What do you bring for any weekend trip? Silly as the question sounds, it’s the truth. Most people get so hung up on the notion that it’s a *convention* that they lose sight of the fact that it’s pretty much just a weekend trip out of town, with a pre-planned itinerary of activities for you to enjoy.

At a bare minimum, one should plan on bringing a change of clothes for every day you’ll be at the con (3 days, Friday through Sunday), as well as one spare set in case you wind up wearing something you should have eaten instead. Other travel essentials include toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, mouthwash and such. Yes, the hotel does provide soap and shampoo, but the bottles are minuscule and tend not to last very long. The last thing you want to do is be in the middle of a shower and realize your roommate used all but a droplet or two of shampoo. If you’re sharing a room, bringing your own towel is also a very good idea, both for hygienic and convenience reasons. Stepping out of the shower to find every towel’s already been used is not a fun thing. If you’re room-splitting and think there’s a reasonable chance you’ll draw the floor straw, having a sleeping bag and/or air mattress of your own will save your back and make the con a MUCH happier experience.

As a courtesy, we have provided a checklist covering the absolutely necessary and life-saving items hard experience has told us to bring to every convention religiously.

Oh, and one other thing: When packing, do NOT push for maximum density. If everything you plan on bringing just barely fits in one suitcase, do yourself a tremendous favor and spread it out to two cases. Remember that spending money? You’re gonna spend it, and the stuff you buy won’t fit if there’s barely room for an ant to squeeze in. Most airlines allow two items of checked baggage as well as a carry-on. Why not use them?