I attend a minimum of 3 EDM festivals every year, and they all have one thing in common: There’s no phone service anywhere. It’s almost a meme at this point. Trying to send a text message at a festival will have you walking around with your phone in the air, praying that it’ll send. Don’t even think about trying a phone call—it’ll fail every time. It’s gotten to the point where my friends and I started time-stamping our text messages: “I’m at the Forest Stage, 2:42 pm.”
The Totem Compass is the solution.
This device uses the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and its own Unity Mesh Network to help track down your friends even if your phone has no cell service or Wi-Fi (a problem that other trackers like AirTags can't yet overcome). Once it’s set up, it’ll point you to the directional heading of your other Totem-wielding pals.
Where's Your Head At?
Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Totems, also known as doof sticks, are part of festival culture—especially when it comes to bass music. People hold giant signs attached to a pole to help their friends find them in a crowd. No phone service? Just look for the poster of Pikachu puking lasers, or Shaq (AKA DJ Diesel) requesting a mosh pit, and boom: You’ve found your group. But totems are annoying (no totems at Tipper!) and cumbersome, and sometimes are banned from festival grounds.
The viral Totem Compass works similarly, except that instead of looking for a meme or colorful sign, you’ll just look down.
Each Totem compass is a little 2.3-inch plastic puck with a glowing “Touch Crystal” plastic gem in the middle and a ring of lights surrounding it. There are two buttons on the back: A power button and a slightly recessed SOS button. Setting it up is … tricky, honestly. There are a lot of features to navigate and lights to figure out. But there’s a user guide that helps speed the process along. You’ll charge it up via USB-C, power it on and update the firmware, and then take it outside so it can find a satellite to connect to. You’ll also have to calibrate it by spinning around in a circle a few times. It comes with two lanyards, but there are a few accessories available as separate purchases, like carabiner loops and necklace chains.