Damn Zach, back at it again with the Coachella Camping Experience
It was 2011 when I first experienced the magic that is Coachella Camping. I bought a last-minute pass and was adopted by a group of my old water polo friends to camp with them. Little did I know the next 3 days would change my life forever. It has now been 5 years since I last camped at Coachella and I am so excited to be back this year. Camping is seriously one of the best things about the festival. I’m not knocking the house or hotel ideas, but there is something special about a Coachella camping experience. Here are a few reasons why I am excited to be back!
Looking for our Coachella Camping Essentials? CLICK HERE!
The Coachella Thursday…
I get butterflies the moment April hits, but it truly becomes real when you are in line to enter the campgrounds. Coachella opens the campgrounds around 8AM on Thursday which allows attendees to enter and set up their camp sites. Anyone who has camped will attest that Thursday is one of the craziest days. Everyone’s energy is through the roof and everyone is ready to have a good time. Once your group is done setting up the Thursday shenanigans begins. You open a beverage, meet your neighbors, take a stroll through the different camp lots, and see where the day takes you. If you are camping, do it right and get there early Thursday morning. There is so much to get acquainted with and so many new friends to make! Speaking of…
Making new friends…
No matter what type of person you are, introvert or extrovert, you are bound to create new friendships at Coachella. You may find a future best friend, a new concert buddy, or simply a group of people who make a lasting Coachella impression on you. *Flashback Coachella 2011* It was Sunday after Kanye finished his set. My friends and I were headed back to the campsite to grab more beverages and walk around. As we were walking through the campgrounds a group of Aussies approached us and asked if we had jumper cables. They were leaving the fest Sunday for a flight back home Monday and their car had died! My friends and I ran back to our campsite, grabbed our cables, and returned back to our new friends. We used their neighbor’s car to jump their car and they were all set to go! We started talking them about their Coachella and they were really awesome people! So much so they gave us their unfinished cooler of beers (at least 30!) because they couldn’t take them back on the plane. Seriously, awesome people! #NeverForget
Innies and outties…
When you camp you can go in and out between the campgrounds and the festival as often as you’d like. This is a huge plus because sometimes there are bands I want to see at 11AM and then a gap until 2PM. I can go rest, lounge, hydrate, and beverage up at the campsite and still be sure to make in time for the set I want to see! Also, you pretty much have first dibs getting into the festival because you are right next to it! And, there is nothing like frolicking through the empty polo grounds as the festival opens each day!
The fun never stops…
Between all the people, music, and activities you can find something to do at any time if you’re in the campgrounds. Each year they switch it up a bit, but you can always count on there being some cool way to spend your time. There is yoga in the mornings, silent disco at night, swings, dodge ball, live music, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When the last set of the night ends and you are still amped from the day the last thing you want to do is go home and sleep. The campgrounds give you a playground to keep the evening going until sunrise!
Spoiled by the campgrounds…
Is it really camping when you have a general store, maintained restrooms and showers, phone charging stations, kiddy pools, misters, and a power generator? Okay, maybe it doesn’t fit the ‘classic’ style of camping, but Coachella does a seriously good job at providing a comfortable experience for campers with all these convenient amenities. If you forgot something at home, like I always do, have no fear the campgrounds have you covered. It’s basically a mini town where there will always be someone or something to help you solve any hardship you may have!
Basically, if you have never camped at Coachella…You are missing out on a special experience. I get that camping is not for everyone, but I feel everyone should at least experience the campgrounds once. It’s like the cherry on top of a sundae. The sundae will be good either way, but the cherry takes it to flavor-town.
