It’s the season of music festivals! Do you have your two lists?  There’s the lineup list and, more importantly, your packing list!

In the age of social media, we know that your cell phone is on the top of your list.  We have a few things to go along with that necessity for a complete festival experience!

1.)   The app!

Many festivals are keeping up with social media and technology by creating an app for the event!

You’ll have the map of the grounds in the palm of your hand, and some include a message board for updates from other concert goers!

It’s also a handy place for your schedule, and most apps show you how many others have scheduled the same artists so you can head over a few minutes early for a good spot!

Getting front and center means better pictures!

2.)   The handle!

Knowing the festival’s handle on Twitter is another way to stay on top of some last minute changes, discover up-to-the minute tips, and flip through photos of others’ experiences!

3.)   The outlet charger!

You can carry a digital camera and wear a wristwatch or you can keep your cell phone charged!  While some music fanatics may be going for the day, it’s still smart to bring your outlet charger!

There are thousands of people texting and posting at the same time!  Getting those through takes a lot of battery power.

While some festivals have power strips that you’ll have to hang around between performances, others will have lockers! These are preferred because you can plug your phone into the provided USB charger, lock it, and take a key so you can catch a show while your phone powers up!

Tech Tip: Don’t forget to put your phone on airplane mode when you’re not using it!  You can still use the festival app in this mode, while giving your phone a rest from searching for wifi!

4.)   The external charger!

If there’s no time between all the amazing performances you want to catch, bring a full powered external charger to the festival!  When your phone gets low, you can keep it on you! Crowd surf with the confidence that your phone will be ready for those close up pictures of the lead singer by the time you reach the stage!

5.)   The solar panel charger!

Taking your festival experience to the extreme?  Most camp sites don’t provide electrical outlets, and you’ll want to save your car battery for the ride home! This doesn’t mean you can’t share your awesome tent pitching or fire building skills in the moment! Keep your solar panel plugged into your phone during the day and you won’t miss a tweet!  It’s also an effortless way to prepare your external charger on a sunny day.

6.)   Water!!!

This isn’t a technical one, but it’s very important!  Whether it’s cloudy or sunny, staying hydrated guarantees that you’ll be refreshed all day.  Staying focused in the crowd will result in the most and best pictures and tweets of the festival!

If you show up to the music festival of your choice with these tools, you’ll be prepared for a weekend that you can share 24/7!

By Jess Vasquez