Friday morning of a con weekend, 6 a.m., hotel room. You realize you packed four phone cables and zero pairs of socks. Everyone who has done more than two conventions has a version of this story. The fix isn't packing more. It's packing from a list instead of from memory.
This one is built for a standard three-day event — badge pickup Friday, full days Saturday and Sunday — where you're staying at or near the venue. Adjust for cosplay, camping, or international travel.
Clothing: The Rotation That Works
You'll be on your feet for eight to ten hours a day in a room that's either freezing or sweltering, sometimes both within an hour. Comfort beats everything.
- Four shirts for three days. One spare, because something will get spilled on. This is where your best geek shirts earn their keep — a con is the one place a deep-cut reference gets noticed and appreciated by strangers. Shops like Geeksoutfit organize their geek shirts by theme, so if you're heading to a sci-fi or gaming con you can match the shirt to the room.
- Two bottoms. One pair of jeans or chinos, one lighter option (shorts, joggers, a skirt). Pockets are non-negotiable. A one-piece option — a printed maxi like Geeksoutfit's geek maxi dreses — saves a top and a bottom for the long Saturday.
- One layer you can tie around your waist or stuff in a bag. Convention halls run cold in the morning and hot by noon.
- Socks: five pairs. Yes, five. Your feet will thank you. Bring the good ones.
- Underwear: four.
- Shoes: two pairs, both already broken in. Alternate days. Never debut new shoes at a con.
- Sleepwear — whatever you'd normally wear, plus something decent enough to answer the door for room service.
Tech and Power
- Phone charger plus one backup cable
- Portable battery, at least 10,000 mAh, fully charged before you leave home
- Wall plug with two USB ports (hotel outlets are always in the wrong place)
- Earbuds or headphones for the line waits
- Camera if you use one; extra card and battery
Skip the laptop unless you're working. Nobody has time.
Documents and Money
- Badge or confirmation email, screenshotted so it works offline
- ID
- Hotel confirmation
- Cash in small bills — artist alley and dealer halls still have plenty of cash-only tables, and card readers fail when 20,000 people are on the same cell tower
- One card, one backup card, in different pockets or bags
Health and Comfort
- Painkillers of your choice
- Blister plasters and a couple of regular bandages
- Hand sanitizer (small)
- Any prescriptions, in original packaging
- Lip balm
- Refillable water bottle — most venues have fountains, and a $5 bottled water bill adds up fast
- Throat lozenges. You'll be talking more than usual in a loud room.
Snacks
Con food is expensive, slow, and often bad. A few things in your bag save you an hour of queueing:
- Granola or protein bars
- Nuts or trail mix
- Something salty
- Instant oatmeal packets if your hotel has a kettle or coffee maker
The Bag You Carry Around
Separate from your luggage. This is what's on your shoulder for ten hours:
- Battery pack and cable
- Water bottle
- Two snack bars
- Small notebook and pen (autographs, notes, artist contact details)
- Poster tube or flat folder if you're buying prints
- The layer from your clothing list
- Badge on a lanyard, tucked in until you need it
Keep it under two kilos when empty. It will not be empty for long.
What Do Experienced Attendees Always Forget?
Ask around and the same items keep coming up. Socks, as mentioned. A plug adapter if you're traveling from abroad. Deodorant — it's the item most often left on the bathroom counter. A pen. A small bag for the pins and stickers you'll accumulate, so they don't scratch everything else. And a hoodie for the flight home, because you'll be exhausted and cold.
One attendee I know packs an empty duffel folded inside her suitcase. It comes out on Sunday for everything she bought. She's never had to ship a print home.
If You're Flying
One carry-on and one personal item covers all of this if you roll rather than fold. Put the shoes you're not wearing along the edge of the bag, socks stuffed inside them. Liquids under 100 ml in a clear pouch at the top so security doesn't mean unpacking. And leave a third of the bag empty on the way out — you'll fill it on the way back, and nobody wants to buy a second bag at an airport gift shop on Sunday night.
The Night-Before Check
Lay everything out on the bed. Tick it against the list. Then put your badge confirmation, ID, and charger into the bag you'll carry — not the suitcase. Those three items are the only ones you can't replace on-site in ten minutes.
Then sleep. Friday starts early.