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13 neat gadgets to help you get through outdoor concert season

Music festivals and outdoor concerts bring their own kinds of challenges. It could be a wonderfully sunny day, or one that ends up pouring rain on audiences and bands alike.

But summer concert season can be incredibly rewarding, if you prepare correctly.

With the rise of music festival popularity, certain gadgets and items have been developed especially for outdoor concert pleasure. Here are 13 inventions to consider before summer hits:

1. High-tech earbuds

These earbuds allow you to literally regulate the volume of everything around you. You can turn up the music if you’re far away from the stage, or bring the volume down if you’re standing in front of a speaker.

2. Inflatable beanbag chairs or lounge hammocks

Okay, these look kind of ridiculous. But if you know you’re going to be chilling on the sidelines and want to do so in comfort, this is as comfy as it gets.

3. Fanny pack + water pack

It’s combining the convenience of a fanny pack with the technology and hydration of a water pack. Win for multitasking!

4. Tile tracker

You can throw one in your wallet, on your keychain or on any other random stuff that you think you might lose. Later, you can track it on the app and find all your lost items.

5. Mosquito repellent bracelets

They sell these at most drug stores, and they’re less cumbersome (and way less smelly) than spraying bug spray in everyone’s faces.

6. Tough phone cases

There are a ton of brands to choose from (Lifeproof, Otterbox, Case-Mate, Rugged, etc.) that will keep your phone safe from catastrophic conditions. But if you’re really that worried about it, maybe you should switch to owning a Nokia brick phone again—rumor has it they’re making a comeback.

7. Portable cell phone charger

Losing power on a cell phone can be nightmarish, especially if you’re trying to meet up with friends. Portable cell phone chargers come in all shapes and sizes; this one is small enough to clip onto a keychain, and it’s solar-powered.

8. Find My Friends app

Nothing sucks more than losing your group. But this app (and apps like it) help you track everybody down.

9. Money holder

Whether it’s a shoe wallet or a cash stash keychain, it’s always good to put some cash in a spot you know you won’t lose it. And money holders (especially the waterproof ones) can be handy if ATM lines are long.

10. Wallet ninja

Wallet ninjas are amazing. Bottle openers, screwdrivers, wrenches and even tiny saws, these things are like the modern day Swiss Army knives. Except you can hide them in your wallet, breaking them out when you need them the most.

11. Tiny speakers

Sure, you’re at concerts or music festivals to see live bands (and that should totally be your priority). Still, there are lulls like when you’re waiting in line or walking back to the car or camping out in a tent for the night, when you might want to keep the music going. There are some hardy speakers out there, like this one that’s waterproof.

12. Snapchat Spectacles

Another great example of multitasking—these sunglasses take your snaps up a notch with 360 video. So if you’re into the 10-seconds-or-less format, these might help make a festival a day to remember.

13. Collapsible water bottle

These water bottles can clip onto a belt loop when they’re full and fold up to fit into a pocket when they’re empty. The ultimate space saver.