Photo: WENN.com

It is no longer enough to simply pack a change of underwear and a few wet-wipes when you're getting festival ready. None of us want to be separated from our smartphones, and they have become festival essentials in the 21st century - and so have the apps.

This week sees the release of one of the most innovative (and dowright useful) festival apps of recent years, the Victorinox Festival Ready app - which aims to make sure no one ever loses their mates at a festival ever again. Awesome.

So, to celebrate this launch, and mark the start of the 2013 festival season, check out the festival apps that we reckon are as important as a pair of wellies and a pack of paracetemol...

Festival Ready: Victorinox brings you a new app that covers all you need at a festival. Festival navigation via augmented reality to find your tent and the way to the stages, a packing checklist to make sure you're not caught short, weather updates, a torch, 'sound flare rave alarm and LED messaging. A 21st century alternative to a swiss army knife - exactly as the manufacturer intended.

Shazam: Festivals are great places to discover new music, and when you find yourself in a tent happily swaying to a band you don't recognise and have never heard of, you want to make sure you know how to look them up there and then.

Battery HD: This app tells you how much battery you've got left, but breaks down the time remaining on your phone's functions including how much playback you've got left for your music and how long you can stay connected to WiFi. Essential for planning the battery life of your phone across any festival weekend

Instagram: Forget taking photos of your lunch, festivals are the one place where retro effects are worth while! It doesn't matter if you're in a London park or at a boat party in Croatia - Instagram can make any festival look like you've been to Woodstock in 1969.

Vimeo: The free video editor that allows you to immediately upload footage of the bands you've just seen and make those who missed it jealous before you're even on the car ride home. Vimeo allows you to film an act in full swing, effortlessly tweak the footage and upload it to the world wide web.

St John's Ambulance: Hopefully you won't need to use it, but it's best to be prepared. Should you have any festival mishaps, this app will help you diagnose any problems and also determine how long it will take until medical staff arrive. You never know when you might need this.

GoCarShare: One of the biggest issues with festivals is getting to and from them. Chartered buses can be rowdy and trains aren't cheap. GoCarShare lets you find people who are driving from wherever you are to festivals, and then helps you find a lift back again. Handy - just make sure you sort it before the day you want to travel!

Camping and Outdoor recipes: Some of us might be happy living off cereal bars for four days, others might be fine risking it at the Mexican food stand, but for the more discerning among the Outdoor Cookbook app is what you want, full of ideas for festival BBQs and picnic food. This is the way to dine in style at a festival, pack a hamper and then leaf through your digital cookbook when you arrive. One for the glampers among us.

Panorama: OK, so you've got Instagram for those hazy, retro looking snaps of your friends in costumes, but you might also want to remember the festival site in all its 360 degree glory. Panorama allows you to take sweep shots of the bigger picture. Nothing looks quite the same as thousands of people soaking up the sounds of a massive act.