I've been to more festivals than I could possibly ever remember. For over 10 years I've found myself laying in a field surrounded by the best folk I've ever met and all the loud noises I could ever wish to hear.
Over the years I have attended festivals in many a guise; as a customer, as a volunteer and as an employee. And I think I've managed to put together an essential list of items one needs to survive camping for 5 days.
Now most of the festivals I attended, I actually had to fly to, so I had to travel LIGHT. There's no crates of booze or weeks worth of BBQ gear in my backpack.
But I did manage to survive over 5 days, in a tent, in sweltering heat OR rain and still come out of the end not covered in mud or missing any limbs.