Packing a Convention Bag

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I’m sure you’ve seen most fashion bloggers feature what’s in their bags or purses on their sites. As you know around here, I spend much more time and energy thinking about what I should pack in my convention bag, and chances are if you are reading this, you do too. So I figured I would share the wealth of information with you all, since I am so ridiculously hyped to attend Megacon Tampa Bay next month (have I mentioned David Tennant will be there???).

First off, if you are currently hunting for the perfect bag, check out my post from last year with a pretty fun round up. It’s imperative to pick the right bag because you’ll be toting all your most precious con goodies in it all day. But, on to the good stuff: what goes inside!

• Small wallet with cash. Why is cash so important? Number one, it keeps you on a budget and number two, sometimes cash is the only way you’ll be able to nab something at a booth or cafeteria.
• Business cards. Are you a geeky blogger like me? Conventions are just as much a networking event as they are a fun time for us! You never know who you may meet that will want to collaborate or hit you up later. Have them handy!
• Water bottle and small snacks. Sometimes conventions can charge a lot for food and drink, so it’s important to bring little snacks to keep your sustenance without destroying your cash flow. Also, if you have food allergies like me, snacks from home that are safe to eat are absolutely necessary. I just recently heard that Megacon Orlando was not allowing outside food or drink at all, which is not cool, so make sure you check with the event beforehand.
• Your phone and a charging case or battery pack. Your phone goes without saying, but it is absolutely necessary to make sure you are juiced all day long. You will be snapping photos, tweeting, making your Facebook and Instagram friends jealous, and even possibly livestreaming, so expect your phone’s battery life to be depleted at some point before you leave. I’m a big fan of Mophi cases, and this external charger is too amaze for words.
• A book or gaming system. As to not deplete all your battery life while waiting in line for panels or for friends, make sure to take something else to entertain you during down time. I’m not much for handheld gaming, so I tend to bring whatever book or comic I’m reading at the time.
• A permanent marker. You never know who you may run into that you’d like to get more information from. People do not always have business cards (but you will if you stick to this list – heh), and sometimes you just meet really cool people you’d like to befriend outside of the con scene. Sure, there’s Facebook for that, but you may want to be old school and jot your info down. Also, there are celebrities and artists at Con! If you are lucky enough to run into one informally, you can get their John Hancock on the fly.
• Makeup. Chances are, your makeup will not hold up for the entirety of a day on the convention floor – especially if you are cosplaying! If people are constantly snapping your picture or you are meeting new people, you want to look your best, so make sure you bring whatever lipstick you are sporting and powder. Those are the two most important makeup items for me. If I were to recommend a long lasting lippie for a con, I would send you running over to Colourpop. These two items are small enough to fit into a backpack inner pocket, which is perfect to maximize space!
• An awesome attitude. Cheesy, I know, but sometimes con life isn’t always super fun. There are long lines, lots of crowds and uncomfortable outfits. It’s so important to go in with a good attitude and expect some things to not be 100% as planned. This little tip of advice can actually be applied to anything, and is something I’m still training myself to accept.

What did you think of my list? Did I miss anything? Do you pack something you think is absolutely necessary that I missed?
Look forward to more Megacon-centric posts as we get closer to the big weekend!