What to Wear to Snowglobe Music Festival 2017

Cozy, classy attire for music in a winter wonderland

There's more to do on the mountain in Lake Tahoe than ski. At the end of each year, Snowglobe rocks the woods in South Lake Tahoe, California. The festival has both indoor and outdoor concert venues, so you'll want to pay particular attention to putting together a versatile wardrobe.

Find fabulous footwear

Comfortable, thick-soled waterproof boots provide an essential barrier from the cold ground where you'll be standing and walking for hours on end. Add a couple of layers of merino wool socks to provide cushioning and warmth. Size shoes with a little extra room in the toe box. This allows fibers to expand and trap warm air next to your foot, keeping you warmer. Keep boot height at just above the ankle or below. Tall boots might seem logical to keep your lower legs warmer, but they'll cause leg fatigue faster than a lower boot. Instead, pair boots with gaiters to add extra warmth.

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Build on the basics

Dress in warm layers that let you build up or down according to the weather. Avoid using zippers on every layer as they can stack up and cause uncomfortable chafing.

Base Layer: Start with a thin base layer for both top and bottom that have long sleeves and long legs. The base layer should fit close and have synthetic fibers like polypropylene, designed for outdoor use as opposed to workout or sports gear. Avoid cotton. It holds moisture and will leave you miserably cold once you sweat.

Upper Layers: Layer up with a merino wool, polyester or blended shirt to help hold in body heat. Top with a fluffy, crushable jacket with a hood that stuffs easily into your backpack or can tie around your waist. Jackets with taped seams and a waterproof but breathable shell are best. Otherwise, you'll want to top off the outfit with a separate shell in case of rain or snow, or carry a folded rain poncho in your bag.

Top it Off: Fleece-lined wool hats are one of the best ways to keep your head warm, but they can be too hot when you go inside. Instead, get an inexpensive fleece beanie to wear underneath a soft woolen hat. It's also a good liner if you want to wear woodland animal hats or other decorative headwear that looks cute but doesn't necessarily deliver the needed warmth.

Accessories worth carrying

Snowglobe doesn't allow spiked jewelry or heavy chains, but that doesn't mean you can't accessorize. The best accessories include a backpack, fanny pack, or crossbody purse for carrying essentials and stowing souvenirs. Snowglobe limits purses to a single compartment, and both purses and backpacks must be smaller than 20 inches by 20 inches. Essentials you'll want to stock in your bag include:

• A collapsible water bottle you can refill inside
  
• Sunglasses
  
• Gloves
• Earplugs in case you get stuck by a speaker
  
• Gum
• Sunblock
• Cell phones for keeping in touch
  
• Camera

Leave these behind

Check your purse or backpack before you enter the venue. Some things you might use in everyday life such as pens, markers or laser pointers will be confiscated. Play items such as Frisbees, balls, hula hoops, balloons and inflatables are also on the prohibited items list, in addition to umbrellas, chairs and blankets. Access to the venue is only via shuttle or Uber, so you won't have the opportunity to put these back in your car if you show up with them.

Traveling light

When coming from a warm climate, you'll be able to buy the winter clothing you need less expensively in the South Lake Tahoe area. If you're driving or renting a car at the Reno Airport, you can visit stores like Walmart, Burlington Coat Factory, JC Penney or Target that are about 25 miles away on your route. Should your plans include riding the South Tahoe Express directly from the airport to South Lake Tahoe, you can shop in the city at Kmart and at Ross Dress for Less.

Already have what you need? Save space in your carry-on by wearing your jacket and boots on the plane. Use compression packing cubes to stow your other winter layers in the least amount of space possible. If that's not feasible, consider combining winter gear from everyone in your group in one suitcase and splitting the cost of checking the bag.