Mobile phones at Glastonbury

[Fearless_Fish]

So what does everyone do regarding mobile phones at Glastonbury? I personally like being cut off from the outside world, but have always taken a pre-smartphone so that I can be contacted in emergencies. I also get texts off a friend regarding secret sets and weather forecasts - and that's it. I'd prefer to not take one at all to be honest. This year though some of my girlfriend's family are coming and no doubt they'll want to meet up at some point and cramp my style.

The pre-smartphone I used previously has now broken though. Yesterday I learned about the existence of power packs and for the same price as an old phone I can now buy a power pack that charges my smartphone 3 times meaning that I can take it to the festival, and the power pack could also be used for other camping, and weekends away. Question is though, do I cross that final frontier into taking a smartphone to Glastonbury, or do I spend the same amount I would on the power pack on a new old phone that'll only be used once a year, if that?

[jyoung]

Generally I think people take their smartphone to take photographs and capture memories more so than to use Twitter...

[fatyeti24]

Just now, jyoung said:

Generally I think people take their smartphone to take photographs and capture memories more so than to use Twitter...

Yeah this.  Often I'll turn off the internet capabilities too to save battery.

[Peroni]

I don't have any issues with my smart phone now that I have the power banks and can drop it in at night with the campsite crew.

That said my husband is the old brick phone faithful so we rely on his phone always being "on" as a central beacon.

[Notamurderer]

I bring a second dumb one that lasts the weekend 'just in case'.

[Woffy]

I'm on standby for waters breaking, so I'm taking a full compliment of 1 smart phone, 2 burner phones and a power pack.

[JoeyT]

2 minutes ago, Woffy said:

I'm on standby for waters breaking, so I'm taking a full compliment of 1 smart phone, 2 burner phones and a power pack.

"2 burner phones"

Someone's been watching Line of Duty 

[Mark E. Spliff]

I bring a smartphone and portable charger.  However, I forgot to start a poll to find out what percentage of other people do, so I have literally no idea whether it's a good idea for me or not.

[Sasperella]

Ive lost or broken a smart phone at each of the last four festivals I've been to. It's a nightmare. But I still want to take my smart phone for photos and stuff. I'm hoping my new bum bag will prevent loss!!

Also taking one (or maybe two) spare old-school phones, because as I have discovered, you can never be to careful! And being incommunicado is not as fun as it sounds.

[Woffy]

5 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

"2 burner phones"

Someone's been watching Line of Duty 

Ha!

Do you know what, being old and keep hearing that phrase, I thought it was now in common usage!

I'm going to revert back to 'shit phones'!!!

 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Smartphone and portable charger. Mostly kept in airplane mode and will take pictures but not as many as I'd like or I should have when I look back over the years. Maybe the odd text or WhatsApp message here and there but limited. Might post the odd picture onto Instagram while there to make my millions of followers jealous but that's about it

[BambooShanks]

I take my smart phone with me because I like to be able to take photos/videos on the go and check the news, weather and if there are any secret announcements in the mornings.  

Generally I try not to use my phone in the day other than it's intended function and I'm looking forward to disconnecting from the outside world as much as I can.

[CeriG]

I take my i phone because I have to, with leaving the kids with my parents. Morning & evening call every day.

And to take photos of me and my friends so we have memories.

[Fearless_Fish]

Yeah, with taking an old crappy phone I also end up taking a small point-and-click digital camera to take photos with, but it just ends up at the bottom of the bag unused! With a smartphone I'll take tonnes more. But will the temptation to send photos to my work colleagues to make them jealous prove too strong? Or the temptation to start scrolling while I wait the inordinate amount of time it takes for my girlfriend to locate and use a satisfactory long drop?

To be fair, I took a smartphone to Green Man last year and didn't use it a whole load. But firstly, Green Man felt different in some way - a lovely festival but not a complete different world like Glastonbury. Secondly, I didn't have a power pack so was forced to use aeroplane mode most of the time, and therefore had to limit my usage.

[Lakey91]

Smartphone for pictures but I also find the EE Glastonbury app very useful. Just tick all the artists you are interested in seeing and it gives you a personal lineup.

[FuzzyDunlop]

I take my phone, leave it in a lockup. I check it every morning on the off chance something urgent has happened. Otherwise, I have no interest in anything else.

[The Red Telephone]

Take my smartphone - as others have said, mainly to take photos and to message meet-up points to our group. Turn off data in the day and only turn it on in bed to check cricket scores, if my eyesight is working well enough to do so.

Also a point of contact for mother-in-law who is babysitting for the week!

[Charm]

Always take my smart phone but use it minimally, need to stay in touch with my daughter too who I’m leaving home alone for the first time this year.  

Charm x

[Andeeroo]

Cheap Nokia for me. I don't want any distractions while I'm there. People will have my number in case of an emergency.

I use a Twitter to SMS type service and link it to @secretglasto for secret set news.

Smartphone doesn't offer anything else that I need while I'm there.

[drunk pumpkin]

40 minutes ago, jyoung said:

Generally I think people take their smartphone to take photographs and capture memories more so than to use Twitter...

^This!

 

[Hugh Jass]

32 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

"2 burner phones"

Someone's been watching Line of Duty 

Pffft! The Wire surely?

[Hugh Jass]

I’ll just take my iPhone, a power pack and try to go easy on the usage.

[Fearless_Fish]

I quite like the idea from @FuzzyDunlop about keeping a phone in the lockups and just checking it once on a morning. Sometimes my morning routine cuts to the wire time-wise though to be trudging over to a lockup! But this would also have the benefit of preventing my girlfriend's family from being able to find me 

[Mr.Tease]

Old cheap Nokia burner phone with a Pay as you go sim, reasons being:

1) So I don't have to worry about losing my normal mobile

2) so I can't get work related emails, calls and texts 

3) internet detox

4) Can't be arsed charging phones at the festival

5) Tradition!

Edited May 20, 2019 by Mr.Tease

[Zoo Music Girl]

I take my smartphone but not really because of wanting to be on social media, more so that I can take photos and contact the few people I know who are going via whatsapp. Also I have decent power packs, so can't be arsed to buy a shit phone just for the festival. I do have it on battery saving mode or airplane mode a good chunk of the time though.