You can expect some technical hiccups at a festival: nowhere to charge, a terrible cell signal, and one too many photo opportunities. While it’s more important to enjoy the experience than to keep yourself wired in, we’ve got a few handy gadgets to keep you connected with your group (and your ride home). Take advantage of the sun with a
Nod’s Beam Bank ($25). The fully charged device can power up the battery of a single phone twice, and it has solar panels on it to keep it recharged as you enjoy the day. Use the included carabiner to hook it onto your backpack and enjoy power all day long (but since it takes at least 12 hours to completely recharge in the sun, we highly recommend charging it at home first, and using the sun to keep the battery full all day long.) Worried about finding everyone who’s riding home your car at the end of the fest? Grab a couple
goTennas (two for $179) before you head out. The device connects to its companion app on your cell phone and creates its own signal with other gotenna devices to text one another within the app. Make sure to download the app and connect with your friends before you arrive at the festival grounds, and it’ll be easy to stay in touch all day. Bonus: it’s also a GPS, so you can download some local maps in advance if you’re worried about finding your way back to the parking lot, or home from the desert.