We may be biased towards this Boulder, Colorado company, but buy local, right?

EcoVessel isn’t reinventing the wheel, they’re just making it a little better, and a lot more fun!

Their drink bottles keep beverages cold or hot longer and do so with style.  Plus, a range of accessories – like interchangeable lids with ice strainers – make your bottle just a little more useful.

Funky colors and designs, along with artist series prints (fellow Boulderite Phil Lewis Art pictured) make them even better, and 5% of every sale going to non-profit organizations is icing.

We checked out a lot of coolers at the 2021 Denver Outdoor Retailer Show.  Let’s face it – cold drinks are a music festival and tailgating priority!

But the hands-down winner for the best style in a cooler goes to Polarbox.

The Polarbox retro vintage designs come in two sizes – 12 and 20L capacity, and the color selection will make you the coolest kid in camp  (see what we did there?).

Brightz makes things, well, bright!

With unique and portable lighting options, these handy gadgets will have your festival campsite popping!  Plus, with innovative lighting solutions like the Cooler Brightz, you’ll never again be floundering around in the dark aimlessly looking for a beer.  Ok, probably not never.  We’re looking at you, Steve.

Equip is taking the hammock game to the next level.  

With the festival and camping world inundated with lightweight, packable hammock options, it’s about time someone offered something unique – like funky colors and designs, illuminated LED hammocks, and hammock stands that only require one tree!  Duh.

We’ll be the first to admit that we were immediately drawn to the LED Lenser booth by what turned out to be their kid’s line of funky headlamps.  Kids at heart…

We’re glad we stopped by, however, to learn about their extensive adult line of quality headlamps, lights, and accessories.

And sure, maybe you don’t need a headlamp that will get you up Mt. Everest at a music festival, but the LED Lenser Rechargeable Headlamp will put an end to your festival battery scramble, and the headlamps with included powerbank cases will give all your other devices a boost as well!

UCO Gear (UCO=Utility, Comfort, Originality) makes a ton of cool camping stuff.

Their headlamps are lightweight and funky, as are their lanterns and other lighting options.

It’s the UCO mess kits and utensils that really caught our eye, however.  They’re lightweight, sturdy, and functional, but also with funky colors an original style that will keep your festival camp meals from looking like a polar expedition.

Our favorite: the Switch Spork Tethered Utensil.  Use a knife and fork like a civilized festivarian, switching to the spoon for dessert!

“Go With Dignity,” say the makers of Cleanwaste Portable Toilets.  We couldn’t agree more.  And there is nothing less dignified than the music festival port-a-pot on Sunday  – and it’s usually not much better on Friday.

So why not bring your own toilet to the music festival?

With portable briefcase-sized carriers, disposable bags, privacy tents, and Poo RepAIR deodorizer, these guys have everything you need for a dignified festival bathroom experience.

We like cold drinks and cool stuff. Clearly, we fell for Puffin at first glance.

I mean, we’ve seen fun can koozies before, but never have we seen ones that give our drinks so much … personality.

You can just imagine your little beer getting ready to go waterskiing in its cute little Puffin jacket!

No longer does your beer need to sit on the sidelines – now, with flannels, parkas, and vests, your can may safely join you on any adventure.

Puffin even has sleeping bags for when the poor little guy gets tuckered, and wine bags so your favorite bottle can join in the fun!

Many of the best products out there are based on simple improvements to existing ones.

That holds true for Tent Stars – and what an improvement it is!

This family-run company got fed up with the tangled mess of battery-powered fairy lights, and fixed it.

Tent Stars are solar-powered and wrapped around a simple spool, lighting up your festival tent and campsite in style, without the insanity of trying to pack these things up at the end of the party!  

Peter Grimm makes hats, and they make them well.

When the makers of the famed Authentic California Lifeguard Hat started honoring the music festival Saints, the Grateful Dead, we took notice.

But really, all of the Peter Grimm line of headwear is perfect for music festivals.  The affordable yet durable and stylish hats will keep the sun from roasting you while you’re hopping from stage to stage all weekend long. 

Coalatree makes environmentally conscious goods from recycled materials in green facilities using tree-friendly packaging. Hippies.

But they also make intuitive, durable, fun, and funky stuff that would be a great addition to any music festival packing list.

Their clothing is great, but it’s the hammocks and travel blankets that really raised our eyebrows.

Especially the Puffy Kachula Travel Blanket. It’s lightweight, waterproof, and it has a hood!  Our first thought – PERFECT for Red Rocks!

Bridgford is a family-owned business that has been selling food products since 1932.  No surprise then that they’re coming up with new and unique ways to feed people.

Originally created for the US military, the Bridgford Ready-to-Eat Sandwiches have a shelf-life of more than 3 years.  Anyone who’s had astronaut ice cream, however, should be understandably skeptical.

We tried these though – lots of them, actually – and they are actually pretty darn good!  Just take it out of the package and eat – no cooking necessary!  Next time you’re about to head back to the stage, and you just remembered you haven’t eaten all day, you’ll be happy to have a few of these in your stash!

The only thing we love more than a music festival is a music festival with water!  Pools, lakes, rivers – as long as we can float and get wet, we’re happy!

And when we’re in the water at a music festival, we need a comfy pool float that makes a statement!

Poolcandy gets us.

You probably recognize their glitter unicorns, rainbows, and noodles.  But did you know about their LED pool rafts and cooler buffet?  What about their motorized pool floats?  Yup!

Also, check out Aircandy for comfy and stylish camp seating  – no water necessary!

Camp-Zero makes high-quality coolers that will keep your food and drinks colder, longer.

What sets them apart, and why you should consider a Camp-Zero cooler for your net music festival, is the fun and funky colors they use.

Yeah, we know, you’ll probably cover your cooler with stickers anyway, but shouldn’t it at least start out cool?

We’re also big fans of this Camp-Zero Backpack Cooler.  It’s roll-top design makes it great for rafting, too!

Orca makes fantastic coolers in different sizes and colors, and you should definitely check them out and consider bringing one to your next music festival.

What grabbed our attention at the Outdoor Retailer Show, however, was the drinkware.

Sure, you can put anything in these stylish and sturdy vessels, but it seems they were made for cocktails!

The Chaser and Vino collections will keep your drinks cold and spill-free, and the Orca Chasertini lets you do the impossible – enjoy an “up” martini while dancing!

Easily one of the absolutely coolest things we saw at the Denver Outdoor Retailer is the Tail Table.

Simple, yet genius.

A lightweight, folding and packable table for your car’s trunk or cargo area, with seating space for 6+ people and even wine glass holders throughout.

Class up your next concert tailgate with this amazing trunk upgrade!

Sometimes a brand just feels right.  I don’t know, it’s hard to explain, but we just felt like we really liked everything that ust had to offer.

From the funky colorful tents and heat-control sleeping bags to the collapsible cookware and solar LED lights – this stuff is all just really innovative and stylish.

ust is just one of those companies that seems like it’s filled with cool people making and selling cool shit, and just about all of it would greatly improve any music festival campsite.