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Packing for PAX- What should you bring?
LoonyEclipse
WWHRD?Montreal, QCRegistered User regular
WWHRD?Montreal, QCRegistered User regular
Hi everyone,
PAX East fast approaches, and for new folks a common question is: 'What should I bring? What supplies shall I need for this epic journey?'.
So well... a lot of us have been through a lot of PAXes at this point and can no doubt give some feedback for this, so why not start? To that end, here is my (non-comprehensive list) below. I'll add some Boston/East specifics at the very bottom:
On my person for the con floor:
Packed:
Misc others
The four most important rules for the con:
Boston/East Specifics:
If anyone else has other hot tips to add? Go for it, cuz I'm SURE I've forgotten things
PAX East fast approaches, and for new folks a common question is: 'What should I bring? What supplies shall I need for this epic journey?'.
So well... a lot of us have been through a lot of PAXes at this point and can no doubt give some feedback for this, so why not start? To that end, here is my (non-comprehensive list) below. I'll add some Boston/East specifics at the very bottom:
On my person for the con floor:
- Water bottle. You WILL get thirsty, and soda/red bull is not a good thing to be drinking all day.
- Bag of some sort (I've used sling bags and backpacks in the past, I currently use a Con Survival Bag of Holding, since I'm making an active effort to travel lighter)
- Cell phone
- Backup power charger
- 3DS + games (Usually Mario Kart and Smash Bros)
- Small, analogue line game (Usually Star Fluxx)
- Tylenol/Asprin/Aleve/Ibuprofin/Whatever
- Cliff bars/other munchies (If not a Cliff bar, I tend to pack beef jerky)
- Hand sanitizer
- I do not use this, but many people swear by it: a poster tube, to keep posters from being crushed (I don't collect posters, so there ya go)
Packed:
- Changes of clothes (Use your own experience for trips as to how much you need, but make sure you bring enough socks, underwear and shirts)
- Hoodie/sweater
- 2 pairs of shoes. As someone with seriously flat feet, I’ll elaborate on this: 1) The shoes should be comfortable, and broken in but they also need to be supportive: I had a comfy pair of sketchers one year. They didn’t support my feet enough, and I felt like death by the end of day 1. The next PAX? I wore hiking shoes. No problemo. 2) Two pairs so you can switch between them- wear one set one day, the second the next, then revert to the first the following day, etc- it seriously helps reduce foot strain, etc.
- Set of nicer clothes (just in case- a nice set of jeans/button down shirt/polo will do)
- Hygiene supplies (Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant/antiperspirant, hair product, maybe a razor/electric shaver)
- If you are in a hotel room with multiple others: A NON-WHITE towel. I recommend a darker colour, like navy blue. There never seems to be enough towels in the hotel rooms, and bringing your own that’s distinctively different from what the hotel stocks can be a lifesaver
Misc others
- Cash: credits cards fail. Connections get lost. Cash will always work.
- Occasionally a laptop for hotel use, or a tablet
- A collapsible empty bag. If you pick up swag, you may not have enough room in your luggage. When I hit prime last year, conscious of airline bag check costs, etc, I came up with this solution: I packed a collapsed gym bag in my luggage. True enough, I had just enough stuff that it wouldn’t all fit in my main luggage. So I offloaded some into the gym bag, checked the luggage, and had the gym bag and backpack as my carry-on.
- A lighter. It comes in surprisingly handy
- I tend to pack OTC sleeping pills. It helps if your roommates snore, or if you are that weird mix of utterly exhausted, but too wired to sleep. Just note: they will make you sluggish the next morning, the sleep will not be as good as if it was natural and DO NOT TAKE THEM IF YOU’VE BEEN DRINKING. Still, a mediocre night’s sleep is still better than next to no sleep.
- If you are from outside the US: Bring your passport with you to anywhere you plan to order alcohol. They may not accept out of state ID. They WILL accept passports. This is especially important if, like me, your driver’s license is in a language other than English (I’m from Quebec)
- If you plan to go partying, buy Gatorade. Drink it, it will help with the hangovers.
The four most important rules for the con:
- At least 5 hours sleep. At least 2 meals a day. At least one shower a day. The con is closed between midnight and 10 AM. The parties tend to close at 2. Getting 5 hours of sleep, assuming you take an hour to get back to your hotel is 3AM to 8AM. Similarly, it needs to be 2 full, balanced meals. A Vector bar is not a meal, a bag of chips or beef jerky is not a meal. You can skip one meal without too much issue. If you skip two, you will be ravenous. Following these guidelines is the different between feeling a bit tired and feeling like death warmed over.
- For all that’s holy, wear deodorant or antiperspirant. (Similarly, please don’t overdo the cologne or body spray or perfume)
- Wear good, comfortable, broken in, supportive shoes. You’ll be on your feet all day, so don’t skimp on this.
- Bring your good cheer and good manners
Boston/East Specifics:
- Dress in layers! It's early this year, so it'll likely be colder than the norm. The con centre might be a bit cooler than usual too as a result. T-shirt (or long-sleeved shirt), hoodie and light jacket are recommended for outdoors. The advantage of layers is that each one is not super bulky if you want to toss it in your bag.
- Don't worry about snowpants- they're excessive, you will not need them.
- Bring a toque/beanie/watchap and gloves- if you're outside for extended periods, your extremities will get cold (read: ears and fingers). This can turn a pleasant late winter day into an agonizing one if you don't have these. And frankly, if you wear these, you can skimp a bit on the jacket, but that's my Canadian polar blood talking. Some folks might want to add a scarf to this, I feel it's unnecessary, but this varies by person.
- Footwear- you don't need big clunky boots, but if it's wet/snowy/slushy outside? Don't wear fabric sneakers like Chuck Taylors or Vans. They'll soak through and you'll be miserable. you can do fine with standard sneakers or hikers or whatnot, just so long as they're not mainly cloth/canvas.
- Pack an extra pair of socks in your bag- if the worst happens and you get wet socks, you don't want to have wet, squidgey feet all day. Spare socks helps with this!
If anyone else has other hot tips to add? Go for it, cuz I'm SURE I've forgotten things
LoonyEclipse on
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There's also an addendum that we stopped including in the FAQ, but here it is:
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
As a New Englander, this made me laugh (not in a bad way, I totally understand!). Last year was late April and was an absolutely GORGEOUS weekend in ol' Beantown. I remember Saturday I had my sweatshirt in my backpack enjoying the 'warm' weather. Hearing a Californian talk about it, and looking back, I bet it was 50 that day haha.
But 50s in Boston in April is a heat wave.
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
The mind is still stuck in 2016, of course.
Suddenly it all comes into perspective. Yes, the Snowmageddon where some snow piles didn't melt until late July...
Awful on all fronts, regardless of one's walk of life.
1) water bottle. Just refill it as you go. There are tons of water fountains everywhere. In the main concert hall, outside of washrooms, most of the sessions have a water cooler or "bubbler" as we locals call them. Boston tap water isn't toxic. You shouldn't have to spend a dime on non alcoholic drinks. Drink water. Get it for free. It's everywhere.
2) battery charger and cable
3) granola bars. They're a cheap and light to carry snack. Just buy a box and empty it out into your bag. When you see the vending machines with their not of this earth pricing you'll be happy
4) uniqlo jacket. Basically wear it there then stuff it into the travel bag. No bulky coats to check in.
5) hand sanitizer cuz we are all disgusting and filled with germs. PAX Pox is a 30 day DOT. Keep clean and sanitize yourself
And that's it. This ensures I'm light footed on the floor and not bogged down with a heavy backpack right off the bat which sucks if you walk around and start collecting junk from the expo floor.
HAND WARMERS!
Under the "Misc others" heading, 4th one down. Not sure why you'd need a lighter. And good luck getting it through the security checkpoint at the airport if you're flying.
https://www.pinnypals.com/pals/MarioManiac
Some folks smoke. some have friends who smoke. some are social smokers and others are on a bar crawl or at a bar and people ask for a light. It's a little handy to have, but not essential. It also weighs next to nothing. And it costs about a buck.
And TSA allows you to carry a single butane lighter on the plane with you.
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
I suggest bringing a full bottle (or 2 or 3 if you don't mind the weight) from home/hotel and supplementing with a combination of drinking from the water fountain and buying overpriced bottles. Some of the panel rooms will also have a water cooler if you're lucky.
Also, bring a BACKPACK (two straps) if you can. I usually bring a messenger-style back and it leaves my shoulder & neck muscles in pain.
1. Writing Utensils. It goes without saying, but you never know who's going to show up or who you'll run into. The year Lollipop Chainsaw was being demoed, I had no idea that greeting people at the exit was Suda-51 himself! Ken Levine, Cliff Blizinski, and Tim Schaefer are just a few people who stopped by, and it's always handy to have something other than a camera to capture that moment. I recommend a black sharpee, a silver sharpee, and a pen. I also bring a fine tipped sharpee, but that's totally up to you.
2. Your favorite TCG deck or tabletop pieces. If you've never attended PAX before, believe me you can find just about anything being played. Last year, people were playing pogs in the FFXIV panel line. POGS! If you play MTG, Pokemon, Hero Clix, or even My Little Pony, bring a deck! You never know if you'll find an opportunity to play and maybe make a new friend.
3. Elastics. I can't count how many times I passed up a free poster because I didn't want to deal with the awkwardness of it unrolling from basic movement. Don't let it happen to you!
4. Multiple forms of entertainment. Whether you're in line for a demo or waiting in a queue room to go to a panel, you're going to end up in a situation at some point or another where you'll need to occupy your mind. Diversify your options to keep things fresh! If you're knee deep in a massive novel, that's one thing. But never put yourself in a position to rely on only one thing. What if it breaks? What if it runs out of energy? WHAT IF ALIENS INVADE BOSTON AND THE ONLY HOPE FOR OUR SURVIVAL IS YOUR KINDLE FIRE HD?? Exactly. You may have saved our species, and I'm grateful that you did, but now you're bored as s***. AND you can't finish Half-Blood Prince. Bummer.
5. And most importantly, Positive Attitude. Look, let's keep it real for a second. PAX East is a gift forged by the gods for us to enjoy. Yes, we pay to attend. But back in my day, things like this didn't exist. We read about E3 in a magazine a month later, dreaming of a day when we could attend something so cool. PAX is a celebration of nerd culture. It's the one time a year for some of us to gather together and bask in the glory that is gaming. There are going to be lines. There are going to be times you'll have to wait for food or a bathroom break. And there are going to be areas where things can get congested. I'm human just as much as the next person, and things upset me too. But remember that we're all there to share a common interest, and above all we're there to have fun. So don't be the rain on the parade. Smile! IT'S PAX EAST, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!
Can't wait. :biggrin:
And Pogs are cool, but if you bring them...well, bring a reasonable amount.
Don't be Dan.
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/scale_super/0/5294/2843330-dan-pog.gif
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
If you forget, I'll spot you. I always bring spares.
I'd say if you're showing up with more than your phone and a charging cable, you should have a way to ditch your acquisitions ASAP (hotel room, car, etc..) or make sure you take frequently sit-down breaks with ample space (i.e. most panel discussions don't count...I find it stressful to manage a pile of stuff when I'm in a crowded panel).
That said, hand sanitizer is a great idea. So is some kind of minty gum or breath strip.
For those in shared sleeping situations, I'd recommend ear plugs over sleeping pills. No sense drugging yourself to a poor sleep among snoring roommates when you can just block the sound sleep well.
Also for the backpack, I recommend using one with those mesh side pockets so you can easily grab your water bottle. I dunno why but last year especially it was so dry in there, I was constantly drinking my water and in the big crowds it can be a pain to rummage through to find something.
And if you are from New England, skip the jacket. Unless they are predicting freezing temps, you will be just as warm with a sweatshirt, hat and gloves. Like said above, wear layers. You dont want to be lugging around extra heavy clothing for the rest of the day. There is a coat/bag check you can pay for but it can get pretty full, costs money and you have to remember to go back for your crap lol.
But the MOST important thing to bring is comfy shoes. Especially if you plan on standing in some of those 2-3 hour lines. Get good shoes. Break them in. Wear them NOW every day until the convention. You will be in tons of pain if you have bad shoes.
Reason: batteries are significantly heavier, and only carry so much juice. If you're geared for wall-charging, you'll weigh less and be able to tap unlimited power. Charge breaks will perform dual duty as feet breaks.
This is the standard iPad charger, and it has like double the amperage over the standard iPhone wall plug. It may have have a slightly bigger footprint than the other, but it'll charge your devices much more quickly.
It's a tradeoff, is all I';m saying: convienience and mobility, but heavier and can run out vs. light weight and unlimited powah, but in short supply and you can't go anywhere
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
As to the initial comment about charging via the wall and not battery... good luck finding an open outlet at your convenience.
Personally, I keep a 20000mAh battery in my pocket and keep my phone plugged in to it at all possible times. I can keep my phone and my 3DS charged for 2 days with it, at least. I have a second one that I keep plugged in at the hotel to swap out after the first couple days while recharging the other.
Of all the sights to see at PAX, there is nothing better than watching someone charging from a floor outlet while queued outside a panel, only to realize like a deer in headlights that the line is starting to move.
Like a hiker setting up base camp... around a power source.
PAX East Attendee - 2015, 2016
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BBYJQ5I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.pinnypals.com/pals/MarioManiac
The BCEC eats phone batteries. I don't know if it's all the concrete or the high concentration of signals or if nerds just absorb electricity, but I've had phone batteries that normally last for days die before lunch at PAX East.
Charging from outlets is damn near impossible and usually defeats the purpose. It seems all the lines for panels are on the wall opposite the outlets, so you have to go plug in your phone on the other side of the hallway (mind you, these hallways are 10-20 feet wide) and watch your phone as it charges. And twiddle your thumbs. Wondering what you could be doing if you had your phone. Because the time you want to USE your phone is when you're standing in line waiting for something.
I prefer a "slim" battery because I like to pack light. Mine is a 5000mAH and I've never worn it down. If you plan on spending the weekend with your head buried in your phone or other device, you may want a larger one, but for general use, it works great. I also suggest pairing it with a "stubby" cable. Amazon Basics has some cables that are like 3 inches long; just enough to connect from the charger to the phone, so you don't have to wrestle with cables.
Charger: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EKXR67M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lightning cable: https://smile.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Apple-Certified-Lightning-Cable/dp/B010U3XA0I/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1487941555&sr=1-1&keywords=4+inch+cable
Every year I try to pack things that will make the weekend as comfortable as possible. Things like extra pairs of comfy socks, snacks for the hotel room, and some cool bath stuff to get me up and moving every morning (I normally do a Lush haul right before PAX and it's amazing).
But I've always had issues trying to find a nice set of shoe inserts. I have two broken in pairs of shoes that will be fine for normal amounts of walking but I'd love to pad them with something to keep my feet happy for all the hiking I'll be doing at the convention. What would you suggest???
Proud Cookie Brigade Supporter
If you hook up wide straws (large-opening smoothie straw, say) to a weak pump and a strong pump, the weak pump may not be able to fully capitalize upon the extra volume of the straw.
So, with chargers, phones typically do not require nearly as much juice to maintain a normal rate of charging. Plugging them into a higher voltage charger will not appreciably speed up the charging process.
However, tablets generally do require more juice to charge their batteries, so using a bigger adapter for them is useful.
TL;DR
if you're only bringing your phone, I wouldn't bother bringing a 10v charger, the 5v one will be more portable and charge at the same speed.
So, I'm a big guy (I prefer the term "sexual tyrannosaurus", but this hasn't caught on in the modern lexicon). But more importantly, my left foot has minimal arch. So as you can imagine, 36 hours of foot traffic around a big building isn't the greatest experience- even if it is PAX. Years ago, I invested in the Dr. Scholls inserts where you measure your feet on a scanning device in stores. The caveat is that yes, this is an expensive option, running $40 to 55 depending on severity of the insert. But you have to weigh the option of comfort vs cost. And since I can use these in my daily life, it was a no brainer.