Con Survival Guide

2009-01-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

Food— Bring food that’s filling and high in protein, so that you can go for a few hours without having to worry about getting hungry. (Ex. Cereal, Cereal bars, granola bars) Also, try to eat rather healthfully. This means, ‘Don’t just eat junk food all weekend.’ As appealing as the thought is, it won’t be when you’re so sick you can no longer attend the con.

Clothing— Don’t only bring your cosplay and wear that all weekend; Bring at least two other outfits. This is not only benefiting yourself, but also your roommates. Contrary to your belief, your sweaty clothes do NOT smell like fresh cut roses. They stink. That’s it. Oh! You don’t want to forget a bathing suit either, and maybe a towel. There will typically be a swimming pool at the hotel, and it will typically be indoors, so swimming is always a great option if you want to take a breather from con stress.

Hygiene— BRING SOAP, DEODORANT, AND SHAMPOO. This is not a request. This is not a helpful suggestion. This is an order. No one likes con-funk. If your room has con-funk floating around, that’s a hint to TAKE A SHOWER! Every night of the con, take a shower and destroy that con-funk gunk. As I mentioned, your sweat does not smell like fresh-cut roses, as much as your delusional, con-crazy mind may think so. If you do not have any/ all of the above, do not be surprised if people avoid you for the con. Also bring a hair brush and a toothbrush. If you can get hold of some mouthwash, that’d be good, too.

Cosplay— Cosplay isn’t truly that important, however, if you do intend to cosplay, don’t forget your makeup, your hair-anti-gravity-making stuff (also known as gravity-defying-hair-stuff or, for the ‘normal’ human beings, hairspray [HEY-ir-spuh-rey]) and, most importantly, your costume. Make sure said costume fits correctly, and that you have generous space for movement (like running from /trying to be a fangirl.) Practice facial expressions and lines taken from your character in order to make fangirls squee, and be sure that you learn mannerisms that will keep you in character.

Rave— Bring some clothes specifically to rave in. There will be a rave/dance party at least two of the three days of the con. If you don’t have raving clothes, find some neon duct tape and have at your pants and tee. It will glow in a black light, and that’s always fun, right? Also, bring your own glow sticks, just in case they aren’t selling any at the con. It’s very depressing when you get there and there’s nothing to spin and twirl and make seizure-inducing shapes with.

Money— This is probably one of the most important things (if not the most important) that you can bring with you to a convention. First and foremost, put aside a set amount of money for gas and food, and then you can worry about souvenirs. After you’ve made sure that you have enough money (ex. Here’s fifty dollars for Gas, then thirty dollars for food. That leaves me twenty dollars for a plushie!)

Sleep— Everybody has to sleep. That’s how it works. If you bring your own pillow and your own sleeping bag, you can sleep more comfortably than if you just sleep on the floor. Also, nobody wants to give away their own pillow. If you bring your own, you can be sure that you’re not stealing one from someone else who could use it. If you want to know where to sleep, see my list of ‘Where to Sleep?’

Con Survival List (basic)

One box of bran cereal
Two sets of clean clothes
Swimsuit
Beach towel
One bar (or partial bar) of soap.
One small stick of deodorant
One small bottle of shampoo
One small bottle of conditioner
Your toothbrush
Toothpaste
One small bottle of mouthwash
Hairbrush
Your cosplay
Make up
Gravity defying hair stuff
Raving clothes (can count as extra set of clothing)
Glow sticks
Money
Pillow
Blanket/ sleeping bag
Any other toiletries you may require
Glasses case (if you wear glasses)

Where to Sleep?

2008-10-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

I've been to a few Anime conventions, and I intend to go to two more soon. Anyway, there are several things I've noticed about conventions, including the lack of sleep at a decent hour. When you do finally get to sleep, I figured I'd let you know where I've seen it happen, so that you may find a place as well. These are my top ten;

1. Hotel Bed (WARNING*; you may have to share with more than one person.)

2. Hotel room Couch (WARNING; may not have much leg room.)

3. Hotel room Chair (They're very good for sleeping on your own)

4. Hotel room floor (WARNING; sleeping on floor, unless under a table [see no. 8] may cause rude awakening by being tripped over.)

5. Hotel room Closet (WARNING; Not for the clausterphobic)

6. Hotel room Bathtub (WARNING; sleeping in bathtub may cause unexpected awakenings in the middle of the night, possibly by having water rushing into your sleeping space.)

7. Under a bench. (WARNING; people may stop and stare, and possibly sit and watch you.)

8. Under a table. (See no. 7's warning)

9. Against a wall. (WARNING; security may ask you to go to your own room/hotel.)

10. In the Anime Screening room. (WARNING; Loud explosions may awaken you.)

Hope this helped! ^-^

*These warnings are just examples of what to expect when sleeping in said place.

The Anime Spot

Con Survival Guide

Where to Sleep?