Whatever camping option they choose, the mobile revolution can help improve the experience. Portable chargers will keep smartphones and tablets on the go for as long as their owners, while WiFi and 3G/4G mean that people can be as connected, or not, as they want. There are plenty of helpful apps for iOS and Android to make the whole experience even more fun and affordable. Here are 4 of the best.

Camping Trip Planner
Does exactly what it says and does it very well. Even if you’re only going away for a weekend, you’ll want your trip to run as smoothly as possible. This app is hugely customizable and content can be exported to help with delegation. Part of the value of this app is in making sure you that you are fully organized before you go and take everything you need with you. The other part is making sure you remember to bring all your belongings back home with you.

Find My Tent (Android)/Tent Finder (iOS)
Finding your tent on a campsite can be a tricky business, even when there’s plenty of light. Either of these two apps will make sure you get back to your home from home, no matter where it’s pitched. They can also do double-duty by helping you find your way to other key areas. If you go by car, for example, then making a note of where it’s parked could make life much easier when it’s time to go home. Likewise, if you’ve agreed to meet friends at a particular place, adding it can help to ensure you all find each other.

Skype
Everyone knows Skype as an application for free calls between Skype users, but there’s much more to it than that. Skype offers affordable calling bundles for keeping in touch with people on their landlines and mobiles. You can even use your standard mobile number as your caller ID. This can substantially reduce calling costs even in the UK. If you’re going abroad you can create a Skype number for your nearest and dearest to contact you. This is a UK number which diverts to your Skype account and saves either party paying international fees.

Beluga
While voice calls always have their uses, in many festival situations messaging is the way to go. Although Skype does support IMs, Beluga is built around them. As well as sending texts, you can add photos and location tags all of which are sent to groups you define in the app. The app uses push notifications, so you don’t have to wait for your friends to remember to connect and download them. Beluga works on both Android and iOS so nobody needs to be left out due to their choice of handset.

Honourable mention to Google Translate
多年来,现在就得到了巨大的改进unlikely to embarrass you if you use it to translate basic phrases. If you’re heading to a festival abroad, then it probably deserves a place on your phone.