Fursuit.com (previously fursuit.org) Mail list and FAQ. The Original Fursuit Information Source.

 What to Take to a Con
 
 compiled by Matt J. McCullar
 mccullar@flash.net
 Updated February 2000
 
 I found a basic version of this list at A-Kon 8 and thought I'd share
 it with everyone, plus add my two cents' worth.  Several others have
 contributed to it.  Please add to this list if you can.  Learn from
 others' mistakes and you'll enjoy your con visit that much more.
 
 What should you take to a convention -- science-fiction, furry, anime,
 gaming, etc.?  $$$$$!  Lots of it.  But as for the rest of the stuff
 you'll need...
 
 * Toiletries.  Don't forget your toothbrush and comb.  And, let's face
 it, hotel soaps and shampoo bottles never last when you've got one
 bathroom being shared by you and your 4000 friends troweled into one
 room.  Clean clothes are nice, too -- bring a nice shirt to wear to
 the dance, and you will stand out from the hordes who don't.  Assign
 someone to bring a hair dryer to share.  Use just enough deodorant and
 cologne.  People will love you for it.  (Keep toiletries inside
 zip-lock bags in case they split open inside your luggage.)
 
 * Sleeping bag.  You lost the coin toss, so everyone else gets the
 beds.  You can try zonking in the bathtub, but a sleeping bag is far
 more comfortable.  If you bring an air mattress, then for gosh sakes
 bring an air pump, too. Inflating it the old-fashioned way means your
 roommates will have to either step over you all the time or drag you
 out into the hallway after you've passed out from lack of oxygen.
 
 * Tweezers.  Keep them in your shaving kit.  This is one of those
 items that you never think about until you suddenly need it.
 
 * Jam box (or Walkman).  Never hurts to be able to listen to those CDs
 and cassettes you paid way too much for in the dealer's room.
 Listening to Dr. Demento songs makes for a great room party.
 
 * Ice chest.  That lunch meat you brought with you won't stand up to
 room temperature for long, and warm Cokes are an insult.  Also
 provides a place to stash wet swim trunks on the trip home.  Bring
 plenty of zip-lock baggies.
 
 * Cokes, lunch meat, bread, mustard, peanut butter, potato chips &
 cookies.  While we're at it, "brown-bagging" your munchies is a
 HECKuva lot cheaper than trolling the fast food joints.  You'll have
 more money to spend.  Ice is available from the hotel.  Breakfast is
 the most important meal of the day; which do you think will be less
 expensive: your own box of cereal, or the hotel's restaurant?
 
 * Large plastic garbage bag.  Use it for keeping your dirty clothes
 separate from your cleans.  Keep this in your luggage so the maid
 won't accidentally throw it (and your clothes!) into the trash.
 
 * Pepto Bismol.  You never know when you might need it.  If you're in
 an unfamiliar city, you might react violently to the drinking water.
 And the hotel gift shop can price this pink stuff into the
 stratosphere because they know there's nothing you can do about it.
 (Bring bottled water if you have a history of health problems.)  Also
 bring aspirin, antacid, additional health-care stuff.  Medicines in
 pill form travel better than liquids.  Keep your prescriptions with
 you.
 
 * Lock box.  If you're a dealer or just carrying extra cash, you need
 a safe place to put it.  Perhaps the hotel can store it for you.
 Unless you can guarantee that nobody you don't know is coming into
 your room, it's best to make sure some things aren't open to the
 public.  You might want to padlock your ice chest, too, or your food
 might disappear.
 
 * Flashlight.  Power does go out at cons, but even if it doesn't, not
 everyone in a room is always asleep at the same time.  If you have to
 root through your stuff in the dark, turning on the table lamp just
 might get you tossed off the balcony.  And if you get a Maglite, it's
 also good for defending yourself.  Don't forget extra batteries.
 
 * Extension cords and power strips.  If you drag a VCR/TV/boom
 box/computer along with you, these are a must.  There are never enough
 electrical outlets in a hotel, and they are never where you need them.
 
 * Swimsuit.  Hey, the pool might be open.  Or the ocean.
 
 * Towel.  Always bring your own towel.  The hotel's are never big
 enough, and you can always identify which one you've used.  Besides,
 it's a tough universe... you've always got to know where your towel
 is.  I'm not fussy about pillows, although you may want to bring your
 own for comfort's sake.  Extra tenants in one room may mean not enough
 pillows.  Perhaps your own washcloth, too.
 
 * Paper cups, paper plates, eating utensils.  You'd be surprised how
 hard these can be to procure when you really need them.  And even if
 you aren't holding any parties, do you really want to be swilling your
 Mountain Dew from the same bottle everyone else has been backwashing
 into?  Some folks bring their own cola mugs, but I find those too easy
 to lose.
 
 * Masking tape and marking pen.  Important not only for pricing stuff,
 but also for identifying whose stuff is in what drawer in the hotel
 room.  Identifying drawers also might keep you from forgetting and
 leaving your undies behind when you're rushing to get home.  Also
 useful for taping up flyers and notices (if it's okay with the hotel,
 that is).
 
 * Extra eyeglasses.  If they get broken or lost, what are you going to
 do?  They can get sat on, stolen, or dropped off of balconies.  Can
 you drive home without them?  Same for contact lenses.  At least bring
 a fixit kit that includes a small screwdriver.
 
 * Earplugs.  Being trapped in a room with someone from the Olympic
 snoring team will be agony unless you can block out the noise or
 listen to your Walkman.
 
 * Want list.  Einstein said that if it's written down, you don't have
 to remember it.  Write down everything you're looking to buy in the
 dealer's room: back issues of comics, movies, CDs, the works.  Better
 yet, write down before you leave all the issues of comics you already
 own so you can fill the holes.  This prevents buying things you don't
 need.
 
 * Cardboard mailing tube.  Your nice, new movie posters will be ruined
 if you pack them in your suitcase.  A mailing tube will protect them,
 and you can mail them home if you can't carry them.  Also provides a
 place for keeping dirty socks.
 
 * Driver's license and secondary I.D.  You're from out of town and not
 everyone will take your check without positive I.D.  Keep your
 passport with you at all times.  This is very important if you need
 help while visiting another country.
 
 * Camera.  No joke.  Can you remember what you had for dinner last
 night?  Then how are you going to remember everyone you met and every
 place you went to over an entire weekend?  You'll be glad you took
 some snapshots later.  They're fun to pass around at room parties.
 (If you're flying, keep your camera inside your carry-on baggage,
 where it won't be out of your sight.  Cameras of all types are prime
 targets for luggage thieves.)
 
 * Comfortable shoes.  You will be on your feet a lot, particularly
 when shopping in the dealer's room.  Buying a new pair of shoes right
 before the con is not a good idea unless you have a high threshold of
 pain because the shoes break in your feet, not the other way around.
 
 * Sewing kit.  Very important for costumers!  Judges take away points
 when tails fall off.  Also useful for small emergencies such as
 buttons popping off.
 
 * Birth control.  (At least the stuff you hope you're gonna need...)
 
 * Empty folder.  When you get to registration they're going to give
 you all sorts of flyers, pamphlets, con books, schedules and maps.
 Unless you have something to put them in, chances are you're going to
 lose one or two of them -- especially the most important ones.  After
 you stash them all in a simple clip folder, jot down a list of times
 and places of panels and shows you want to attend, in advance.  That
 way you won't forget any of them.  Some cons give you tote bags, but
 take along your own, just in case.
 
 * Wristwatch.  Sounds obvious, I know, but watch the havoc begin if
 you forget it.  You won't know when something's on without it.
 
 * Checklist.  Make several copies of your checklist of things to bring
 and take home, so all you'll have to do at convention time is check
 off the items one by one.  This eliminates having to think when you're
 packing so you are less likely to forget something important.
 
 
 Other Things to Remember
 
 Be sure to leave the hotel's phone number with your family.  If an
 emergency comes up, how will they be able to reach you?  Try this
 phone number beforehand and make sure it works.  Notify the hotel desk
 if you change rooms so they'll know where to relay messages.
 
 When dealing with hotel employees, always get their names.  This helps
 track down and prevent communications problems, particularly when some
 clerk sneers, "Well, I don't know who you talked to, but our policy
 has always been..."  Be very polite if you bump up against a problem,
 and be persistent.
 
 Write down on a stiff card the following information: your name, any
 medical information paramedics need to know, and whom to contact in
 case of an emergency.  If you aren't wearing a medical bracelet, the
 next place the medtechs will look is in your wallet or purse.  Keep
 the card there and make sure your roommates know about it.
 
 If your residence will be empty, ask your post office to hold your
 mail while you're away.  This can be done for free by filling out a
 small card at the counter.  Also stop newspaper delivery and ask your
 neighbors or landlord to watch your home (bribe 'em with stuff you
 bring back from the con!).  Have someone take care of the pets, the
 plants and the kids.
 
 Put your name on/in your sketchbooks.  I'm amazed at how many people
 don't do this and eventually lose them forever.
 
 Put your name on your videocassettes.  For that matter, put your name
 on everything you can't afford to lose.  Not everyone can recognize
 your handwriting or your possessions, and if I find someone else's
 stuff in my suitcase when I get home, I need to know where to send
 it.  (I personally use those return-address stickers normally used for
 envelopes.  They're small, self-adhesive, and fit perfectly on
 videotapes.)
 
 Check under the bed before you leave the hotel.  The monsters that
 live there eat socks, shoes, etc.
 
 Take advantage of pre-con registration.  Not only will you save money,
 you also won't have to stand in line with the masses.  Make certain
 that you bring proof of pre-reg with you; con staffs have been known
 to lose paperwork, and they can't argue with a canceled check.  The
 same holds true for the hotel staff if they don't have a record of
 your room reservation.
 
 Budget your time as well as your money.  You can't possibly see
 everything and everybody, so don't kill yourself trying.  Your body
 needs to sleep and eat, so include time for both in your schedule.
 You won't enjoy the con if you make yourself sick.
 
 Illness can spread quickly through a con, because people come from all
 over, bringing regional diseases and sharing them.  This is often
 referred to as "con crud" or "the blorch."  This is why you should
 bring your own medicines.  Remember the last time you were sick, away
 from home?
 
 You always return from a con with more stuff than when you left, so
 bring an extra bookbag.  Or make sure you leave room in your luggage
 for all the stuff you'll buy.  Prepare to do some heavy lifting.
 
 If you want to risk it, bring your own TV along with the VCR.  Most
 hotels have security devices attached to their televisions that
 prevent easy access for VCR hookups.  There's probably a cable box
 hooked up to it, anyway.
 
 When handing out business cards, do it three at a time.  This makes it
 easier for others to pass out information about you and your work.
 Therefore, bring plenty of business cards.  Be certain your addresses
 -- e-mail, website and otherwise -- on them are current.
 
 Carry your wallet and checkbook in your front pants pockets.  This
 makes life miserable for thieves.  They know congoers are loaded with
 cash and credit cards.  It may be uncomfortable, but consider the
 alternative.
 
 Leave the bathroom light on at night and the door ajar.  It provides a
 convenient night light.
 
 Turn some of your money into small bills before you get to the
 dealer's room.  You can't count on every merchant being able to break
 a twenty.  If you're a dealer, be sure you've got plenty of change
 before the doors open.  Try to use the ATM when everyone else isn't.
 
 Trust me -- your luggage will be impossible to identify at the airport
 without marking it in some unique way.  Wrap colored tape (such as
 day-glow orange or yellow) around the handle, and/or use colored tape
 to form some kind of a pattern on both sides that will pick at your
 eye for a long distance.  Put your name inside your luggage as well as
 on the outside.
 
 If you've never used traveler's checks before, they are easy to buy at
 your local bank for a small fee.  (I'm told that the AAA offers them
 for free.)  They are much safer to carry than large amounts of cash
 and can be redeemed anywhere.  Keep a record of the serial numbers --
 you won't be able to get your money back without them if the checks
 are stolen.  Keep this record separate from the checks.
 
 You can ship stuff to the hotel in advance, such as boxes of comics.
 This eliminates a lot of headaches and you don't have to carry it all
 with you.  Better call the hotel first and ask about their policies.
 This also alerts them to expect your stuff and they can notify you if
 it doesn't arrive.
 
 It's easy to lose track of how many personal checks you have left
 until you suddenly find you're down to your last one.  Count them
 before you leave.
 
 If you're printing up flyers for other events to hand out at the
 convention, have someone else proofread them.  You may have forgotten
 to include something vital -- such as the date or the location.  A
 fresh pair of eyes will spot this immediately.  Better than printing
 out an expensive pile of paper that no one can use.
 
 Don't open Rapidograph technical drawing pens on airplanes.  The air
 pressure makes them explode and the waterproof ink is a bear to clean
 up.  Keep them in a plastic bag inside your luggage until you arrive.
 
 Airport security may ask you to boot up your laptop computer.
 Therefore, keep the batteries charged.  (And for crying out loud,
 don't joke around at the checkpoints!  Hassling the guards never got
 anyone to a con any faster.)
 
 If you plan to drive to the convention and your car needs servicing,
 don't wait until the last minute.  Get it done at least two weeks in
 advance.  This gives everything a chance to break in and you're less
 likely to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere.  Give yourself and
 your car plenty of rest breaks during the trip.  Do you know how to
 change a flat?  Practice before you go.  Carry lots of water -- both
 for yourself and for the car.
 
 If you're flying to the convention, keep your plane tickets in a safe
 place.  If you're flying with a group, appoint one person to be in
 charge of the tickets.  Make certain that everyone knows where they
 are kept.  Don't lose them!  Keep airline tickets inside an envelope
 of an unusual color, so you can find it in a hurry inside a crowded
 folder or briefcase.
 
 Moderation in all things: don't overfill a hotel room.  Sure, 20
 people for a pizza party is fun, but it's absolute misery for all
 involved when it's time for lights out.  It'll overload the bathroom,
 and it's also against the fire codes.  (The nearest fire exit should
 be the first thing you look for as soon as you get into your hotel
 room.  Make sure your roommates know where it is, too.)
 
 Like it or not, as soon as you set foot into the convention, you
 become an ambassador for your fandom and a newbie's first impression
 may come from you, your behavior, and your personality.  The same goes
 for the mundane hotel guests -- ordinary folks who have no idea what
 your con is all about.  Try to make everyone feel welcome.  Will a new
 fan join the fun, or will he run screaming into the night?  We're all
 supposed to have fun at a convention, not frighten people away
 forever.
 
 By the same token, if you're new to fandom and are a bit timid around
 strangers, don't worry.  You will see and meet all sorts of people.
 Take heart in knowing that they are all there for the same reason you
 are.  That means you have something in common already.  If you need
 help with anything, ask the convention staff.  They are ready and
 willing to help first-timers as well as seasoned pros.  They can
 introduce you to other fans, and that's one of the main reasons why we
 go to conventions.  Tell yourself over and over that you WILL have a
 good time, because you will -- if you let it happen.  If you're
 convinced that you'll have a lousy time, you'll probably find a way to
 make that happen, too.  It's fun!  Enjoy it.
 
 Above all, don't forget the most important thing to bring to any con:
 a sense of humor.  Go out of your way to thank the convention staff
 and the hotel staff for their hard work and tell them how much you
 enjoyed it all.  Now have fun.