It’s that time of year again. You will be dusting off the camping gear and checking your airbed for punctures. As far as festival survival goes, the wet wipes and toothbrush alone just won’t cut it. Here are a few gadgets to get you through the weekend in comfort and style.
1. LED Camping Tent Light These cheap and cheerful LED lightbulbs come in a pack of two. Powered by a single AA battery you will get 10 hours of light from a shatterproof, water resistant bulb that comes with a hook to clip onto the inside of your tent. No more draining your smartphone’s battery by using it as an emergency lightsource. Get it: Argos.ie Price: €13.49
2. Arka USB charger/lantern/flashlight If you must buy only one festival gadget, then this is the one for you. It's a USB charger, lantern and flashlight combined. The design is tough and durable so it can take a few knocks. If you are charging a smartphone, it will get you almost two full charges. On full throttle you will get six to eight hours of light but up to 50 hours on the lowest setting. Get it from: Firebox. com Price: €46.95
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3. JBL OnBeat Micro Portable Speaker Dock Create party central at the campsite with the JBL portable speaker dock for the iPhone 5. It's small but puts out bass heavy music and will last for about five hours. It's designed to hold an iPhone or iPod Touch but there's also a 3.5mm audio input at the back so you can connect it to any audio device or smartphone. It also has an LED status indicator to warn when it's running out of juice – just don't forget to bring the four AAA batteries it requires. Get it from: Apple.com/ie Price: €79.95 4. Veho Pebble Smartstick The Veho Pebble Smartstick is small enough to carry around in your pocket and has five different charging tips to fit all the main smartphones (mini USB, micro USB, iPhone, Nokia pin tip, Sony Ericsson). You'll only get one full charge from it but considering its size and price, it is a good back-up emergency charger. Don't forget: Electric Picnic has charging stations so charge up both this and your smartphone when you get the chance. Get it from: IWOOT.com Price: €15.25
5. Tent Finder Unless you are going for a distinctive design there’s a good chance that your tent looks like the hundreds of others on the camping site, especially after returning from a night of singing, dancing, and rum and cokes. The Tent Finder is a quirky gadget to help you find your way home. Leave the LED light disc in the tent and bring the remote control in your pocket. Once activated the LEDs will light up from up to 50 metres away. But if you’ve forgotten which of the numerous campsites the tent is pitched in we can’t help you! Get it from: Amazon.co.uk Price: €16.15 (£12.89)
6. Igloo Maxcold 50 This icebox is a bit on the pricey side but if you want a supply of freezing cold drinks for the duration of the festival then consider it a worthwhile investment. Once filled with ice it stays frozen for up to five days and it holds up to 72 cans. If you’re on a budget, O’Meara’s also sells a slightly smaller one for €49.95 but the downside is that it only keeps drinks cold for 14 hours. Get it from: O’MearaCamping.com Price: €119
7. Olloclip 4-in-1 photo lens for iPhone 5/5s Capture festival memories like a pro without dragging expensive camera gear along by using the Olloclip lens iPhone attachment. The 4-in-1 refers to four lens types: fisheye, wide angle and two macro lenses. It’s used in conjunction with the Olloclip iOS app that has plenty of filters and feature including photo stabilizer mode to get the best out of the lenses.
Get it from: store.apple.com/ie Price: €69.95
