Gear List #2: How I dressed for a summer metal festival

You can see that there is a walk between the resting place and the feasting place.

I've been listening to metal for almost thirteen years.

Initially out of a desire to distinguish myself from others who listen to more popular music, then out of love for the genre over the years and through discoveries.

I started listening to metal when I was about 14, influenced by a friend who was a "rebellious high school teen" type. I'm sure you get the idea.

First symphonic metal, because it's the most accessible subgenre. Then gradually, I moved towards more extreme and divisive subgenres like metalcore (well, that can be debated). Between the two, a long period of discovery and refinement of my tastes for a style that is particular at first glance, and yet so rich.

Clothing-wise, I never really identified with the aesthetics of this universe , preferring to stick to a more classic style that some might call “wise.” But for this 2024 edition, I decided to get into the theme and wear a particular t-shirt.

This “Disneyland of metal” was a young adult’s dream to go there. I went there for the first time in 2023 and, crazy as I am, I decided to go back this year.

I told you about my pseudo-rebel clothes in my article on my stylistic evolution in 10 years . At the time of writing, I still haven't had any band t-shirts (shame on me). The only goodies I've been given are an acrylic scarf and gloves from the band Eluveitie. Not really suitable for summer then.

However, I often bought "rebel" clothes but with a humorous purpose on goeland.fr (called "petitgoeland" today), closer to the geek aspect than to the metal. Here is a small anthology:

I assure you, I've changed, eh... I hung up this guy's clothes a long time ago.

Let's start with the pack. I chose my trusty 35-liter Eastpak backpack , purchased in 2018 just before my trip to Australia, which I used to carry a lot of things during this trip, especially when I went on a 3-4 day getaway in the country.

Due to its capacity with its large main pocket, its central pocket and the small one on the front, it is very practical for carrying things for a few days . It has a wide variety of pockets where I store my power bank, cables and glasses case. It even has a pocket on the side to put a water bottle in.

So in my opinion it is ideal for a festival, a short city break or a trip into nature for two or three days, depending on the type of clothes you take.

After filling it for three days of headbanging, I still had a little extra left , even though the main pocket was already stuffed with all my clothes and toiletries.

Since the festival lasts several days, there is a campsite set up for festival-goers. I am a complete novice when it comes to camping, so I mainly got my gear from Decathlon , one of the best value for money you can get!

A two-person tent, bought on the fly for around thirty euros. Very practical to transport, and easy to set up/take down with its system of hoops and hooks .

The only downside is its light color which makes it easy for light to pass through. I am sensitive to it and was woken up at first light.

Very light and compact mattress , it comes in several sizes at different prices depending on yours (for a 195cm mattress, count a little over fifty euros).

It's quick to set up, and easily adjusts to your sleeping preferences by playing with the air pressure inside.

The little extra: the polyurethane that makes up the mattress insulates you from the ground. It also has silicone patches that prevent slipping.

Finally, a sleeping bag that is no longer in its prime, but still very comfortable and insulating ! It has a comfort temperature of between 10 and 14°C, which I would describe as ideal for this time of year in Loire-Atlantique: neither too hot nor too cold. And unlike Benoit who confided in his article about his crossing of the Vercors , I am more the type to appreciate sleeping bags, where I can wrap myself up comfortably.

The whole thing forms a relative comfort, with short nights: the crowing of the rooster is swapped for the background noise of guitars and guttural singing.

I'm not the greatest festival-goer this Earth has ever seen. But to quote David in his festival gear list co-written with Michel, " I like to be prepared for all eventualities . " And for that, I chose clothes more for their convenience and technicality than their aesthetics, all the more important when you spend several days trampling and dancing in crushing heat or rain.

When I was packing my things, I had several criteria in mind for my outfits:

• That they are comfortable and light to spend the day under the blazing sun;
• Which can be soiled or damaged without regret;
• Which stick as closely as possible to the atmosphere of the festival, but I still leave myself some room for maneuver.

And so, in my pack, there was:

• Three t-shirts: one per day of the festival.

Two black cotton t-shirts with logos that suited the festival atmosphere, and a khaki Nike cotton sports t-shirt, which didn't matter if they were damaged after their best pogos. I took one last white cotton t-shirt from Maison Cornichon , which I took home on Sunday.

• A Newtim merino wool t-shirt to prepare for cooler nights and have a “cool” garment to go to sleep in.

I was right: the second night there was cooler. Insulating and breathable, it is perfect for managing temperature changes .

• Two Nike shorts, always black and synthetic.

As with the t-shirts, these are clothes that I didn't have to worry about getting stained by dust, dirt, mud, one drink too many or a fellow festival-goer who was a bit too happy and decided to share his beer with my clothes. Plus, they're easy to clean. I went confident about the weather, so I didn't take any pants. However, Saturday was cooler, around 18-20°C, so I regretted it a bit...

• The burgundy Soajo hoodie, which served me well on Saturday at the end of the day.
• A beige Junco cap, to protect me from the blazing sun. And so that my accomplices can see me from afar.

As for shoes, I had to take two pairs : National Standard sneakers in black suede leather for sunny days, their comfort and color which fits the metal spirit; and a pair of Aigle sneakers in vulcanized rubber for possible rainy days.

One pair for aesthetics; the other to keep feet dry.

I ended up forgetting these at home when I left. And guess what? It rained. Rain: 1 - Seb: 0.

During the 2023 edition, the fourth and final day of the festival experienced a period of intense rain lasting several hours. So much so that I ended up completely soaked (even my underwear…), despite a navy synthetic Country Road bomber jacket that I thought was waterproof. I think it no longer had any water-repellent or waterproof treatment. Benoît has written an article about this on technical clothing .

So this year I wanted to come better prepared. Unfortunately, I have a busy life, and didn't have time to get the famous Forclaz hiking poncho at Decathlon.

On the other hand, I was able to put my Raini raincoat to the test, which was a faithful ally to me this rainy Saturday evening. An average but constant rain for about an hour and a half.

In addition to my bag, I took an Eastpak fanny pack with me, to wander around the festival more freely.

With this one, I had easy access to:

• My Rayban sunglasses adapted to my vision
• Alpine earplugs to preserve what little hearing I have left (the tinnitus is already very present in my right ear). So take good care of your ears!
• A card holder for my identity documents (national identity card, driving license, vehicle papers). The festival provides a bracelet with a smart card that allows you to pay at the different stands. You can top it up with a bank card using the dedicated HellFest app!
• A 20,000 mAh Samsung external battery because there are no sockets on site. There are stands for the rental and sale of external batteries at the festival, but they are regularly stormed.

I also took a small toiletry bag for hygiene products, just to be clean for at least the first hour of each new day.

As I said a little earlier, I didn't necessarily choose my outfits for their aesthetics , but I didn't neglect them either ! I built my outfits on a dark base for several reasons:

• Stick to the spirit of the festival;
• Limit all kinds of dirt, and make it easy to clean when you leave.

A khaki t-shirt, black shorts and my National Standards for this first day, and start the festival gently under the crushing heat. Having arrived at the end of the afternoon on site, I chose to keep it simple in order to soak up the atmosphere.

For the record, I even had a member of security make the following remark to me: “you're not in the festival colours there”, to which I kindly retorted “I'll do better tomorrow, you'll see”.

I'm getting a little more into the action with this monochrome black outfit, with a difference in texture: cotton for the t-shirt, polyester for the shorts, and suede for the shoes. Even if each piece comes from a different universe, there is still a coherence in my choice.

The humorous print that is often found on t-shirts from this universe adds a welcome touch of color, while remaining discreet.

For my outfit on the last day, when I didn't stay long on site, I chose to wear this slightly oversized white Maison Cornichon t-shirt to be more comfortable while driving.

The question then arises: in what state did my things end up after these festive days?

Surprisingly well! Despite the trampling, pogoing, and the likelihood of getting soaked either by glasses or by rain, the clothes held up well .

Only my sneakers and my bag will have suffered a little more than the rest of the outfit because of the rain . I assure you, the shoes are fine. A quick clean, and they're ready to go again.

I think I gauged the number of t-shirts and shorts to bring correctly: one per day of festivities was the right number to stay clean and dry. Same for the hoodie: the weather was hard to predict, and I'm glad I took it to stay warm in the evening.

I only regret not having taken pants: my legs were a bit cold at the end of the day, so I learned my lesson: next time, I'll take jeans. An old Levi's 512 that I have lying around in my closet, which I wear to all the concerts I go to.

Likewise, for next year, a poncho will be more practical to protect both my belongings and myself.

In short, I refine the formula from year to year. One of these days, I will be able to party in all circumstances.

Cheers! See you next year?