great for keeping your clothes free of dust and organized. And you have an outfit ready when your brain is overwhelmed, no thinking necessary!
- Pack some fur. Head to your nearest thrift shop and pick up a dope fur coat. It can get VERY cold at night so this will keep you warm and looking fresh. I also highly recommend long underwear and a thermal shirt for under your leggings and shirts at night. Yes it gets that cold. If you prefer new coats you can find cool, new handmade coats here and here.
- Close-toed shoes. I only wear boots at LIB. Yes, even if I'm walking to the lake for a swim. LIB terrain is very hilly and rocky at times and boots are the most comfortable to walk and dance in all day (in my opinion). Watch those precious ankles and feet cause they keep you moving!
- Scarves! A scarf is one of the most practical items you can have, it can be used as a face/dust mask, dipped in cold water to cool you off, prevent sunburns, used as a blanket, etc. Bring thinner ones for day time and warmer ones for night time.
- Utility Belt There are so many great belts on Etsy you can find in all price ranges. They also come in vest form if you'd prefer!
- Food & Drinks
- Only bring canned beer and crush the cans LIB recently started a trash/recycling program and if you sort your recycling and trash you can drop it off and pay $0 for recycling and $5 per bag of trash. Nothing is more gross than a leaky bag of trash in your car.
- Make a cocktail purse!!! I started this my fourth year of LIB. You take a large jug of mixer, drink down to your desire, fill the rest with your alcohol of choice and other potions. Now separately, take some duct tape, make a cross-body strap and tape it around the bottle; it will look like a less professional version of these. You officially have made a large cocktail jug full of your favorite cocktail for the night. Toss the bottle when your done and keep the strap for the next night!
- Carry sugar. Lollipops, sour patch, whatever. It's great to have when you are tired from too much dancing or need a little boost when you're in the hole. It's also great for making friends.
- Eat a coconut popsicle from Bliss. OMG they are heavenly, I ate 8 of them last LIB, multiple a day. They are cold and creamy and just perfect. You can find them at little carts around the festival. Last year, they were posted up by the oversized Skee-Ball between the Lightning and Thunder stage.
- Quesadillas are life-savers. The food at LIB is incredible. I typically plan to eat at least 1-2 meals a day in the festival. However, I also make a huge batch of crockpot taco chicken for quesadillas. It can also be used in the morning in eggs with veggies for breakfast. It's super easy when everyone brings prepped meals to share so plan some group meals together.
- Places
- Watch at least one sunrise and all the sunsets from the meditation lookout hill. It's absolutely incredible. Also, make sure to howl at the sunset. Everyone does it, it's a thing.
- Take a yoga class. I cannot stress this enough. Even if you've never done yoga before, GO to a class. The best teachers from around the globe teach at the festival and it is truly an amazing experience. My personal favorite is yoga/music collaboration between GiGi and The Human Experience.
- Go to the Grand Artique stage. It's tucked in the back by the road and is a complete wild wild west town experience. Head there during the day for some live music and have your mind blown!
Packing List
Must Have
- Wristband
- Car Pass
- Bozzy Chain
Style
- Boots (2)
- Boot insoles
- Flip flops
- Undergarments
- Tall & short socks
- Tops
- Bottoms
- Yoga clothes
- Thermals
- Scarves
- Gloves
- Hat
- Beanie
- Hand warmers
Accessories
- Sunglasses
- Utility belt | fanny pack | backpack
- Jewelry
Medicine
- Advil
- Vitamins
- Caffeine pills
- Pedialyte
Bathroom
- Toiletries
- Ear plugs
- Sanitizer
- Baby wipes
- Chapstick
- Ear plugs
- Sunscreen
- Nettypot & saline packets
- Toilet paper
Electrical
- String lights to light up camp, solar ones are great for sunny festivals
- Extra batteries
- Bluetooth speaker
- Phone charger
- Chargeable battery pack
- Headlamp
Fun Stuff
- Makeup
- Face paint, I buy acrylic paint from the craft store
- Flash tattoos
- Face jewels (I use clear nail polish to make it stick all day) or you can buy these!
- Flag for camp and PVC pipe to attach it up high
- Hammock
- Flow & fire toys
- Hula hoop
- Poi
- Staff
- Rope dart
- Kaleidoscope
Comfort
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Lantern
- Cooler
- Chair
- Pillow
- Blanket
- Microfiber towel
- Yoga mat
Kitchen
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Trash bags (2 color - recycling and trash)
- Shade structure (EZ Up)
- Table
- Camping stove
- Extra propane tanks
- Pan
- Butter
- Camping dining set (plate, bowl, utensils)
- Reusable cup
- Reusable water bottle (Hydroflask)
- Sponge
- Dish soap (environmentally friendly)
Miscellaneous
- Duct tape
- Zip ties
- XL Ziploc bags for clothing
- Aurora master
- Essential oils (Eucalyptus is great to put on your scarf to help your lungs process the dust)
Food
- Champagne
- Hard alcohol
- Beer | Wine bags
- Bloody Mary mix
- Naked juice
- Pineapple (pre-cut)
- Mixers
- Limes
- Dry snacks
- Moist snacks (muffins, cookies, etc.)
- Fruit
- Water jugs (1 per person per day)
Well there you have it folks, my essential list of festival fun. You can use this list for any festival with a few style tweaks, I keep it on my phone for speedy packing.
Comment below with your favorite items <3 Now get out there and shake whatcha mama gave YA!
See you on the dance floor.
Besos,
Bozzy