While we’ve already enjoyed the main throng of some of the biggest Australian music festivals, chances are you may still have some beauties left on the horizon. Or, if you’re a firm festie devotee, you could already be looking ahead to next year’s events. If your latest festival camping experience left you longing for home comforts or you’re a festival veteran who has come to realise you don’t need to slum it to be part of the action, this is the post for you. Today we’re looking at some of the essentials for building your very own glamping experience. Let’s look at how you can luxe-up your festival trip with a few smart upgrades.

Bell tent or tepee hire

Companies like Flashcamp have been offering pre-pitched bell tents at festivals like Falls Festival and Blues Fest for a few years now, complete with some incredible perks and a price tag to match. But did you know you can actually hire your own bell tent to take to a festival with you? While you will need to be mindful of any restrictions on how much space you can take up, along with how you’ll transport and pitch your temporary home, there are lots of glamorous options for sleeping under the stars. Decorated bell tents look particularly festival fabulous and the high roofs mean you won’t feel nearly as cramped compared to being under the canvas of a standard tent.

In fact, if you have a regular crew that you go to festivals with, you could all pitch in to purchase a family-sized tent and create your own little commune. This is likely to involve a costly initial outlay, which of course means you’ll have to go to at least several festivals every year over say the next decade or so in order to maximise the value for money reaped from your investment, naturally.

Campervan or motorhome hire

Turn up with your own motorhome and you’re likely to have to pay slightly more for your camping or parking but oh my, when you climb into your bed at the end of a day of dancing or switch on your air conditioning unit, it’ll be worth those extra dollars. Depending on your vehicle layout you may have somewhere to cook as well as sleep. And of course, when it comes to sleeping, vehicles tend to be a little better insulated against sound compared to canvas, which means better quality sleep. Not to miss out the biggest advantage of staying in such a vehicle, which is undeniably the fact that you won’t have to carry your camping gear from the entrance gates to the campsite. This will of course leave you with far more energy and enthusiasm for important things like dancing.

Your own power source

No one wants to waste their time doing things like lingering in the phone-charging tent only to miss awesome DJ sets or rustle around in a tent in the dark to find their torch. Camping solar panels can be used to power in tent LED lighting, mobile phone charging points and even sound systems and fans, helping you achieve that home away from home feeling without the sound of a noisy generator. They’re easy to operate, kind on the environment and have come down significantly in price in recent years, making them a really smart piece of camping kit. So much so, you could say they’re an essential rather than a luxury.

Comfort zones

There’s not much room in a small tent for a chill out area or dressing room but if you’re camping with mates, you could choose to either share one larger tent, as above, or think about setting up some little spaces in the centre of your tents to provide a little extra comfort. Whether it’s a gazebo complete with inflatable couch or a small dressing tent that gives you privacy and extra kit like mirrors while you get dressed, think about what will make your individual camping experience that little bit more comfortable.

Of course, there’s always the option of going to a festival on a day pass and checking into a nearby hotel afterwards, but that’s not really in the spirit of things, is it? Investing in some smart camping kit of your own could give you that VIP feel at every festival you attend, which sounds pretty fabulous really. Though, unless you’re prepared to splash out on staying in a festivals pre-pitched luxury camping area – or paying a mate to do it all for you – you’ll still need to pull up or pitch and set things up yourself. Boo!