Find your tent at a festival: 8 tips for day and night
The easiest way to find your tent at a festival, among thousands of almost identical tents, is to mark it clearly, save its location and take a photo that shows the surroundings. All three take less than a minute together and save you a long search in the dark.
Why is it so hard to find your tent at a festival?
On the campsite, rows of similar tents stand packed together, it’s dark at night, and after a long day your concentration is gone. On top of that, you usually leave your tent in the morning and come back many hours later, from a completely different direction.
How do you find your tent at a festival? 8 tips
- Make your tent stand out. A flag on a tall pole, battery fairy lights or colourful bunting can be seen from a distance and at night.
- Remember where it is. Note the row, the block and your neighbours. Look for fixed landmarks such as the toilet block, the water point or a lighting tower.
- Take a photo as you leave. Photograph the tent with its surroundings, not just the tent. On the way back you’ll recognise the spot straight away.
- Save the location. Stand right in front of the tent, drop a pin in a maps app and save it, for example as a labelled place in Google Maps. Wait a few seconds until the location is accurate.
- Download offline maps beforehand. Google Maps and Apple Maps both offer offline maps, so the map stays visible even when the network is overloaded. GPS itself works without mobile signal.
- Pack light and power. A head torch and a power bank are your best friends on the campsite at night. The full list is in the festival packing list.
- Camp next to your group. If your friends’ tents are your landmark, finding your own is easier.
- Ask if you’re lost. The info point or the festival’s stewards know the campsite and can help you find your way.
Rule of thumb: mark it, photograph it, save it. In that order, before you head off for the first time.
Save your tent, car and places with Crewbeam
Crewbeam, the free festival app, takes care of the location part: stand in front of your tent and tap once. Your iPhone measures accurately for a few seconds and saves the spot. Later an arrow shows you the way back, even at night and without signal. You can add a photo too.
- Several tents per crew, each with a name and a photo.
- Save your car and the car park, because cars go missing too.
- Share your own tent with the whole crew in one tap.
- Stage, bar, toilets and meeting points as shared places.
Crewbeam is for iPhone first. The app is coming soon to the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my tent at night?
Mark it with fairy lights or a flag, save the location and take a photo of the surroundings. A head torch and a power bank help as well.
How do I save the location of my tent?
Drop a pin in a maps app right by the tent or use an app with a tent feature. The key is to stand directly in front of the tent and wait until the location is accurate.
Does it work without signal?
GPS works without mobile signal. The map itself needs data unless you download it for offline use beforehand. With Crewbeam you get an arrow to your saved tent even without signal.
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Read next: festival packing list