The power behind the party: Festival essentials for an off-grid summer

Festivals can get a bit of a bad rep when it comes to the detritus and damage they do, but at Kendal Calling, which kicked off in the first weekend in August this year, they embrace a cleaner, greener way of doing things.

For a start, campers are encouraged to keep clean and carry away – last year, 98.9 per cent of them did their bit and took their tent home with them, rather than letting it be left for landfill.

Ahead of this year’s amazing 20th anniversary festival in the Lake District not only did the organisers create a stellar line up and a sell-out event, they also stepped up their environmental ambitions. They embraced solar powered energy, and partnered with portable power experts Jackery as their Portable Power Station Official Partners.

We asked the solar experts at Jackery for their five top tips for their best festival experience, wherever your vibe takes you round the UK this summer, and to keep you dancing no matter how off grid your festival fun is.

1. Take your luxuries with you

There was a time when festivals equalled the worst in off grid living. Now with portable power packs that hold their energy for weeks or even months, you can take your energy with you. Power up your phone to keep hash-tagging as you go and create insta-memories to treasure, without the risk of losing juice.

2. Good food equals fun times

Can’t live without your kettle? Is George Foreman your best friend in the kitchen? Take your grill with you and pop on a brew or rustle up the best burger you want with plug and go energy topped up by the sun. And don’t forget to pack your best cooking extras – seasoning is a must, a decent spatula and spray oil will help massively. You can even bring along a mini fridge or electric cool box to keep your raw ingredients at a safe temperature. Talking of safe, never cook in the tent, and don’t be tempted to take cooling barbecues under canvas for some late night heat, they give off toxic fumes.

3. Pack for the weather

Sounds basic, but even Glastonbury gets a bit grim if you forget your wellies. Take along light weight waterproofs and layers for temperature extremes, and even a fan or mini air-con unit if the mercury is set to soar. Don’t forget a wide brimmed hat and high factor sun block – you won’t feel like busting moves if you develop bad sunburn.

4. Stay hydrated

Tempting as it is to fill that mini fridge only with beer or Prosecco, add in plenty of bottled water and cold drinks to keep you happy and healthy all day long.

5. Sleep tricks

After a long day dancing in the sun you might think sleep will be easy – but who wants to be kept awake by drunken revellers, noisy wildlife or woken early by sunlight streaming in through the canvas at 5am? Pack decent quality earplugs and a blackout eye mask to turn your tent into a little haven of tranquillity.

And what are the best gadgets for festivals?

While most of the fun happens on stage, you may want to keep the party going back at the campsite.

· Decent Bluetooth speakers that produce a decent quality sound and without a tinny base to bug your neighbours are must.

· A USB chargeable spray fan will mist you with cool water when the going gets hot.

· Wet wipes do the job but many aren’t environmentally friendly. Pack moist flannels in waterproof bags to see you through the festival weekend (especially if showers are in short supply).

· Power when you need it. Jackery recommends two of its products which can not only power up your festival fun but are also perfect for stallholders and vendors to keep their business working.

· The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is packed with features to make your life better when out in the wilds. There’s a handy grab handle on top to make it easy to carry, two three pin plug sockets for UK domestic gadgets, USB-A, two USB-Cs and it can fully charge in under an hour. With a remarkable 1070Wh capacity and 1500W output, this can keep up with high power demand, whether that’s charging your laptop or camera or keeping the fridge cool.

· Need more power? Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 doubles the capacity to 2042Wh with a higher 2200W output—ideal for running coffee machines, electric grills or multiple devices at once. It’s just as compact, thanks to CTB tech, and charges to 80% in just 52 minutes, making it perfect for longer trips or group outings.

And with solar power back up, you can charge them from the mains at home before you leave, top it up in the car as and when, or use the solar panels to keep it powered for longer trips.

For more powerful ideas for your year round greener life visit jackery.com