Festival packing list: what to bring to a rave (and what to skip)

Tonight’s bag is the one that gate measured.
Empty bottle. Photo ID. Ticket still unscanned.
Ride home before you are tired.
Skip outside food, glass, weapons, and a bag they did not list.

A transparent plastic security bag you can see through, with a wallet inside. — **Does not travel.** Dreamstate allows a one-gallon clear bag. EDC never named one.
**Two weekends,** not every gate. Photos are examples, not to scale.
Photos: clear bag, Smuconlaw, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Clutch, Kristin, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab). Hydration vest, Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Freezer bag, Corneille, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

A small red clutch held in one hand. — **Does not travel.** Dreamstate allows a one-gallon clear bag. EDC never named one.
**Two weekends,** not every gate. Photos are examples, not to scale.
Photos: clear bag, Smuconlaw, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Clutch, Kristin, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab). Hydration vest, Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab). Freezer bag, Corneille, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

Checked November 5, 2026, from the two guides below.
Their site wins if a guide and the organizer disagree.
Festival prep, not medical care.

What to pack

ID you can hand over. Both lists want a government photo ID or passport. A school ID or a digital ID does not work on either.
Unscanned ticket.
Empty bottle. Both tickets include free water refills. “Free” is the water, not the food.
Deodorant. Sealed at EDC. Named at Dreamstate.
Prescriptions the way that page wrote them, shown to a safety officer. Over-the-counter medication is prohibited on both.
Sealed intranasal naloxone is on both acceptable lists. That is not instructions.
Phone, earplugs, sunscreen. Allowed at EDC, including a portable charger. Dreamstate did not name them. Pocket them if the list is silent.
Sneakers. EDC’s health page (opens in a new tab) says comfortable sneakers, and that sandals can leave you with sore feet. Dreamstate published no clothes note.

Leave at home

Both weekends prohibited these.

Outside food or drinks, including alcohol and candy.
Glass, cans, coolers, aerosol cans, markers, and spray paint.
Chairs, tents, blankets, and large umbrellas.
Weapons, pepper spray, fireworks, toy guns, and water guns.
Drones, laser pointers, air horns, gas masks, and massagers.
Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and illegal substances.
Pets. Service animals follow that weekend’s accessibility page.
Costumes that look like police, fire, security, or medical staff.
Professional cameras, and any bag outside that gate’s limit.

EDC also names pacifiers, stuffed animals, eye drops, liquid makeup, and LED gloves. Dreamstate’s list does not.

Bag rules change

Same clear-bag size. Different freezer-bag answer.
Open the weekend you are actually attending.

The morning after

Eat before you go in. Outside food stays outside on both lists.
Refill, then water again at home.
A real ride, and a meeting spot if you split up. Both weekends suggest a locker. No rental price is published.
Tomorrow is sleep, a meal, water, and a check-in. The longer landing is the festival recovery guide. Weekend sense, not medical care.
Zero tolerance on both weekends. RaveAura will not help you get around that.
In danger: event staff, or local emergency services.
EDC says asking for medical help will not get you in trouble, and care on site is free. That line is theirs.
Safety Hub is free, needs no account, and still opens on a weak signal. Educational, not medical care.

Get the free app

Your rave mom in an app. A packing checklist sized to the weekend, safety info that still opens on a weak signal, and a recovery window after. Free to start on iPhone and Android.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Full Aura adds full weather detail and the 14-day recovery window.

Where this came from

Checked November 5, 2026.
Not added here: a bag size, price, or date those pages did not publish.