Festival Must-Haves, Field-Tested at Lost Lands and Electric Forest
This WIRED buying guide, updated for July 2026, offers festival veteran-tested gear recommendations aimed at helping attendees avoid common problems like dehydration, dead phones, blisters and general discomfort at multi-day music festivals such as Lost Lands and Electric Forest. It matters to prospective festivalgoers as practical, experience-based advice for staying comfortable and prepared, distilled from repeated field testing rather than theoretical recommendations.
The guide highlights top picks including Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier ($23) for efficient hydration and hangover prevention, the Rumpl Backcountry Puffy Blanket ($148) as a durable, multi-person outdoor blanket, the Anker 737 Power Bank ($110) for reliably charging phones and other devices when batteries drain faster than usual, and the Totem Labs Compass ($89), a dedicated device for locating friends in crowds without relying on patchy cell service. Additional recommended items mentioned include earplugs, a lighted mirror, a camping stove, an inflatable couch and sun protection, alongside links to WIRED's related guides on tents, sleeping bags and Bluetooth speakers.
In short
- WIRED shares field-tested festival gear picks for July 2026
- Recommends hydration packets, a power bank and a puffy blanket
- Also flags a friend-finder device, earplugs and sun protection
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Music festivals present genuine practical challenges—dehydration, dead batteries, foot pain, difficulty locating friends in crowds—that compromise attendees' experience and wellbeing. Quality field-tested products directly address these real problems, enhancing safety and enjoyment without fundamentally altering the festival experience. WIRED's recommendations are grounded in actual festivalgoer experience rather than marketing, making them honest guidance for those seeking to make their attendance more comfortable and sustainable across multi-day events.
The case against
Festival culture fundamentally celebrates community, musical immersion, and experiencing the moment without material excess. Emphasising expensive gear purchases contradicts this ethos and transforms festivals into consumer events accessible primarily to wealthier attendees. Many recommendations represent luxuries rather than necessities, and promoting high-end products undermines the inclusive spirit that should characterise festivals regardless of attendees' spending capacity.
Explained simply
Multi-day music festivals like Lost Lands and Electric Forest attract thousands of attendees for outdoor camping and live performances, but participants often face challenges like dehydration, exhausted mobile phone batteries, blisters and general discomfort. These issues arise from the physical demands of camping, standing in crowds and going without normal comforts for several days.
WIRED magazine has published a buying guide updated for 2026 that recommends specific gear items tested by experienced festival attendees. The guide addresses common problems with products such as hydration supplements, portable phone chargers, durable outdoor blankets and crowd-location devices that work without mobile signal.
The guide serves anyone planning to attend festivals by offering recommendations grounded in real-world field testing rather than theory. It also links to related guides covering broader gear categories like tents and sleeping bags, making it a resource for newcomers seeking reliable advice from people with practical festival experience.