Every con experience lives and dies with what goes in to the con bag. It’s your own personal pocket dimension, your bag of holding, your inventory, the place to put all the great stuff you get at the con. Pack too much, and you run out of room for swag. Pack too little, and you’re going to end up having to buy something at massively inflated prices. After multiple con experiences, plus my own experience as a frequent traveler, here’s what I put in mine.
To start, you need a bag. I personally swear by Timbuk2. I use a messenger bag, some people like backpacks, but you can’t really go wrong either way. Make sure you get something big enough to fit all your stuff.
As I mentioned in my last post, power is at a premium, so you’ll need cables and a battery. My pick here is basically anything from Anker. Their cables are top notch, their power banks are great, their chargers are great, and I’ve never had a single problem with them.
Now, if you’re an autograph or photo op hound like me, you’ll want to have the following:
- A hard cover binder
- Either clear page sleeves (most photos are 8x10s) or hard photo covers
- Sharpies in whatever color your want the talent to sign in. Protip: silver is always good, gold is a close second, and black is hit and miss. Other colors are up to you (Paul Bettany signed in hot pink, for example).
Next up, snacks. Like I said, I typically bring whole unflavored almonds, granola bars, maybe a banana, and Clif bars. Your appetite may vary.
Shoes wise, I’ve tried Nike, Adidas, New Balance, etc., but for my feet the pick here is Under Armour. Anything with Charged soles is going to be best – they’re lightweight, breathable, break in quickly, durable, and above all else comfortable.
If you’re going to be collecting something bigger than autographs, I highly recommend a poster tube. They’ll keep your prints from getting smashed, which is a definite plus.
Seating is almost always at a premium, so sometimes it helps to bring your own. For that, I have my portable seat. Great for taking a load off and a halfway decent core workout while you sit, too.
You can never have too much water, which means bringing a water bottle. Double walled and vacuum sealed is a must, especially for hot days. I carry a 36oz RTIC, with the Sport Lid Cap Top. That’s usually enough to get me through the day.
Unless you’re cosplaying as the time Spider-Man grew four extra arms or Doctor Octopus, you’re gonna want a way to keep your hands free. Grab some carabiners for that.
You will, at some point, acquire pins. The backs on 90% of pins are terrible. Get something better – get locking pin keeper backs.
For SDCC specifically, you’re gonna spend a lot of time outside in the sun in 75+ degree weather, and you may be walking significant distances and surrounded by smelly nerds. A pocket sized fan is a lifesaver. I grabbed one with two speeds and is rechargeable.
Speaking of SDCC, get yourself a hat. Not like a baseball cap, because that will result in you with blisters on the top of your ears, and no, that’s not an exaggeration. I mean an actual, honest to god hat.
Now, time to accessorize. Nothing says “Con Veteran” like a bag full of patches, and a badge lanyard full of pins. There are a bazillion vendors that sell these at the con, which is where I get mine. After a con or two, your stuff will start to look like mine.
Once you get past the basics, everything else is up to you. Bring what you need to, leave what you don’t, and try not to forget anything along the way.
