LARP Packing List – The Ultimate List for Live Action Role Playing

Some LARP events offer sleeping accommodations in the style of youth hostels. However, most multi-day events take place outdoors. Here, camping is required.

Many visitors of a LARP event own an IT-compatible tent that is decorated in a medieval, fantasy, or post-apocalyptic style. Usually, these are canvas tents or yurts that are guyed.

Important: Check the website of the event you want to attend. Often there is the option to come with a modern, regular tent. This pays off especially if you are going to a LARP for the first time. Proper LARP tents with the appropriate look are pretty expensive.

No matter what type of tent you choose, it should definitely be wind- and waterproof. It’s worth investing in storm-proof pegs. On top of that, you should also check whether your tent fits into the allocated camping space per person – including guylines.

If you decide on an IT-compatible tent, you can choose from various shapes. Here are a few of them:

• Single-pole tent: These are suitable for one to a maximum of two people, as they take up little area.
• A-tent/Wedge tent: So-called A-tents appear flat from the front and have a wooden frame over which a canvas is stretched. Depending on how cozy you make it, about three people can fit in here.
• Saxon tent: These are elongated tents with round ends.
• Knight tent: This often refers to a square tent with walls and decorative flaps.

Dedicated shops include larpzelte.com, Mittelalter-Zelte24.de or LARP-Zelte.com. Often, other players also sell their tents on Kleinanzeigen, Ebay or privately within LARP groups on platforms like Discord.

If your tent has enough space, I always recommend a camp bed. This way you don’t have to lie on the potentially cold and/or wet ground. Additionally, you can store items underneath it.

If you want to style the inside of your tent to be IT-compliant, you can of course cover the camp bed or even build a wooden bed yourself. But that is already advanced LARPing.

A high-quality air mattress is worth its weight in gold at LARP. Along with the camp bed, it forms the basis for your sleep. Good sleep at the LARP is half the battle. The more comfortable you lie, the better.

I asked around in my LARP group and a sleeping bag suitable for all seasons is for most people the A and O. Such a sleeping bag can be expensive, yes. But if you can’t sleep because you are too cold, you won’t enjoy the next day.

Also here, like with your outfit: Layers. Bring pillows and multiple blankets, just in case. If it’s too warm, you can simply push a blanket off. But if it’s cool and you already have all the blankets over you, it becomes difficult.

My bedding consists of my comforter from home plus a pillow and two to three additional cozy blankets. In my first year at the Dragon Festival, I was really cold and I don’t want to repeat that.

It gets bright quickly in tents. In shared sleeping rooms, someone always turns on the light at some point. To ensure you can still sleep, I recommend a well-fitting sleep mask that keeps the sun away from you for as long as possible.

In 2025 at the Dragon Festival, I didn’t have one with me and ended up sleeping in a yurt with a larger hole in the roof. I was sometimes in bed until four in the morning, and by six in the morning the sun was up. Because I forgot my sleep mask, I was thus awake. Not cool.

No matter if you go to bed early and want to block out the nighttime noise or if you want to sleep in and don’t want to roll out of your camp bed with the families at 7 am. Just like at a festival, ear protection is also worth it at LARP.

I have had good experiences with earplugs. Just check what the pharmacy around the corner offers you.

A seating option doesn’t have to be the fancy Viking wedge chair, don’t worry. That’s just one possibility. It’s enough if you can settle on a picnic blanket. Alternatively, a cheap or used camping chair can be brought – just throw a blanket over it.

But: Having a seat in one way or another is incredibly important.

With food, it’s like with sleeping at longer events: If you don’t nourish yourself properly, you probably won’t be able to enjoy the Grand Con to the fullest. So make sure to equip yourself with enough, and especially non-perishable foods.

One could write a whole article about nutrition at multi-day events like the Dragon Festival. However, that would exceed the scope of this article. In my first two Grand Cons, I survived on a diet of instant ramen, apples, crispbread, and trail mix, just like at a music festival. Nowadays, I have a larger group with which we cook well-equipped and sometimes heat up pre-cooked meals.

Cooling is also an art in its own right at summer cons. My chief orc always has a styrofoam box filled with ice cubes in which we store food for the later days. Some may use dry ice – but that’s dangerous and should not be used by someone who doesn’t know how to handle it.

I always recommend bringing one to two six-packs of 1.5-liter water bottles. You can find these in every supermarket. Fresh drinking water is important. (Drink enough water!)

But you will also need water for cooking, washing your hands, showering (if you have a camping shower), and washing dishes. To avoid having to run to the water station three times a day, it’s best to buy one or more water containers with a capacity of 10 to 20 liters.

If large containers take up too much space in your car, you might also look for accordion-style containers. These can be conveniently collapsed, but unfortunately, they don’t hold as much volume.

If possible, cook in a LARP authentically over an open fire. But depending on local regulations and the available transport volume, you will likely have to rely on a camping gas stove. They may not be as pretty as a grill or a cast iron pot over an open flame, but they save space and cook quickly.

Don’t forget to buy appropriate gas canisters.

Even if you plan to rely solely on instant soups: Pack a few kitchen utensils. Knife, cutting board, cutlery, mixing bowl. And if you plan to cook on-site, the necessary kitchen equipment should of course also be packed in your luggage.

Just keep in mind: You’re probably camping. You’ll need portable power stations and mobile solar panels to charge electric devices.

Theoretically, a pot belongs to kitchen utensils. However, since a pot is essential – even for instant ramen – I’ve noted it as its own point. Without one, it will be challenging to boil water or heat food. It doesn’t have to be a huge pot. Just one that works on the heat source of your choice.

Besides cutlery, you need a plate and/or bowl to eat from.

Knife, fork, and spoon should definitely be in your luggage. And no, these don’t have to be IT-compliant right away. Cutlery from your kitchen is perfectly fine.

For big and small kitchen accidents or for trash, it’s worth having kitchen rolls with you.

You will need to wash your cooking utensils. Sponges and dish soap are the essentials for that.

A bucket can serve as a water container for washing up, but it can also be used for cleaning or transport.

No matter if you just do a quick wash or if there are shower facilities on-site: Shower gel, shampoo, and everything else you need for showering should be in your luggage for longer LARP events.

Best pack a large and a small towel. For showering or to dry off after any rain.

LARPing at Grand Cons often means camping, and camping means a lot of dirt. Mud, fake blood, food coloring, dust… Bring soap for washing your hands. You will thank yourself later.

My personal recommendation. Bring a long-lasting deodorant and apply it after washing. For you and your surroundings.

In my experience, normal toilets aren’t always accessible at LARP. Sometimes they are too far away and the need is too high. Sometimes it just needs to be done quickly. Then the portable toilets, aka Port-a-Potties, are your… friend? And on a Port-a-Potty, you definitely want to have toilet paper, which unfortunately often runs out. So it’s best to just bring your own.

Shower shoes like flip-flops are completely optional, but I like to bring them for the showers at the Dragon Festival. It’s simply more comfortable on the feet and the best way to avoid athlete’s foot.

A mirror for makeup, styling your hair, or just checking the current state of your dark circles is always recommended.

You should definitely bring a well-equipped first aid kit. For you, but also for your fellow players. Things can always happen. For example, you can cut your finger while cutting an apple or someone might scrape their knee.

It’s better to be specifically prepared on-site rather than relying on the medics.

If you take regular medications, bring them with you to the LARP. This also applies to relevant emergency medications.

If you are highly allergic to wasp stings and need to carry an epinephrine autoinjector, it should definitely not be left at home. The same goes for insulin or blood glucose devices.

If your medications require specific storage, think about it early on.

Band-aids are never unnecessary ballast and definitely belong in the first aid kit of every LARPer!

To ensure that a scraped knee or a burst blister doesn’t get infected, always keep wound disinfectant with you.

Yes, a visit to the medics never hurts and is even recommended for all types of injuries. But you should also be prepared for aftercare.

It’s best to bring pain relievers that you know you can tolerate. This is not about strong painkillers but about mild remedies for headaches, for example.

If you catch something that doesn’t sit well with you, it’s always advisable to have some anti-diarrheal medication packed in advance.

There are ice packs that can be activated like hand warmers by bending a plate. Such items help with a twisted ankle or if you hit an LARP weapon too hard against your arm.

Especially at high temperatures, you will sweat a lot. Having electrolytes with you to replenish your mineral balance is always a good idea.

Alternatively, they can help if you’ve had one too many drinks in the tavern in the evening.

Unfortunately, there’s a high chance at LARP that you might catch a tick on a field, meadow, or in the woods. Therefore, it’s wise to have tick tweezers with you.

If you’re not confident in removing it yourself or if it’s in a bad spot: Visit the medics.

Depending on what kind of clothing and armor you wear, you should build your repair kit. Needles, thread in the colors of your clothing, scissors, and more should definitely be included.

For example, I wear a leather armor for which I have hammered in over 1,100 rivets. Accordingly, I have replacement rivets, a rivet hammer, a small anvil, and other relevant gear with me. Those in plate armor might pack polishing cloths and rust protectors – depending on their needs.

Safety pins are essential for quick repairs. Whether it’s on clothing, your tent, or decorations.

Duct tape can help where safety pins fail. Sure, the white canvas tent looks ugly when you patch a hole with it. But if your tent has a hole for whatever reason, rain is forecast, and a complete repair is simply impossible, duct tape is your best friend.

For your flashlight, lanterns, and gadgets, always carry enough spare batteries.

This is a recommendation from all long-term LARPers from my camp. Specifically, the fir Ballistol can be used for leather care as well as insect repellent spray. It can also be used as a lubricant for squeaky armor. A friend of mine swears by it, saying you can also use Ballistol to dress salad.

I myself have noticed that Ballistol can actually be used as insect spray, and I have used it for leather care. But I would never put it on salad.

To keep your padded weapons nice and supple, you should pack silicone spray.

Except in winter, it can always happen that your camp is visited by mosquitoes, wasps, and bugs. These little creatures just want to live but can be very unpleasant. Therefore, it’s worth bringing insect repellent, citronella candles, or incense spirals.

You definitely need a change of clothes, and I don’t just mean underwear or socks. It’s always advisable to bring a second outfit of regular clothes for your journey to and from the event. Also, you should definitely be able to switch out your IT clothing. It’s wise to have several linen shirts for under the fancy tunic. Pants can quickly get full of dirt or simply wet. Having dry replacements is beneficial.

You will definitely produce waste, so pack garbage bags.

A fire extinguisher is not a must, but it can save lives and property if a fire does break out. And with many ambient open fires and often increased forest fire danger, this can definitely happen.

You need to transport all your things somehow! My advice: Ikea bags. The blue plastic bags are waterproof and provide enough space to stow away your belongings. They also fit nicely under camp beds.

Of course, aesthetic wooden boxes would be cooler. But they also take up more space. The only reason I am gradually phasing them out is due to the wild life that has recently visited me: In 2024 at the Dragon Festival, it rained so hard that ants started storing their eggs in my clothes. And at the new venue starting in 2026, things must be secured against the local raccoons.