Whether you're going to Glastonbury this week, Reading in August or any other festival, one thing is true: you're going to need some cool gadgets in order to make the best of your experience.
You need to make sure you don't miss out on any of those cool last minute parties. You've got to be certain you don't lose touch with your mates. And you have definitely got to ensure you don't miss that one band which is the main reason you're going.
Here's our top 11 gadgets to make sure your summer festival experience is as good as it can possibly be.
Solar charger
If you're going to be lugging a variety of gadgets around with you, the last think you need is to run out of batteries. However, with a solar charger, that need not be an issue, as long as you remember to charge your gear during the daytime. A solar charger at night is about as useful as a paper cricket bat. The stand-out product in this category is the Solio solar charger. It'll efficiently charge a variety of different gadgets. You might find this little device saves your bacon. Read more about the Solio Solar Charger
Walkie talkies
Mini AM/FM/DAB radio
Portable TV
While the festival you go to will no-doubt be your primary focus, there's often stuff going on in the outside world that you want to keep in tune with. For instance, this year's Glastonbury Festival takes place at the same time as some crucial games at Euro 2008. Mini portable TVs are a great way to keep in touch with the footy without having to make the effort to find a tent with a TV. Take a look at the range on Amazon UK
Power-efficient mobile phone
If you've ever been to a festival, you'll know that a fully-charged mobile phone is just about the most valuable thing you can possess. A few years ago it was almost impossible to keep a battery fully charged for an entire weekend, particularly if you were using it a lot. But these days, batteries are much better. The Samsung Soul for example, has a great battery life. And if you use other gadgets like walkie talkies and portable radios, you'll save even more of your precious phone battery. Read our full Samsung Soul review
Various SIM cards
Glastonbury is famous for having very poor phone reception on the majority of networks. Orange sponsor that event, because Orange coverage is by far the best in the area. SO if you're heading to Glasto, you'd be wise to take a spare Orange SIM card with you – and you'll need to make sure your mobile isn't locked onto a single network.
