Stag Do Essentials

The stag do survival kit

Whether it’s a night in Newcastle or three days in Prague, the lads who enjoy the last day are the ones who packed properly. None of this is glamorous, all of it gets used.

• Phone charger and a power bank. Your phone is your map, your wallet, your boarding pass and the group chat. A dead one at 1am is how people get lost.
• ID. Passport for anywhere abroad, driving licence for UK bars that check. Bouncers don’t care that you’re 34.
• Cash and a card that works abroad. Some bars, taxis and kitty top-ups are cash only.
• Rehydration sachets and paracetamol. Day two will thank day one.
• Earplugs. Someone always snores. It’s usually the stag.
• A spare going-out top. Drinks get spilled, and you won’t want to wear the same shirt in every photo.
• Comfy shoes. Bar crawls and city walks add up. Nobody’s feet survive two days in new brogues.
• Anything the activity asks for. Old trainers for paintball, swimwear for a pool or spa, warm layers for anything outdoors.

Planning the whole thing? Our best man checklist covers the stag and the wedding, and the stag do organising advice walks you through budgets, bookings and the group chat.

What the best man brings for the group

As best man you’re in charge of the bits that turn a weekend away into a stag do. You don’t need a suitcase of tat, but a few well-chosen props make the photos and give the stag something to remember.

• Something for the stag to wear. A sash, an L-plate, a ball and chain or a pair of inflatable antlers marks him out in every bar. Browse our stag do accessories for sashes, masks, fake moustaches and the rest of the stag do props.
• Headwear. Our stag do hats run from stag head masks and beer helmets to captain’s hats for the boat party.
• A dare or two. Dare cards, dice or a round of stag do bingo keep things moving between bars. See our stag do dares for ideas that are funny without getting anyone thrown out.
• Face masks of the stag. Cheap, light to pack and they make the group photo.
• A kitty wallet. One person, one wallet, one pot of money for rounds and taxis. It saves endless splitting of bills.

Dress the part

Matching kit is the quickest way to make a group look like a stag do rather than eight blokes who happen to be in the same bar.

Stag do t-shirts

Personalised stag do t-shirts are the easy win: a photo of the stag, a nickname for everyone, the dates and the destination on the back. Order in good time and check sizes with the group before you pay.

Stag do fancy dress

If the group is up for it, stag do costumes go further. The classic move is to put the stag in something ridiculous, a mankini, a sumo suit or a banana, while everyone else wears a matching outfit. Pick a theme early so nobody turns up in the wrong thing, and check the dress code if you’ve booked anywhere that might turn fancy dress away.

Stag do gifts

Gifts aren’t expected on a stag do, but a small, funny present for the stag goes down well, usually handed over at dinner on the first night. Keep it light: a personalised t-shirt, a framed photo from his worst haircut era, or a mock “survival kit” with the essentials above and a few in-jokes thrown in. Save the proper presents for the wedding.

After the stag: gifts for the wedding

Once the stag is done, the focus moves to the big day. These are the gifts that usually change hands at a wedding:

• From the best man to the groom. Something he’ll keep, like engraved cufflinks, a hip flask or a set of whisky glasses. See our gifts for the groom.
• From the groom to the best man. A thank-you for all the planning. Our best man gifts guide has ideas and when to give it on the day.
• From the groom to the groomsmen. Usually matching, often personalised. Browse our groomsmen gifts.

Sorting your own outfit? We’ve got guides to best man cufflinks, personalised cufflinks and best man socks. And if the speech is keeping you up at night, our pick of best man books is a good place to start.