WLP Wants To Know: Luggage?! Conventions?!
I know, I know you’re all going “Luggage? Has Pixie lost her mind again?” Nope, as one of CSN’s Preferred Bloggers, I get to talk to you today about Luggage. Relax, I’m not going to talk about rolling suitcases…but the topic worked perfectly when I started thinking about it, since I am debating on going to a Con next year.
I freely admit I have a few addictions, Books (duh), Music, Shoes (what woman doesn’t?) and Purses.I can’t even begin to tell you how many purses I have at this point, from hobo bags to one sided backpacks. I have a problem, I need detox. Whatelse is new?
I got to thinking, when I go up to the cottage I never have enough room. I end up talking about five bags with me..thus the boyfriend has a freak out about space & why I need 90 pairs of shoes & 400 books. Yeah, typical traveling female here. You never know what to bring but you know not to leave any man item behind. So you pack for every weather condition known to mankind, that includes at least 2 pairs of shoes right?
I am tentitively planning to go to Authors After Dark in Philly or Romance Writers of America in NYC! And I’m scared, I have no idea what to expect or what to bring (other then clothing, duh). So I figured lets just ask those of you who have been to a Con before.
WLP Wants To Know: When you travel, how many bags do you travel with? How many are just for books? What should I expect to bring in terms of extra space for freebies?! I’ve never been to a Con…help me, I’m scared!! What should I expect?
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Synde, rissatoo and Amy Stewart, Natasha. Natasha said: {New Post] WLP Wants To Know: Con Packing?! http://bit.ly/aetL0i What's a girl to bring? [...]
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Yeah, I got nothing for you on this, sorry. An average sized backpack, my wallet, my sunglasses, and my leather jacket will generally do for up to five days anywhere. A month if I feel like doing laundry while I’m there.
A thumb drive or compact portable hard drive if you don’t have a laptop maybe?
You’re a man, thats why. You don’t pack for the end of the world. The thumbdrive is a great idea though!
1 large backpack should suffice for any freebies and books. I know a lot of bloggers who ship their stuff home so they don’t have to travel with them.
I couldn’t IMAGINE the cost of shipping from the US to Canada.
Actually shipping to Canada from US is MUCH cheaper then shipping from Canada to US.
I pack as little as possible, which is usually still too much. If you’re going to a conference, which usually lasts three days or so, and you’ll need clothes for a bunch of different occasions, then I’d say a carry-on suitcase is usually good. No more than three pairs of shoes–heels, tennis shoes, and flats. Then you’re covered for all situations.
And come to RWA in NYC! I’m hoping I’ll get to go to that one next year, since I am already in New York and all…
I’m really debating it for THAT reason Cassie, cause it’s NYC & there’s soo much to do. I’d just go for the mass signing & then play tourist! AAD is good because all the bloggers are going, but not many authors I read.
My advice would be to pack your luggage (the type you would check in) with only the bare necessities so you have plenty of room for all the stuff you’ll be bringing back and take a backpack as your carry on so you have somewhere to store all the stuff you get while you’re walking around the conference.
I was thinking that too, plus I want clothing WITH me incase they lose the luggage! Can’t be naked at a Con!
I’ve grown up with two adventurous parents who knew how to budget travel like nobody’s business. I will shove all my shit in to one bag that is small enough to take on board with me. I HATE relying on an airline not to lose my shit! I will wash my clothes with woolite in a sink if I have to. It’s just not worth relying on the airlines not to lose your stuff, or the personnel not to steal when they need to “inspect” it and you’re not around.
I totally agree! Big ol’ backpack is looking like the best idea!
Wait, are you going to be flying? Man, I so picked the wrong. If I’d known airport screeners would get scanners that would essentially let them sit there and look at every passenger naked all day, there’s no way I would have went into IT.
Buzz, it’s not like you have to go to school and study to work for TSA
They’ll hire ANYONE, there’s still a chance!
Woot! It’s like the guy dream job. Get paid to look at hot naked chicks and mock unhot ones. Oh, and thoroughly grope the fun bits of any who don’t want to go through the scanner.
Seriously though, if I weren’t asshole enough to think saying “oooh baby, harder” and grinding a TSA screener’s hand would be hilarious, I’d never fly again.
Of course I’m flying! I can’t walk to NYC or Philly!
I travel a lot for business as well as cons. Here’s a couple of things I do:
- clothes, mix and match for the win. I bring mix and match clothes to triple my outfit combinations with just a few choice items.
- shoes, always take up the most space and I always have a couple pairs. Necessary space taking evil. But creative packing finds me stuffing socks and small pieces of clothing in my shoes to save space and keep my shoes from being crushed.
- I check luggage if it’s a one way flight (thus no worries of lost luggage) OR it’s an international transfer. The international transfer, they’d rather hold the flight to wait for you to get through security than try to find your luggage and pull it off the plane so it’s sort of insurance the flight won’t leave without you.
-Otherwise, I pack light. One carry on.
Cons, a whole different ball game:
- RT freebies filled an entire full size suitcase plus an extra carry on. I’d plan for a lot of space or to ship your loot back separately.
- I seem to have a set of day clothes and a set of night costumes. This increases necessary makeup, accessories, wings and masks. And oh, the shoes…
My advice, invest in luggage with wheels. Plan to check a bag or two and potentially ship loot back separately. We want to travel light, but at a con with day workshops and night galas and masquerades it might not be as practical as one might think. Doable, but not as practical.
Damn woman, you are packer extraordinar! Come on over, pack for me! lol
Pack just a pair of black pants or jeans and a couple of shirts. I always pack two shoes, comfy pair and dressy pair. Shoes can hold rolled up undies, socks, jewelry, they are like little pockets in your bag! Airplanes let you have one carry one and one personal bag. I would use a backpack and a large purse.
Did you say TWO pairs of shoes? AHAHAHAH never!
For a weekend con, I’d say five changes of clothes at most, four is probably enough to tide you. Depending on what you wear, one big backpack could carry all that. Honestly, though, it depends a LOT on the type of con and why you’re going. If you’re going the total fan route, you could get by with one solid pair of jeans, three t shirts, three changes of underthings, and PJs. As in something to sleep in. Not as in two PJs. If you had multiples of PJ, you could just ask THEM to pack for you. Because she’s super effective.
OK, too much Philcon is making me weird. One suitcase or one big backpack for every three to four days. Also, if you check it all in and take nothing but ID the plane, you’ll get less searchy grief, but they’ll probably fondle your luggage.