Wanderlust Yoga Festival Essentials (Updated)
We attended the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Squaw Valley last year and it exceeded our expectations! To say we loved it would be an understatement, but we definitely learned some lessons and will be bringing a few different items this year than last. You can check out our original post on Wanderlust essentials here . Below are our Wanderlust Yoga Fest essentials:
- Yoga Mat. This is kind of a no brainer, but you need a yoga mat at a yoga festival. Something we found was that it was quite windy in the Squaw Valley mountains, and those who had brought lightweight travel mats really had a hard time as their mats literally got blown around during practice. I know it's a pain to lug around a heavier yoga mat but bring your normal practice mat and you won't regret it. There are also sure to be plenty of yoga mats for sale at the festival, so if you don't have a decent mat, it may be fun to plan on picking one up at the event. My personal favorite yoga mat of all time is this mat. It has a lifetime guarantee and is quite substantial but not too heavy to carry around. This is also a great option and super affordable.
- Yoga Mat Carrier. I simply use this strap because Matt is in charge of the backpack for the both of us. Bonus: the mat strap doubles as a yoga strap in classes. A yoga backpack makes so much sense for this purpose as well and this backpack is my favorite. This is an affordable option. The nice thing about investing in a yoga backpack is you can use it for so many trips in the future.
- Shoes. If you are planning on hiking, proper shoes are a must! We focused on yoga, workshops and meditation last year so I wore these flip flops around the entire time. They were perfect, low maintenance, and are super affordable. I'm also obsessing over these birkenstocks for my new yoga sandal. Because they are fully rubber, they can easily be washed off, taken to the pool or beach, and I've heard they're even more comfy than the originals.
- Water Bottle. Hydration is so important for your body. It's sure to be hot, and there are sure to be plenty of sweaty yoga classes at the festival. Do mother earth a favor and ditch those plastic disposable bottles. With so many cute reusable water bottles, there's no excuse not to bring one. Also, no need to bring a massive bottle since Wanderlust has hydration stations set up for refills. I'm loving this water bottle, this one, and this bottle.
- Yoga Clothes. I love planning my fun yoga outfits for the festival. These are some of my favorites for printed leggings. I just purchased this particular pair and can't wait to try them out. I can vouch for the materials from both these options. They are super breathable, and dry ultra fast after a sweaty workout. Also, just wanted to mention these are my favorite leggings of all time. They have been the most flattering, most comfortable and the material is buttery soft amazingness.
- Yoga Mat Cleaner. You will be throwing your yoga mat down in all sorts of places. Our mats were pretty dirty at the end of each festival day last year. I just make my own mat cleaner with essential oils and put it in a travel spray bottle. Check out my yoga mat cleaner recipe here.
- Sunblock. This was on my list last year and it will be on my list forever. If the sun is out, you should be protecting your skin. The sun will be out. Bring sunblock. It's so hard to find a good all natural sunblock that's affordable. We have been using and loving this block from Juice Beauty (one of my favorite all natural skincare brands). Every product they make rates very clean on EWG and the Think Dirty app.
- Journal/Notebook. I'm always looking to learn, grow and evolve. Bringing a journal or notebook along ensures you can record all the new ideas you will be exposed to, and/or journal your own experience at the end of the day. These are so lovely and these too.
- Sunglasses. As I said, the sun will be out. It's summertime. Big, fun sunglasses are a must. Le Spec is a new brand I've been loving because they are on the more affordable side. These are the sunnies pictured above and these are also cute. For affordable pair I'd choose these from Free People.
- Meditation Accessories. You are going to be feeling pretty zen at the end of each day. We like to start our mornings with a meditation, and any type of accessory to support my meditation practice is welcomed. We may bring a stick of palo santo just to set the mood for our meditation or to help us wind down at the end of each day. I will definitely be bringing my mala. This is my favorite place to find affordable high quality mala necklaces.
General Tips: Don't worry too much about food. There's plenty to purchase at the event and tons of vendors are giving it away for free (e.g. entire veggie burger patties, protein bars, sustainable jerky, kombucha, etc.). Also, balance out your schedule. Take a variety of classes so you don't burn out the second day and make sure to schedule in breaks where you can peruse the vendors, lounge in the sun, and enjoy the entire experience. We decided to sign up for easier classes the last day (think yin yoga, meditation, speakeasy) because last year our bodies were sore and spent from the two full days of yoga and walking around prior. Most importantly, relax, have fun, and try not to sweat the small stuff : )