When it comes to going to festivals, one of the biggest problems that I hear about are issues associated with cell phones and getting lost in the campgrounds. When your festing, it’s time to let the good times roll. I’m here to provide you all with some life-changing tips, tricks, and festival apps to thrive at your next fest and forget those “fuckin’ a” moments.
Cell Phones
This is THE biggest thing I get asked about when it comes to attending festivals:
- ‘What’s the service like?’
- ‘Will I actually be able to call/text my friends?’
- ‘What about the festival app? It won’t work without service right?’
- ‘Can I use google maps to get back to my tent?’
I’ll be honest- there are really only certain times that you’re going to get ‘good’ internet connection: during the early morning while everyone’s still sleeping (This is when I check my insta/snap/FB/Twit and attempt to check my emails) and into the wee early hours of the late night sets when people are making their way back to their tent.
Overcoming Shitty Cell Service
Service is usually not great when the event gets into full swing inside the actual venue, however, it definitely is more manageable/better when you’re out in the campgrounds. If you’re bad about losing your friends or are trying to meet up with people here are some tips to do it successfully:
- Dedicate a time and meet-up spot throughout the day to re-group just in case you get separated inside the venue
- When it comes to texting, be sure to TYPE the time you sent the message INTO THE BODY of the text message. Although it will say it’s ‘delivered’, there’s a very real possibility that the person hasn’t received it on the other end. Time stamping will ensure that once your text actually makes it to the other person in real time, they’ll know when it was actually sent. (This is another reason why you should designate a meet-up spot and time)
- When it comes to Find My Friends, people will say this works, personally, my phone is never able to actually find anyone. It will usually just show me they’re in our campgrounds (which is likely the last place they got enough connection to send a location)
The Official Festival App
Most large scale festivals will also provide attendees with an app. These usually include features that will allow them to do a couple of different things:
- Check set times (some will even give you alerts for the sets. Others allow you to put them into your phone calendar for alerts)
- See an interactive map of the campgrounds
- See where you and your friends most recently ‘checked-in’. (This is a feature on the Bonnaroo app. It allows you to see where your friends have scanned their entry bracelets so you can meet up!)
- They also will usually work with or without service (oh hell yeah)
Camping Tips
Camping festivals are notorious for random people showing up in your campsite. It’s bound to happen to you and your friends eventually. This is usually because people get confused, or turned around when trying to make their way back to sleep. Here are some tips to avoid losing your campsite, drunk as hell or nah:
- Mark your campsite with your own flag/extra large totem. Flags are easy to spot during the day and usually are illuminated decently well at night.
- Be sure to check out WHERE in the campgrounds you are (they will usually have road signs (EF) or pod/plaza/section (Bonnaroo) numbers that are identifiable day or night)
Festival Apps to Consider
Although service can be shit when you’re festing, there are a couple of festival apps that I highly recommend checking out!
Utility Apps
- Battery Life Doctor (Pro) – Pretty self-explanatory, but worth the mention if it’s something you’ll think you’ll use. This app is just like battery doctor. It will show you how much battery, memory, and storage you still have on your phone. Although it won’t ‘save’ your battery, it does give an accurate time of how much longer your battery will last.
- YourFestivalPigeon – This is a newer app, but is essentially the same as any regular ‘Tent Finder’ app. This one is completely free and actually allows you to utilize it WITHOUT service. You’re able to drop pins for your tent location, food location, etc. all around your festival grounds. To show your friends where you are, just share the QR code in the app. From there, it will take them to your shared location! Pretty nifty right? Another bonus is that it’s totally free.
Health Apps
- Aid by American Red Cross – This app was created by the Red Cross to provide additional medical information/suggestions for care for anyone who needs it. This makes it an ideal aid app for festivals. For you Brits out there, be sure to check out Aid by British Red. This is the UK version created by the British Red Cross.
- Drink Water Reminder N Tracker – Personally, I like this app over other drinking water apps. This app gathers information about your weight and gender, and then creates reminders for when it’s time to drink water! During the festival season, it can be easy to forget to drink water with so much fun around you. Head over here to learn more about staying hydrated at music festivals!
So there it is! All of my lifestyle hacks that will make sure you’re festival ready. These festival apps and tricks are a sure-fire way to be prepared with your squad.
